


Rogue

by RedCoaster



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: My First Fanfic, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Other, Titan Eren Yeager, Titans, because we need more titan!eren love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-02 06:27:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 759,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2802785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedCoaster/pseuds/RedCoaster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A strange but intelligent titan lives deep within the forests of Wall Maria, right under the military's nose. What happens when the mysterious titan comes across two small children and the Scouts? Titan!Eren AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Misunderstood Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Hello All! This is my first fan-fiction and first time posting here, so forgive me if there is anything weird with the layout of things. I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan. I'm not a perfect person (a good majority of this was written at 3am) so there are probably some grammar issues I missed. If you find any errors, please tell me so I can make corrections. I'd appreciate it. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 1: A Misunderstood Soul

Rays of the early morning sun peered down from the heavens, decorating the clandestine cove in dappled light. The forests within Wall Maria were flourishing at the arrival of spring. Flowers bloomed, seedlings sprouted, and new life was birthed beneath the protective branches of the giant trees of the forest.

The secret cove lay within the deepest region of the wood, hidden by thick foliage and seemingly untouched by man. Surrounded by towering rocks and large overhanging branches, the cove was a safe haven – one of the only ones in the beautiful but cruel world. Forget-me-not's grew abundantly among the earth and between the rock crevices, reflecting in a crystal pond that revealed all life beneath the surface. Residents of the forest such as rabbits, squirrels, and deer frolicked among the fresh morning dew.

At the rear of the cove grew one of the great trees that pierced the sky. In its hollowed out trunk, a massive figure lay nestled in a bed of dried leaves, the creature's deep but gentle snores filling the cove with a strange but soothing atmosphere. Feeling warm light resting on his leathery skin, he stirred. He rolled over lazily and stretched his body like a sleepy cat before giving in to his body's needs and the sun's demanding arrival. Slowly, the creature sat up fully, swinging his limbs over the edge of the bark nonchalantly as he took his time to fully wake from his deep slumber. The monster released a yawn, the sound rumbling deep in his chest and throughout the small cove before he unshielded his piercing and bright green eyes that glistened like emeralds. The creature took another stretch; reaching upwards before letting out a sigh in content, steam wavering from his lip-less jaws before running his large fingers through his hair – fixing a case of "bedhead" before relaxing. It looked to be another pleasant day.

A gentle sound captured the creature's attention. Looking down, he discovered the four-legged animals, things known as deer he recalled, gathered around his lake in a small group. A soft spot swelled from within his chest and his ears pricked forward in anticipation at his realization. There, within the small group of adults, a newly born fawn struggled to get it's footing. It wasn't but a few minutes old, still wet with fluids. The corners of the creature's mouth pulled up slightly as he attempted to smile. Giving into his avid curiosity, he slowly rose from his resting place to his full height of fifteen meters, the ground shifting before squatting next to the minuscule four legged animals. The adults paid him no heed as they were used to his presence, the cove being their home and he its guardian. The fawn however, was frozen in trepidation. He took notice of this and paused in his approach before letting out a rumbling purr in reassurance. Though he was a monster to all that didn't know him, he wanted to win the little one over and show that he meant no harm. In an attempt to appear as docile as he could possibly be, the vast creature lowered his head with his eyes half lidded, letting his shoulder length hair drape over his face as his ears drooped a bit. He tilted his head like a kicked puppy as he carefully outstretched his arm, watching the young animal flinch at his clawed finger that now hung before its nose. The monster sat in silence, waiting patiently before the fawn warily took a step forward and brushed its nose against his fingertip. He let out a low but soft rumble in greeting as the small deer finished and wobbled over to its mother to nurse.

The great being let out another wave of steam in content; it warmed him further that these creatures tolerated him. His reflection in the small pond constantly reminded him as to why that was. He was a titan, the most powerful and bloodthirsty monsters known to exist – the reason for the walls and the fear that ran throughout the land. They were towering, humanoid creatures with strength that seemed to know no bounds and had a taste for killing and engulfing humans. Only the fifty-meter stonewalls kept the titans at bay from devouring the lives within them. However, the titan in the cove was a mystery, even to himself. He had not a clue as to how he ended up on the wrong side of the walls or why his kind was supposed to consume the humans. The titan knew he was different. He felt no need to eat anything or anyone and he was more aware of the demanding world around him. In fact, as humans go, the titan was weary of them and usually avoided crossing paths – knowing that it wasn't the best thing to expose himself with his kind's reputation. On the other hand, if he ever smelt the sent of man, the titan usually found himself watching from a safe distance for he found them interesting. Humans looked so much like him, but they behaved in a completely different manner. The titan let out a heavy breath of hot steam as he rose to his full height again and made his way towards the exit of the cove. The soft spot swelled within his chest again, thinking of the only two humans that never saw him as a monster or ran away – perhaps they would finally pay him a much-needed visit.

The titan then began to scale up the twenty-five meter rock face of his cove, looking back once to make sure that all was still peaceful and just before proceeding. Routinely, he stuck his head from the vine-shaded entrance and sniffed the air, his ears flickering to distinguish any sound that came his way. Positive that no soul was around, he removed himself fully from his shelter and made his way into the unforgiving world.

He walked through the wood; his heavy footsteps making the nearby leaves tremble in his wake. The titan knew this forest just as well as he knew his own backside for he spent the majority of his days wandering – looking for anything that would pike his interest. Most days, he would only come across the usual animal or pond, but on other days he would stumble upon humans that were either hunting or taking the road less traveled. Sometimes he would gather any object that they left behind to take it back to his cove and observe it. Today however, it appeared that it was going to be like any other day.

Little did he know how wrong he was.

The titan's ears flickered as he picked up the sound of water lapping against rock. A small river then peeked through the trees, presenting itself to him with a radiant sheen from the sunlight. The creature let out a steamy sigh and gradually lowered himself to his calves with his massive muscles rippling beneath his hide. The titan took his time to relax, carefully shifting himself to sit cross-legged against the trunk of one of the large trees, trying his best to not upset the surrounding vegetation. He then rested his hands over his knees gracefully as he peered at the river's surface with likeness. This river was one of his most beloved things to view. It was teeming with life from the small swimming things with no legs to the rather bulky furry animals that moved on all fours. However, his favorite thing about the river was the way the sunlight reflected from its constantly morphing surface. It glittered like diamonds and he found it to be one of the most beautiful things his eyes had ever beheld.

For several long hours he remained by the flowing water and soaked in all his surroundings. The titan had since graduated from relaxing to playing in the river bank, swirling his hands and fingers around in the shallow water in attempts to catch the fish – grunting in annoyance at every failure. Aggravated, he prepared to remove himself away from the river when a sliver of red caught his eye. His head jerked abruptly in the direction where he had spotted the wisp of red. There, up in a tree across from the river, a red piece of cloth revealed itself from the wind of an approaching rain. For a moment, the titan watched it in incredulity before he rose to his large feet and motioned toward the red. Before the object was blown from the branches of the tree, the creature's massive arm reached upward and plucked the cloth from the tangle of twigs. The titan then brought the object close to his face in curiosity. His large fingers held the red thing tightly but delicately; careful not to rip it for with his strength he could so easily do so. The titan's ears then pricked forward as he recognized what the object was. The humans called them a scarf and would often wear them to keep warm. Though it was the beginning of spring, the air still possessed a slight chill – the scarf was still fairly clean and wasn't exposed to the unforgiving elements, so it couldn't have been in the tree for long. The titan ran his thumb over the weaving of the scarf in awe, admiring the intricate wool. This was his favorite thing he had found so far.

His mind briefly thought back to his two humans. He remembered the first time he met the lady with amber eyes and how she was so terrified before she was able to get to know him. The titan was fond of her soft voice and how she spoke lovingly to him, the words always kind no matter what the situation. The titan missed her mate too, the man with what he called "glasses" over his eyes. He would often if not always accompany the lady and proceed in teaching him about human things. The gargantuan being sighed, releasing a jet of steam from his teeth with worry as he clenched the scarf. He hadn't seen his two humans in a while. They used to come to his cove weekly, but then over the seasons their visits thinned to once a month and now once every few months. The titan couldn't decide if the lump that grew in his throat at the thought of this was aggravation or sadness.

But he was for certain that he was lonely.

Before he could sulk further into his depressing thoughts, a scent had found its way to his nose. The hairs on his neck stood up and his eyes widened. Alarmed, he took his attention away from the scarf and lifted himself upright to face the scent's source. The titan sniffed again, making sure his hypothesis was correct. It was unmistakably blood. Human blood. And it was fresh. The titan let out a whine in concern, knowing the sweet smell of human blood in his forest wasn't a good thing. He had only smelt it once before. At the time, the air was radiating with unease – just as it was currently. Something, something somewhere wasn't right.

The titan hesitated, staring at his feet as he pondered about the current situation. His senses were practically screaming at him that something was amiss and someone was suffering. He shook his head, trying to dismiss the fact but to no avail. Maybe everything would be fine. Perhaps the uniformed men would come and take care of it. Then again, this region of Wall Maria was very rural; help would most likely come too late. The titan stared off into the direction of the scent's source, a stressed whimper escaping him. Worry and curiosity forced him to make his decision. The titan took the scarf and wrapped it tightly around his left pinky, tucking it to insure that it wouldn't be lost, before taking a step forward.

The foul stench of death grew stronger as the creature walked quickly through the wood, his mind in a haze of thoughts. He moved as if he was in a trance, only focusing on his primary goal of reaching his destination. With the smell of liquid crimson in the air, most of the forest's residents had retreated into the ground and foliage, making the landscape ghastly quiet. The titan's nostrils flared wildly as the stench hit him full blast, alerting him that he was very close now. The monster slowed his pace as he neared the edge of his forest, ducking a bit beneath the shorter trees in caution that the uniformed men could have arrived as well. He had always been told to avoid these men by his humans for they would jump at the chance to turn him into a steaming pile of evaporating flesh. The titan swallowed nervously, hoping that his inquisitiveness hadn't put him into danger.

He paused at the tree line, making sure that he was still hidden before delicately pulling away a branch that obscured his view. Before him was a small human dwelling made of wood and surrounded by a well kempt garden. The titan tilted his head in confusion. Everything looked to be rather normal, even in the dying light things seemed, as they should be. But why could he smell blood so strongly? It wasn't his imagination. His sense of smell was never wrong. The titan held his breath as he listened in, his ears facing forward and straining to pick up the slightest sound. Nothing. Not a man or animal stirred. Maybe he was wrong after all.

The titan hesitated yet again, thinking that he should just make his way back to his cove. However, something just wasn't setting with him right. His green eyes focused on the cottage in doubt. Taking a risk for a hunch, the titan looked around the property and the landscape. Seeing no humans of any sort approaching, he slowly emerged out of the trees, something that he had not done in years. As carefully as he could, the titan squatted down and hunched over to peer at the human home closer. His thundering heart skipped a beat as he noticed that that the door was wide open – and smeared in blood. The titan let out a grunt in surprise with his glowing green eyes wide and big as wagon wheels. He then threw his attention to the interior of the cottage, his heart skipping a beat.

Lying in their own pool of blood were two humans. Not his humans, but a man and a woman nonetheless. The man was leaning awkwardly against a wall, bleeding from a wound on his abdomen while the woman lay on the floor with her head nearly decapitated. They had been dead for hours.

The titan quickly shook his head to snap him out of his shocked state. He hurriedly checked his surroundings to find no one before returning to the deceased couple. A moan of sorrow rumbled from his chest and his ears drooped in sadness. He was too late. A part of him pictured steam rising from their wounds as they healed, but he quickly reminded himself that these poor souls were only human and didn't repair themselves like titans. The two were an unhealthy pale, nothing but cold and dead meat. As much as he wanted to turn away and leave, he couldn't. He then spotted something suspicious.

Though they lacked a heartbeat and were defiantly dead, their eyes remained open, their faces fixed in a look of surprise. The titan had seen this trait with prey that fell victim to predators and hunters – meaning that the humans were ambushed. They had no idea what happened until it occurred. The creature frowned a bit and scanned the carcasses. His first thought was that the grey, four-legged growling creatures that ran in groups had done such carnage. However, the titan realized that the possibility of the animals being the culprits could not be true. The humans' wounds were clean cuts and not just savagely ripped flesh. An animal could not have done this. The titan's eyes scanned the inside of the small cottage, seeking anything that would give him answers. His eyes then caught sight of a dull shimmer. Just a few feet from the female was a long object with a bloody blade fixed to its end. The titan's body shivered. He had seen humans use this tool in his forest, calling it an axe, to cut the smaller trees down. Man used this tool, and it was men that killed their own kind savagely with it.

The titan backed away from the scene and brought himself to his knees. Why? Why would humans kill their own kind? It made sense for a human to kill an animal or even a monstrous titan, but why their own kin? These humans weren't killed like game; their bodies were just left there to rot. The act was simply done out of hatred and greed. A distressed moan from the titan vibrated across the rooftop of the small cottage as he prepared to leave – knowing he could do nothing more. However, he was stopped again by another set of scents. For a moment he thought of the uniformed men until he realized that among the scents were blood and one that was similar to the couple's. The other four odors were distinctively different as well. The titan strained his neck and sniffed aggressively, discovering that the scents headed into the deep region of the forest. He blinked in question. Could the humans that had done this taken something from the couple? Eager to know, the titan rose to his feet and ventured back into the trees and brambles. He had to hurry. Rain was closing in with the thunder announcing a coming storm.

Soon rain was falling down in a fury and thunder echoed among the heavens. The sun had since set as well and the titan's energy was fading – but he was stubborn and willful. Over time he had learned how to push his body's energy to the limits, challenging the moon and darkness. He used to be only able to remain awake after the sun left the sky for three hours. Now with much dedication, he could stay up five hours and nearly six on a rare good night. Something deep within him, a sort of sense, told him he would be put to the test. He grunted in frustration, the rain was washing away the humans' scents and in no time there would be nothing left to follow.

The titan weaved within the trees as silently as he possibly could, remaining parallel to an old weedy path that was scarcely used anymore. For what seemed like hours, he found nothing of value. Just when he was about to hang up his act and quit his mission for the final time, he heard an unmistakable sound.

Voices.

Quickly, the fifty-foot monster shielded himself behind one of the massive trees. For a moment, he listened intently to human tongue and footfalls until a small group of three men came from around the bend. Two of them were rather tall, one lanky and the other averagely built. The third that led the group was a stout and chunky human that growled and muttered words at the other two every time someone opened their mouth. He could feel his stomach knot up as their stench met his nose full blast. The titan held his breath and listened in as best as he could.

"Of all the days it had to storm, it has to be this one." The plump man growled; his voice laced with venom and cruelty. "These brats better put the boss in a damn good mood and fetch a pretty penny for all this shit we've had to go through." He continued through his teeth as he struggled in pulling his cloak over his head in a sad attempt to keep dry. "He's already going to be pissed off that we killed the mother – the whole reason for this fucking journey." The man concluded as his eyes narrowed at the man behind him whose face swirled in disgust.

"It wasn't my fault! The bitch put up a fight!" He retorted. "At least we're not empty handed. One of em' has the mother's blood. The other one isn't much to look at, but could still fetch a small price."

The titan paid no attention to their words for he couldn't understand what they fully meant anyway. On the contrary, his gaze was locked to a large canvas sack that the second man was carrying over his shoulder. It was defiantly where the scent of blood was radiating, but what was in it? Before he could think of the possibilities, the bag moved! The titan's eyes widened as the bag rippled and a series of muffled whines came from within. The man holding the bag strained, desperate to keep his grip on the cloth.

"Would you cut the crap?" The human bringing up the rear chided. "They're not that damn heavy!"

"It's not that! They… just won't quit… squirming!" He grunted roughly in reply, making the man in the lead even more heated.

"Shut the hell up. Look, we're still far from Wall Rose and we need to reach it before morning in order to avoid getting caught. This storm is already making things bad enough so best shut your mouths and hurry up!"

"Heh, we're most likely going to be paid very little or not at all for this." The rear human uttered beneath his breath after a long pause, his teeth clacking slightly from the cold. "The mom is dead, we're soaked right down to the bone, and probably going to get pneumonia – hell I don't think it could get much worse."

"I said shut up."

As the men ignored their leader's commands and continued with their squabbles, the titan kept his eyes glued to the moving bag. What was in there that smelled like the dead humans at the cottage and moved about like stressed prey to be slaughtered? Yes, it was alive but what was it? Was it an animal? Another human? Just before he could ponder further, the thing inside the bag hit the carrier with a blunt blow on the small of the man's back. The titan watched as he yelped in agony and dropped the sack to the muddy and wet path. As the injured human struggled to recover, the bag moved violently and became untied at the top. The monster's eyes widened at what the cloth had stubbornly revealed.

Two smaller humans… human young. Yes, they were children – their soft round faces showing youth. One human was a little boy with bright blond hair and blue eyes while the other was a little girl. Her hair was black as the night sky and her eyes a dull grey. The titan's chest constricted in both guilt and anger. The two children had clearly been through hell. Their frail bodies were bruised and battered and their faces reflected nothing but fear and pain. To make matters worse their limbs and waists were bound together – the two connected at the waist. Cloth was wrapped around their mouths, cutting deep into the corners of their lips. In comparison, the boy looked to be in a better state with only minor cuts and a few unhealthy bluish splotches upon his skin. The little girl however, was in a much more damaging condition. Blood from both her and her deceased parents stained her thin nightgown and the side of her head was swollen slightly from a brutal hit. Among the bruises and violent shivering, the thing that alarmed the titan the most was her expression. The girl's face was deathly still, almost resembling that of a corpse – petrified with defeat. If it weren't for her breath, he would have assumed that she had met the same fate as her parents. At the very sight of the cruelty that had been cast upon the two, the titan's blood boiled with rage. These men were not human. They were animals.

The boy and girl seized the chance and struggled to get themselves upright, the two having great difficulty in doing do. Bound together, they clumsily limped and stumbled unknowingly in the titan's direction, catching the rear man's attention away from his fallen ally. The man's greedy hand yanked the two children back to the muddy earth and pulled a knife. Frightened eyes stared at the blade and the man's smirk, wincing as he laughed heartlessly.

"You two best be getting your little asses back in that bag." The man sneered as he pressed the blade against the girl's cheek, the cold steel making her body limp and useless. "Your buyers are waiting." He concluded, sliding the blade across the girl's bruised flesh. Water shed from her eyes and a pained cry escaped from her gag. Blood ran down her face like molted metal and mixed with the falling rain.

A long dormant emotion and purpose erupted from the pit of the titan at the sight. Fury and an overwhelming need to protect – something that he had only felt once before in his lifetime. His body fumed, streams of steam rose from his teeth, nose, and the pores on his back. These men weren't animals. They were monsters. No! They were scum! But if they wanted a monster, he would give them one.

The titan announced his presence with a deep, guttural growl - the terrifying sound causing a hushed silence to fall over the area. Everything became still.

"The hell was that?" The stout man began after several seconds, looking around their surroundings in question. The two accomplices shook in their boots.

"That's way to big to be a bear." One man hushed beneath his breath. "Could it really be a…"

The man didn't finish his sentence, interrupted by the thunder of footsteps that shook the damp earth. The leaves rustled and the trees quaked as the fifteen-meter titan emerged fully from the forest, carefully stepping right over the young humans. The men froze in their place, their eyes glued to the towering figure in pure horror. The titan's menacing and glowing green eyes burned in nothing but hatred and wrath. He then threw his head back and released an earth-shattering roar that made the thunder above seem tame and shook the very earth that they stood upon.

"It's a titan!"

"How the hell is it behind the walls! We have to run!"

"Not without those brats!" The leader ordered, sending the group of kidnappers into an argument – as if they had forgotten about the monster.

The titan stared down in skepticism. Why weren't they running? He watched as they continued to squabble. It sickened him that despite death could be imminent; they were still willing to retrieve their prize from bloodshed. The titan hunched over and unhinged his jaw, opening his mouth to its furthest extent as he let out a shrill shriek of displeasure – giving them a chance to rethink things.

Two of the men took the threat and promptly spun on their heels to leave. However, the plumper man grabbed their collars before they could take a single step. "You two are not going anywhere! Titan or not, our job is to retrieve those fuckers no matter what!"

The titan felt his body seething, a primal instinct overpowering him at the use of the word 'fucker'. It was a very cruel human word that cut him deep for personal reasons. Lightning struck, illuminating the sky in a blinding light – making the titan snap. His irises became predatory slits as he sprung forward with his fist aimed at the men. The plump man and the 'bag man' quickly jumped from the fist's wake. The man that had brought up the rear of the party however, wasn't quick enough. Without a second to spare, the man's body caved beneath the creature's great hand. A sickening crack of bones filled the air and blood decorated the radius of the area. Despite the thunder and the falling rain, it grew eerily quiet except for the gasps of fear.

The luminous green eyes of the titan grew in shock and his body trembled a bit as he lifted his hand in disbelief. The man could not even be recognized as a human. He was nothing but a cesspool of a soupy mix of flesh, bone, and blood smeared all over the path. The titan watched as the man's intestines and what could be other organs slowly slide across his fist and into the bloody mess. His breath hitched in his chest at what had just transpired. He had never killed another human before, breaking a vow that he had made long ago. He blinked as he continued to stare at the carnage. Strangely, though it was horrifying, he felt no remorse from his act. The titan's eyes slowly turned to the other men. Of course, real men knew right from wrong. These men were only vessels of voracity. They were filth. After briefly glancing back to check if the two children were still there, the titan released another formidable roar and lunged forward.

The two men ran in opposite directions with the titan going after his nearest victim. The human ran as fast as his legs could possibly carry him, his mind regretting every foul decision he ever made. Unfortunately, the man's boots caught themselves and he fell to the ground in a heap. He barely had the time to turn to look at his pursuer before the titan's foot came crashing down upon his frail body. Crimson juices bubbled beneath his toes before the titan turned in search of his last foe, the short plump man that was the leader of the group. His green eyes narrowed as he released a snarl at the sight of the man heading towards the two children. After all that had occurred, he was still determined to see his vile mission through.

Before the man could reach his prize, the titan crouched and slammed his hand between the two small humans and the man. His ears pressed against his skull and his eyes radiated with rage, glaring at the stout man so intently that it was as if the titan was trying to tear apart the man's soul piece by piece. The titan let out a booming growl, daring the man to make a move. For what seemed like minutes, the two continued to stare until the man uttered profanity beneath his breath and ran in the opposite direction, knowing his decision was completely futile. With a powerful swing, the titan's palm flattened the cruel man into nothing but a red smear. Scum upon the earth.

Thunder cracked overhead, but the scene was now still. The titan heaved a breath of steam in relief, taking a moment for his furious mind to calm and his body to cool. He lifted his hand and wiped his palm upon the grass. Hearing the two children whimper behind him, he slowly turned to look upon them. The girl and boy had somehow pressed themselves against the trunk of one of the large trees as if they were trying merge like a dryad to disappear. A lump grew in the titan's throat at the sight of the frightened young humans that were much more scared than ever - knowing they were alone with the beast. He swallowed nervously. Clearly he had not thought his plan of rescue through.

Suddenly, the two attempted to get back to their feet, their exhausted and nearly frozen bodies giving out beneath them. They shivered violently from the cold rain, if they remained, they would not last. The titan continued to plot his next move. He had already come this far and he couldn't stop now.

The titan seated himself upon his calves, letting out a small rumble – the same he used to greet his humans and animals of the cove. Of course, the two children remained petrified. The titan loosed his muscles and let his face relax, hunching his shoulders to look as harmless as possible. Ignoring his decaying energy once again, the titan gradually reached out to the two while letting out another soft rumble in reassurance. As his fingers brushed their bruised skin, the children screamed through their gag with their hoarse voices. He paused in his approach, but their current state of despair urged him to continue no matter what.

Not hesitating to wait, the titan gently scooped the little girl and boy into his hand, cupping them to ensure that they did not drop to the forest floor. His tapered ears drooped a bit at the freezing little humans as they backed up against his fingers in retreat. For a moment he simply observed them as they continued to suffer. His eyes then traveled to their bounds, rough and prickly ropes that almost cut into their skin and surely blocking circulation of blood. Knowing what must be done, the titan lifted the children closer to see with clarity. Ignoring their silent pleas, the creature lifted his opposite hand and carefully placed his sharp nail between the two. He could not look at their faces of fear for the delicate task required all of his focus. If he made a mistake, he could so easily kill them.

With a small and almost fluid motion, the titan's claw snapped the old rope in ease. The boy and girl broke apart, taking a moment to saver a deep breath in their strained lungs before turning to gaze at the titan in utter confusion. Raising his hand again, he repeated his process with the rope upon their hands. Once they were free, the two massaged their bruised and frozen hands, watching as the color returned to them before proceeding to fully untie themselves. Quietly, the titan watched, as the boy was the first to free himself and moved on to help the girl. A frown came to his face. The tiny female was so cold that her fingers could barely get a grip on her restraints to get them off. Holding back a concerned moan, he watched as she pressed herself further into his hot skin, desperate for heat.

Once their gags were removed, the children looked up in unease – still in a state of shock but had surprisingly not screamed in terror. The titan continued to stare at them, noticing how their bodies slowly gave in to their desire for warmth and pressed into his skin as deep as they could go. He felt his heart welling up in his chest. Was it possible that they were starting to trust him? As if to answer his query, the girl sat up and pulled the titan's thumb against her like a blanket. His chest tightened at the scene, but he could not smile yet for she still quivered – and he swore he could hear her miniscule bones rattling. The titan looked to his pinky at where he wrapped his scarf. Although, he liked it very much, he didn't need it. Minus another thought, he reached and pulled the woven cloth from his finger and held it above her head. Unsure of how to put it on without killing her accidentally, the titan just rotated the scarf over her head before letting it drop in a messy fashion. The two children sat in silence, looking from the scarf to the titan in bewilderment. The girl then curled in on herself and buried her face into the cloth. Suddenly, she uttered a phrase that he could not have heard if he wasn't a titan.

"Thank you."

He blinked in awe before letting out a content and tender grunt. The titan knew those two words well. They were kind human words meant to express gratitude. As much as he wanted to soak in the pleasure, the two children were still very cold and the rain wasn't letting up. Not only that, but drowsiness was beginning to claim him. With no one around to retrieve the girl and boy, the titan went with his only available option. Knowing how hot his body ran and the fact that he was exhausted, his cove was the best place to spend the remainder of the night. Making sure that the two were nestled firmly in his hands, the titan clumsily and lethargically got to his feet before heading deep into the safety of the trees – leaving the carnage behind for the waiting wolves.

After what seemed like an endless trek, the titan finally climbed into his little haven. Rain came down in sheets from the cracks in the branches above to feed the grass and flowers. Though the cove was soaked, his tree was a dry beacon. The titan looked down at his two guests, seeing that they were looking up at him and waiting, he forced his mouth into the best smile of assurance that he could possibly manage. He watched their eyes light up before making his way across the cove to the base of his tree. The titan covered the two with his other hand before shaking his head much like a dog to rid his unkempt hair of water before stepping into the hollowed out tree. Just as he did every evening, he settled down into the mass of dry and toasty leaves with the exception of being extra careful of his small humans. Once he was on his side, the titan gently placed the children against his warm chest, his hand still loosely cupped around them. The titan then lay his head down, arched to peer at the two with kindheartedness. As the rain continued to fall and the thunder rolled, the titan drifted off to sleep.

(POV Swap)

To say that the day was an eventful one was surely an understatement. Armin had awoken to perform his usual routine before heading out of Shiganshina to the inner wall of Maria to spend a day of what was supposed to be fun with his only friend. However, when he had reached her home, he found the horrible sight of his dear friend's slaughtered parents. Her abductors were already tying up the beaten girl when they suddenly decided to take him too – greedy for a profit. For a while, within the canvas bag, he thought about his fate. Armin had never pictured himself becoming a child sex slave with his friend, being used, bought, and sold like a farm horse. Of course, he never visualized any ray of hope to come to them –let alone a fifteen-meter titan that lived right under the military's nose within the very walls that protected them from its kind. He also never expected the titan to behave as it did, the opposite of what he knew. And now, against all odds, he and his friend were residing in the beast's own lair – with the titan curled lovingly against them.

Rain continued to pour and lightning prolonged in lighting up the sky. Armin stared at the titan from his position in its hand. Not many people, including him, had ever seen an actual titan before. The thing's face looked terrifying to the small eight year old. Though it was dark, Armin could make out some of the titan's grotesque features. It had shoulder length messy hair with pointed elfish ears that peeked from it. Its face was much more angular than that a normal man's with gaunt cheeks, a hooked nose, and a pronounced chin. Of course, the thing that was clearly noticeable even in the dim light was the titan's frightening mouth. Its maw lacked any sort of lips, instead its human like teeth simply stuck out from its skin – its jaw divided into two rows making it serrated.

Armin watched as wisps of hot steam rose from the titan's teeth, the monster rumbling in complete content. For a moment, he swore that it was smiling again with the skin at the corners of its mouth pulled upward – something else that he never imagined a titan would be capable of. Armin then turned to his tired friend that had pressed herself up against the creature's chest, her head rocking from its powerful but steady heartbeat. Thanks to the titan's internal body temperature, they were no longer cold and uncomfortable. Despite this, his best friend's face was still and almost dead looking. Armin swallowed, heaven forbid what the girl had seen. Knowing that her parents would be too sensitive to speak about, he decided to express his thoughts on their current predicament.

"Mikasa?" He whispered, trying not to wake the sleeping giant.

The girl lifted her head, staring at him with her dull grey eyes for a minute before speaking. "Yes?" She asked; her voice still riddled with anguish.

"Are you okay?" Armin replied, but nearly cursing himself at the realization of his words. To his surprise, she paid no heed. Instead, she turned her attention to the titan's face.

"I'm – fine." Mikasa paused, her hand clutching the red scarf. "But what do you think about this?"

Armin turned his attention back to the titan, watching its ears flicker at the sound of thunder. "Well Mikasa – this titan is different." He assessed, trying to scrutinize the monster's form in the dark. "The lesson at school a few years ago, when they first told us what the titans were – I don't know how or why but this titan defies a lot of speculation." Armin began with Mikasa sitting up fully to listen.

"How so?" She uttered, her face remaining stoic.

He swallowed. "Well, for one this titan looks different. A scientist in the Scouts said that titans look close to humans, but they have some form of body deformity – mostly with their heads, torsos, and limbs. They are disproportionate compared to us. Mikasa, from what I could see, this titan's body looked – normal. Not only that but with what little I was able to make out earlier, its body was muscular instead of frail or fat. Of course, its face is defiantly malformed with its mouth." Armin paused as he watched the titan's ears flick again and the beast breathe a small cloud of steam.

"Its ears are different from what the teacher told us, too." Mikasa added while she watched the titan along with Armin.

"Yeah you're right. They're pointed like an elf's plus they move a bit like an animal's. The titan's eyes are much different from the descriptions as well. They say that a titan's eyes look almost dead, a layer of fog covering over them. There is no other emotion in them except for incredible hunger. This one's eyes look so… alive and full of emotion. But this isn't what's bothering me." Armin paused, shaking his head in disbelief, contemplating how to put his next statement. "Titans – they're not supposed to be self aware, this one – it's intelligent."

Mikasa absorbed Armin's words like a sponge. For a moment she watched the titan that looked like it was experiencing a pleasant dream; thinking about how the thing had behaved. "You're right. When it came to us earlier, it recognized those men were up to no good. When it saw that we were in peril, it zeroed in on the men and killed them – it didn't devour them like a normal titan." She paused, bringing the scarf to her face, looking at it thoughtfully before glancing back to the titan. "He – knew I was cold. He gave me this and brought the two of us here – to protect us."

Armin dipped his head. "It's a titan, but it's like he's a different –

Before he could finish, the titan stirred. The two held their breaths as the creature's head shifted. Suddenly, the titan's face pressed against Armin and Mikasa – and began to nuzzle them. They remained in a state of shock as the giant being begun to make a sound that was unmistakable to their ears.

"He's purring." Armin whispered. "Like a cat."

Several minutes ticked by, the titan's gentle rumbling filling the hollow tree and vibrating their small bodies. The creature continued his rubbing, obviously happy. Armin watched, for the first time that night, Mikasa's body fully relaxed and leaned into the titan with complete and utter trust. From beneath her scarf, Armin thought he caught her smiling.

"He's not going to hurt us." She spoke lethargically as the titan stilled, his head snuggled against her. "I trust him."

Armin opened his mouth to reply, but then he noticed that Mikasa had dozed off. He remained quiet and unmoving as he stared at the two who looked like they were in pure peace. Armin sighed and leaned into the titan's nose and cheek, the unnatural warmth-radiating deep into his bones. His eyes watched the rain a bit before he allowed himself to loosen. Although the weather had only let up in the slightest, everything in the cove felt tranquil. Armin let himself drift off, the titan's soothing purrs lulling him and all life in the cove to sleep.

Sunlight peered in through the cage like branches, decorating the cove in fresh light. The grounds were damp, puddles being the only evidence of the hard shower. The deer and other creatures had emerged from their shelters as if nothing had ever happened the night before. The blond slowly stirred, forcing his eyes to open through a layer of crust to stare up the old tree. He blinked, letting a groan escape him, his body completely sore. Then his ears heard the deep rhythmic breathing. Quickly, Armin turned to see Mikasa still asleep and the titan next to her, his hair covering their faces. The boy swallowed. 'So it wasn't a dream?' he thought as he attempted to get to his feet. Armin staggered a moment before motioning to Mikasa. His small hands grasped her shoulder, giving her a slight shake that woke her. Nonchalantly, she brushed the titan's hair from her face that was still expressionless. Several minutes passed as she stared at him before looking to her bruised feet.

"Um… I guess you and I should head home now." Mikasa spoke, her voice barely audible.

Armin gulped back a wad of uncertainty at her words. He knew very well that she was an orphan now and didn't exactly have a welcoming home to return to. Still, they couldn't stay here and had to return. By now, his grandfather and others were probably wondering where on earth they were. "Yeah, let's head home." Armin finally replied as he took her hand and guided her towards the edge of the hollow tree. Perhaps, the military was at Mikasa's residence and they could sort things out then.

The two carefully climbed down the tree's ledge and back to the grassy earth before walking out into the lush cove. To the two small children, the landscape of the cove presented itself like a mythical place in a storybook. It was like an untamed organism, never tainted by human hands. Compared to most places in Wall Maria, every life form flourished. Both the plants and animals were at their best condition. For a moment, the two paused in their walk to absorb their surroundings. They had never seen anything so beautiful within the walls. Suddenly, Armin realized.

"How – are we supposed to get out of here?" He began, the two gazing up at entrance they had used last night. "That has to be over twenty meters up from –

A loud groan intervened his words, knowing the only possible source, both Armin and Mikasa turned to see that the titan had woken up. The giant was almost sitting, his hair flipped up wildly on one side – almost bringing a laugh to Armin. Instinctively, the titan brushed his messy locks back down before letting out a loud yawn that rumbled across the cove. Armin swallowed in revulsion at the span of the beast's maw, its mouth wide as a snake's – its long tongue very similar. The titan then sat up fully, taking time in getting fully awake. Its attention then sharply turned down to its hand, seeing that he and Mikasa were no longer there. To his surprise, the titan let out a concerned whine and began to search his nest frantically. Armin felt his chest grow heavy in guilt at the creature's sounds of distress. Obviously the titan was worried, but was it just concern for their safety or had the titan taken them for himself like pets?

Before Armin could think of how to handle this, Mikasa stepped forward without any fear present in her face. The ascetic girl then cleared her throat, making the titan look up from his frantic searching.

"It's okay." Mikasa began. "We're still here."

In awe, Armin observed the titan tilt his head in question like a dog at the two of them. It made a small hum before it slowly stood from the hollow. Now that the sun was out, Armin could clearly see that his assumption about the titan's body was right – if not more than right. Yes, its entire body was naked and lacked any sort of genitals, but it was far more muscular than any man that he had ever seen, even more than the men that lifted heavy goods in Shiganshina for a living. The titan's tan and leathery skin was pulled tightly over its frame, each shift making the muscles flex and ripple like they were trying to break free of the fleshy barrier. Like its hands, the nails on its feet were slightly clawed as well – another odd trait that Armin had forgot about. The giant being then carefully lowered itself, the ground shaking as it situated onto its knees. The titan looked to the two of them, its ears facing forward in attentiveness and its head still tilted in question. With most of the titan's hair out of its face except for a single lock, Armin could see it with clarity in the bright light. Its eyes were incredible. The titan's irises were the hue of emeralds with hints of teal, but that was not what astounded him. The eyes were so clear – so human like but still slightly reflected the feral wildness of an animal. They also held intellect, something that some people even lacked. Armin squinted, seeing a feature that he had missed the night before. The titan's eyes were outlined in a nearly black shade of skin. Remembering his grandfather's old book about the outside world, the eye pattern reminded him a bit of a small mammal called a raccoon that he had seen in its pages. Overall, with the titan's features, Armin began to think that his hypothesis of the titan being a different breed than the others was possibly true.

The titan then let out a series of dejected but curious grunts and whines as if it was an overgrown toddler trying to speak – what could be expected from someone lacking lips. Armin's face twisted into a grimace, feeling bad that he considered the idea that the titan had only saved them for himself. The creature's mobile parts of its face expressed a mixture of sadness and disappointment – the titan's eyes wide with unease, its brows knitted together, and the corners of its lipless mouth pulled into a frown. When he and Mikasa didn't respond, the titan let out another moan as if to ask what they were doing. Armin then gave a soft smile.

"Titan…thank you for rescuing us last night." He dawdled, watching the giant being's face change in eagerness and its ears flutter. "We wouldn't be here if you had not shown up." Armin spoke slowly, not entirely sure if the titan could possibly understand him. To their surprise, the fifteen-meter forced its mouth to smile awkwardly, looking a bit silly as his ears wiggled and eyes glowed owlishly in excitement. The titan gave a garbled response in return as if to say 'you're welcome'. The small blonde blinked, looking to Mikasa who seemed to be in awe at the monster's reaction.

"Wait." Mikasa began lugubriously. "You can understand us?"

To their shock, the titan gave them a confident nod.

Armin nearly let his feet fly out from beneath him. The entire human race only knew titans to be mindless and ravenous beasts with no regard for anything. Yet here he was with a titan that was fully aware of its existence and able to understand words. How many? Armin was unsure, but at least they could communicate somewhat. "Wow," he trailed off, a bit lost in thought. "So… so um" – Armin milled on, almost too excited to speak. "Do you… have a name or something?"

When the titan's expression immediately changed into a dumbfounded look with a brow raised, the young blonde froze, realizing what he asked knowing the titan was unable to speak. Or perhaps the titan didn't have a name at all. Of course, it could just not understand what was asked. The face of the titan suddenly furrowed, its eyes staring at the ground intently. Armin swallowed, had he somehow insulted it? The titan's eyes suddenly narrowed and its gaze shot back to him and Mikasa, its irises glowing with determination as it let out a puff of steam. Before he could take a step back in retreat, the titan's jugular shifted and it opened its mouth.

"RRRRrrr….Oooo…"

Armin's eyes widened. 'Is it …

"RRoooGG…"

'My god, is it really trying to…

"RrrOoGUE."

'Talk? It… can speak?'

For a long moment, silence blanketed the cove. Both he and Mikasa were in complete shock as the humanoid creature stared at them expectedly. It was the girl that finally spoke.

"So, your name is Rogue?" She questioned softly, with the titan letting out a trill in happiness. Armin then shook himself from his stupor.

"You can talk?" He asked hopefully, trying to provoke the titan further. "How many words do you know!"

The titan responded with a look of complete confusion, tilting its head in question. Armin sighed in slight disappointment, perhaps Rogue didn't know as much as he thought. "Would you like to know our names?" he began as he changed his tactic. "I'm Armin Alert." The boy gestured to himself before pointing to his friend. "She's Mikasa Ackerman." Armin continued, watching the titan nod in understanding before letting out a few rumbling grunts. "It's very nice to meet you."

Rogue replied with another series of blissful gurgles and chirps, obviously much more comfortable with his own form of ape like language. To both Armin and Mikasa, talking was not something that came naturally to the titan. When Rogue had spoken, his voice was throaty, gruff, and could have easily been mistaken as just another one of the titan's grumbles. Not only that, but the creature's thyroid had moved in what was certainly a strained and painful way when he had made the attempt.

Armin watched as the titan observed Mikasa whose body language still reflected the shock of the unfortunate event the night before. Rogue had lowered himself to her further, moaning a bit with his eyes filled with concern – obviously completely distraught. Mikasa had buried her face in her scarf, obviously holding back tears and her small frame trembling. To Armin's amazement, Rogue reached out a hand and tapped Mikasa upon the head with his finger, blinking his eyes slowly and giving her a slight nod before purring. As he removed his appendage from her, Mikasa surprisingly grabbed the titan's finger, hugging it in a tight embrace and pressing her face into the heated flesh. Armin's heart welled up in his chest as he heard her holding back a sniffle, Mikasa was never one to burst into tears in front of someone. In fact, the girl never showed too much emotion to begin with. Before, she only expressed herself to a certain extent around Armin and her parents. Now that she had lost her mother and father, Armin could only guess how it would affect her. Still, the fact that the titan was sympathetic towards Mikasa meant that he understood human emotion – perhaps better than words.

"Rogue." She whispered. "I want to go home."

The titan's ears drooped further as his face turned to a dour expression. Finally, after what seemed like a few minutes of deliberating, Rogue nodded in understanding. Armin took a step back as the titan lowered his hand before them. Without a second to spare, Mikasa climbed into it. He was amazed at how fast she had come to trust the fifteen-meter Rogue whereas it took him a while to get used to even seeing the beast. Armin then joined her in the warm palm, taking a moment to brace himself for what was to come next. The titan suddenly stood, making both he and Mikasa press into Rogue's skin forcefully and experience a disorienting case of dizziness from the sudden change in height. To Mikasa and Armin's surprise, the titan lifted them to his shoulder, his head gesturing to the two of them to go there. Carefully, they crossed onto Rogue's shoulder, the titan's muscles tight and hard beneath their feet. Even though the fifteen-meter was standing still, Armin could feel the entire frame of the titan moving; every breath, every shift, and the heat radiate into the soles of their feet – it was raw power.

Rogue waited patiently as both he and Mikasa took their seats and grasped handfuls of the titan's hair in a stronghold. Armin gave the titan a nod, signaling the giant figure to march forward. The titan then climbed his way out of the cove, extra vigilant of his fragile cargo.

(POV swap)

The forest had been replenished by the night's rain, making spring progress further forward. The sky was a soft shade of blue with not a cloud in sight, allowing the sun to shine clear to the forest floor through the canopy. It looked like another peaceful day.

From the corner of his eye, he watched the two children upon his shoulder and clinging to his locks. The titan scrutinized in awe as they gestured to one another and spoke in human tongue. They amazed him so! Just like his humans, they did not fear him – even spoke to him without insult! Armin and Mikasa as they were – even questioned if he had a name and he was bound and determined to share the only title that his own humans called him by. Rogue let himself sneak a small smile. He would remember and brand his new found friends' names in his head, but he would reefer to them as his little ones.

Rogue sniffed again to get a sense of how much further he had to go, discovering that the cottage was just a few minutes away. Instinctively, he glanced back to the girl on his shoulder. Mikasa was still not very expressive, making him worry. He didn't like it when one of his little ones was upset and even more so that he couldn't really do much to help other than comfort her and return her to her home. The thought made Rogue quiver, but maybe his little one would recover from the trauma in time.

Hearing a series of voices not far from up ahead, the titan slowed his pace, stepping as lightly as he could to avoid the ground quaking in his wake. His little ones noticed the change in his advance and quieted as well. Rogue then stopped a few meters from the tree line, peering through the spaces in the leaves at the cottage. His eyes widened and his chest stiffened at what he saw.

The cottage was in the same state that it was the night before with the exception that the bodies were removed and wrapped in blood stained cloth, ready to be placed in the earth. Three uniformed men inspected the premise and grounds with a fourth interviewing an elderly man and none other than his own humans. Rogue nearly let out a sorrowful whine at the sight of his companion's faces. They were disturbed; the amber-eyed lady was shedding eye water and making pained noises along with the old human. The doctor simply gazed at the ground in distress, one hand placed in comfort on his mate's back.

"That's my grandfather." Armin spoke in realization, getting the titan's attention.

"Look's like Mrs. Carla and Dr. Jaeger are here too." Mikasa added, trying to avoid turning her observation to her deceased parents' bodies.

Rogue looked from his little ones in question before returning to his humans. If Carla and the doctor were there with the boy's guardian then his little ones were in good hands. He trusted them with his life. Feeling a tug in his hair, Rogue turned to see Mikasa pointing at the cottage, telling him it was time without a word. Reluctantly, he lifted his hand to them, waiting for them to hop on, before gently kneeling down to place his hand on the ground. He watched with his heart growing heavy at their imminent departure as Armin and Mikasa stepped down to the grass. His little ones looked back to him, their faces revealing their gratitude and grief.

"We have to go now." Mikasa whispered to the titan so no one but themselves could hear.

"Thank you again for all that you've done, Rogue." Armin added. "You're an amazing friend."

Understanding the word "friend" and "go" – the titan could not help but express a small moan and letting his face fall in despair. It seemed like he didn't get to spend much time with his little ones. Rogue then watched as the little girl rubbed his finger in reassurance.

"Don't worry Rogue, we'll come back and see you sometime." Mikasa beamed softly, the first distinguishable emotion that she had expressed in twenty-four hours. "We promise."

The titan let out a miniscule purr at her words, happy that the two children would return. He then watched his little ones turn and head for the cottage, the two looking back to express a human gesture called a "wave" – a greeting or goodbye depending on the situation that was taught to him by his humans long ago. Rogue gave a small dismal wave in return, watching their eyes grow in surprise before they left the tree line. The titan remained where he was as he observed the humans gasp and cry at his little ones' sudden appearances. His green eyes absorbed the exchange of human emotions amongst themselves, making him gain a sense of pride. Rogue watched as his humans embraced his little ones in nothing but affection. The amber-eyed lady then began to speak with Mikasa tenderly with the doctor nodding to her words. The placid titan observed as the girl suddenly became animated and hugged the lady very tight. Rogue pressed his hand to his chest, feeling the tender warmth that had swollen in his heart. Knowing his job was done, the mysterious titan turned and vanished within the giant trees.


	2. Titanic Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beginning to wonder if the night they were rescued was a dream, Armin and Mikasa go in search of the titan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 2 of Rogue!  
> This is my first fan-fiction and my second time posting here, so forgive me if there is anything weird with the layout of things. I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan. I'm not a perfect person (a good majority of this was written at 3am) so there are probably some grammar issues I missed. If you find any errors, please tell me so I can make corrections. I'd appreciate it. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 2: Titanic Friend

The outliner district of Shiganshina bustled with activity at the rise of the sun. Everything went on as it usually did, a pattern that had not been disrupted in nearly a century. Sure, it wasn't as glamorous as the interior cities of the three walls with its wooden and lacquer buildings, but it was leaps and bounds better than nothing. Still, like most of the lesser districts, it was always plagued with problems – something that mankind had grown very familiar with over the years. However, it was home.

Armin sat with Mikasa on the Jaeger's doorstep eating breakfast, a simple loaf of bread, but thankful for nonetheless. The blonde glanced over at the girl who was reticently picking at the crust on her bread. Quite a bit had happened in the following week after her parents' murder. Amazingly, the Jaegers had taken in Mikasa with open arms. Armin had known Mrs. Carla and Dr. Grisha Jaeger since he had been small. The family name was well known amongst Shiganshina despite the couple not being nobles. Dr. Jaeger was incredibly inapt in medicine and medical practices. He was always making house calls, but his biggest feat that everyone knew the doctor for was his success in curing a deadly plague that had swept through Shiganshina a while back. Dr. Jaeger was a soft spoken and mild mannered man; to those who knew him well he was also a quiet and reserved person – the opposite of his wife Carla. Mrs. Jaeger was a beautiful woman with a warm personality- the ideal mother figure. It was no surprise to Armin that the Jaegers would accept Mikasa as their daughter. For one, they had known each other well. Two, being that Carla was unable to have children. Although, Mikasa had a new family, Armin was worried for her. Since that night, the young girl was still stoic. She still remained somewhat restricted, only talking about things other than the events of the incident – except for the only thing they had kept between themselves, the titan.

In the past week, Armin had found himself in denial. His mind could not decide if Rogue was truly real and a miracle – or a severe illusion brought upon by trauma. Sure there was the evidence such as the scarf, but Armin's mind wanted to believe otherwise. His doubts about the titan had all began three days prior during a special lesson at school:

(Flashback)

Armin sat in silence at the back of the small schoolhouse in Shiganshina, listening intently as his teacher introduced the uniformed guests, Scouting Legion members. Every great once in a while, different soldiers from different military branches would come to educate and persuade students to join the cadets when they came of age. Usually during these visits, Armin would do his best to ignore them and read a book in secret, but the Scouts were different. Though they were often ridiculed, they were the very few that were brave enough fight titans and venture beyond the walls. It was Armin's dream to break free of humanity's cage and see everything the world had to offer. Perhaps one day, the Scouts could give him the chance.

The boy watched eagerly as the teacher gestured to the two officers. The first was Section Commander Hange Zoe, an energetic looking woman who seemed to be a bit of an oddball. She had very oily and messy hair that bounced every time she rocked excitedly on her heels and glasses that hugged her face. The man next to next to her was none other than Captain Levi, Humanity's Strongest Soldier. Everyone had always said that he was a brigade all himself and the way he slayed titans was legendary. To Armin, so far Levi did not seem to meet his expectations. He was a short-statured man with a black undercut and he wore an ugly scowl upon his stony face – making it painfully obvious he'd rather be elsewhere.

As Levi retreated to a seat in the front corner in both exasperation and boredom, Hange began lecturing with great enthusiasm about the Scouts but even more so about the biology of titans. Both Armin and Mikasa listened intently as the Section Commander informed them of their encounters and even about her experiments with titans. While time passed on as she spoke, Armin kept Rogue on his mind. The more he heard Hange go on, the more he became skeptical. The titan in the cove was truly unique.

"So! Do any of you have any questions?" The officer concluded with a few minutes to spare. "Don't be shy! I'm not a biter!" Hange laughed with her eyes shining deviously.

Not surprisingly, very few students raised their hands – the majority not wishing to sit through Hange's constant abuse of knowledge. After she answered their questions merrily, Armin brought up the courage to raise his hand.

"How about you then!" Hange gestured to him. "You'll be the last person." She smiled widely as she waited almost impatiently.

Armin slowly stood from his seat, biting his lip nervously. "Ms. Hange – have the Scouts ever heard of an intelligent titan? One that wouldn't want to eat humans?" He asked, his voice nearly catching in his throat a few times.

The room grew quiet and Armin could sense Mikasa eyeballing him harshly. He felt his cheeks heat up and more questioning eyes upon him. The silence and tension in the room was broken when Levi scoffed and stood, simply walking out of the room in disgust. Hange continued to speculate, rubbing her scalp and staring at the floor before looking to Armin.

"During the years that we've ventured outside the walls, the Scouts have never encountered any titans that displayed intelligence." She began; suddenly serious which was a definite change from before. " Quite frankly, from the evidence we've seen, we don't think it's possible – especially a titan that wouldn't feel the need to eat us." Hange paused, now rubbing her chin. "An intelligent titan would be incredibly dangerous." She informed with a long pensive sigh. "But if a docile one were to ever exist, I would love to study it! A girl can dream right?"

(End Flashback)

Armin's train of thought was cut off by a sudden sigh from Mikasa. She had since placed her bread in her lap. He swallowed roughly for she only gazed ahead in silence – her breathing almost undetectable.

"Armin?" Mikasa began as she still kept her line of sight forward. "I want to go to the forest – to visit Rogue again." She spoke softly with Armin barely able to perceive the last part of her sentence.

Hearing her, he stalled in taking another bite of bread. The blonde knew that Mikasa was bound to ask the question, and he had almost been dreading it. Armin gulped, unsure of how to place and organize his opinion. "Mikasa, with what happened in class the other day – I'm not sure."

At his words, she turned her head sharply to face him, her eyes lit up in question. "What do you mean?" Mikasa asked almost defensively.

Armin bit his tongue fretfully, still trying to untangle his words. "Well, I've been wondering about it since I asked Hange my question. Mikasa – I'm not sure but I'm starting to think that we may have just been in so much shock that we imagined Rogue. I mean, you heard it – an intelligent titan is impossible." Armin muttered, watching as Mikasa's eyes abruptly illuminated with a dangerous glint. "For all we know, you could have just got that scarf from Mrs. Car –

"No." She interrupted sternly. "Armin, I know you tend to doubt things such as yourself, but what happened that night was real." Mikasa spoke seriously with her eyes narrowed at the blonde in revulsion. "Rogue was real. He gave me my scarf. He kept us warm all night from the freezing rain. Most importantly, Rogue saved us from an uncertain future – from men that would likely do the very same they did to us to someone else." The dark haired girl continued, clutching her crimson scarf in a stronghold as she spoke passionately. "Armin, you know that night was real. Trust me, I was questioning myself after class as well, but the fact that we both experienced the same thing is undeniable that there really is a titan living within Wall Maria right under the military's nose. You've surrounded yourself with a false theory in order to suppress what really happened." Mikasa sighed bitterly, but then softening as she noticed that Armin had brought his knees to his chest with his face buried in his arms. Mikasa knew this was a pose that he would only make when he was distraught. The girl let out a breath as she leaned over and placed her hand upon his shoulder, the first expression of encouragement that she herself had conveyed since that fateful night. After several tense seconds, Armin looked to her, the girl's grey eyes presenting a long absent warmth. "Come on. Let's get a picnic together and head to the forest. Hopefully we can find the cove or Rogue himself."

Armin loosened as he saw a weak smile upon Mikasa's face, making him feel culpable. Though it was small, it was nice to see her smile again.

"Okay." Armin nodded as he stood to his feet. "Let's go."

(POV Swap)

The boulder's texture was incredibly smooth to the touch, worn from weather and time. Although it weighed several tons, it felt like a pebble in his palm as he gently tossed it repeatedly in boredom. The titan sat in the middle of a shady clearing in the remote part of the forest, trying to entertain himself. It was a warm day, the warmest day of springtime thus far and the forest was bustling with activity. Every animal had emerged from hibernation with many of them crowded around or beneath Rogue's massive form, but he paid little attention to them. In the past week since he had met his little ones, the titan had been patiently waiting for them to return. With each passing day, he was starting to give up hope.

Rogue let out a sigh, steam leaking from his teeth as he paused in tossing the rock. The titan's ears drooped a bit as he continued to let himself get lost in his own depression. With his humans away and now his little ones, Rogue had finally realized after the many years that he had spent in the forest that he was truly alone. Sure, he had his animals, but humans could convey thoughts and feelings. Though he was mostly mute and sometimes had trouble understanding things, he craved the kind of attention where if he responded – the other would reply back.

The titan finally dropped the boulder dejectedly to the ground, the weight of the stone creating a crater in the earth. For a long moment, it was silent as Rogue continued to wallow until he lay back onto the grassy forest floor. The titan placed his hands over his sensitive nape, the only part of his body that the doctor had told him to be extra weary of, in a fashion similar to what he had seen resting humans do. Rogue's green eyes fluttered bit as he stared upward at the peeking sky, letting the descending rays warm his leathery skin. Releasing steam once again in a small-disgruntled growl, the titan shut his eyes and proceeded in wondering about his true purpose.

"Well there you are my dear, Rogue."

The titan's eyes flew open in shock; he knew that sweet voice anywhere. He remained still for a moment, contemplating if it was just his imagination until he tilted his head back. Although viewing from the wrong way up, Rogue's eyes widened at the sight of Mrs. Carla standing before his nose with the doctor next to her. He had been so distracted by his thoughts that their scents had slipped by him. Feeling himself tremble eagerly, the titan rolled over onto his stomach to face the two. Shoving his previous thoughts to the back of his mind, Rogue let out a loud rumbling purr as he pressed his face against the petite woman in longing – nearly knocking Carla off her feet. Finally, after so long, his humans were here!

"Ooof! Well it looks like someone is a bit excited!" The woman gasped, smiling warmly as she patted the titan's nose. "I take it that you missed us?"

Rogue gave an enthusiastic nod in return before nuzzling into Carla again in a much more gentle manner. As best as she could, the female hugged the creature's nose, the titan's heat soaking all throughout her body. In return, Rogue carefully wrapped his fingers around Carla with utter softness – knowing that in the past he was too rough and had pulled her tiny muscles on accident. The doctor smiled.

"Looks like he's controlling his strength well, too." Grisha chuckled softly. "I'm proud of you Rogue. You've been practicing."

At the man's words, the biddable titan gave his best smile he could form his jaw into. Before the man could react, Rogue decided to share his affection with his other human as well – by giving him a sudden lap across the man's face, an action the titan admittedly had trouble suppressing when his contentment reached its peak. With the force of Rogue's abnormally long tongue, Grisha stumbled to the grass with his face coated in hot saliva and his glasses resting next to him. Carla laughed warmly, a sound that was incredibly pleasing to Rogue, as she helped her husband to his feet.

"That," The doctor began with a sickened grunt. "Is something that we're going to have to work on." Grisha continued as he wiped his face and glasses

"He's just happy to see us, dear." The amber-eyed woman beamed tenderly. "It's been such a long time since our last visit so let it slide."

Seeing that the doctor had rejected his display, Rogue's elfish ears wilted a bit until the man's mouth became a weak smile. The titan purred, knowing that the human had forgiven his antics. Still, he could feel his face heat up slightly in embarrassment. Why was it that he always seemed to lose himself in his feelings with his longtime humans? But of course, the titan didn't care. His human companions were the only ones that he could express himself with.

"So!" Carla smiled as her small hands proceeded in scratching Rogue beneath his chin with the titan's eyes shutting tightly and ears flickering in complete content. "Have you been working on your talking lately?" She giggled.

"CcurrrLA!" The titan practically chirped, obviously proud of his difficult accomplishment. Carla's smile grew as she praised him; to her the fifteen-meter titan was like the son she never had. Ever since their initial meeting, the couple had always treated Rogue like he was their own child – with incredibly special arrangements and needs. Titan or not, the two didn't care. They loved him all the same.

"Carla, you know his vocal chords aren't suited for such a thing." Grisha grinned softly as he approached the titan and gave a pat on his cheek, with the creature beginning to purr from the added attention. "It's painful for Rogue to do so." The doctor reminded kindly with Carla replying with a slightly disappointed sigh.

"It would be incredible if he could though. Imagine the things he could possibly tell us." Carla responded, her mind obviously drifting off as she looked into the titan's green eyes with longing.

"Anyways, I was on my way to a house call when I mentioned you Rogue, to Carla. When she found out that we were passing through the area, she had to tag along to visit." Grisha continued warmly. "So how have you been old friend? It's been quite a while. I apologize that Carla and I have been unable to come to the cove for so long, work has been busy."

Recognizing the words: friend, work, and Grisha's apology, Rogue gave a slight nod and began to make a variety of happy and understanding grunts and rumbles all the while the titan gleamed. The doctor and Carla would sometimes meet him on the way to a client. In the past, Rogue had wanted to tag along with them, but of course he only followed and watched from a safe distance for obvious reasons. The titan felt a little bit of sadness and disappointment pulling at him again, knowing that these kinds of visits were always short.

With a soft thump, Rogue rested his chin upon his folded arms, getting settled as the doctor's wife approached the titan again. Carla then grabbed locks of the titan's hair, not caring that it was oily, and parted it from the creature's deformed face. "Rogue," Carla began softly as if she was speaking to an infant. "What were you thinking about before we got here? You looked a little troubled."

With Carla's query sinking in, Rouge's gaze ventured down at his hands. The titan hated for his humans to worry about his well being. He knew his humans were busy and didn't always have the time to pick up whatever they were doing and visit. The titan's mind then thought about his little ones. Surely they would fill the void when it came to his loneliness. However, as much as he loved his humans, he wasn't sure –

Rouge's thoughts were abruptly stopped when he felt a firm prick. Out of the corner of his eye, he spied Carla holding his earlobe and smiling in an almost playful manner.

"You're hiding something, Rogue!" The woman chortled tenderly. "The tips of your big ears are red!"

The titan scoffed, secretly scolding himself for another one of his strange quirks. This one bothered him the most although the titan didn't have secrets to often keep. One thing for certain, he didn't want his humans to know about his little ones and that he was the one to rescue them. That night, he had broken his promise to the couple, to not kill humans among other things. Rogue did not want his best friends to be ashamed of him. He didn't want them to be so angry that they stopped their visits. The titan responded with a soft gurgle, trying to reassure the female that there was nothing wrong. The doctor then let out a prolonged sigh.

"Carla, like I said, he can't convey anything to us." Grisha spoke, his voice heavy and melancholy. "All we can do is try to comfort him through whatever it is that's disturbing him."

At the man's statement, Carla gave a short sigh and nod knowing very well that her husband was right. To reassure his humans and hoping to change the subject, the titan pressed his face into her small body again and released another series of rumbling purrs. For a long moment, it was still as Carla continued to rub the bridge of Rogue's hooked nose. An Awkward silence fell upon the peaceful clearing and surrounded the three with tension. Suddenly, the woman's eyes lit up again and she turned to the doctor with a hopeful look upon her face.

"Maybe one day we can bring your new little sister to visit you, Rogue." Carla began with her tone an almost devious one. Confused at her statement, the titan's brow raised with the other slightly furrowed. Quite a long time ago, his human had told him that she was unable to make another human for some strange reason. Thus, that was the cause of why they sometimes called him their son. The doctor had taught him words and titles used to describe a family. Although he forgot most of the words, he knew what "sister" meant. Rogue's massive green eyes looked hard at Carla in question. Could she possibly be able to make more humans now?

The titan's obvious dumbfounded expression provoked a lighthearted laugh from both Grisha and Carla. The doctor then cleared his throat, a traditional practice before he was to explain something of importance. "What Carla means is that we took in a little girl whose mother and father were killed, Rogue. Her name is Mikasa Ackerman. She lives with us now and is part of our family." The doctor informed gradually, making sure the words were absorbed and understood.

With that, the titan's eyes widened. Mikasa! That was his little one's name! His humans had made her their human! Rogue swallowed, feeling the tips of his ears grow hotter and redder; the titan pressed them further against his skull in a poor way to hide them. Knowing this, a wave of uncertainty washed over the creature. The last thing he wanted was for his little one to get in trouble as well! To steer the couple away from the truth, the titan simply gave a slow blink and grunted. Much to his relief, it worked.

"Of course," the doctor continued. "That won't happen for a while. Now, my appointment time is approaching so Carla and I must get going. Of course, you're welcome to follow us Rogue." Grisha paused with a small smirk. "If you like you can give us a ride to the tree line."

Hearing the doctor's words, Rogue chirruped cheerfully as he sat up and placed an open hand before his two humans. Once they were securely in his palm, the titan arose to his full height, placed them on his shoulder, and went in the direction the doctor desired. As his footsteps vibrated throughout the wood, his humans talked quietly amongst themselves. The elfish ears of the monster angled accordingly in an attempt to pick up their human tongue, but although he was able to hear, Rogue could not understand a single word. Therefore, the titan returned to his thoughts. Now that one of his little ones was with his humans, the titan decided that he wanted to give no indication of their friendship in fear of he, Armin, and Mikasa getting in trouble. In the pit of his stomach, he hoped that his little ones would keep him a secret, too. To humans, two children with a terrifying fifteen-meter titan was an alarming idea.

Rogue kept to his contemplations as he weaved through the towering trees, completely unaware of his humans that were smiling up at his red ears.

(POV Swap)

A loud growl erupted from Armin's stomach as both he and Mikasa fought their way through the thick brambles. The sun had peaked at its highest point in the sky, signaling that it was noon and lunchtime. For almost two hours, the children had been wandering through the forest, trying their hardest in retracing the titan's steps back to the cove. By now, Armin and Mikasa were exceptionally famished. Many times, the blonde suggested that they take a break to sit and eat, but the girl was stubborn – insisting that they get to their destination first.

Armin let out another sigh for the umpteenth time. The more that they went along, the more he doubted that the cove and titan were real. So far, their journey just seemed completely pointless. The two had to backtrack numerous times and rethink their steps. Still, there was no sign of the high rocks that formed the secret cove and Armin was giving up hope.

"Mikasa." He began solemnly. "I think we should head back to Shiganshina. Dr. Jaeger and Mrs. Carla could be on their way back by now."

The dark haired girl only huffed in annoyance and pressured forward. "Come on Armin. It's not much further." Mikasa spoke sternly with her eyes remaining in a fixed glare ahead.

He sighed. "This is hopeless."

Mikasa paused in her step to face the boy. "Armin, believe in something for –

However she was cut off as the two stumbled into a rocky clearing covered in moss and flowers. It was a beautiful yet mysterious scene, life flourished here more than any other part of the forest that they had come across. Small mammals and reptiles scurried among the boulders, paying no mind to their new visitors. In the center of the landscape were the rocky walls that surrounded the secret cove, hidden greatly by the massive trees and their tangling root systems.

"Looks like we finally found it." Mikasa began as she carefully ventured forward, careful not to fall on the rocks.

As he warily followed his ascetic friend, deep down Armin could not help but feel a sense of hope. If the cove was real then perhaps the titan was too. Maybe that entire night that was seemingly a dream was indeed true. He looked upwards to the entrance, an incredibly high climb that was impossible for two eight year olds.

"I forgot about that." Mikasa muttered from beneath her scarf. "I don't know if he's here to help us either." She concluded as she began to call the titan's name, her small voice echoing off the rocks in an almost derisible way. Several minutes passed, but the footsteps of the giant could not be heard among the wood. Mikasa sighed in great disappointment, her hands drooping to her sides. "Perhaps he can't hear us. Maybe he's asleep or something. There has got to be another way in. " The girl pondered aloud as her grey eyes scanned the rock wall.

Armin bit his lip, still wanting to believe that Rogue wasn't an illusion, he began to scrutinize the natural structure. "There has to be an opening other than that one." He started with the raven-haired girl turning from her observations to listen. "There were deer and other animals in the cove right? They are coming and going somehow so there must be a small entrance somewhere in the seams." The boy suggested. He knew he lacked strength, but Armin was strategically smarter than nearly everyone. Knowing this, Mikasa nodded in agreement.

"You're probably correct. Come on Armin, let's hurry." She spoke eagerly, but still not lighting up in excitement.

The two small children then began to circle the perimeter of the cove, looking for any clues to an opening in the impenetrable rock. Just as all seemed lost, Armin spotted a narrow crack in the stone. If it had not been for his keen eyes, the boy would have missed it for it was nearly covered in vines. The boy swallowed nervously as they neared the opening, hoping their search had not come to a dead end. Mikasa then bravely entered the small fissure. Before Armin let out another sigh in defeat, the girl turned and waved for him to follow her without so much a word. The two small children navigated the trifling tunnel easily, guided by a bright light at the very end. Mikasa and Armin then emerged from the tunnel into the mysterious cove that they longed to enter.

"It's just as I remember it." The girl whispered behind the security of her scarf. The two then began to venture further into the scenery, soaking in its radiance openly. Just as it had been before, it represented a picture perfect fairy tale with the abundant wildlife and blooming flowers. However, the main attraction of the cove was nowhere to be seen.

"Looks like he's not here." Armin began after a long moment of contemplating the facts and theories. The boy's head hug a bit. Perhaps the scientist from the Scouts had been right. With the great being absent, his hope was hanging by a thread. Just as Mikasa spun around to defy his words, a vibration swept throughout the earth. The two kept silent, watching the water ripple in the pond. A deep repetitive thumping filled the air, sounding like a vast heartbeat – loud and great. Armin's heart leaped into his throat as he realized what was coming. From the corner of his eye, he spied a smile creep into Mikasa's impassive face.

"For once Armin, you're wrong." The girl beamed as they observed small rocks and pebbles get dislodged from the entrance.

In awe, both Mikasa and Armin watched as the titan from before emerged from the sheltered entrance. Unaware that the two small children were there, Rogue carefully scaled down the rock face to the grassy floor with ease. The titan then scratched his thigh to satisfy an itch before turning to meet eyes with the boy and girl. A smile spread across Armin's face at the sight of the titan before him. Quickly, he pinched himself to ensure that he wasn't dreaming before concluding that everything had really transpired and it was truly a miracle.

Rogue continued to stare at the two children in what was definite shock for several gratifying seconds. Suddenly, the titan let out a shrill sound resembling a squeal and charged right for the small humans. Instinctively, Armin covered his head in protection. Perhaps he had come to conclusions too soon. The titan then landed on all fours over the two, knocking both Mikasa and Armin from their feet and making the cove tremble. Hot, foul, and steamy breath spilled over the two forms as Rogue's face became just a few feet from them, a stance that would make a normal titan's victim soil their pants and plead for mercy. Slowly, Armin opened his eyes to see the titan's luminous green ones that were glowing with warmth. The two smiled, the titan looked elated to see them.

"H…hi?" Armin articulated, his voice surprisingly shaky.

Hearing the greeting, the titan swiftly nuzzled his head gently into them, making a variety of cheerful squeaks and rumbles; paying no mind to his size or how ridiculous the unfolding scene looked.

"Looks like he remembers us." The girl spoke kindly with her face softening a bit and the tension flowing from her body, looking at peace with herself despite all of the inner turmoil that had been placed there a week ago. Armin watched as Mikasa laid her hand on the tip of the titan's nose with the creature closing its bright eyes in content. Within the short time that they had known each other, the titan and Mikasa had created quite a bond that could rival a couple or a pair of longtime friends that had known each other through thick and thin.

"Yeah," Armin trailed off as he watched them. "Mikasa, I believe it now. Despite what Hange said, he's real and a miracle." The boy smiled as he got to his feet with his friend simply nodding and giving a cunning look in reply as if to rub it in further that she had been right.

Carefully, Rogue lifted himself and then gradually settled into a comfortable position upon his stomach with his arms folded neatly in front of him. The titan then rested his head upon his muscular arms to peer at the children with incredible interest, looking like he was waiting for them to make the next move or say something else. Now that the boy was just a few arm lengths away, Armin found himself looking in amazement at the details of titan's face. Although it was equally ugly and horrifying, it was astounding to view. Rogue's complexion was a deep tan, the skin tough looking from exposure to the elements over a course of many years. Beneath the tough hide of the titan, Armin spotted a network of veins that shone through in various areas of the titan's skin, their structure far different from any living creature that he had ever seen. Curious, Armin raised his hand to the titan's flesh, feeling the leathery texture and heat beneath his fingers as he traced over one of the veins in the creature's face. The blonde watched as Rogue kept his astonishing eyes upon him. Despite the titan's looks, those green emerald eyes were gorgeous. Seeing them up close, Armin noticed how the titan lacked eyelashes and eyebrows although Rouge had a full head of messy and oily hair, the dark rings around his eyes emphasizing the titan's expressions instead.

Suddenly, the titan lurched forward again; it's wet tongue emerging from its lipless maw, as it looked like it was about to give them a sloppy greeting much like a dog. Again, Armin winced as he prepared for the unpleasant experience along with Mikasa, but just as the large muscle was about to coat them in saliva, the creature's tongue retreated back into its mouth with just the tip sticking out from its teeth. Rogue then produced a rumbling purr in exchange; giving them a more appropriate greeting that Armin was thankful for.

"It's really nice to see you again as well, Rogue." The boy began as he too, let himself relax and his troubles flow from his body. "For a long time, my mind was trying to tell me that you weren't real and you were just a dream. But seeing you here has convinced me that you're not an illusion but a wonder in itself."

Rogue responded with a low but understanding growl. The titan then forced his mouth into another crooked smile and unfolded one of his lean arms. A large finger pressed into Armin's belly gently, making the boy wonder about the beast's next move. The two children watched as the titan began to focus.

"Arr… Arrninn." Rogue grunted, making the boy light up enthusiastically at the titan's attempt. "ARninn!" He smiled, like a child proud of their accomplishment. The titan then turned to Mikasa and repeated the same notion with his finger. Rogue's face then twisted up in concentration, letting out a few failed attempts. Armin almost chuckled. Exotic as she was, Mikasa's name would be incredibly difficult to pronouse for the titan lacking lips, but Rogue looked far too determined. Although he clearly couldn't pronounce the letter 'm' he tried anyway. "NNiiikaa. Niikaassa. Niikassa!" Rogue practically chirped, satisfied enough that the name was close. The titan let out another rumble as he tilted his head, looking at her expectedly much like a dog waiting to be praised.

The raven-haired girl then stepped forward, and with no regard as to what Rogue was, placed her head affectionately upon the titan's pronounced chin with the titan almost flinching in surprise.

"Good job."

The two small children sat upon an old blanket that Armin had pulled from the depths of the Jaeger's closet, eating lunch and talking amongst themselves. Rogue lay next to them; simply content at observing the two eat. Armin scrutinized as the titan began to look around the cove curiously, the first time Rogue had removed his focus from the two since they had first sat down. Armin took another bit of his bread, watching as the titan's attention was drawn to a small butterfly before his face – Rogue watching it in wonder with his ears angling about.

"You know Mikasa. I can't decide if he acts like a puppy or like an overgrown kid." Armin spoke beneath his breath as the small flying insect landed on the titan's nose. The boy almost chuckled as Rogue's eyes crossed to look at the miniscule bug, his irises full of inquisitiveness and making the monster look like the most innocent being. Armin could feel his smile grow bigger. The titan, if he wasn't so grisly, could almost be called cute.

"Like you said Armin, he has to be a different type of titan or something. The Section Commander of the Scouts stated that this kind of behavior is unheard of." Mikasa began as Rogue breathed a breath of steam, watching as the butterfly fell to the ground from the intense heat. The titan let out a quiet grown in what seemed like disappointment before turning back to the two children to try and listen to their words. "He's just different." Mikasa smiled to the titan. "Rogue's unique."

Armin nodded in agreement and then put his attention to the titan once more, suddenly drawing up another theory about one of his questions on the fifteen-meter that needed an answer. "Rogue?" The blonde began with the titan turning his gaze at his words, the creature tilting its head at Armin's query. "I know you can speak. You can say your name and our names, but can you say other words?" He asked hopefully, wanting to know desperately.

Rogue shifted, lifting his head a bit higher and brows furrowing in concentration. The titan then gestured to the two children again with a finger. "UUmmann. Huumann." Rogue grunted, making their eyes grow larger. He then turned and pointed to himself, the creature's thyroid shifting. "Iitann. Tiitann." Rogue spoke deeply, making Armin's breath hitch.

'It's so self aware that it knows exactly what it is. It knows exactly what we are as well.' Armin pondered as the titan continued.

"Coovvve."

'Someone. Some one had to –

"Eeer."

'Someone had to teach him.'

"Trreeee. Allll." Rouge continued as he showed and gestured, his voice growing more gruff and strained. After the two simple words 'sun' and unfortunately the word 'kill' the titan stopped and began to massage his throat – his attempts obviously causing anguish. Armin blinked in disbelief, his new theory had to be right.

"Mikasa, most likely we are not the only humans he knows." The boy began with Mikasa absorbing his words like a sponge. "Someone had to teach Rogue how to talk and some general knowledge."

Mikasa bit her lip. "What if he only heard people from a distance? Like he could have just listened in on their conversations."

Armin shook his head in disagreement. "Mikasa, someone had to name him."

The girl's eyes widened at the fact. The ground shifted and quaked as Rogue suddenly decided to get to his feet, stretching a bit before making his way toward the pond. The children observed as the titan carefully seated himself against a tree, taking a moment to scratch his broad back on the bark like a bear before settling. The titan then fully relaxed with his green eyes half lidded as he stared at the sparkling water.

"I sure wish I knew his story." Mikasa uttered after a long and pensive moment of silence. The girl quickly ate the last of her bread and stood. She then motioned for the titan, with her body language as still as it had been. To his amazement, Mikasa gradually climbed into the titan's lap with the fifteen-meter looking down at her in likeness. The girl shifted and lay herself into a position where it looked like she was preparing for an afternoon nap, the titan's skin pulled to where it looked as if he was smiling softly in tenderness. Several minutes passed and Mikasa looked to have drifted off with the titan still watching the water and all the life within it.

Armin's attention was then thrown to the picnic basket that the two had also borrowed from the Jaegers. The boy pulled out his favorite book that his grandfather had given him long ago and had told him to keep secret. It was an old banned book that told of what was outside the walls. Armin had always loved to bring it with him on trips inside Wall Maria to have something to read once he grew bored. Looking back at the titan, the small boy had an idea.

(POV Swap)

The titan simply could not believe his day's luck. His humans had come to visit and now his little ones were in his cove! His depression had returned after he had dropped off his humans at their destination, but when he heard a small and pleading voice – his anticipation grew in hope that he wasn't imagining things. Seeing the two children before him, Rogue had been so overjoyed that he nearly lost control on his excitement. For the moment, he wasn't alone.

The titan sat quietly, soaking in the peace, tranquility, and sunlight as he watched the sparking crystal-like surface of his pond. He had been intrigued by his little ones' activities upon the cloth. Although he couldn't understand most of what they were saying, he was happy just to be with them and even happier when they asked him to join in on their human tongue. Soon after, Rogue had decided that he wanted his little ones to join him in one of his favorite activities. Unsure of how to ask, he had simply gotten up and moved to the pond, hoping that his little ones would soon accompany him. The titan adverted his eyes from the pond to his lap where the little girl lay asleep, indulging from his warmth. Rogue could not help but release a pleased rumble. He was happy that this little one, Mikasa, had come to be with him. Although she was asleep, he was glad she was in his company. The titan then returned his attention to the water, watching the swimming creatures in avid curiosity and amazement as he waited.

"So you like to watch the water?"

Rogue's ear flickered at the small voice. The titan then turned to see that the blonde boy had taken a seat next to him in the exact same fashion, looking up to him and expecting some sort of answer. Taking one last glance at the water's sparkling surface, Rogue nodded eagerly in reply.

The titan watched as Armin suddenly smiled. His little one then pulled out a square object that he recognized with clarity. His humans would sometimes come to his cove to do something called 'reading' to him. They had also given him a few of these objects to him as gifts that the titan loved looking at. Despite being unable to read, he always admired the pictures upon the pages – humans were such adroit creatures.

"I'd like to show you something Rogue." Armin began excitedly as he prepared to open the aged cover.

"OOok." The titan grunted as he pointed to the object in his little one's arms. He watched as the boy's brows rose in astonishment.

"You – know what a book is?" His little one asked.

Rogue gave an enthusiastic dip of his head and pointed next to the great tree. Any object that the creature found on his treks around the forest, he would return and place it next to his nest for safekeeping along with the various gifts from his humans. Excited that his little one was going to share his own book with him, the titan prepared to stand. Not wanting to disturb his other little one, Rogue gently shifted Mikasa into his hand and cradled her tenderly but securely. Determined to share his own books that his humans had shown him, the titan got to his feet and made his way to his pile with an extra spring in his step. After a bit of digging through all sorts of odds and ends, Rogue salvaged three books and carried them back to the pond. The titan gradually sat back down, placing his little one back in his lap before plopping his own books next to Armin. "OOk." Rogue repeated with a happy gurgle.

His little one's eyes grew even larger in question as his small hands retrieved each of them. The boy began to flip through the pages of every book with the titan observing patiently, waiting for his little one to perform the task of reading. Surprisingly, Armin closed the cover to the book in his hands without speaking a word, making Rogue tilt his head in question – somewhat disappointed.

"I recognize these." His little one smiled up at him. "They are children's books. My – mom and dad used to read these to me." The boy spoke, his voice becoming strained and his face falling into a disheartened expression.

Sensing that his little one was upset, the titan gave a soft moan in concern. Could he have somehow upset him by mistake? Before the titan could question or pity himself further, Armin abruptly perked up – looking at Rogue's sad green eyes in surprise.

"Oh, it's alright. You didn't do anything Rogue. It's just that my parents disappeared years ago." The boy paused, thinking for a moment before holding up the old, thick book that he brought. "That's enough of that though. I see that you really like water so I want to show you something." His little one beamed as he opened the worn cover.

As the blonde human flipped through the pages, the titan's eyes grew with great interest. He had never seen such beauty beyond his forest. In fact, he hadn't recalled ever seeing landscapes like these before. There were pictures of bare hills covered in deep red earth, mountains of ice, and many others depicting furry four-legged creatures that he had not seen before. The titan let out a trill, completely in awe. Finally, his little one stopped on a page that displayed the most incredible image yet. It was glittering water, but instead of ending like his pond, lake, or river the water stretched far beyond the horizon. It went on and on forever. The titan had never seen anything more amazing.

"This book shows what the world is like outside the walls." His little one began enthusiastically. "This water is something that we call the ocean! It spans all over the earth and it's filled with something we call salt. It's also full of fish like your pond but several times bigger." Armin continued with the titan listening so intently that he was nearly bent over. "Someday – I'm going to see it." The boy concluded after several minutes of describing and informing.

Rogue could feel himself forming a broad smile. This water called the ocean sounded amazing. With sparkling waters further than the horizon, it was something that the titan now desperately wanted to see for himself – an idea that made him purr at the thought. At first, he was so lost in wonder that he failed to acknowledge his little one's tap on his thigh. Rogue then looked to see that Armin was looking up to him with uncertainly again. However, the blonde's expression quickly changed for the better.

"Well Rogue, I'm very happy that I can share this book with you. Would you like to know more?" Armin asked hopefully.

With that, the fifteen-meter titan released a deep rumbling hum that echoed amongst the cove and performed animated nod to proceed. For hours, Rogue sat with his little one by the banks of the pond as the boy read from his book, completely entranced at all the beauty there was in the cruel world. He loved his little ones dearly, and he would for years to come. However, little did the titan or children know disaster was yet to strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I hope you're enjoying this so far! Chapter 3 will consist of how Rogue met the Jeagers and confirm Armin's suspicions. After that will most likely be the breach! Stay tuned :)


	3. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year has passed since Armin and Mikasa met Rogue. One day, a routine visit uncovers many answers to Armin's questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 3 of Rogue! It's told in Armin's point of view and contains two key flashbacks. I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan. I'm not a perfect person (a good majority of this was written at 3am) so there are probably some grammar issues I missed. If you find any errors, please tell me so I can make corrections. I'd appreciate it. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 3

Secrets

The forest was busting with green, fully replenished after the change of seasons. The landscape had been staved by the cold of winter and renewed and reborn in the spring once again. Summer had finally descended upon the woods, coating the forest in warmth and green.

A full year had passed since the two children met the mysterious titan. During that time, Armin, Mikasa, and Rogue had formed the most unlikely but incredibly strong bond. Within the months, the two had discovered quite a bit about their giant companion. The titan knew nearly fifty or so words and gestures – and was still learning. The two children had taken the privilege to tutor Rogue, the titan's vocabulary gaining a few more entries. The creature had learned words like 'ocean' and 'city' as well as gesticulations such as 'be silent' and regretfully the gesture of 'flipping the bird' that Rogue had unfortunately picked up from Mikasa when she and Armin had gotten into a friendly spat. The children had also found the titan's likes and dislikes. Rogue enjoyed company, gazing at water and observing other small creatures, the children reading to him, and even engaging in simple games such as hide and seek – the titan usually being the one found first. Rogue's dislikes consisted of wolves, being lonely for long periods, being insulted, but most of all any threat that would come to his human acquaintances; which would include Armin's bruises from neighborhood bullies.

Mikasa and Armin continued at a brisk pace, following an undisclosed trail that the two had established themselves. During the past months, the two small children had mastered the art of keeping their titanic friend a secret. It was routine that they visited Rogue at least three or four times a week, always using the excuse that they were off to visit and play with a friend – which wasn't technically lying. If they suspected that they were being followed, they would always circle Shiganshina in the busy markets before going into Wall Maria. To keep other prying eyes away, the two traveled amongst the secluded but safe section of the forest instead of the common dirt path. To them, it seemed to be a foolproof strategy.

Armin looked down at his shoes as the two walked among the tangle of weeds and branches. He couldn't help the feeling of guilt pulling at him like a ball and chain. Their last visit with the friendly titan had hit a slight snag that seemed to affect Rogue on a personal level that neither he nor Mikasa understood. It had been when Armin decided to ask a series of questions that had been pulling at both his, Mikasa's, and nearly the majority of humanity's minds for quite a long time. Since then, that moment was all that was on Armin's mind. The blonde let out a condensed breath and let the thought seep into him once again.

(Flashback)

The titan's internal heat warmed the interior of the great tree like a furnace, surprisingly comfortable although it was early summer. Rogue and the two children lay and relaxed in the titan's nest, sheltering themselves from a simple and sudden shower. All was quiet and just. Rogue lay on his back, his head propped up against the tree's bark with his eyes half-lidded as he indulged and endured Mikasa braiding a lock of his stringy hair. Armin sat on the titan's chest, looking through his grandfather's book that had become a favorite of the titan's. However, the boy could not enjoy his prized title for a thought had been eating away at him ever since he first read the book to Rogue.

Armin closed the book's cover and looked at the titan with doubt. The gentle giant was in utter peace like he was about to dose off as Mikasa braided the long strands; stopping every few minutes to scratch Rogue's pointed ear – a spot that the titan loved to have rubbed. The boy shifted nervously and twiddled his thumbs as he thought. To Armin, it was obvious that Rogue was oblivious as to what existed beyond the walls in the outside world. By the way the titan became thrilled as he flipped through the pages, it was as if Rogue had never seen the ocean, the mountains, or the deserts –something that was difficult to understand coming from something that supposedly had lived outside the walls. But of course, that wasn't the only query that rattled Armin's mind. The boy looked to the titan again, deciding that he had waited long enough.

Armin swallowed fretfully. "Rogue?" He asked, watching as the titan let out a soft croon and turned his head to focus upon the small boy – still looking relaxed. "There's – something that I've been wanting to ask you." Armin continued, getting Mikasa's attention as well. "I'm not sure if you have the capability to answer, but if you could give me some sort of sign I'd be grateful." The boy spoke, his voice clearly wobbly.

Rogue tilted his head at the boy's tone. Armin watched as the titan hesitated, his green eyes glancing down at his broad chest before he gave a slow and weary nod to proceed.

Armin's teeth clamped the inside of his jaw at the thought of the words he was about to speak. "Rogue… do you… know where the titans came from?" He asked, making the atmosphere grow stagnant.

At the boy's query, the titan's chest flinched and his green eyes widened. The two watched in awe and anxiety as Rogue began to dither. The titan shifted fretfully, his hand clenching and causing the dry leaves to crackle like campfire. Rogue placed his gaze onto his chest again, deep in thought, his lack of response only causing Armin to push forwards in their interrogation.

"Please! You must know where the titans came from! You're a titan yourself, Rogue!" Armin drilled, a spark igniting inside of him, a quest for the truth.

The titan only continued to hesitate, his eyes shifting back and forth as if he was trying to search his mind for an answer. Rogue moved a bit, seating himself more upright and forcing Mikasa to join Armin on his chest. Finally, the titan let out a pitiful whine and ran a set of fingers through his hair, his ears drooping and eyes sealing shut.

The boy's heart dropped. "So – you don't know?" Armin paused, the emotions churning within him like a boiling pot. "How about this. Why do the titans – eat humans? I know you don't, but why do they?" The boy continued with his feelings growing stronger and neglecting to see the titan's stress. "You must know why Rogue! Why… why do they kill us! Armin choked, close to tears.

Again, Rogue was silent except for the groans of anguish forced through his teeth, but Armin took no notice, too immersed in his own feelings.

"Please! You must know! Why do the titans kill and eat humans! Why is the only weak spot at the back of their necks! How do they reproduce!" Armin continued, losing his composure, asking far too many questions.

Suddenly, Rogue sat up fully, causing the two children to tumble into the leafy bed in shock. Mikasa and Armin covered their ears as Rogue let out a disturbing cry that could have been classified as a painful screech. The titan bent over, burying his face into his hands and elbows resting on his knees. Rouge's nails dug into his scalp, nearly making it bleed as he droned.

"Armin." Mikasa whispered as she laid a hand onto the boy's shoulder. "He doesn't know."

The interior of the tree was silent except for the titan's muffled whines. To the children, the tenseness of the situation was even more so than when they first encountered Rogue. Armin swallowed, seeing the titan's reaction made it very clear to him.

"Rogue." The blonde began quietly, the creature pausing at the boy's softer tone to shoot a brief glance at him, green eyes still filled to the brim with desolation. "What – happened to you? How did you get inside the walls?" Armin dithered, trying to sound much more expansive but serious than a few seconds before. He swallowed a wad of saliva as he tried to put his next words into place. "Have you ever been outside the walls at all?"

At Armin's words, Rogue grew completely silent and all that could be heard was the gentle rain outside. The two children watched nervously, secretly bracing themselves for they had never seen their gigantic friend lose himself except for the time they were rescued. The titan's body suddenly trembled, his sharp nails breaking the skin upon his scalp – causing a small stream of blood to run down his face and jaw. Rogue let out a strained hiss through his teeth with his body quaking like a fall leaf in the wind. It was obvious that somehow the innocent queries were mental torture.

Seeing the titan's suffering, Mikasa warily approached the titan's thigh and outstretched a small hand to ensure a little bit of security to the stressed beast. Before her soft skin could meet his, Rogue unexpectedly let out another distraught screech that was louder and more painful than the first. The titan abruptly bolted from the tree's hollow into the rain soaked hideaway. The children watched as Rogue collapsed in the center of the cove onto his rump like a pouting toddler, making the ground vibrate just as loud as the thunder above. The titan simply sat in the rain, hunched over slightly with his arms lying limply in his lap and ears wilted like a thirsty flower. The titan let out a pitiful moan resembling a whining dog, making Armin feel incredibly remorseful.

"Mikasa," Armin spoke softly. "I don't think he's ever been outside the walls. He – doesn't know anything."

The raven-haired girl remained unresponsive, staring out worriedly at the titan who was as still as stone. "I think you're right, Armin." Mikasa dipped her head. "It doesn't even seem like he –

"Remembers." Armin finished with his friend turning to him, awaiting a proposed theory like he always put forth. "I don't know how, but I think Rogue has amnesia to some extent. It's clear he doesn't remember how he got here." Armin gulped. "It's likely a mystery that we'll never solve."

The two children stood silently at the entrance to the hollow, watching in unease, as the titan's hair became soaking wet from the rain. Mikasa then clutched at her scarf that still hung from her neck, even in the warm months. She shut her eyes in thought before opening them once again and turning to the blonde.

"I don't think we should ever ask him again. It hurts him too much." The girl uttered beneath the woven crimson cloth, with Armin knowing her statement was mainly directed at him. Mikasa then carefully climbed from the hollow tree and into the wet cove with Armin soon following her. Quietly, she approached the titan who was still in a frozen state, lost in his own mind. Mirroring her attempt before, Mikasa placed her hand onto the titan's calf and forced a weak smile onto her face despite her worry. "Rogue?"

Gradually, the titan turned to see her, his face riddled in what could only be classified as pity, making Armin feel worse. Rogue gave a soft moan in reply, but didn't make a move to beg for a form of comfort like the boy had anticipated. Instead, the titan returned to his previous position, sulking in his own grief. Armin swallowed apprehensively yet again; Mikasa and Rogue were incredibly close and it was unlike the titan to not react in his usual trusting way of purring or flickering his ears. Mikasa glanced back at Armin, knowing the very same thing as he did.

"It's okay Rogue." She began softly again with her voice having an almost motherly aura. "We won't ask you anymore."

The titan responded with a brief glance before rising to his feet. The two children watched in worry as Rogue retreated inside his tree once again, seating himself and placing his face against the bark and hands hugging his shoulders, putting himself into his own domain of silence. It was a long moment of contemplating until Mikasa motioned for the secret exit of the cove. Armin blinked in confusion, not even taking notice that he was soaked. Finally, he jogged after the stoic girl after breaking free of his pondering.

"Mikasa, what are you –

"Let's go Armin." She cut in swiftly, her voice showing no emotion. "It's obvious that he wants to be alone right now." Mikasa concluded with a stern end, making it clear she was aggravated with the blonde for even bringing the topic up.

Armin did not respond, seeing that she was right and had the authority to be displeased with him. The boy then trailed her like a sheepish dog, looking back once at the titan who had barely moved before descending into the tunnel. His hand grasped his arm, a natural reaction of fear for him. Armin swore that he had seen tears gliding down the monster's face.

(End Flashback)

Armin snapped himself out of the depressing memory as he and Mikasa stepped into the rocky clearing that housed the cove's walls. Since that day, he had even more questions than before. The boy had come up with numerous theories about how Rogue could have ended up inside Wall Maria. From climbing over the wall to being walled in a century ago – in both cases hitting his head somehow in the general way someone would contract amnesia. As far as Rogue's knowledge about his kind, he only knew what was told to him from humans as far as Armin knew.

The two children then began to round the massive rock face that stretched upwards to the canopy. His blue eyes looked at Mikasa who had long since forgiven him since that troubling moment – admitting that she too, wanted to quiz the titan on the topics but was unsure how. In her delicate hands, she held a leathery ball that she and Armin had purchased from a toy merchant in town with plans of giving it to Rogue as a gift, hoping that it would cheer the titan up.

"So do you think he'll be better today?" Armin asked just as they reached the crack in the wall that they had always used.

Mikasa bit her tongue and strengthened her grip on the large ball. "I hope so." The girl spoke faintly, pausing for a moment as she thought. "Maybe he will be, if not I think he'll feel better with a new game." Mikasa smiled softly as they entered the narrow tunnel with Armin following close behind.

'I sure hope you're right, Mikasa.' The boy thought as the end of the tunnel came into sight.

Casually, Armin and Mikasa entered the secret hideaway that looked just as angelic as ever. Like the forest, the cove was lush and green, but it was even more so with blankets of moss accenting the rocky walls. Similar to spring, there was an abundance of life but the amount was far greater with new additions to families and new species; including birds that sang their songs and duets in the outstretched branches over the cove.

A familiar joyful rumbling came from the rear of the cove where the titan sat, his broad back facing the two children. Armin felt his body calm a bit at the view. Perhaps Rogue was feeling much better and hopefully wouldn't be upset at the sight of him. Mikasa smiled as she began to walk around Rogue's gigantic frame, her walk soon speeding up to a jog as her elation escalated. Suddenly, Mikasa gasped and stopped in her tracks. Armin's heart skipped several beats as he observed the stillness of Mikasa's body. Her mouth was hung open slightly and her grey eyes the widest he had ever seen them – ignited completely in shock. The leather ball dropped from her hands and rolled several feet as she gasped, looking like she had seen death before her. The titan's head suddenly jerked to her position, his eyes too, growing wide in astonishment. Seeing that something was discernibly amiss, Armin quickly circled Mikasa.

He froze.

Armin's face fell at the sight and his blood ran cold, knowing very well that they had been caught. Before the seated fifteen-meter titan was none other than Mrs. Carla and Dr. Jaeger.

For a long moment, the couple and children stared at one another, even Rogue who looked almost terrified. Armin felt his palms beginning to sweat as he attempted to come up with some sort of explanation. However, before he could say a word, the couple smiled compassionately with the beautiful woman letting out a warmhearted laugh.

"Well now. I see that you two have met Rogue Jaeger haven't you?"

The two small children blinked in sheer disbelief. Armin then found that his mouth was functional.

"H… how? How did you… know?" Armin stuttered with the doctor letting out a small chuckle.

"Carla and I have been suspecting it from day one. When you stepped out of those trees the two of us knew. There was no way you could have gotten free from those men without a little help." Grisha beamed as he adjusted his round glasses. "And here we were wondering if it was possible for our son to make friends on his own."

The two children then broke out of their stunned state and began to relax. "How did you know it was the titan though?" Mikasa queried as she retrieved the ball.

"Well," Mrs. Carla began, her voice smooth as honey. "We noticed an obvious change in his behavior for one thing. Rogue used to be rather shy and would hold back, but now he's incredibly happy and likes to get in the middle of everything and be very vocal."

"Of course, Carla also caught you three playing the other day when she was going to pop in for a surprise visit." Grisha smiled almost triumphantly with the two children blinking in surprise. "There were also new additions in Rogue's vocabulary as well that we never taught him. However, the thing that confirmed my suspicions was actually the night you were taken."

Mikasa raised a brow in question. "It was?"

"Yes. During the search party, I came across the bodies of the three men that took you. At first, I thought they had become victims of wolves, but then I noticed that every bone had been crushed – meaning there had to be only one culprit." Dr. Grisha explained as he eyed Rogue in an almost cunning way.

The titan let out a sorrowful moan. Armin almost snuck a laugh as Rogue retreated once again into his tree and curled in on himself, knowing he had been busted. At the sight, the amber-eyed woman let out another hearty laugh.

"Oh Rogue. It's alright you're not in trouble!" Carla informed with the titan peeking at her warily. "In fact, we're actually quite proud of you. You saved these two children who would have been helpless if you hadn't come along and fought for them."

At her words, the titan lifted his head and emitted his telltale crooked grin. Rogue seemed to let out a sigh in relief as he climbed out of his nest to join the small group once again. Dr. Jaeger then cleared his throat.

"Well now. Carla and I were planning on having a picnic and we'd love for the two of you to join us. We can swap stories over sandwiches and tea."

Minutes later, the four took their seats upon a worn blanket indulging on the basket lunch that Carla had prepared herself. The titan lay next to them, his green eyes watching them eagerly with his ears fluttering a bit, seemingly waiting for the four to start a conversation.

"So," Grisha began after a gulp of tea to sooth his throat. "Can you tell Carla and I about the night you and Armin were rescued, Mikasa?" The doctor asked politely and sounding sincere. Since that night, Mikasa had never really spoken about what had materialized between the men and her parents, not even to Armin who had been too shy to ask – worried about how the girl would react.

He watched as Mikasa's body tensed up slightly as she lowered her portion into her lap, nails digging into the bread. Armin bit the inside of his jaw; she didn't look quite ready to share the dark tale yet. However, Mikasa let out a sigh.

"I suppose it is best that I get it off my chest." The girl began softly. "All of you have taken such good care of me so you deserve to know." Mikasa paused, her voice vaguely shaking. Carla held up a hand to ease her to stop, but the raven-haired girl looked too determined. "That day I was sitting with my mom working on a weaving as my dad prepared us dinner. I was about to ask them a question that I had been wondering about when there was a knock on the door. Since we were expecting visit from you Dr. Jaeger, we thought nothing of it." Mikasa paused again with a sharp breath with Armin able to hear her swallowing a lump of unease. "My dad then answered the door with a greeting, but his words were cut short. The next thing I remember was that my father was dead on our floor, impaled in his stomach. Seeing this, my mother suddenly rushed toward the men to fend them off although her attempt was fruitless. She told me to run, but for some reason my body was frozen – I couldn't take my eyes from them. " Mikasa paused, yet again concealing her emotions. "As she attempted to stab one of the men, she was axed. The last thing I remember was that I was alone before waking up in a sack with Armin."

"I was coming to visit when I ran directly into the three men. They decided to take me as well." Armin added, filling in the blank of Mikasa's story with the two adults nodding in understanding.

"What happened next?" Dr. Jaeger urged supportingly, patiently waiting for the girl to continue.

"After walking for a bit, Armin and I put whatever energy we had left into escaping the bag. We were able to, but being bound we didn't get far. Just as a man pulled a knife, Rogue showed up." Mikasa spoke, her voice suddenly not as shaky. "At first, he tried scaring them it seemed, but when those men persisted in taking us – Rogue disposed of them completely."

"He reacted defensively." Dr. Jaeger began. "Just like –

A sudden cavernous growl cut the doctor off. Armin turned to see that Rogue had rolled over onto his stomach. His head was resting onto his arms, and his mouth buried into the crooks. The titan's eyes illuminated with frustration as he glared at the ground with his brow furrowed in anger. Armin did not have to speculate. The boy knew Rogue well enough to know that the titan had been upset at Mikasa's words – especially the part about the fate of her parents. Rogue then let out another disgruntled growl, steam rising from his nostrils.

"It's okay Rogue." Mikasa encouraged with the titan instantly calming. "They're long gone now. You made sure of that."

Within an instant, Rouge calmed, pressing his finger into the ground – satisfied at taking out his frustrations at the earth.

"As I was saying, Rogue took us to the cove to shelter us from the storm and cold. We spent the night with him curled against us before returning in the morning. And you two know the rest." Mikasa concluded as emotionless as she began.

Both the Jaegers and Armin sat in silence. The boy found himself speechless. In the depths of his mind he had always known that Mikasa had been through hell before he had even appeared, but he had no idea as to how much that hell extended. It was no wonder why Mikasa was the way she was. After what seemed like an eternity, Carla broke the silence and leaned toward the mentally scared girl to embrace her.

"Thank you so much for telling us, Mikasa." The woman cooed. "I hate it that you two had to go through such a dramatic experience." Carla expressed earnestly with the titan grunting in agreement. Mikasa then smiled softly, clearly feeling better.

Armin grasped his cup of tea and took a quick but leisurely sip, looking from the titan to the Jaegers as he prepped his next query. "Dr. Jaeger? Mrs. Carla?"

"Yes, Armin?" The doctor acknowledged as he poured more tea for himself and his wife.

"Now that you know what happened that night, could you tell us about how you two met Rogue?" He asked hopefully. Grisha nodded.

"Of course. However Carla is probably the best at telling the story since she is the one that technically met Rogue first."

Hearing his words, Armin turned to Mrs. Jaeger who bore a frail smile. Her amber eyes glanced into her cup, observing the small bubbles around the edge of the glass before turning to the two children.

"I met Rogue in a similar way that the two of you did. It was ten years ago and I had fallen into a deep depression. At the time, Grisha and I were trying for a child." Carla sighed as she stirred the dissolved sugar in her tea. "However, each attempt would end in failure. Just when there seemed to be hope, cramps plagued my abdomen and a tiny life would slip from me. After a while, it was clear that it was not meant to be so we stopped. On the day that we concluded that I was unable to have a child, I took a walk in the forest to gather herbs and clear my head.

(Flashback)

Daylight was nearly spent, bathing the lush landscape in a warm light that bequeathed a relaxing aura. It was a common sight and feeling for a summer afternoon, but to the woman waltzing beneath the canopy it did not bring a feeling of ease. To Carla it was almost a metaphor; the sun had set on her dreams, ending the bright future she craved desperately.

She reluctantly released a trembling breath and wiped a tear from her eye. It was over and set in stone now, infertile and unable to bare young. Her goal of being a mother like many around her was no more. Carla found herself wandering deeper into the wood and her thoughts. At the moment, to her, it was bittersweet that she was alone. There was no life inside her, but at least no one would notice her expressions of sorrow.

Carla swallowed for the umpteenth time, trying to withstand bursting in tears as she traveled deeper. Her mind then focused on her other objective of gathering herbs to cook with in order to rid the others or at least put them a bay. Her eyes then cleared, still watery but able to see the surrounding bushes and weeds. Using a trained eye, Carla discerned the herbs from the foliage, carefully gathering each one and placing it into her basket with care. For a few minutes, the emotionally damaged woman went down her mental checklist and gathered all that she needed except for thyme. Carla let out an exasperated sigh; she would have to go deeper into the forest in order to retrieve the ingredient. She could not leave the woods without it.

She wandered further into the musk grown landscape, unknowingly heading in the wrong direction of where she was told the thyme was. The forest had grown and flourished quite a bit in the past months, Carla unable to recognize the paths. Soon, the forest grew darker with the sun sinking further behind the wall. Her nerves began to eat away at her again, discovering her misfortune. Carla cursed herself for being too ignorant to notice. She had accidentally ventured into the unsafe section of the forest that her husband had warned her about. Her luck could not get any worse.

Carla took a deep breath to calm herself as she tried to dissect her surroundings. She couldn't see the wall from where she stood, the towering trees blocking her view. As she searched, her eyes happened upon as small sprig of thyme growing several yards away upon a mossy stone. The woman let out a sigh. She had come this far so she might as well retrieve a small bit of good. Without another thought, Carla made her way through the brambles to the thyme, brushing off any clinging burrs before bending down to retrieve the small herb. She smiled; at least this was a small piece of happiness in the dreary day.

A savage growl erupted from behind her, making Carla drown in fear. Slowly, she turned to see a wolf perched upon an overhanging rock – the very creatures that were known to still lurk in Wall Maria. Carla quickly observed the animal; its lips were peeled back to display its fangs that were stained with the blood of many animals. The creature's eyes were yellow, wild, and were filled with hunger and viciousness. Carla swallowed back a bit of fear-induced bile. Gradually, she rose from her knees; the wolf's snarl growing louder as she tried to think of some way to escape even though she knew her chances were next to none.

Before Carla could take another raspy breath, a series of growls sounded behind her. Like helpless prey, she turned her gaze slowly to assess. There, cresting over a small hill in a break of trees, were five wolves; all just as furious as the first. The woman's heart almost went flat line at the sight, realizing she had stumbled into the beasts' territory. Without thinking, Carla turned and ran.

Within the initial few steps, the first wolf lunged, its teeth aimed at her bare throat. On instinct, Carla swung her basket and with luck, hit the animal upside its skull. It fell back a bit, shaking its head in confusion before racing after Carla once again. The woman ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but it was not enough. Suddenly, Carla found herself face first into the dirt with a great weight upon her back. Screaming for mercy, she thrashed helplessly as another wolf's teeth inched near her neck, the beast's rancid breath filling Carla's nostrils and making her hairs stand skyward. Her brain began to process the thought that her time had come.

The wolf's fangs ripped Carla's woven shawl from her shoulders with its greedy kin going for the cloth as if it was fresh meat. Feeling the weight lifting from her briefly, she seized the chance and fled again. After a few meters, Carla glanced over her shoulder to see that the pack was still on her. Cursing and screeching for aid once more, she turned her eyes forward – only seeing the sharp drop off at the very last second. With no time to stop, Carla lost her footing and tumbled over the edge.

The sky and earth traded places several times before she came to rest. Carla gasped as she quickly scrambled to get upright, only to have a searing pain shoot up her left leg. Carla directed her focus to her left ankle that was badly twisted, her foot angled awkwardly. The snarls reached her ears once again, and like a desperate and wounded creature, Carla limped as quickly as she could in the opposite direction. Though she could now see the massive wall that she often used like a guiding compass, she knew her survival rate was practically zero. Carla pleaded at the top of her lungs again for help, but knowing in the pit of her stomach how pointless it was. Her early grave was imminent.

A misstep caused the woman to trip into a large tree, cutting her head in the process. Knowing the wolves were just a few feet away, Carla forced herself to sit up. Her head spun and her eyes fought to gain their focus. When her vision cleared, Carla released a gasp. The wolves stood before her, creeping slowly with each set of fangs on clear display. The creatures growled, their eyes hooked solidly on their prey and not venturing elsewhere. Carla swallowed, waiting for the blood to gush from her esophagus.

Without warning, a tremendous bellow shook the ground beneath her and rattled the trees. It was a roar unlike any other, unworldly, angry, and incredibly powerful. It commanded a deathly silence to sweep throughout the forest with no delay. With her heart pounding wildly against her ribcage, Carla opened her eyes to see that the wolves had taken their attention from her and placed their once ravenous eyes to the trees. In unison, the tails of her hunters ventured between their legs and whines replaced snarls. Carla swallowed the rising bile in her throat again. To see fierce creatures like wolves frightened by something other than a steel barrel and bullet was almost unheard off.

Suddenly, the earth shook beneath them as limbs of the tall trees crackled. The first tremor was then followed by a second, then a third and fourth. The thundering sound grew louder, making Carla realize.

It wasn't thunder. It was footsteps.

Before she could contemplate any thought, a large figure emerged from the pines, knocking several down in its wake. Seeing what was before her, Carla became petrified. It was a titan. A massive fifteen-meter, the largest measurement on record, towered above them with its eyes blazing through the faded light with fury. As impossible as it seemed, Carla knew she was as good as dead.

The titan then quickly lowered itself onto all fours, its pointed ears cocked against its skull as it opened it mouth to a vast expanse – releasing another roar that nearly caused Carla's eardrums to rupture. The woman's hunters then bolted past her, yelping in terror much like frightened pups. She then turned her gaze back to the titan just in time to see its large hand reaching right for her. Coercing herself yet again, Carla attempted to get to her feet, but the pain in her ankle forbid it, instead collapsing back into the dirt. A scream left her again as the titan's fingers embraced around her petite frame, nearly crushing her ribcage by sheer strength. Carla let out a gasp as she was hoisted into the air and brought toward the titan's face. Her frail fingers dug into the creature's hot skin as she pleaded. 'This is the end.' she thought as she shut her eyes tightly. 'I'm going to get eaten.' Carla then waited once again for death to welcome her with open arms.

However, nothing of the sort happened. Curious as to why she wasn't in the titan's gullet, Carla forced her eyes open to see something that only puzzled her. The titan's eyes were no longer glowing brightly with rage, but were what could be classified as neutral. Unlike the atmosphere before, the forest was silent yet again with nothing but the monster's deep breathing echoing among the wood. Carla struggled for another breath while she tried to observe the titan further. It was unlike anything she had seen or let alone heard of before. Its humanoid body was rippling with muscles that expanded and contracted beneath its thick skin with every breath. Of course, Carla's gaze was fixed more on the creature's terrifying face. Along with its elfish ears and long wiry hair, the titan's face was angular with a pointed hooked nose and sculpted chin. It's teeth were nearly the size of small children and exposed for the world to view – making Carla tremble in its grasp, the very thought of them sinking through her made the vomit rise in her throat yet again.

Suddenly, the titan dropped roughly onto its knees, making the trees shake once again. Carla watched in horror as the creature's face came towards her, thinking that this was the absolute end with the titan consuming her in a way that she had always been told. To Carla's surprise, the titan only placed his nose before her and sniffed intriguingly much like a dog. With each breath, the woman's hair ruffled messily upon her head while she was placed into a state of shock. The titan huffed a cloud of steam into her face before continuing to sniff in an almost gentle way. Another hot cloud of steam blew from the titan's nose before it backed away, its giant green eyes blinking as they ran over the woman's body.

'Why – has it not eaten me yet?' Carla questioned herself. 'Titans are supposed to eat humans as soon as they grab them. Why hasn't this one? Wait. How is it even inside the walls?'

The titan let out a profound rumble as it raised its other hand to Carla's face. Unable to hold back her whimpering but still completely frozen, Mrs. Jaeger watched in both horror and confusion as the titan's fingertips brushed the side of her face. The creature let out a series of grunts as its forefinger and thumb examined Carla's dark locks, the titan's green eyes suddenly filled with what she could only discern as complete wonder.

'What on earth is it doing? Is this what they call an abnormal?'

The creature then lowered its hand and edged forward again, its nose nearly pressing itself into Carla's face. On instinct, Mrs. Jaeger reached up and slapped the titan's nose as hard as she could without logical thinking. Instantly, the monster pulled itself away with an irritated growl and gave Carla a look of disgust, its brows furrowed and the skin at the corner of its jaw pulled downward in a frown. Her heart leaped at her mistake, knowing her reflex had just made her dinner. To her surprise, the titan's expression reverted back to an inquiring one as it raised its hand once again. The large fingers then felt the cloth at the bottom of her dress. Letting out another deep rumble, the titan then carefully pulled at the cloth to expose Carla's shins. Still in a state of disbelief, Mrs. Jaeger watched as the titan tilted its head in question with its pointed ears pricking forward. The titan's finger then touched Carla's foot and unfortunately her injured ankle. Excruciating discomfort soared through her leg and forced a wail from her lips as she kicked the titan's finger. Blinking back tears, Carla saw that the titan had flinched with its eyes wide in surprise before removing his hand. At first, she figured that she had somehow managed to startle the beast, but to her dismay the titan lifted its fingers again to continue its prodding. With another grunt, the beast placed its index finger on her chest, the digit slowly traveling to the ruffled strap of Carla's dress. Innocently, the titan took a moment to examine the folds in the cloth before its finger began to push the strap from her shoulder. With dopamine finally flowing in her brain, Carla let out another scream and threw her fist into the giant appendage.

"Stop it!" Carla scolded, making the titan freeze at her harsh tone. "Keep away from me you ignorant fucker! She yelled into the creature's deformed face, surprised by her foul language that she never used. "Put me the hell down!"

The titan blinked in obvious disbelief, tilting its head again before edging forward for another sniff. Again, Carla refused by thrashing and kicking.

"Did you not hear me you stupid fuck? Put me back! Is your brain the size of a walnut or something? I said to PUT ME DOWN YOU FUCKER!" Carla continued at the top of her lungs as she unleashed a slew of other insults.

Suddenly, the titan frowned again and let out an aggravated grunt in disappointment. Carla watched as the giant being let out a puff of steam and quickly but carefully sat her back upon the ground. For a moment, Mrs. Jaeger observed as the titan's face fell solemnly. Its eyes briefly adverted to the trees before returning to Carla. After what seemed like an eternity of staring, the titan let out another sigh and gradually arose to its feet before turning to vanish within the forest.

Alone again in the wood, Carla unsteadily stood upright and hobbled over to retrieve a branch to use as a crutch. With her mind in a buzz, she left the forest without her herbs.

(End Flashback)

"That's incredible." Armin spoke in a daze as Mrs. Jaeger took a break in her tale to sip her tea for her exhausted throat. "What happened next?"

"Well," Carla began as she placed her cup back onto its saucer. "When I finally got back home, Grisha was alarmed at my condition and demanded to know what happened to me. As he patched up my ankle, I told him about the wolves and of course about the titan. The two of us then became amazed as to why he never attempted to eat me but instead wanted to examine me. As you two may have learned from class, normal titans consume their victims as soon as they have them in hand, but this one was special. Therefore, Grisha made the decision that we needed to find the titan again." Carla paused with a quick drink before proceeding. "So the next day we set out into Wall Maria to retrace my steps. Surprisingly, we found Rogue sitting in the clearing where we had met. He looked completely lost and depressed, nowhere near as expressive as he is now as we approached him. Rogue was a bit started by our return, but remained intrigued as we attempted communication – with of course no response except for grunts and grumbles." Carla chuckled before putting on a soft smile. "At first, Rogue was incredibly nervous around me knowing that I was exceedingly terrified and angry the previous evening. I could tell he wanted to examine me again, but was hesitant to do so. Seeing how upset he was, I swallowed my fear and patted his lowered hand in reassurance. When he purred in response, I knew then that he was happy." Carla concluded as she looked at the titan who had been listening eagerly and let out a trill in response. The doctor then cleared his throat.

"It was in that first meeting when we determined that Rogue was indeed friendly and intelligent. Not only that, but Carla was the first human that he ever saw – hence the reason why he wanted to examine her. After that, we began to spend quite a bit of time with Rogue, teaching him about human customs and training him to speak a few words. Over time, he became the 'child' we always wanted – just a little bigger than what one could anticipate." Dr. Jaeger smiled softly at the rim of his glass.

"Amazing." Armin replied enthusiastically at the new information. "So – how did you two decide on his name? I'm interested in where it came from."

At the boy's words, the couple laughed. "It's a bit funny actually." Carla replied as she rubbed her chin in thought. "We wanted a name that would be easy for him to say. At first, we thought about the name 'Eren' but at the time, Rogue's speech was barely breaking the surface. So we picked out 'Rogue' since it seemed to fit him plus he was able to say it with relative ease." Mrs. Jaeger explained.

Armin nodded in acknowledgement before looking over to see that the titan's sight was set onto the leather ball that sat between Mikasa's legs. Rogue then unfolded his arm and used his clawed finger to point eagerly at the round toy, his digit disturbing the small picnic but only provoking the couple to chuckle at the titan's curiosity. Rogue then grunted, his eyes looking at Mikasa in question as she stood with the ball in hand.

"We brought you something, Rogue." The girl smiled as she guided the titan a few feet from them. "It's a toy called a ball that you can throw, bounce, or roll back and forth. You can also play catch with it too. I'll show you." Mikasa informed as she seated herself before Rogue. Armin watched as she gently rolled the ball to the titan who looked at it with incredible interest. After a few seconds of running his fingers over the surface and rolling the toy around between his knees, Rogue rolled the ball back to Mikasa who gave him praise. For some time, Armin and the Jaegers observed as the two exchanged the ball back and forth with Rogue gurgling in complete delight. A tender smile came to the boy's face. The titan and Mikasa had a special bond that not even he shared with the fifteen-meter beast. For some reason, they just clicked.

Carla then expressed a buoyant laugh. " You know Armin, sometimes I forget that Rogue is a titan. He has the mental stability of a child and like any; it's healthy for him to have attention and care." Mrs. Jaeger paused as she glanced over at the titan and Mikasa who had since graduated from rolling the ball to bouncing it back and forth with Rogue nearly squealing. "We're very glad that it was you two that found him, Armin. Unfortunately, we cannot always be there for him to sooth and entertain, but it seems that he has taken quite a liking to you. Rogue used to be so distant when we first began to interact, but now he's so blissfully happy and alert that it's clear he loves you two very much and will always protect you no matter what."

A sense of warmth swelled inside Armin at the words of the kind woman. "Thank you Mrs. Carla. And don't worry. We'll keep him a secret."

The amber-eyed woman nodded in gratitude before patting the boys shoulder to say without words that her trust was well placed. Suddenly, remembering their last visit with the titan, Armin decided to pop the question.

"Dr. Jaeger? Mrs. Carla?" The boy questioned hopefully with the two adults acknowledging him by putting away their tea.

"Yes Armin?" Grisha answered in his usual tone.

The boy bit his lip, glancing to the titan before returning to the doctor. "During the times that you mentored and cared for Rogue, did you happen to ask or find out where he came from and what happened to him?"

The Jaegers then sat up in alert at his query, making Armin recoil. "Armin," Dr. Jaeger began sternly beneath his breath. "Tell me you didn't ask him that."

Armin dithered. "Well… I was curious and desperate to know." The boy swallowed, fearing that he had made a mistake. Grisha sighed.

"Don't worry. You didn't know so don't pity yourself. Truthfully, Carla and I asked him that before, but as you probably saw, Rogue reacted in a way that seemed to be sheer agony for him. He doesn't respond to anything concerning his past or knowledge of the titans very well. Like you Armin, Carla and I wish we knew that answer as well." The doctor concluded. "Best not to ask him again, but I personally like to think that he was put here for a reason."

Disappointed, Armin simply nodded as the guilt briefly returned. As much as he wanted, he would very likely never know just what happened to his gigantic friend.

Suddenly, Armin's thoughts were cut short by a loud huffing sound. The three then turned to see that the ball that Rogue and Mikasa were playing with had somehow bounced off the top of the girl's head and into the pond. Mikasa's face was coated in disbelief where as the titan continued its strange huffing sound that Armin had never heard before. Looking to see that Rogue's eyes were alive with joy and the corners of his mouth were pulled into an awkward smile, Armin let out a gasp as he realized what exactly the titan was doing.

Laughing.

"Well, that looks like something he learned from the two of you." Carla smiled at Armin with the doctor nodding in agreement.

The titan then reached over and plucked the now wet ball from the cove's pond. Rogue then attempted the best smirk that he could manage with a mischievous glint filling his eyes. The titan suddenly tossed the ball in Armin's direction with the boy having barely enough time to catch it. The blonde held the ball in awe as he stared upward at the titan's face, Rogue tilting his head with his pointed ears facing forward as he purred. Knowing just what the titan wanted, Armin lifted himself to his feet with a broad grin plastered onto his face. The boy then began to join in on the merriment. For hours, the three laughed and played in the secret sanctuary, content at tossing a ball back and forth amongst them. Unfortunately, in another year's time, the harmonious days in the cove would come to an end and their world would be turned upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed chapter 3! The next chapter is the breach and will be told in Rogue's point of view. The event changes his temperament a bit, but he'll still retain many parts of his current character. Chapter 4 will probably be lengthy as well. Stay tuned!


	4. Apocalypse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rogue's world is turned upside down as tragedy strikes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: This chapter does contain a bit of gore (but that's just SNK!) It contains the breach so its a bit of a sad chapter, but I did add some tenderness and one humorous moment. :) I'm having fun writing this and the overwhelming responses makes me feel better! I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan. I'm not a perfect person (a good majority of this was written at 3am) so there are probably some grammar issues I missed. If you find any errors, please tell me so I can make corrections. I'd appreciate it. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 4

Apocalypse

Emerald eyes followed the leather ball intently, focused like that of a predator after prey. With a smooth and fluid motion, the titan reached out and captured the ball with ease – hearing his little ones give their approval below him. Rogue let out a series of huffs, mirroring his tiny humans' noises of pleasure before tossing the ball back to them. The titan was proud of his accomplishment, simple enough to some, but within the past year Rouge's reflexes had become quick and nearly precise. Not only that, but simple activities like this helped his brain function better even if he was aware of it or not. He was always learning and improving.

It was late summer once again and the air was beginning to be noticeably different. The humidity was nearly gone and some of the trees' leaves were beginning to take on a yellowish tint. The temperature as well was changing, becoming cooler as the days went on. The titan looked down at his little ones. In the past two summers that he had known them, the two had grown – standing a few inches taller. They had matured a little bit as well, gaining a mindset like his much older humans. Of course, no matter how much they would grow, to him they would always be his little ones.

Rogue let out several eager grunts, wanting the two children to return the ball. The boy took a few breaths; exhausted from running all over the clearing they were currently cavorting in.

"Hey! Just wait a second!" His little one forced through a few strained laughs. "Unlike you Rogue, we need to drink every once in a while." Armin stated kindly as he and Mikasa went to retrieve water in a nearby stream. The titan watched them quietly; he found it odd how humans needed to do what they called eating and drinking. Although he had a stomach, the titan had never felt the need to consume anything unlike his kin did. Deep down, he had no idea why or if he ever knew the reason why titans ate humans. The tiny creatures were so incredible in so many ways, but what made them so delectable? The titan let out a steamy sigh, he may never know.

Rogue then rumbled again, somewhat impatiently, to get his little ones' attention. The two finally looked up from their glasses, their faces still showing their enervation.

"Just hold on Rogue. We're almost done." The girl responded, her tone hiding a layer of augmentation. "Don't worry. We'll play with you as soon as we're finished." Mikasa concluded with a fragile smile.

The titan let out a disappointed whine through his teeth and then turned his attention to his left to stare upwards at the canopy and the wall. Admittedly, Rogue was feeling uneasy. For reasons unknown to him, the titan had been feeling on edge since he had first woken up. Something just seemed – off about this day. The atmosphere wasn't tranquil as it usually was, but rather it was filled with tension and restlessness. Even his animals seemed a bit fitful. Rogue shifted nervously, his sixth sense was sending him into confusion. Something didn't feel right. Whenever the ambiance felt bad to him, there usually was something wrong somewhere or something was coming. The titan's senses had always been accurate which worried him greatly.

"I wonder why he's doing that Mikasa. Rogue's been acting strange all day."

Overhearing his little one's words, the titan nearly turned to face them. However, spending the past two years with the two children, Rogue was able to discern more human tongue. Instead, he pretended that he hadn't heard and preceded to listen to his little one's conversation.

"I don't know Armin, but you're right. Maybe it's because he knows that we plan to stay the night with him. He could just be excited." Mikasa replied softly and barely above a whisper.

There was a long and tense pause before Armin let out a sigh. "I hope so. Sometimes he has his own way of expressing things." The boy continued. "Rogue?"

Hearing that his little one was calling to him, the titan turned to acknowledge the boy with a gentle hum, knowing very well what the child would question.

The small human then bore a warm but concerned smile. "Are you – okay? Feeling alright?"

After carefully decoding his little one's queries, Rogue nodded and gifted them with a reassuring purr. Although he was anxious beyond his own understanding, the last thing the titan wanted was for his incredibly venerable humans to worry about him. Recalling the day a year ago, where his two tiny companions had quizzed him on things that he didn't have the knowledge of, Rogue felt himself twinge. He had been so upset because no matter how much he loved his little ones and wanted to answer their questions, he simply couldn't because he truly had no idea. The titan had no recognition of his past either; the memory was just a black void in his mind. Of course, although it sometimes troubled him, he hated to see his humans or little ones vexed about his wellbeing. As big as he was, he was more than capable to take care of himself. His miniscule companions, not so much.

"Are you sure?" The boy continued, breaking the titan's train of thought.

Again, Rogue released a low rumble in assurance, barely able to hide the fragility in it. Desperate to change the conversation and get his mind and body to sooth, the titan sounded a few chirrups, rocking a bit on his rear, as he kindly demanded the ball to be thrown. To his relief, his little ones forgot their qualms and began to laugh.

"Alright! Alright!" Mikasa gave in as she retrieved the leather ball from their resting spot and tossed it as hard and high as she could back. Quickly, the intelligent titan dissected and anticipated the ball's speed and where it was set to land. Again, Rogue caught it with ease and let out a pleased rumble before softly throwing the ball back to his petite playmates.

An hour had passed before the three could comprehend it; too consumed in their own whimsy. The blue sky was beginning to take on a warmer tint, preparing itself to be stained in reds and violets. As midday gave way to the afternoon, Rogue's feelings of unease and nervousness returned nearly full force. His body had grown insanely alert, his heart beating faster and ears searching for any upset or disturbance. For some reason that he couldn't explain, the titan was antsy and feeling a great need to protect. Rogue dipped his head and released a jet of steam in anxiety. He just wanted to return to the cove with his little ones until the dreadful atmosphere vanished.

Placing the ball to his side and surrendering to a much-needed stretch, the boy gave in to his exhaustion. Suddenly, Rogue's little one snapped his fingers in self-aggravation. "Damn. I forgot to pack something to eat for breakfast." Armin chuckled lightly. "I feel so ignorant. I remembered everything but that."

The girl then blinked in surprise at the blonde's negligence and then rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Don't worry Armin I forgot as well."

The titan watched, completely on edge, as his little one turned his attention to the sky, observing for a moment before turning back to the raven-haired girl. "There's still some daylight left. We could run back home really quickly and retrieve some more food." Armin smiled. "I don't know about you but I don't want to be hungry when I wake up!"

"Good idea."

Hearing his little ones' human tongue and understanding their motif to an extent, the titan's instincts were nearly screaming at him. A disapproving grunt escaped from Rogue's lipless maw, making the children look to him in question. For a moment, eyes hooked on one another in misconception before the boy spoke up.

"Rogue? Are you sure you're alright?"

On impulse, the titan nodded with an encouraging grunt – yet again masking his fear. Hesitantly, his little one nodded in acknowledgement.

"Okay… well Mikasa and I are going home to get some food for the morning. We know you're excited, but we will be right back! Just wait for us. Mikasa and I won't be long! We promise!" Armin concluded as the two began to make their way back to the wall.

Feeling his mind surge with protection like a mother bear, Rogue quickly got to his feet and practically begged for his little ones to stop. The titan watched as the two small children turned to look up at him in question. For a moment, he thought he spotted aggravation laced within the two young faces.

"Rogue." The girl spoke, her tone surprisingly stern. "We're just leaving for a bit. Armin and I will be right back. Just wait at the cove and be patient. We know you're eager but please let us do this." His little one finished, to his dismay the two continuing off in the direction of their destination.

As they walked away, another sense of panic settled within the titan. Although he wished very much to keep his little ones and retreat, he knew that they had their needs for survival. His little ones could not go hungry. Making up his mind, Rogue took a step forward, the rumbling earth capturing the boy and girl's attention. Before he could read their faces, the titan carefully scooped the two up and gently placed them onto his shoulder. Making sure that his little ones had a grip on his locks; Rogue proceeded in the direction of the wall. Perhaps this way was safe and his little ones would avoid any foul encounter. If indeed the nearing threat were the growling four legged creatures, his little ones would be safe. The titan had always hated them. They were noisy and constantly feasted upon his animals in his forest. Not to mention, they had nearly killed one of his humans. If the amber-eyed lady could not stand a change against them, his little ones surely couldn't. Upon his shoulders, they were safe. Things would be okay.

Or so he thought.

"What are you doing Rogue?" The blonde spoke up after several giant steps and confusion. "Are you taking us home?"

Without a shred of hesitation, Rouge emitted a nod and a confident grunt. If his little ones were going to protest, he wasn't going to listen. Their safety was his priority.

"Well okay then." Mikasa said softly as she spun the strands of Rogue's hair in her hands. "Just don't exit the forest. Stay within the trees. Like Carla and Dr. Jaeger said, we can't have people seeing you."

Rogue sighed, steam leaking from his teeth. What his little one stated was true. Unfamiliar eyes could not look upon him. Remembering the location to the entrance of the wall, Rogue knew the tree line was not far from it. He could keep watch in safety as his little ones ventured to their sturdy home, and upon their return, he would carry them back to his lush hideaway – away from the dangerous world. The titan then finally nodded and continued to proceed forward with his nerves still eating away at him as if he was a carcass.

Within an hour, the titan had crouched safely within the trees, the leaves hiding him from view as he looked before him. The gate to the large wall was half his own height, but bustling with activity. Rogue looked on in curiosity and awe at the humans entering and exiting the structure. He had never seen quite so many humans before doing so many things. Besides speaking loads of human tongue to one another, the small beings carried cloth bags, pulled wooden boxes on circular objects, and even rode on the backs of a hooved animal bigger than his deer. The titan felt himself wanting to give in to his desires, going forth to sit close and watch, listen, and touch everything. But of course, he had to keep himself on a leash.

"Okay Rogue, you can let us down now." His little one ordered kindly.

Instinctively, the titan sniffed and analyzed his surroundings. Strangely, everything seemed a bit calmer than earlier. In the short amount of time that had passed, Rogue's nerves pacified a bit to where he began to feel comfortable again. Perhaps the growling creatures had heard him walking through and decided to steer clear. The titan hid a sigh in relief and gave a nod to his little ones. Careful not to upset a single branch, Rogue released his precious cargo back to solid ground. The two children then turned to acknowledge him.

"Thanks." The blonde boy began as he pointed in the direction of the entrance. "Mikasa and I are going into there, where our home is. We won't be long, but it's best that you return to the cove and wait for us Rogue. Someone with a keen eye could spot you here. So don't worry. We'll be safe." Armin concluded with a smile.

Before the titan could give any form of objection, his little ones briskly walked from the trees into the crowd of bustling humans. Rogue squinted as he followed the two small shapes, eyes locked on their target as if they were watching the leather ball. As the two young children vanished into the superstructure, the titan let out a soft whine, hoping that what his little ones said was true. The titan then began to contemplate and weigh his options. He was beginning to feel better about his surroundings and the growling creatures were most likely far away by now. Taking another look at the many humans, Rogue made up his mind. The titan certainly did not want to compromise his relationship with both his little ones and his humans over being seen by straying eyes. As the children had told him, Rogue gradually snuck away from the tree line and back into the forest.

The sky had turned into a brilliant orange as the sun began its journey back below the horizon. Rogue walked steadily among the foliage, glancing over his broad shoulder to check if his little ones were trailing him. To his dismay, he only saw a mass of green. The titan let out a puff of steam as he continued in route to his cove, still wondering if he was doing the right thing.

Hearing a twig crack, the titan's head snapped behind him, thinking for sure that it was his little ones, but to his dismay it was only a rabbit. Sadly, he let out a disappointed huff before taking a step forward. He wished his little ones would hurry.

Suddenly, Rogue paused in the middle of the forest. The titan then felt his anxiety return full force. His heart thundered and his adrenaline flowed ice cold within his veins. Rogue's chest clenched like a vice as he began to pant. His body began to tremble in alarm and a shiver quaked down the titan's spine. Rogue's breath grew labored, hitched as the hairs upon his head rose up. The titan's green eyes widened in realization at his recollection, he had never felt this level of fear before. Something was very wrong.

The surrounding landscape grew deathly quiet. Rogue watched in terror as animals scurried beneath his feet and back into the brush. Birds flew from their branches, heading north at a brisk pace. It grew still again, the petrified titan's pounding heart the only sound that could be heard.

Before he could take another hitched breath or make any decision, several loud crashes erupted from the south near the wall – the titan feeling the great vibrations beneath the soles of his feet. Rogue let out a series of loud whines, knowing that his senses had been correct and that he had made a mistake. The titan was then mentally thrown into overdrive.

Knowing very well that he could not see beyond the giant trees to find the source, Rogue hastily turned his attention to the tallest tree near him. Making several more distressed drones, the titan motioned for the massive trunk and ran his hand along the brittle bark to test it. It was sturdy, but penetrable. Rogue was incredibly used to climbing the steep rock face of his cove, so this tree would be similar. The only real challenge was that it was completely vertical and not inclined, but the titan was persistent. Rogue then dug his clawed fingers into the bark, bending the strong wood but forming a sturdy grip. Remembering the ways his little ones climbed the much smaller trees, the fifteen-meter beast then began to ascend toward the heavens. Rogue's breath heaved with every move upward. His muscles began to scream with exertion and steam poured from his clenched teeth. The titan's body protested with each meter he climbed, but he had to see what turmoil had arisen. After much strain, Rogue reached the treetop. Grabbing a limb to sturdy himself, the titan looked out over the canopy – his green eyes catching a sight that made his hot skin grow cold and his heart completely stop.

Beyond his forest was the great wall, a section of it splitting off to surround a city full of human homes. Rogue's eyes grew bigger as he found the source to his day's misery. There, at the tip of the wall, rose a large skinless head that stared down at the human settlement with piercing and hatred filled eyes.

It was another titan – a sixty-meter titan.

In complete horror, Rogue watched as the colossal one effortlessly kicked at the seemingly impenetrable wall. He observed as rock and debris forcefully showered over the district, flattening buildings and turning the innocent and defenseless into nothing but red smears upon the cobbled walk. Surprisingly, the massive titan slowly retreated to give way to another nightmare. More titans, looking very much like him, entered the human city from the gaping hole, a portal from hell, and began to feast. Rogue released a long overdo screech – a cry of pain and anguish at the sight and the sounds of human distress. A sickening feeling hit his stomach, making the titan almost want to vomit. His humans were there and so were his little ones – ready to be eaten like cattle in a pin.

Hurriedly, Rogue descended from the tree in a sloppy fashion, taking little notice in the splinters that pierced his skin. He felt so ignorant! He had indeed made a mistake with horrifying consequences. If he had listened to his better judgment, his most precious friends would be safe inside the cove. He had made the wrong choice, now his companions were at the mercy of the titans. Pulling the large shards of wood from his flesh, Rogue sprinted to the wall. There was no decision to be made. The tender titan from the forest was not going to let anything happen to his humans or his little ones no matter what the risks.

Rogue ran as fast as his muscular legs could carry him, making the earth tremble and shaking the trees to their roots. The titan whimpered loudly with each step, hoping that he wasn't going to be too late. Soon, he found the wall. For a moment, Rogue stared at it in wonder; it was most defiantly higher than the tree. The titan then placed his hand upon the stone, running his fingers and sharp nails upon the bricks and between the grout. Like the rocks of his cove and in the forest, the wall was incredibly hard. Even if he could somehow scale up the fifty-meter wall, he could be too late. In his panicked state, Rogue searched his mind frantically, trying to focus on anything that could solve his current predicament. Suddenly, he recalled the other gate that his little ones ventured through earlier. Yes, there had been lots of humans there, but the titan was far too desperate. He had to get in the massive human home!

He then changed direction, sprinting in aim of the inner gate. Rogue's mind was blurry, filled with repulsive images of what could be happening to his four companions. They could be in his kinds' belly, snapped in half, or smashed into pulpy goo just like he had done to those three horrible men so many moons ago. The titan shook his head in a pitiful attempt to clear the thoughts, the technique barely working. Rogue bounded through the wood, toppling over a few trees and most likely stepping on a few animals – but he took no notice, only focused on his objective to search and rescue. The titan released another desperate screech as even more pained screams pounded his eardrums.

As the trees shrank and human footfalls grew louder, Rogue found himself slowing his pace. Quickly, he sulked below the low canopy and brushed a few limbs away from his line of sight. Nearly thirty meters away was the gate. Like before it was bustling with human activity, but now it was on a much larger scale – and they were not ordinary humans. The uniformed men that his little ones and his humans had told him about were hard at work. Although panicked like the prey that they were, the men shouted at one another in human tongue and pulled heavy objects upon circles through the gate. Rogue observed as they continued yelling at one another and lined a few of the big objects just outside. These uniformed men were not like the ones he had seen with a deer with one horn on their backs. This set of humans bore flowers red as blood upon them and their behavior was much more attentive and active. Rogue swallowed. The men looked more dangerous, but were also fearful. The titan's green eyes adverted back to the gate. As far as he knew, this was the only entrance and exit. He had no choice. Recalling the wise words of his humans, Rogue lifted his hand and placed it upon his nape. The titan then stood to his full height and bolted from the trees. For a moment, Rogue almost paused when the breeze hit his naked skin. He had never been out in the open as far as this. As much as he wanted to soak in his surroundings, his little ones and his humans were first.

The titan raced for the gate at full tilt, his thundering footsteps alerting the uniformed men who turned around in shock. Their faces were coated in fear as the fifteen-meter beast headed straight toward them.

"A titan!"

"It's a fifteen-meter!"

"What the – the hell is it doing inside the walls!"

"We're dead!"

Rogue paid little attention to their words as he carried on, secretly bracing himself.

"Quick!" One of the uniformed men shouted above the pounding vibrations. "It's headed for the gate! Aim the cannons and fire!"

Surprisingly light on his feet, the titan sidestepped and weaved in and out of the men, careful not to hurt or flatten them on accident. A loud and echoing bang met Rogue's tapered ears as he felt something whiz right by him, followed by another and another.

"Wait a second, is it covering its weak spot?"

"It's protecting its nape!" The man announced to the others. "Reload and fire at its joints! Let's kill this bastard!"

A small sense of triumph washed over Rogue as he became just a few meters from his destination. Before he could officially start his mission, a searing pain shot through his calf and just above the titan's knee. Rogue stumbled a bit, roaring in utter anguish as his free hand grasped his leg. Pausing in his advance, the titan stuck his fingers deep into the bloody and steamy wound. Whimpering as his nails forced past muscle, the titan pulled the object free from his leg. It was a ball, but very unlike the one that he and his little ones often played with, it was heavy and made of iron. It served no whimsical purpose but was made to destroy – made to kill. Another loud bang sounded and pain penetrated his side as Rogue released another bellow of agony. Forcing himself to focus through his discomfort, the titan's green eyes turned to glare daggers at the uniformed men. For a tense moment, the humans paused as they bore witness to Rogue's disgusted gaze. As the commanding officer raised his hand to give another order, the titan announced his displeasure with a vicious snarl. He did not have time for this! He had to rescue his humans and little ones! Although he understood why they were firing at him, just because he was a titan, he desperately wanted them to stop. Recalling an action that Mikasa had taught him, one that wasn't a kind human gesture but was one that certainty meant to say 'go away and leave me alone' – Rogue held up his free hand in a perfectly fashioned fist with his middle finger on clear display.

The titan watched in satisfaction as the uniformed men froze in their shoes. Every face was painted in the look of sheer shock and some of the humans even dropped whatever they were currently holding. Emitting a cocky gruff, Rogue turned and entered the gate – crouching and shimmying his way through the short tunnel.

"Did you see that?"

"My god… did it just –

"Am I still buzzed or did that really just happen?"

However, Rogue paid no attention to the baffled men as he entered the human city. Returning to his full height, a cold shiver coursed down his immense frame. The human city was ravished and rupturing with screams. Rogue looked on in both fear and awe. The human homes here were quite a bit taller than those he had seen around the perimeter of his forest. They were made of stone, wood, lacquer, and terracotta as opposed from just the wood from trees. They would have been intriguing to look at and examine closely if they weren't battered or sprayed with blood. Rogue's eyes traveled over the rooftops, his breath caching in his lungs as he saw dozens of mindless titans looking to feed and greedily engorge themselves on human flesh. Rogue whimpered pitifully again, his fear for his own humans growing ever greater. He had to find them! He had too!

Below, many fleeing humans were screaming and aiming their obscenities at him. Rogue looked down abruptly, starling the small beings even more. For a second, the titan scanned the crowd for both his own humans and little ones. The curses were thrown harder. Not seeing his companions, Rogue let out another whine and carefully stepped aside – making sure not to hurt anyone in his vast wake. Once anew, he took no time in observing their confused reactions. He had a job to carry out – one he could not afford to fail at.

The titan weaved hurriedly around the human structures, his nose sniffing aggressively for his prized possessions. The sent of blood was heavy in the atmosphere, the foul smelling stench only making Rogue more and more troubled. What if he was already too late and his companions were already dead? The cultivated titan shook his head to clear the thoughts of dismay and focus on looking for his friends – hoping that he wasn't looking for bodies. Suddenly, a flash of bright yellow and a familiar cry met his eyes and ears. Rogue's heart rose in his chest, knowing very well that it was one of his little ones. The titan then scanned the ground to see that his little one, Armin, was kneeled on the blood painted walk. The small boy was sobbing in desperation, water leaking greatly from his eyes as he pulled at another human who was trapped by a burning beam. His little one called the other's name, the human that was known as his grandfather the titan remembered, but his pleas were useless. The old human was dead, his face still solidified in fear.

Rogue moaned loudly as he gently bent over and brushed Armin with his finger. The titan watched as the boy quickly turned to him with his face twisted in anguish and his small body trembling, but Armin surprisingly radiated with need and relief at the friendly beast's presence. Without wasting another second, Rogue scooped up Armin as carefully as he could, delicate like handling a newborn as he placed his little one upon his shoulder. Feeling the boy get secure in his hair, the titan stood once again.

"Rogue." His little one choked against a coat of tears. "What are you doing –

"NNiikASA!" Rogue begged in desperation, his green eyes wide with alarm as he waited for an answer from the boy, hoping he could help guide him in the right direction. "CUURRRla! GrrrssAAh!"

Armin pointed to the west without delay. Rogue gave a quick nod in understanding before taking off in the direction that the boy had informed, making sure to steer clear of the other titans in fear that they would spot his surviving little one upon his shoulder. Rogue nearly bounded over buildings as he took further instructions from his little human, still careful not to accidentally step on anyone as he moved. The titan felt himself whining pitifully again like a tormented animal. Many tense minutes of searching passed and his eyes only saw carnage and chaos. Fire burned throughout the district, ashes and blood falling like rain and snow. Rogue called out once again with a long, deplorable wail that echoed among the rapidly emptying district. He attempted to use his acute sense of smell once again, but it was inoperable for every sent had been covered up by the stench of death. The titan cried out again, hoping to hear a familiar response. Rogue paused, listening as best as he could through the turmoil but his ears picked up nothing. He glanced back at the gate that was now miles from him. Was it possible that his humans and his other little one made it out safely? Or did they perish and meet their fate?

Unexpectedly, a distrait cry pelted his eardrums. Rogue turned abruptly to see a small child, none other than his little one, racing for him with her face glazed in tears. The titan quickly bent down and guided Mikasa into his palm, the girl hugging his hot flesh in desperation. Before he could place her with his other little one, Rogue watched as she suddenly pointed afore them. For a moment he was confused, his mind still slightly foggy from panic. After a few gratifying seconds, her demand came clear to the titan. He looked up and saw something that made his blood run cold and his body still in shock.

It was a sight that would plague his mind and nightmares forever.

A large piece of debris had crushed a small human dwelling into rubble and dust. Rogue's eyes widened in terror and his ears wilted at the sight. Standing above the splintered remains of the demolished home was a hideous ten-meter titan. Its body was horribly disproportional and lanky compared to his own. Its dark and dead eyes were beady and sunken into its skull. The mindless titan's mouth was permanently fixed into a mocking smile to disguise its true terrifying nature. Its visible teeth were decorated in crimson, a leg hanging limply from its jaws. In its filthy gore stained hands, it held a defenseless and beautiful woman – her cry the very same to the one that she sounded when they first met.

He had found his human. His Carla. Presently severed in the titan's maw was his other human, the now deceased Dr. Jaeger -dead and the other waiting for the reaper's scythe.

Rogue's heart fell to his stomach. His muscles froze, and his brain buzzed - eyes transfixed on the scene unfolding before him and unable to venture elsewhere. The titan discharged a horrified wail as he hurriedly placed his little one upon his shoulder and commanded himself to run. His human! Grisha was dead! He could not lose Carla! He would not let that happen! He just couldn't!

The ten-meter then raised its grabby hand to Carla's petite body, it's fingers wrapping around the screeching woman's frame.

"CUUURRRLLAAA!" Rogue screamed as he reached desperately held out his hand as if he could magically pluck her from the monster's grasp even though that with the distance that was between them, the attempt was impossible.

The grinning beast then grasped Carla's body – and yanked, snapping her spine like a flimsy toothpick. Her body then hung loosely, draped like cloth over the massive fingers as the titan raised the once beautiful woman to its jaws. Rogue howled in agony as he charged further, still intending on saving his human even though she was now a corpse. In what seemed like slow motion, the ten meter rose Carla higher and placed her between its teeth, provoking Rogue's little ones to hide their eyes. The gentle titan watched in mortification as the monster's blunt teeth came down and bit poor Carla in half.

"CUUURRRRLLAAAA!"

The chaos stilled, as Rogue stood petrified, hypnotized by the gruesome sight of his beloved human's blood and insides dripping down the smiling titan's lips and painting its rib lined chest in red. The titan tilted its head back and swallowed his human like precious meat, looking pleased with itself at its horrid deed. Rogue lowered his arm as if he was in a trance, letting out a low moan in sorrow. The ten-meter then acknowledged the fifteen-meter's presence, looking to him with its dark eyes shining almost gloriously and its mouth pinned in its perpetual smile – mocking him before it slowly began to look around its surroundings for more morsels.

The eerie atmosphere continued; the only clear sounds were his little ones whimpering in his ear. His humans, his dear ones – they were gone. Forever. He would never see them again thanks to these towering monsters unlike him. Rogue's body began to tremble, a mass of feelings welling up from his pit. The creature before him felt nothing. It had no remorse and no emotion; it was made of pure evil and hatred. It didn't care about anything except for where its next meal was coming from. These distorted figures were embodiments of hell itself. Although he was one of them, they were not him. They were a blight upon the cruel world that needed to be destroyed.

The titan before him then took a few steps in the opposite direction, continuing its soul duty to fill its stomach. Rogue's mind churned with the image of his humans being helplessly devoured – fueling a primal need. Anger and regret flowed through his veins, slowly transforming into unbridled rage. His breath roughened and his muscles clenched, alarming his little ones upon his shoulder. They spoke his name, but the titan's mind was too submerged in revenge. Steam escaped in large puffs from Rogue's nostrils and teeth as his eyes glowed a solid and menacing green. The monster before him was much worse than the growling creatures or the greedy men that took his little ones many moons go! This thing had destroyed a part of him that he was never going to get back.

For that – he would deliver its punishment.

A massive growl vibrated through the titan's throat, sending his little ones a wordless message to hold on – Armin and Mikasa placing themselves just behind the titan's pointed ears and entangling their small bodies in his hair for security as they braced for the imminent horror. Swallowed by fury, Rogue tilted his head back and released an earth-shattering roar that shook the very earth he stood upon and shattered surrounding glass. The fifteen-meter titan then lunged, swinging his fist into the smiling titan's chest. A horrible and sickening crack sounded as the ten-meter's ribcage collapsed from the brutal force. The smaller titan was thrown several meters away into a remaining building, its weight crushing it into rubble. Rogue prowled forward, his eyes wild as he watched the smiling titan struggle to stand upright. He released another formidable roar and placed himself over his foe – the panicked noises from his enemy pleasing him. Rogue then hauled the titan violently to its feet and threw it into another nearby human dwelling. He snarled ferociously and pinned the ten-meter to the ground with a single foot. Rogue then gripped the titan's arm tightly, and with a nearly effortless jerk, ripped the limb clean from the monster's body. Hot crimson sprayed his frame and the brick structures, the sight so satisfying that it was almost beautiful to Rogue. The scent of his victim's life juices poured into his nostrils, a vulgar odor becoming a provoking perfume. Rogue screeched defiantly as his did the very same with the mindless titan's other limb. Although he could so easily kill it by ripping out the nape – it was much more satisfying to torture before sentencing death.

The smiling titan screeched for a sense of mercy that would never come as Rogue flipped it over to face him. He snarled and planted his fist into the titan's abdomen, the flesh giving way and revealing the creature's stomach. Rogue then dug his hand into the steaming tissues and grasped the organ in a stronghold. With another powerful and angry roar, the titan pulled the large and swollen gullet from the ten-meter's body – simply tossing it aside. The permanently smiling monster wailed in misery as Rogue picked up its heavily damaged lower half and severed it with a forceful pull from its midsection. Now that the monster was nothing but a head and half a torso with its arms beginning to regenerate, Rogue carried his prey and slammed it down again upon the earth. Again, he threw punches, his own hands breaking from the force of his blows. The titan paused for a breath and let his hands heal, his glowing green eyes bearing into the ten-meter with sheer dislike. The limbs of the titan below him began to take shape further, bringing a decision to Rogue's furious mind. He would end this now.

The fifteen-meter creature then lifted the severely battered titan from the bloodstained walk. Rogue then rotated his prey and unhinged his serrated jaws, sinking his teeth deep into the titan's nape. The taste of hot iron filled his mouth, disgusting but satisfying his taste for revenge. With a fluid rise of his head, Rogue obliterated the creature's neck just like the predator that he was destined to be.

The titan dropped the steaming carcass from his grip and spit the hunk of meat from his mouth. Rogue heaved a breath before letting out a loud mourning bellow. It then grew quiet once more except for the titan's shuttering breath. Rogue stumbled a bit from mental impair, making his little ones emerge slightly and rub his neck in an attempt to soothe – doing almost nothing. Shock soon replaced anger and sent Rogue into a trance like state. The titan then turned and headed in the direction that he came, leaving behind his evaporating victim. He moved uneventfully through the fallen district, paying no heed to his surroundings. Rogue then followed a group of titans through the now destroyed gate in complete mortification. As the titans moved in the direction that their future meals were located, Rogue veered off and ventured back into his forest, leaving the chaos behind him.

Night was nearing the world once again, attempting to settle it from the rousing terror that the day had suffered. The air in the forest was tense as Rogue gradually made his way through the wood – his mind about to dive into turmoil. Since he had left the wall, his mind was in a continuous loop of agony and distress. His surviving little ones, although emotionally battered as well, had attempted to calm the titan down – their efforts showing no sign in working. Rogue then climbed back into his cove, his limbs shaky with every movement. Every living creature seemed to watch the titan as he suddenly collapsed to his knees, making a crater and jolting his cargo. Rogue's body shivered as he reached up and retrieved his little ones. As if his arm went limp, Rogue's hand dropped to the grass with the two children tumbling unharmed from his palm. The titan then bent over, his long locks touching the lush ground and his arms snaking upward to hug his frame – his own nails nearly breaking his though hide.

Rogue looked to his little ones before him, his monstrous face heavy with pain. He had failed his objective. He couldn't save everyone he knew. Sure, his little ones were out of harm's way, but he had been too late to save his humans. Images and memories began to replay through his mind. There was the doctor who had spent long hours of his day to mentor him; teaching him about the cruel world that they lived in. Then there was the beautiful Carla whose eyes were colored like honey. Rogue recalled the kind ways she spoke to him, rubbed his ears, comforted, and always encouraged him. Tears began to flow from the titan's eyes, the beast whining like a pup wanting its mother as he began to repeatedly heave to and fro. He was their designated son, adopted by his humans despite being a deadly species that was a threat to mankind. Now, he was never going to see them! He was never going to hear their loving voices and feel their caring touch! Never ever again! They were gone!

The titan's little ones, hearing the stressed noises, looked up from their own sorrowful hug as Rogue continued to tremor and cry, his nails cutting deep into his flesh. He adverted his eyes away to the tear soaked grass. It – was his fault. His little ones depended on their older humans. Carla, the doctor, and Armin's grandfather – he could have saved them if he had not hesitated. It was his fault that they were dead!

"Rogue?" Mikasa sniffed, holding in her sorrow. "Rogue… please. Please don't –

Without warning, the devastated titan threw his head back and released an echoing wail, once that was crippled with rage and sadness. His mind clouded, Rogue scrambled to his feet and darted to the exit of the cove with his claws bearing into the mossy stone. He had to get away, rampage… everything was his fault. The titan then charged back into the forest, roaring and snarling as he pelted the innocent landscape with examples of his fury. As he went along, the titan threw his fists into sturdy trees, chucked rocks, kicked the thick brush, and even gnawed into the bark – destroying parts of the very forest that he had lived in for decades. He took no notice as he broke and severed his own limbs; to him it felt like fit punishment for what he had done.

With his left leg flying off for the fifth time, Rogue stumbled into a clearing – his face slamming against the unforgiving ground and knocking more of his teeth out. The pitiful beast then dragged himself with his battered hands to the nearest tree, moaning and continuing to drown in his misery. The titan's muscles screamed as he propped himself as best as he could upon his knee. Letting out another cry, Rogue weakly swung his fist into the rough bark. For the first time in his lifetime, eye water had coated his face. What had he done to deserve all of this? Why was the world so cruel to him?

His fist insipidly pounded the tree a few more times before his arm dropped limply to his side. Thunder began to echo across the dimming sky from an incoming storm. As his body began to heal from his self-inflicted abuse, Rogue buried his face into the bark and whined continuously. He had been so stupid. Why didn't he go with his instincts? Many questions sliced through his head, making the poor, ugly, innocent titan feel worse and worse.

A series of now familiar substantial footsteps sounded through the clearing. Unceremoniously, Rogue slowly raised his head and let the foul scents seep into his nostrils. His mind then clicked at his realization. The titan gradually turned to see five of his ungrateful kind coming into the clearing. Rage then replaced sorrow.

'No.' The word echoed in Rogue's head, nearly throwing him off guard. The voice – his voice, his own conscious had woken. It was much different from his tone that he spoke from his mouth: a gruff and unintelligible voice that mispronounced nearly every word. This voice was so deep and sinister sounding that it almost terrified him.

With his blood boiling hotter as the titan stood upon his newly healed legs, Rogue narrowed his glowing green eyes in resentment as he forced himself to finish the thought.

'This…' The titan continued as he tried to fit the correct words that his humans and little ones had taught him together. 'Is…'

The five mindless titans lumbered closer, their frozen faces of pleasure provoking Rogue's fury to its limits.

'Your…'

He had not done anything wrong. It was his evil kin. They had come. They had done this.

'FAULT!'

At the end of his inner declaration, Rogue released a savage roar and began his hunt. He threw himself at the nearest titan with his fist meeting its face – the force of the blow knocking the monster's head clean from its shoulders and into a nearby boulder with a horrifying crack. The headless body felt to Rogue's feet and then attempted to get up once again to face its opponent. With another bellow, the fifteen-meter raised his leg and smashed his large foot onto the nape; blood sprayed the lower half of his body as the creature was killed instantly. Rogue almost wanted to smile. The feeling of bringing a small sense of justice to his deceased humans was exhilarating.

He then turned to see a thirteen-meter running clumsily toward him. Like the lightening above, Rogue swiftly jabbed his claws deep into the titan's throat. With a clean pull, the beast's trachea was ripped free. He took pride in seeing the beast in pain, the blood alluring – beautiful. Rogue then quickly tore at the nape once again with his bare hands, now roaring not in sadness but in triumph.

Before he could move onto his next prey, a searing pain coursed trough his arm. Rogue's furious eyes turned to see that a seven-meter had launched itself up onto his bicep – teeth clamping into his firm muscle. Instinctively, Rogue pried the heavily disfigured titan from his arm; his sharp nails digging into its face and eyes. Effortlessly, he threw the screeching titan to the ground and stomped on it repeatedly with the clearing coating in steaming crimson.

'I…' Rogue pondered as he began to tear into the body of his next victim, the thought of his true sense of purpose sinking in. The reason why he was so different, why this seemed easy – it was starting to make sense. 'WILL…'

The fourth titan then fell dead at his feet, innards decorating the glade. Rogue then turned to face his last foe, another fifteen-meter with a swollen torso and permanently frowning face. Its small dead eyes stared blankly into Rogue's glowing green orbs, completely oblivious to the hell it was about to face.

'KILL…'

Rogue opened his mouth and roared a threatening invite, daring the monster to come after him. The titan primed himself as the giant charged, eagerly waiting for his opening.

'YOU ALL!'

Before the fifteen-meter could reach to land any form of attack, Rogue produced a nasty undercut to his kind's chin, sending the head skyward before it fell several meters into the earth. Rogue then hoisted the large bulk of meat up and sunk his teeth into the titan's back before ripping the monster's spine from its body and obliterating the nape. With his final foe slain, Rogue tilted his head and released his displeasure to the stormy sky in another immense howl.

The atmosphere then grew silent except for the pouring rain and the hiss of steaming carcasses. Rogue's mind began to calm as he stood in the clearing. With his rage and frustration suppressed, he was able to think rationally. Yes, the words that Dr. Jaeger had spoken time and time again now had meaning. He did have a purpose after all.

Rain continued to fall as darkness replaced the red and violet sky. The titan now stood outside his cove after his long trek back. Rogue winced a bit as his fingers dug into his side and freed the small iron ball he had acquired before. He found himself waiting as the wound steamed and closed. Knowing his behavior from earlier had most likely startled his little ones; Rogue did not want to give them any indication of what he had done. After what all they had lost and seen, he did not want them to suffer further by worrying about him. He was now all they had left.

After a few minutes, he finally climbed up the rock face and into his hidden haven. To his surprise, the two children were waiting for him at the base of his tree – looking tired and worn like an old blanket. They looked to him in question and unease, but Rogue mustered up a tender gaze to deceive them from his great sadness. With greater care than before, the titan picked up his little ones and ventured into the hollow trunk. Curling in on himself, Rogue then placed the two small children upon his chest in love and protection. He remained awake as he watched the two quickly fall into repose. With his little ones, his precious babies, in a deep sleep, Rogue let his emotions gradually emerge. The titan whined softly as the thunder continued to roll. His green eyes remained on his two tiny humans as he thought. He had been placed here to protect. Rogue would guard and take care of his little ones as they had done unto him. He would protect every helpless human in this cruel world. He would kill all the titans, every last one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author note: And there we have chapter 4! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Chapter 5 is next and Rogue has his first encounter with the scouts! On a side note, just got done reading the newest chapter of the manga... gahh! I don't want Eren to die!
> 
> Again, hope you enjoyed and until next time!


	5. The Legend Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a year in titan infested Wall Maria, Rogue happens upon the Scouts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoot! This chapter is an extra long one! Nearly 14,000 words! It has several shifts in POV. It also contains the brief first meeting of Rogue and the Scouts! Including an ecstatic Hange! I'm so happy from all the support this fic has received! Thank you all! I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan. I'm not a perfect person (a good majority of this was written at 3am) so there are probably some grammar issues I missed. If you find any errors, please tell me so I can make corrections. I'd appreciate it. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 5

The Legend Begins

The surrounding landscape was graced in ice and snow, blanketing the field before him in a shade of white. The cold times always amazed him; everything would transfer from lush and green to a vast, colorless, and dead earth. Despite the nothingness, it was actually tranquil to the now troubled Rogue. In the past year since the breach, the titan had become incredibly protective. He was responsible for his little ones' well-being and safety. Unlike before, their world had become even more dangerous. The blissful days of play in the forest were long gone and Rogue was now fighting for their survival.

Rogue stood at the tree line of his vast forest, a place that he had marked himself as his territory by stripping bark from trees by either tooth or claw around the perimeter. The titan also made sure to leave his scent on the selected trees as well, rubbing them much like a cat would rub against its owner's leg, as an added measure. Honestly, he wasn't sure if his efforts were actually working, but he had seen animals in his little one's book do the very same to keep out intruders, so it was worth trying. He remained vigilant as he stared out at the field, his green eyes observing a lone human dwelling. Rogue sniffed cautiously. Yes, what he was looking for was defiantly there. In the months that had passed, Rogue would often venture from the cove, leaving his little ones safely inside as he performed his excursions. He would leave three days a week, the tasks a job. Rogue would spend hours slaying any titan he could get his hands on, hunting them ruthlessly with precision and determination. Afterwards, he would search the abandoned human cities, villages, and dwellings for human food for his little ones as well as cloth they called clothes and any object that he thought that they would like – including books to spoil them. However, finding human food was getting harder and harder, adding another thing to Rogue's list of worries.

Taking another sniff, Rogue surveyed the area one last time to ensure that nothing was amiss before walking out into the snow-covered field. He had to hurry, his body functioned well in the cold with all his inner heat, but his little ones did not. Although they were warm for the moment, Rogue still could not leave them for long. They needed his body heat; he was the cove's designated guardian and furnace. Rogue looked around at the white landscape once more before kneeling down next to the human dwelling. Lately, he had been having a string of luck. This dwelling and a few others before it, was intact and well preserved compared to the many other deplorable dwellings that had been ravaged by the chaos of the retreat. Carefully, Rogue pried off the roof in a neat manner and placed it aside. The titan then peered down into the dwelling, a small space that barely had enough room for anyone to live in. Rogue's eyes ignited in curiosity as they scanned the small space. The titan then listened briefly to make sure no soul was around before bending down and placing his nose into the human dwelling to sniff frugally. It smelled like the others, radiating with the scent of yeast and dried bread. Rogue blinked in awe as he scrutinized further, there were some things here that he had seen in the other good dwellings like the strange square objects and metal log like ones, but this one had some things he hadn't come across.

Like a child going through a new box of toys, the titan gave in to a little bit of anticipation. The titan then stuck his hand into the dwelling and began to messily go through it. Rogue's ears twitched naturally in amusement as he pulled out a mess of what appeared to be black vines and held them delicately before his face. The titan tilted his head, puzzled by the object. Yes, they were like the vines that dangled from some of his trees, but they were hard and cold. Concerned as to what the new object was, Rogue sniffed inquisitively and allowed his tongue to taste the object. It smelled like metal and its flavor was hard to place. Interested, Rogue sat it aside for safe keeping before turning back to the dwelling to continue his prodding. There were other items that interested him as he went along, turning the small space into a mess that rivaled a ransacking bear. He found what looked to be belts like his human used to wear except they were bunched up and connected together, things that humans ate off of for reasons he didn't understand, and things that looked like strips of white cloth. As much as he wanted to explore the dwelling's contents, Rogue suddenly remembered that he had a task that he was to do.

The titan bent over and sniffed again in search of the human food smell that he had detected earlier. The creature's attention was then thrown to a large wooden chest in the corner of the dwelling where the odor was originating. Carefully, Rogue lifted the lid delicately with a single finger to reveal five loafs of bread. A slight frown came to his face, the miniscule amount would not feed his little ones for long. Rogue let out a distressed breath of steam before gradually removing the loaves from the trunk and placed them with the black vine he had found earlier. However, the rest of the contents in the trunk caught his eye. In the human box, there were many objects that looked like the stones that man used to build, but the smell of them was astounding. Rogue retrieved the small stone in wonder and held it before his nose, eyes crossing slightly to observe the odd finding. The titan's brow rose as the scent wavered and swept through his nostrils. It too, smelled like the things that humans ate. Was it possible that these stones were food that his little ones could eat too?

Before he could ponder further about his discovery, a familiar and surprising scent was delivered to Rogue by the icy wind. The titan paused, letting out a quick grunt in disbelief as he transferred his attention to the new scent's source. Slowly, he rose up upon his knees and sniffed viciously. Rogue's eyes suddenly widened and his ears pricked forward with shock. It wasn't titan, the stench that now plagued the land, but human. Not his little ones, but human nonetheless. Worried, the titan rose to his feet, neglecting his stash and findings as he stared intently in the direction of origin. Did humans not know how dangerous it was here? Did they not know death was around every corner?

Feeling his protective instincts overpower him, Rogue quickly replaced the roof skillfully upon the dwelling and motioned in the direction of the new humans. His little ones would be safe for a while longer in his nest. He had to see if these humans were all right as well, but more so what they were doing in the titans' domain – and why.

(POV SWAP)

The blanket of snow was ripped and torn as a small group of horses galloped through the patch of trees with their riders. Despite the presence of white coating the landscape and the frigid cold, it was normal for the Scouts to go on expeditions. However, due to recent reports and findings, Section Commander Hange Zoe, Section Commander Mike, and a few selected members of the regiment were now on an investigation rather than a hunt. Most of the team was nervous with the lack of the Commander and Corporal who had been summoned to Wall Sina, all except for Hange who was always eager to enter the realm of the titans due to her fascination and lust for knowledge.

"How much further is it Molbit?" Hange questioned to her assistant, a quiet blonde soldier that rode next to her. She watched eagerly and almost impatiently as he pulled out a crinkled map and began to study it.

"Depot number six should be right around this bend, Section Commander!" Molbit informed with Hange nodding in reply.

"I still don't know why Erwin is having us out here looking into this matter right now. I'm freezing my god damn ass off out – grahhh!"

Hearing the pitiful cry of anguish, both Hange and Mike turned to see that Oluo, an arrogant man who was often called Corporal Levi's biggest fan due to how much he attempted to follow in the other's footsteps, had yet again suffered from his habit of biting his tongue on horseback. A few of the fresher soldiers sniggered all the while the more seasoned veterans that were used to Oluo's behavior, remained focused. Mike then turned to face them, alleviating everyone at once with his impassive face.

"Quiet down." He began seriously, gathering every amount of attention from his comrades. Mike was a skilled Section Commander with a nose like a human bloodhound. To nearly everyone, he was a man of little words. So when he spoke, everyone listened. "The Commander requested us to investigate this matter because it is likely a serious one. Please, no further questions until we arrive." Mike concluded as the horses crested a small knoll in the path, his command sinking into the others.

The Scouts then came upon a small clearing in a thicket of snow-dusted trees. In its center sat an old stone building chocked in weeds and vines. Long ago, it had been a tavern for the weary and worn. When the breach occurred and Wall Maria was abandoned, the Scouting Regiment seized the opportunity to confiscate the vacant building and transform it into a safe house and depot for supplies like they had done with many other old residences. Hange then dismounted her horse and tethered it to a nearby branch, waiting as the others soon joined her. She then casually retrieved a set of keys from Molbit and began to thumb through them.

"Let's make this quick. We've got several other depots to examine – most being in the plains where our maneuver gear is useless if we encounter any titans." Mike muttered as he joined the other Section Commander at the wooden door. A mischievous smile naturally came to Hange's face.

"Who knows? Perhaps we'll discover something new today." The scientist put simply, purposely leaving out the rest of her statement as she separated the key she was searching for and placed it into the rusty lock. No soul asked her to clarify, knowing that it was most likely about titans. It was a known fact that upon joining the Survey Corps, the first thing that new Scouts learned besides the fact that Corporal Levi was short, was Hange's passionate obsession with the large beasts. Ignoring a quiet insult from Oluo, the Section Commander turned the key, the rust nearly forbidding the lock to surrender. After a forceful shove, the door to the safe house gave way, bringing a frown to the two Section Commanders' faces.

"Looks like this one's been hit as well." Mike announced as the team of Scouts entered the dusty building.

Inside the depot, the normally orderly space looked far worse than Hange's messy office. Beds were tossed aside and broken with feathers gutted from pillows and littering the floor. Glass was scattered across the wooden base from broken dishes while other supplies were carelessly strung out in various areas. Carefully, Hange stepped over and navigated through the scattered remains of the Scout's belongings to a collection of wooden crates. Like the rest of the depot, they had been torn open and strewn, their contents marauded. Puzzled, Hange rubbed her chin thought.

"It's the same as the others. Look's like the reports of the safe houses being raided are true." Hange thought aloud.

"What fools. Do they even realize that they are stealing from the military?" Oluo began smugly, receiving an eyeful from his squad mate Petra Ral, another veteran from Levi's squad that was a kind and caring soldier – one that seemed to always catch Oluo's eye.

"You could honestly get a grip." She muttered. "We don't know the full extent of things here, Oluo."

Hange continued to examine the crates, looking at the splintered wood in awe – once again her mind was clouded in question while she continued to speculate. "Mike?" She began, turning to see that the man was observing the opposite side of the room, sniffing for clues like a hound. "Do you have any ideas?" She queried, taking his sense of smell into account. When it came to things like this, Mike was ideal – his nose most likely the reason why Erwin put him on this mission.

Finally registering her query, the tall man turned to her, his fingers running through the whiskers on his chin. "Admittedly, I can't make out much. From what I can tell, this place was hit a while ago, two or three weeks at best since I can't smell too much. It may be trashed, but this depot's intact for the most part except for some slight foundation issues, which is pretty common for structures in Wall Maria with the presence of titans. From the evidence I'm able to discern, there's two possibilities – well one is much more logical than the other."

Hange blinked, her mind still drawing up conclusions. "What are your theories?" She questioned. Mike turned to face her, holding a finger in reply but was cut off by Petra's gasp.

"Mike, do you think that there could possibly be – survivors out here?" She asked; her voiced crippled in concern. Mike quickly shook his head in denial.

"No. I can smell a man's sweat and oily hair easy. There's no such trace of any humans here." He paused, hanging his head slightly before proceeding. "Besides. No one, not even a Scout, without instincts and maneuver gear could survive here for more than a few hours." Mike finished sternly, making the others drop any shred of hope they had about the likelihood of human stragglers.

Hange sighed in disappointment. "I guess our only current suspect we have is the hypothesis that the nearby wildlife are the ones engaging in this thievery." She paused as she bent over to observe the jagged and splintered wood from the crates. "Yes, it certainty has to be an animal of some sort. From the amount of damage, I think it's a bear species – hence the reason why only the food is missing." She smirked a bit as she glanced at the trashed depot. "I guess they had to look a bit before they found it!" Hange chuckled in her annoying but enthusiastic laugh. Molbit then nodded in agreement, shyly leaning from a bent cabinet.

"I think you're right Squad Leader. The far window there is broken, big enough for a bear to climb through."

"You're right." Hange admitted as she turned to view a far window that had been shattered. "I suppose our top theory about the possibility of bears is true. However, I guess we'll know for sure when we examine the other depots." Hange finished, observing the others agree and begin to salvage through the remains of the supplies, searching for anything that could be useful. The scientist then motioned for the broken window and began to scrutinize it closely like a detective. Her eyes naturally narrowed as she took in the details – something was off. Unexpectedly, Hange felt someone looming over her. Curious, she turned her head slightly to see Mike glaring at the glass and window frame in suspicion as well.

"I doubt that this was done by bears." The man uttered, his voice so low that she was barely able to pick it up.

For a moment, Hange let his words sink in as she looked outside the window, taking notice of the glass shards imbedded in the snow. "I doubt that as well." She assessed, as she looked harder at the glass and frame. "If a bear had got in through this window – the glass would be on the inside and not scattered outside."

"You're correct. Not to mention, if someone or something had come through this window – there would be a good amount of blood."

Hange's mind swarmed, thoughts like angry bees. She began to chew on the inside of her cheek fretfully, knowing that this case was not as simple as it seemed. A seemingly unpretentious issue was turning into a much deeper problem. "Then again," she began as she observed the ceiling above the window, the beams looking a bit sagged and stressed. "It could just be the result of the foundation settling. The pressure probably caused the broken window." Hange paused, a cunning smirk painting itself onto her face. "Then perhaps that's when our little thieves came for a visit. Looks like Erwin is going to have to invest in boarding up the windows in every one of our safe houses."

Mike sighed. "That could be true, but we need to visit the other depots to see –

However, the man cut himself off and turned his attention away from Hange. She watched as Mike took in the aroma with incredible attentiveness. His face suddenly twisted into a scowl that could rival Levi's as he let out a harsh breath in aggravation. "Move out." He growled, putting everyone on high alert. "We've worn out our welcome."

(POV SWAP)

The scent of human guided him further among the trees. With each step, the odors grew stronger and stronger. However, Rogue grew even more edgy with each colossal stride. During his expedition to find the small group of humans, the foul stench of his wrenched kind suddenly emerged – making it painfully clear that they were looking for blood. At times, he considered turning back to join his little ones once again, but the cove was safe – no titan could get in except for him. These new humans however, were out in the open per say. There was no way they could protect themselves. Thus, he had decided to trail them further just to make sure that they were holding their own.

Suddenly, the scent of man and titan swept into his nostrils full blast like an arctic gale. Immediately, Rogue slowed his pace. Seeing that the border of the foliage fortress was only an arm length away, he took refuge behind a massive trunk. Gradually, he shifted to peer around the tree – the sight making him turn completely and let out a sharp grunt in surprise. Rogue's eyes widened in awe and his ears naturally pricked forward with eagerness as he observed the scene unfolding before him.

There were ten titans, all ranging within the four to twelve meter range, quarreling with a group of about two dozen humans – uniformed humans. Rogue released a few zealous gurgles as he watched them – some which were unlike any that he had seen before. These humans – they could fly, propelling themselves through the air gracefully like a bird. He observed in pure amazement and speculation. How could they fly? They didn't have wings like a bird. The only things they had on them that looked like wings was the marking upon their backs that was unlike the two other types of uniformed men he knew of. Rogue edged slightly closer, squinting to see that the flying humans were soaring by rapidly moving ropes of some sort – striking their mark like a snake each time they shot out. Curious, he stretched his neck further to watch. A human then whizzed by one of his kind, slicing two long blades deep into the creature's nape before flying off. Rogue watched, his pupils growing in sheer bewilderment as the titan fell to the earth, dead and evaporating within seconds. Another grunt of surprise left his maw as he watched another titan fall in the same fashion. So, these humans killed titans as well?

Rogue blinked, listening to the angry words of human tongue and threats from his kind. These flying humans, they slaughtered titans just as he did? Were they upset that someone dear to them was eaten too? Mad at their wall being broken through? Rogue tilted his head in thought. He had never seen the uniformed men with flowers or the ones with one horned deer upon their backs do anything of the sort. These flying humans were fascinating! They were amazing! They fought back!

He then flinched as a haunting thought hit him. Rogue's hand slithered to his nape in security. These humans killed titans instead of loafing around like the others – meaning that he was in danger. Although he was sentiment and had no drive or desire to harm a human, these could mistake him for being something that he was not. Still, he sympathized with them. They hated titans just as much as he did.

Suddenly, he heard a series of horrified screams, ones that were filled in fear and loss. Rogue abandoned his pondering and looked to see that the carnage had begun. A whimper escaped him as he saw a man's head ripped from his body by the teeth of a titan and another being smashed by a giant foot. Instantly, scenes from the year before began to replay in his mind –his humans being devoured without a care in the world. Rogue shook his head, his locks slapping his face as he tried to shove the memory back deep into his brain. Unfortunately, as he watched another flying human slide down a large esophagus, the memory floated back to the surface and reiterated over and over – the vision mental torture.

Rogue whined, his body trembling at the sight of more human bloodshed. He hated it. He hated it so much. Each human wail provoked him, pushed his vow front and center again – the burning brand to slaughter. His mind raced, his blood pumped with adrenaline. Anger was slowly overtaking fear of the uncertain as his whines morphed into growls.

(POV SWAP)

Hange propelled herself as fast as she could away from a ten-meter's clumsy attempt to club her, landing with a hard thud onto a lone tree that stood in the open plane. Safe for the moment, she took in her surroundings. The snowy canvas was coated in abstract splatters of red as more of her comrades fell victim, screaming like banshees as they were devoured. They had been stupid. Careless even. They had veered off course from the safer route. Aside from the five titans that had been following close behind, they were ambushed by five more that unexpectedly appeared from multiple directions. They had been quickly overpowered; most of the new recruits suffering a violent death first. Not to mention, with the lack of a good amount of trees, they were forced to use the titans to anchor their hooks to maneuver. Hange felt more sweat bead up upon her face. They were doomed from the beginning of the hunt.

Suddenly, Mike joined her within the powdered branches of the tree. Titan blood steamed from his uniform as his chest heaved – eyes hooked to the grueling scene before him. Nanaba, another veteran soldier, landed next to him with a vexed and worn look on her face – just as panicked as she observed another Scout be bitten in half.

"There's too many." She breathed ruggedly. " I don't know how much longer we can last."

Mike was still, silent as he stared out into the plain. "Hange."

"Yes?" She queried, trying to keep her eyes away from the nightmare that was progressing further in front of them. As much as she liked titans, the sight of anyone falling prey to them always upset her, especially if the prey was someone she knew.

The man cleared is throat. "Nanaba is right. We are outnumbered and have too many fresh recruits to hold out. It would be in our best interest if we organized a retreat." Mike stopped abruptly, his nose flaring wildly and his eyes emerging from their usually mellow look. "Shit."

"What?" Hange asked, her voice catching in what she could not determine as excitement or fear.

His eyes narrowed. "It's another titan. A big one. It's coming our way fast." Mike swallowed. "Forget about the depots, our lives matter more." The man concluded, turning to give Hange a dead stare. "Sound the retreat. We have no other option."

Knowing what Mike had stated was true; she stood and fired a blue flair to the sky to signal their decision. Hange then began to project her voice so loud that she knew her throat would kill her in the morning – if she even had another one. Before she could force another command from her lips, her eyes spotted something upon the white horizon. Her body froze and her face fell in shock.

A massive figure, a fifteen-meter titan, was charging at full speed toward them. The thundering strides of the titan reverberated through the field as it came closer, making her heart hammer in her chest and a cold chill run down her spine.

Suddenly, the large titan veered a few degrees – and threw a punch so powerful into the nearest titan that the smaller specimen's head was smashed in completely. As the smaller titan fell, the fifteen-meter slid to a stop. The titan then pivoted abruptly on its heel, turning to a twelve-meter behind it to grasp its arms in a stronghold. Hange's mouth fell further as the titan hoisted the other into the air, slinging it down onto the ten meter that the massive titan had assaulted earlier. Blood exploded onto the white earth as the smaller titan was killed instantly. Before the twelve-meter could rise to its feet, the fifteen-meter planted its foot forcefully onto the titan's neck, crushing the nape into splintered bone. The behemoth then threw its head back and released an earsplitting roar that shook their surroundings and was unlike anything Hange or the Scouts had ever heard before.

Goose bumps sprouted all across her skin as the Section Commander gazed at the monster before them. To call it grand was an understatement. It was unlike any skinned titan she had ever seen. Powerful muscles made up its towering frame, expanding and contracting with each deep breath it drew. Long, dark brown hair hung like curtains to graze its shoulders and shelter the majority of its face – one that could summon nightmares. Its teeth were exposed and formatted into a ghoulish grin, going perfectly with its sharp facial features – a pointed hooked nose, prominent chin, and gaunt cheeks. Beneath the locks of the titan's hair, its eyes glowed a menacing green – possessing a gaze that could seemingly cut through anything or any soul. To Hange, the creature was beautiful, magnificent even. However the thing that shocked her most was the mysterious titan's actions.

"Did it just… kill its own kind?" Hange stuttered. "How is that… possible?" She spoke in a daze, the others around her in a similar state of disbelief. "What…"

The titan turned sharply and placed its frustrations onto a lanky thirteen-meter, snarling ferociously through its teeth as it grabbed its opponent. The Scouts, now the creature's audience, watched completely spellbound as the titan's muscular arm skillfully curved around the thirteen-meter's shoulder, grasping the misshaped head in a sturdy and inescapable hold. With a shove, the fifteen-meter forced it now titled victim to bend over, exposing the pitiful creature's naked neck. With another bellow of defiance, the titan plunged its hand into the nape, sharp nails penetrating deep into the creature's flesh. Without delay, the large tyrant then ripped the nape free, blood spraying like an aggressive rain.

Hange's heart pounded, accelerating phenomenally at the display. A smile crept onto her face as she observed the titan turn to examine the others within the area, its elfish ears flicking and shifting in the opposite direction the titan was looking, each moving independently to monitor foes behind it – the trait unique, animal like, predatory. The titan then sprang into action once more, delivering low sweeps and uppercuts with every opening it was given. For several minutes, the Scouting Legion watched the massacre in both fear and shock. The titan's display was grueling and gory, forcing the lunch up and out of several soldiers that waited in safety in the nearby brush. Crimson replaced white and rage driven roars vibrated the plain. The well-seasoned Scout members remained nearly emotionless, too consumed by shock to even speak or move as the titan proceeded to rip the limbs and organs from its current enemy. With every passing second, Hange felt her mouth drop further. Indeed, the beast was incredible. The way it moved, the way it fought was so precise, calculating, cold, and completely feral - but at the same time nearly human. She could only describe it as inconceivably brutal.

The titan suddenly spied another one of its foul kin, a twelve meter holding a fresh recruit in its hungry hand. As the creature raised the helpless man to its maw, the fifteen-meter titan released a deafening screech filled with resentment. The great being then flung itself forward at its new target, green eyes flashing quickly from the titan to the adolescent scout in its fingers before returning to the twelve meter. Every soldier watched in astonishment as the large titan grasped the other's wrist, inches away from the soldier, and wrapped its other free hand around the neck of its prey. The sound of breaking bone cut through the air as the fifteen-meter's vice like grip strengthened on the smaller titan's wrist, the twelve meter wailing in agony as its ulna and radius was crushed into fragments.

"Wait. Is it fighting the others for food?" Hange wondered as she kept her eyes glued to the immense titan. "Or is it…

Before she could finish, a nearby titan had spotted the human in the yowling titan's hand. Like a fish after a meal, it mindlessly flung itself forward. However, the large titan was completely aware of the unwanted advance. Before the soldier was to become a snack, the fifteen-meter shifted slightly before the minuscule figure, offering its own bicep to the other titan's teeth. The humans remained further still as the green-eyed monster flinched slightly in pain from the massive bite. Unexpectedly, the large titan's face then expressed a look of cunning, a raised brow and what appeared to be a smirk as it snorted in annoyance – throwing the nearby soldiers into a state of awe once again.

"It expresses emotion in its face!" The scientist's mind screamed. "It blocked the other titan's attack! Could it… could it really be…

The fifteen meter then swiftly threw out its leg in a powerful kick, hitting the titan that was latched onto its arm square in the abdomen – the force sending the creature to the ground and ripping the titan's own arm from its shoulder. However, the large titan took no notice. Like lightning, it released its hold on its opponent's neck and took ahold of its wrist again. With a solid jerk, the green-eyed titan forced the other titan's arm to bend in the completely wrong way, down towards the blood stained earth, and shattering its elbow. With another cry, the twelve-meter released its grip and let the new recruit tumble just a few inches down to the ground.

"No way. Is it really… protecting us?" Hange thought almost unreservedly as her eyes never removed from their target. "What the hell kind of titan is this?"

The large titan then roared again as it suddenly enclosed its jaws around the neck of the twelve meter, making nearly every man and woman jump at the sheer viciousness of the act as the titan's teeth sunk deeper into the flesh of the other's neck – blood beginning to run down to the crimson earth like a melting candle. With a vehement yank, the twelve-meter's head was violently ripped from its body, nearly making every Scout's stomach turn over. But the green-eyed titan's assault didn't stop. Again, it forced its teeth into what remained of the stump of a neck, gnawing into the nape and coating its monstrous face in the same red that stained the field. The giant then ripped out the spine and held it almost proudly in its maw, making many of the men in uniform pale, their skin draining into a shade of faint cream.

All then grew silent as the fifteen-meter monster glared daggers into its last foe, a surviving thirteen-meter with a crudely caricatured face. The atmosphere grew placid and tense as the two giants stood still. The green-eyed titan growled murderously, its pupils in a thin slit and ears pressed against its skull in anger. Bloody saliva dripped from its chin as the titan's gaze remained locked onto its target, never adverting to the stunned soldiers. The large titan then released another unworldly howl, daring its opponent to face death. To the Scout's amazement, the fifteen-meter remained in its aggressive stance– ready for a brawl but waiting for its foe to make a move in an intentionally mocking way. Suddenly, the thirteen-meter charged forward with a shrill yell, running almost awkwardly much like a toddler. The monstrous beast waited still, watching and analyzing as it prepared for an open window. Before any soul could blink, the large titan swung and clipped the other's jaw – the force making the deformed creature spin clumsily on its heels like a drunken man. With its enemy's back facing it, the green-eyed titan firmly planted its foot into the small of the other's back and braced its lanky arms in its firm grasp. In an almost effortless push, the smaller titan was cast onto the earth with relentless force. Hange watched, speechless as the muscular titan stole the arms from the other's body – the creature pausing a moment to hear its prey cry in agony, the sound pure music to the monster. The titan then forced its hands into the other's mouth, and pulled – the thirteen-meter's jaws stretching further than their limits. A sickening and nauseating sound of ripping flesh demanded many of the soldiers to turn their gaze as the head of the titan was torn completely in half. With a final punch to the nape, the thirteen-meter had been sent back to the hell that it had come from. The towering titan then rose upright and roared in sheer triumph.

The vast being's cry then died down to a deep rumble into its chest. It then grew quiet again except for the hiss of steaming flesh, rapid breathing from witnesses, and every pounding heart. Now that they were in the mists of a titan that had dispatched and slaughtered all others in its wake, fear settled deep past their skin and into their bones. They were now alone with an incredibly powerful creature that could potentially choose them as its next target. However, none retreated and no order was given. They just simply entered a state of confusion. Frozen in their worn boots.

The passionate Section Commander's face was the picture perfect description of flabbergasted and stunned. Her mouth hung open to its furthest extent and her eyes reflected the look of an owl – wide and unblinking. Hange's brain was rapidly building with thoughts, her sanity's dam nearly bursting. She then watched as the titan began to move, its right hand snaking up its burly shoulder to cradle its own nape in a gentle touch. At first, the scientist concluded that the titan was an incredibly bizarre abnormal that was only set on killing any titan, including itself – however, as the titan slowly looked up to meet eyes with the Scouts, the theory left her. This titan was something more. Something special.

Hange observed as the titan's hardened stare landed onto the fresh soldiers, making them squeal like pigs and cower - shutting their eyes to surrender to their fear as they turned away. Just as she was sure the titan was finally going to attack them, it simply let out a steamy huff and turned to the veterans and Hange to meet their gaze with its own. Now that the chaos had ceased and the beast remained still, with most of its hair out of its face, Hange could view its eyes clearly. Never before had she seen any pair of eyes more beautiful, not even on a human. Now that they weren't a solid green glow of anger and rage, they were a perfect shade of emerald with flecks of teal and even spots of gold. They were predatory, the cat like slit slowly reverting to a round pupil – looking so beastly yet human at the same time. The black outline surrounding the titan's crystal clear eyes only accented the glittering green orbs more profoundly – expressing a sense of mystery that just added to the speculation. The large titan then snorted, a translucent nictitating membrane sliding over its immersive eyes as it turned and disappeared into the thick steam, covering its nape as it thundered off across the field. With a chilling breeze, the steam cleared just in time for the baffled humans to see their unexpected savior vanish back into the forest.

For a long moment, everything was just as still as it had been until Hange's hold on her sanity finally gave way. The woman squealed loudly in excitement, catching every soldier's attention and upsetting several roosting birds up in the canopies of the nearby woodlands.

"HOLY SHIT THAT WAS AMAZING!" The enthusiastic scientist cheered as she excitedly jumped up and down upon the branch that she and a few of her comrades stood upon. Quickly seeing her reaction, a few soldiers took a step away for their well being as Hange laughed maniacally. " HE WAS SO BEAUTIFUL! SO POWERFUL!" She cackled like a hyena as she suddenly turned and grasped the collar of Molbit's uniform, the man instinctively backing away as much as he was allowed as Hange continued. "WE MUST GO AFTER HIM! I MUST CAPTURE HIM!" She hyperventilated. "LET'S GO GET THE TRAPS AND -

A firm hand then placed itself onto her shoulder, making the scientist pause in her enthusiastic episode to turn and come face to face with Mike.

"No, Hange." He muttered impassively, making her remain silent. "Not now at least. We have no way of holding our own against that titan with so many fresh faces. It's incredibly powerful, but most of all it appears to be intellectual. We need to return to headquarters and debrief this information to Levi and Erwin and go from there." He spoke seriously. "Hell I'm having doubts that even the most skilled can even handle him." Mike finished as he ordered the retreat.

As the shaken Scouts rounded up their horses and prepared to depart, Hange kept her gaze upon the trees where the magnificent creature had vanished – a cunning smile upon her face and goggles illuminating in the dull winter light. "Well now, I hope to see you soon my little intelligent titan."

(POV SWAP)

The cove was serine and deathly quiet. Even in the winter it was mysterious. Although it wasn't as green, the overhanging branches forbid the blanket of snow from being spread. Only a lucky few flurries fell past the limbs and to the earth to decorate the cove in patches. It was ideal for life to continue. The exposed grass attracted deer like moths to candlelight that in turn sacrificed their meat to the hungry. During the cold months in titan territory, the cove protected its inhabitants in more ways than one.

Armin and Mikasa sat in waiting just outside the hollow tree. A small fire crowned with a roasting doe warmed the two children that had grown and matured much in the last hard year. They barely made any time for merriment; most of their days were now just focused on survival. Even with their gigantic ally, things were still complicated. Still difficult.

The blonde turned the spit a few more degrees to cook the doe further. In the last hour, their hunger had gotten the better of them. Unwilling to wait on Rogue's return, the two children took a small knife that had been salvaged and tied it to a limb, creating a makeshift spear. Mikasa, the braver of the two, had snuck upon the unsuspecting deer and with luck pierced the hide of a small female. Now they had calmed and took a small sense of pride to enjoy their kill. Armin stripped a slice of meat from the deer and nearly shoved it into his mouth, his face tightening with bliss as the flavor graced his tongue and settled into his empty belly, the organ pacifying with the solid offering. Mikasa too, engulfed the fresh meat in delight. Although they hated to admit it, it was the best thing they had eaten in quite some time.

"This is much better than the dried meat that we had." The girl spoke softly as she swallowed another piece of tender heaven. Armin watched as Mikasa then sighed and looked to the cove's entrance, her face falling in unease. "Do you – think Rogue's okay? He's been gone a while."

The boy bit his lip fretfully. "He should be. Rogue is probably looking for more food." Armin paused, glancing over at the stockpile that they had accumulated, the contents mostly just tools or things that the titan found amusing enough to give them as gifts. "It's not as easy for him now. Although he's been having luck lately, it takes him a good amount of time searching before he finds anything."

It then grew quiet between the two; their hands placing the meat back to their plates as the impending topic surfaced between them once again, something that the two had been discussing for the past few months. They had since made their decision, but were unsure of how and when to act.

"Do you…" Armin muttered as he stared at his scuffed shoes. "Do you think we should tell him today?" He asked softly, making the girl shift uneasily.

"I – think we should tell him on a better day." Mikasa dithered as she bit her cheek. "Later. There is a part of me wants to tell him now, but I don't want him to be upset and miserable for a year if he knows."

Armin found himself nodding in understanding, knowing exactly what she meant. "Yeah, it's better if we wait. Rogue has changed a lot in the last year. Although he still has his moments of innocence like the old days, but ever since the breach plus Carla and Dr. Jaeger's deaths he's been different. He's much more protective and serious. You can probably tell as well, but Rogue is still upset. He hides a lot of his emotions about what happened. Although he covers them up its still obvious, even the animals sense his resentment."

Mikasa dipped her head at his words. "You're right. I feel so sorry for him, Armin. I wish we could make him feel a little better. Carla and Grisha meant everything to him. They nurtured and raised him as their child. Now they are just a sad memory and he only has us." She paused, looking off to the side in thought. "Yes, it's best if we tell him another day."

The boy nodded in favor just as stones were characteristically dislodged from the entrance with Rogue's return. While the titan carefully descended down the slope, Armin and Mikasa stood and made their way to greet their companion. The titan then turned and placed a tired smile onto his grisly face – one that made the two children feel compassion for the creature, knowing that the expression was forced.

"Well you're a little late today aren't you?" Mika teased, trying to enlighten her vast friend.

Rogue responded with a joking huff as he kneeled to sit upon his calves. The titan then presented his findings with a hopeful grumble, his hands holding a few crates, odds and ends, and several old books. Rogue's green eyes awaited gratitude as he placed the items down for the two to examine. Armin then thanked the titan as usual and began to look through the spoils that Rogue had delivered. There were a few old blankets that he was thankful for, although the titan's heat easily defeated the warmth of a fire and was much cozier – the blanket would prove useful when Rogue was out on one of his 'walks'. As per usual, there were books. Surprisingly, they were about nature and guides as opposed to the many dictionaries and thesauruses that Rogue had brought back just because they were books with covers and pages. The thought of Rogue's innocence on the topic almost always brought a smile to the boy's face. A few times, the titan had wanted Armin to read the informative works to him, not wanting to disappoint, the blonde would always swap titles when the giant wasn't looking and continue in telling an actual story. After thumbing through the titles printed on the spines, Armin joined Mikasa in looking among the things that Rogue had obviously picked up for himself to add to his collection of sorts. There was a tainted brass candle holder, a ripped pillow with goose down spilling out – an item that made the two of them snicker, knowing that they had caught the titan several times playing with the feathers inside like an excited cat, and finally a pocket watch that didn't tick.

Rogue then lifted himself to his feet, toying with a cable that he had wrapped around his wrist for safekeeping. His footsteps vibrated their tiny frames as the titan then motioned towards his collection of oddities against his tree, set on adding the cable to his hoard. The boy and girl then turned to the crate that's lid was damaged by Rogue's hand, opening it to see what was on the menu for the next few weeks. As expected, there was bread - five dried loafs. However, the other food in the crate provoked the two to look at one another in puzzlement. Armin then turned to scrutinize the contents again. They seemed so familiar. The blonde thought for a moment, but then it hit him when he recalled the special military visit from school many years ago.

"Mikasa?" Armin spoke softly but just loud enough to gather her attention.

The girl's grey and nearly impassive eyes lifted from the crate to stare deeply into his, a flash of concern streaking within them. "Armin, are these what I think they are?" She questioned, her voice rising with her alarm.

"They're food rations. Only the military get them. They are pretty much different breads, fruits, and other things mixed together into a convenient bar. Food is expensive, so they started making these to save money plus they are easy to preserve."

Armin observed as Mikasa's brows rose in suspicion. "Military food rations? What are they doing out here in Wall Maria? Wait – the only military branch that's permitted in titan territory is –

"The Scouts." Armin finished, his eyes growing wider in panic. "They were known to have several safe houses outside the walls for long range scouting expeditions before the breach. Most likely they have done the same here inside Wall Maria. Mikasa, it makes since now. The amount of food in the last few weeks, the items he's brought back like the guidebooks and the cable he has… Mikasa, Rogue is stealing from the Scouts."

The girl's face fell at his conclusion; her 'motherly like' instincts towards the titan were making themselves present once again as she gave way to emotion. "Armin – why would… why would he –

"That's just it Mikasa. He doesn't know what he's doing and Rogue's oblivious to the fact." He frowned solemnly. "He probably thought they were just regular abandoned houses with left behind belongings. Rogue had no idea that he was going wrong. He was just trying to help us."

Mikasa then dipped her head. "I hope that they don't find out that it's been him Armin. They'll kill him thinking he's just another titan. Or they will experiment on him."

The boy sighed, his mind going back to their picnic with the Jaegers and the doctor's words. "It's just that…" He stuttered. "The people aren't ready yet for someone like him." Armin paused as he collected his thoughts and memories. "Maybe in time, but not now."

The girl then rose a finger to reply, but was interrupted by a loud and disgusted growl. Stupefied, the two children spun around to see that Rogue was crouched next to their fire with his back arched and muscles tense. At first, Armin concluded that the curiosity of the titan had gotten the better of him and he had stuck a finger into the flames, burning himself. However, that was not the case. Rogue's concerted gaze was latched onto the cooked doe. Gradually, the green eyes of the titan traveled to the two's stressed bodies, his livid stare making Armin's blood go frigid. Since the incident with Carla and Grisha, Rogue would sometimes let his feelings get the better of him when something upset him one way or the other. During these "episodes" as both he and Mikasa had taken to calling them, Rogue would throw a verbal tantrum of sorts – whining like a toddler about something seemingly simple.

The titan then let out a series of 'intelligent' grunts and snarls, an argument in gibberish all the while gesturing to the deer with a clawed finger. Rogue then sat roughly on his behind with a strong jet of steam exiting his teeth as he continued in quarreling in his variety of rumbles and growls. Armin blinked, trying to make out what his upset friend was trying to imply.

"I'm sorry Rogue." The boy began as kind and understanding as he could. "You were gone a while and we got hungry. There wasn't any food so –

"EerriennD!" The titan hissed as he gestured again at the doe. Rogue then pointed at the herd of deer near his lake, his eyes remaining on the two children before him. "EERRIeennD!" He nearly roared as he pointed back to himself.

Armin opened his mouth to reply, but Mikasa quickly intervened.

"The deer?" She stopped as she looked from the titan's intense glare to the peaceful herd. "Are they your friends Rogue?"

With her words, the titan retorted with a sharp nod, crossings his arms to expect an explanation. Rogue then pointed again to the doe on the spit before gesturing to his lipless maw, clacking his teeth before crossing his arms again.

"Oh, I understand now." Mikasa began once again. "You're mad at us for killing your friend."

Again, the titan nodded, letting out a gruff in disappointment.

"We're so sorry, Rogue. Like Armin said, we were hungry. As you know, humans need food to survive. Meat is food. Deer are meat along with fish and birds. If we didn't eat Rogue, we would grow very weak and die. Do you understand? You wouldn't want that would you?"

Rogue dithered a bit before letting out an apologetic and pitiful whine, ears drooping with his sorrowful face as he shook his head in refusal. He then looked up from the grass and emitted a weak smile in understanding. Then as routine with these episodes, Rogue lay into his belly and pressed his face into Mikasa, purring in forgiveness.

"Okay then Rogue." Armin began, receiving the titan's attention. "Let's make a deal. The deer in the cove are your friends right?"

The titan nodded, tilting his head in question.

"Good, now you know the stuff you've been bringing back lately? The things like the food?" Armin paused, making sure the creature was acknowledging him, the titan nodding at every statement. "See those actually do belong to someone that's still using them. Most likely they are probably a little upset that you took them by now. Those things belong to the Survey Corps, Rogue. So as much as you want to, don't touch them. Promise us Rogue; don't take anything from those places you got the stuff from again, okay?"

The titan's eyes widened at the boy's information. Rogue then respond with a vigorous nod and waited almost querulously for Armin to continue.

"Alright, now in turn, since only the deer here are your friends, to get food we have to hunt. Every week or so, you need to take us out and hunt for us or help us hunt."

At the boy's words, both the titan and Mikasa looked to him in shock. Quickly, the dark-haired girl held up her hand in refusal.

"Armin, that's insane! The other titan's –

"Hold on Mikasa. I don't think we'll be in any sort of danger on this one. Did you notice how after two weeks of titans scratching against the perimeter of the cove they stopped?" Armin insisted as he watched his friend recognize him. "We sleep with Rogue every night so his scent has rubbed off on us. Even when we bathe, the scent stays because it's everywhere here in the cove. Granted, I think it took a while for the scent to attach itself to us. Pretty much, in simple terms, the titans think we're titans. As long as we stay on Rogue, they can't touch us!"

It was an intense moment before Mikasa finally nodded in agreement, but Rogue was hesitant, looking off to the side to stare long and hard at the brittle grass before finally nodding a feeble reply. The two then watched as Rogue leaned into them again, his tongue giving them a gentle lick – one that Armin and Mikasa had recognized as a sign of trust from the gentle giant. However, like the titan's other expressions – the gesture seemed like it was almost forced.

(POV SWAP)

The cove had pacified in the hour that had passed. Darkness was beginning to settle on the land, brought forth by the short days of the winter. The titan sat quietly by his pond, facing away from the water as his little one, Mikasa, performed the task of bathing. Over time, his little ones had perfected the unworldly art – even in the cold months. Rogue was always to stick his foot in the water, heating it to a comfortable temperature before his tiny companions would rid themselves of their clothing and climb in. He found the practice odd, but even more bizarre to see his little ones without their garbs. The first attempt that the two had made to bathe had baffled the titan. He could not have been more confused. Their bodies looked so much like his, except for a few tiny details. When his little ones were in the water, he found himself staring intently at their forms. He himself was completely bare whereas Armin possessed a fleshy bit between his legs while Mikasa seemed similar to him but was still significantly different. His little ones chests had a feature that he also lacked as well, two spots that he was unable to discern. Armin and Mikasa also had a tiny hole in the middle of their bellies while it was nowhere to be found upon his frame. That day he had also learned the hard way that humans don't like to be watched while bathing. When he attempted to question the boy and girl with as few gestures onto himself and them, his little ones strongly refused and made him look away. It was only later when Armin explained the hidden differences of men and women to Rogue. When then titan wanted to know why they had them and he did not, his little one only laughed and stated that it wasn't a thing that was necessary for a titan to know. Since then, Rogue never looked at his little ones during the task of bathing.

The titan kept to himself, thinking of the deal he had made with his little ones and the flying uniformed men that he had seen earlier. He strongly did not like the deal. Rogue was completely unsure if his scent was really keeping the titans at bay. Maybe it was, or perhaps it was the smell of his anger radiating off of him and clinging to his surroundings. He couldn't say for sure, but his little ones were still at risk if he took them outside. Rogue sighed quietly, hanging his head a bit. The titan knew that his little ones were eager to break free of the cove for even a small amount of time. The two were all he had left. They were the last of his family.

Family. Rogue smiled softly at the word. Although mismatched, he was so happy to be a part of one. It was little and broken, but was still good. Better than nothing. The titan swallowed back a wad of anxiety. He wanted to protect his little ones and provide for them with everything he had, but he wanted them to be happy all the same. Still, he could not shake the unease that clung to him like sap.

Apart from the deal, there was the matter of the flying humans. They were different from the other uniformed men. They hated his kind just as he did and were brave enough to face them – even to their deaths. Rogue had no idea what had come over him when he had seen the humans outnumbered, but the impulse to do something of aid had overwhelmed him. If his little ones had known this, most likely they wouldn't be happy with him. In fact, in the year that had passed, Rogue had never given any indication to his little ones about his self imposed mission to slaughter every titan he came across. Knowing how much his little ones and his humans had warned him about getting too close the uniformed men, Rogue decided that he would keep the flying humans a secret as well – at least until he knew more about them for the sake of his little ones' worry.

The titan then attempted to distract himself as he prodded a few of the belongings that he had found hours before along with a few books that he had seized. A slightly aggravated squeak sounded through his teeth as he looked at the objects. It didn't seem like the 'Survey Corps' that his little ones mentioned were using these things – their only purpose gathering dust. Although it was immoral, Rogue didn't feel bad about what he had done the more he thought about it. He and his little ones were actually using the objects or eating the food – they clearly weren't. However, if his little ones did not want him taking from the houses that smelled of yeast, then he wouldn't. Of course, they said nothing about the other human dwellings. Maybe one day he would have a bit of luck there.

As his little one continued to bathe, Rogue began to fish through the items further. There was the fluffy cloth object that he wanted to tear open again, the little bird feathers inside always brought forth merriment. It amazed him so how light the dainty things were and how they seemingly floated in midair and scattered with a swipe of his hand. As much as he wanted to give in to his childish demeanor that he amazingly still had, Rogue decided to wait and save it for later – he couldn't do much while serving as the designated heater. Instead, the titan turned to the few books that he had brought over to entertain him. Rogue then gently flipped the first open, expecting to see images of animals or beautiful skies, but instead was greeted with a mass of human words with no pictures to accompany them. The titan grunted in disappointment and shoved the book away. The next book fared no better - no pictures like the first so it too, was cast aside. The third book was a book for human young, his favorites for he didn't need to read words to understand them. Armin had told him it was called 'The Ugly Duckling' and had shared the tale with him before. Rogue had felt odd when his little one had read it. Although it had a happy ending, the titan couldn't help but relate to the story. He was always the odd one out with everything – the ugly duckling in his own world. Not willing to look upon the pictures again, Rogue pushed the book away, grumbling once more in distaste.

The last book in the pile was one of the few that he had picked up that morning. He hadn't had the chance to see the contents, so Rogue quickly lifted the cover to expose the pages. The titan's pointed ears quickly pricked forward in interest as his pupils dilated with curiosity. It wasn't a series of colorful animals or a wall of text but a sequence of sketches depicting two humans fighting. Rogue rumbled softly as he flipped through the cosmetically similar pages, looking in awe at the two men depicted over and over that were throwing their fists or kicking at one another. The fifteen-meter creature continued the flip through the pages, forward and back as he scrutinized the drawings. The titan then recalled the times he had spent with Carla and how she taught him how to speak. Rogue's ears flickered again, realizing that the book was showing instructions – showing how to fight.

Rogue tilted his head, some of the moves he seemed to know already like punching which felt natural to him when engaging his own kind. The book however, showed and demonstrated them in greater detail. Entranced in the depictions, Rogue slowly lifted his own fists before his face, mirroring a common stance that the men made. A smile crept onto the titan's mystified and grim face. With his fists held before him, he felt ready for whatever could be thrown at him. Almost invincible. Rogue hummed in pleasure. Perhaps this find would greatly benefit him on his mission to defeat his enemy.

"Rogue?" His little one called from the pond, the sounds of her maneuvering from the water hitting his ears. Instinctively and quickly, the titan lowered his arms and shoved the fighting book beneath his knee before opening The Ugly Duckling before him. Mikasa then rounded his side, wrapped in tattered cloth to hide her naked skin with a tender grin upon her face. Rogue then gave his full attention to his little one from his 'innocent observation' – giving a friendly gurgle in greeting. "Are you looking at that book again?" She asked kindly.

Rogue gave a quick nod, hoping the fact that he was lying wasn't obvious. To his relief, his little one only smiled.

"It's good to see you happy, Rogue. Sometimes I worry about you." Mikasa continued as she gathered her clothes. "It's getting colder and I don't know about you, but I'm tired." The girl chuckled as she looked at the blonde who was in repose by the small fire. "Look's like Armin gave in to sleep already. I'm going to get dressed and then we can settle down for the evening."

Rogue dipped his head in agreement as he rose to his feet to prepare and fluff the leaves in his nest. Within minutes, he lay in the hollow with his little ones nestled to his side like tiny pups. His mouth formatted into an easy smile as he watched Mikasa shift to get comfortable, pressing herself as much as she could into the titan's warm flesh to escape the frigid night.

"Goodnight Rogue." Mikasa whispered with great fatigue as her eyes descended shut, matching his other little one's current state.

"NNNiiihhtT." The titan spoke as softly as he could in reply. For several minutes, Rogue watched his little ones descend further into their dreams before pulling out the fighting book from the leaves. Eager to absorb more information, the titan opened the book and continued to scrutinize it with the aid of the small dying fire. Incredibly enthusiastic at the topics presented, Rogue decided he would look at the book as long as his exhausted body would allow.

(POV SWAP)

Corporal Levi sat quietly in his quarters, soaking in a rare bit of peace that was often hard to come by in the Scout's headquarters – let alone the unforgiving world. In the last few hours since he had returned from the mandatory meeting in what he called 'God awful Wall Sina,' he tended to his room and enforced the few soldiers that still remained to clean the castle from top to bottom that the regiment performed their operations out of. The stout man then began to thumb through recent reports upon his freshly wiped desk with his scowl still fixed on his face. Levi's icy eyes narrowed a bit further as he scanned the information written upon the documents. In the past two weeks, one of the main issues was the mysterious raids upon the safe houses. Nothing added up no matter how many times he and Erwin had dissected the clues. Ever since the first accounts, the news had spread like wildfire within the regiment. Every soldier was now bickering about possibilities – but everything seemed overblown out of proportion. The facts just pointed to wildlife. Still, the Corporal could not help but feel that there were too many loose ends to the puzzle. Something was not adding up.

Suddenly, a commotion echoed throughout the hall just outside the door. An aggravated sigh left Levi, as he was familiar enough with the situation to know what was about to happen and who was going to charge into his quarters flapping their joules. The man took one last look around the room that was neat and orderly beyond its limits, soaking in the last bit of tranquility before the ever-ecstatic Hange Zoe barreled into his well kempt quarters.

"Levi! Levi! LEVI!" The woman paraded loudly as she bolted to his desk, knocking over belongings as her weight was thrown upon it. Instinctively, the man recoiled in his chair, holding his nose to keep the smell of the scientist's tainted breath from reaching his nostrils as the overly afire Hange proceeded. "You need to hear my report from today's expedition! Levi, the most amazing thing happened!" She pressed on, eyes nearly as wide as grapefruits.

"Hange." The man grumbled beneath his breath, scowl growing darker. "First off, your breath smells like shit so a few feet between you and me would be nice. Second, if you're reporting on the resent investigation of the storehouse raids, please just write a document on your findings and give it to me later." He uttered. "I've had a long day with the idiots in Sina and I really don't feel like listening to you." Levi finished sternly, hoping that the woman would actually listen to him for once and not disregard his attitude.

To his dismay, Hange only laughed. "The raids? We found nothing that could lead us to any culprit, but something absolutely INCREDIBLE happened!" She cheered, nearly twirling on her toes.

"Listen." Levi growled as he attempted to drill his displeasure into Hange's enthusiasm. "Whatever it is it can –

"Listen to what she has to say, Levi."

The Corporal's gaze then traveled to Section Commander Mike as he entered the room and sealed the door behind him. Levi's face relaxed slightly, in all of Hange's intrusions on titans and their supposed bullshit, Mike had never come to side with her. Although he was tired, the fact that Hange was receiving support was probably worth him listening.

"I've never seen anything like this before, Levi." Mike continued, his tone low and serious. "I mean it."

The Lance Corporal raised a brow in astonishment. It had to be a serious matter. "This must be important if it can't wait. Proceed, but try to keep a lid on your excitement." Levi granted after little deliberation.

Hange smiled widely at his blessing, trembling in her shoes. "Okay! I'll get straight to the point because I can't hold it in any longer! Mike and I's squads encountered what may be a new breed of titan!"

Levi sat up at her words. New breed? Like the Colossal and Armored? This was the last thing he wanted to hear. "What do you mean a new species?" He demanded. "Is it similar to the two skinless titans seen at the breach?"

Mike immediately shook his head. "No. This one was far different – in fact its behavior was far from that of any regular or abnormal titan. In all my years of encountering them – this one was quite a shock in both looks and temperament. Like I said, I've never seen anything like it."

Levi's face relaxed further at the tall man's words, his sudden change provoking another cackling laugh from Hange.

"Looks like we've peeked your interest Levi! As I was saying, it all started when we were ambushed by a group of about ten normals in the fields. We were quickly outmatched with the lack of trees, the number of fresh soldiers, and of course the amount of titans that hindered toward the larger variety. Just when we were about to retreat to Wall Rose, out of nowhere this fifteen-meter behemoth charges right for us at full speed." Hange continued with her elation ever growing. "Just when we thought every single one of us was on death's door, this titan veered and ATTACKED ITS OWN KIND. KILLING THEM."

Levi's eyes widened at the news, something that most of the Scouts had never witnessed from the man. "It… what?"

"That's right! It slaughtered the other titans! Holy hell it was INCREDIBLE" The scientist giggled madly.

"Are you sure this titan just wasn't another abnormal, Hange? This action had to be some sort of defect or –

"No Levi! This… this was intentional! This amazing creature killed its own kind because it wanted to! Not because it was hardwired to do so! Of course, the other thing that proves this titan is unique is by its looks! He's an absolutely beautiful and perfect specimen!" Hange informed passionately as she began to perform more gestures. "This titan had skin like the others, but instead of fat and frail like most fifteen-meters – this guy was solid muscle! He was so strong that he could pick up another titan and throw it with ease! Like it was a fucking walk in the park for him!" Hange informed as she flexed her relatively thin arms. "His hands and feet had sharp nails that could cut flesh into ribbons. But its face, oh its face! The titan had long, messy, and nearly black hair." The woman continued as she gestured to her mouth, pulling back her cheeks to reveal all of her unbrushed teeth. "His mouth lacked lips but was serrated with two rows of teeth - perfect for biting and ripping off chunks of meat!" Hange continued as she placed her hands onto her ears and molded the cartilage into a point. "The titan's ears were unbelievable! They were long and tapered like an elf's, and could also move together or independently like an animal's!" She nearly squealed. "His roars were so loud that they vibrated the earth and our bones, but the best part Levi, was the titan's eyes! They were like crystal clear gems that were an enchanting shade of green and outlined in black like a fox's. They looked feral at times, glowing emerald with the pupil slit like a cat's in anger. However, they also looked so human when the titan calmed at a point, its pupils reverting back to a rounded appearance. Not to mention, they had a third eyelid!" Hange paused as she took a breather, worn from barely stopping in her speech.

Levi remained unspoken. He hated to admit, but he was stunned – and nothing surprised him much anymore. Before he could reply, Mike cleared his throat to speak up once again.

"Of course, the titan's looks and the fact that it killed off other titans wasn't the thing that shocked our squads. From what Hange and I were able to discern from our subject after it killed the titans and during its rampage, we came to a certain conclusion that mankind had shoved away in a closet long ago."

The Corporal leaned forward in his chair; his interest peaked. This new breed was already strange enough, what else was there to know about it? Could there really be more to this monster? "What did you find out?" Levi spoke simply, keeping a lid on his concern.

The woman bounced slightly on her heels as she grinned from ear to ear. "He's intelligent!"

Levi nearly rose from his seat at the words. "Intelligent? A – deviant type titan?" He spoke, utilizing a term that had been thrown around, a classification that was to be used if such a titan was ever discovered. "Tell me. What makes you think that this titan has intellect?"

"Well, for starters, it was the way that this titan killed its own kind. He wasn't just recklessly going at them. With each move this guy made to slaughter, he had to think – he had to strategize how to defeat his foe! And he fucking did it spectacularly! When the other titans fell at his feet and he was the soul victor, the titan made eye contact with us!"

"But Hange, everyone here has made eye contact with –

"No Levi! I mean REAL eye contact. This titan looked right at us waiting for a reaction and observing ours. When the titan received no response except fear from the new recruits, he turned to Mike and I and looked specifically into the most expressive part of anyone's face." Hange paused as she stared off into the distance. "Those green pools held so much intellect that it wasn't even funny. It was like I was looking into the eyes of a human instead of a monster." She trailed off in thought.

"However," Mike began as he gathered the two's attention once again. "The biggest clue that this titan was smart was the fact that it knew exactly about the titans' weak spots. It killed each one of those bastards by ripping out, biting, or crushing the nape of the neck. Levi, when it was staring at us, its own hand was protecting its own weak spot. He knew what we could do to him. He knew he was dead if he was struck there. Hell, even when it was retreating back into the forest, it was still covering its nape."

"Mike's right." Hange beamed. "Our new titan not only has no reaction to us and a seething hatred for his own kind, but he has human like intelligence. Amazing isn't it!"

Corporal Levi leaned onto his desk, resting his face in his hands as he soaked the information in. Several minutes of silence ticked by, feeling like hours as the man pondered. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind – an old rumor that he had heard the time of the breach. 'Could it really be true? Could that stupid story really be fact?' Levi wondered as his fingers clenched tighter.

"Levi?"

"Hange." He began sternly as he slowly met the two Section Commander's gazes. "Did you say that this titan had pointed ears, no lips, and green eyes, correct?"

The scientist and Mike looked at one another before turning back to question his words. "Yes. Why do you ask, Corporal?"

Levi's steely eyes went to the surface of his desk, watching the dancing wood grain. "A year ago, during the breach, there was a rumor – a story that the Garrison soldiers passed around with one another." He paused, biting the tip of his nail. "At first I thought it was just a bunch of shit that some drunken soldiers made up. But with your expedition and this occurrence – I don't think that was myth."

The two blinked in disbelief. "What story?"

"I believe they called it – 'The Legend of the Rogue Titan." Levi began. "Although it's not really a full story – just observations and speculations from the Garrison."

"Rogue Titan?" Hange cut in, her eyes wide in expectancy like a child being read a bedtime story. Levi nodded in return.

"Yes, they dubbed it that title when they saw its strange behavior and rebellion. The soldiers say that it came from nowhere almost." The short man continued as he poured himself a cup of black tea. "They spoke of how it had pointed ears and wide, lipless, smiling jaws, and a proportionate and powerful frame unlike any regular titan that they had seen scratching the walls for decades. There are accounts that it just walked by the fleeing citizens, almost careful to not step on them. Some say they saw The Rogue maul another titan so viciously that its body was torn completely apart before the nape was ripped clean." Levi paused as he sipped his tea. "They say that the titan's roars rivaled the thunder and trembled the earth – the beast bellowing in anger and pleasure as it spilled its kind's blood. Hell, there are even stories of how it flipped the Garrison soldiers off as they fired their cannons at it, but of course that was probably the alcohol talking." Levi paused, suddenly placing his tea back to his desk. " My point is, perhaps most of these allegations and rumors were true and you and your squads saw what could have been The Rogue Titan of legend – or rather in the flesh."

All was quiet for a moment before Hange jumped from her chair and pounced for Levi's desk, once again getting too close for comfort as she squealed in excitement.

"YES! We need to capture him! Oh the experiments I could run on The Rogue! Maybe he's friendly! Maybe he has human level intelligence! Oh what if he could help –

"Hange!" Levi chided as he suddenly rose from his seat. "That's enough. At this time, that's not likely to happen. In fact, it's stupid. It's hard enough to capture a five-meter normal. Now you want to go after a fifteen-meter titan with intelligence that could match the three of sitting here. It's like signing your own death certificate."

The woman's thrilled demeanor changed instantly at his words, face falling as she sunk back into her chair. Just as Levi thought the scientist was finished, Hange perked up once again. "At least until we know more about him!"

Levi raised a brow in question as the two men looked at the seemingly crazed woman in wonder. "What do you mean?" The Corporal demanded as he crossed his arms, deep scowl returning as he waited for the woman to explain – to speak in a language that he could understand at least.

"If we can't get any blessing from Erwin to capture him, then maybe we could get the permission to study him in his natural habitat! We could watch how he acts, interacts, and hunts! From these observations we could determine just how intelligent he is! Then from there, Erwin can decide if we can capture the legendary Rogue Titan!" Hange explained enthusiastically as she once again rocked on her heels with her eyes wide as the frames of her glasses.

"You know Corporal," Mike began after an awkward silence. "It's actually not a bad idea. Who knows, perhaps this titan can help us find a way to defeat our enemy once and for all."

Levi remained impassive as he stood to look out his intricate window, eyes watching the new recruits training below while his brain was hung in debate. Finally, after several tense moments, his mind and admittedly his curiosity forced a decision. "I'll send a request for approval to Commander Erwin. Of course," He pressed on as he turned to the scientist. "I can't promise anything. It's not my decision to make."

Hange then lifted herself several inches into the air with a celebratory jump. "Whoo! YES! Thank you Corporal Levi! I'm sure if this is approved that you will be glad you agreed!" She thanked with the traditional military salute.

The man then watched as the two prepared to leave. As Mike vanished into the hallway, Hange unexpectedly paused before the door. Levi watched in dread as she shut the door softly as made her way to the desk. What else could she possibly bother him with?

"Levi?" The woman asked, her tone surprisingly tame.

He let out a reluctant sigh. "What now?"

"I was debating whether or not to share this with you." Hange continued, suddenly serious with no trace of her ungodly enthusiasm that she possessed but mere minutes before. "When I – looked into that titan's eyes, I saw the thing that made me want to study him on the spot."

Levi tilted his head in question. "What was that?"

The scientist looked to her boots, a worried expression flashed across her face before returning her gaze back to him. "Well, when our eyes met, I saw not only anger and rage, but what I could only perceive as virtuousness and defeat. He – looked like he had lost something – something dear to him that he couldn't get back. Of course, I may just be over-analyzing things – but I couldn't help but feel sympathy for him."

The man blinked in disbelief at her statement. "You think he had feelings as well?"

Hange nodded gradually. "I think so, but then again I could have just imagined it." She paused before smiling for the umpteenth time. "I guess we could find out though! See you at dinner Corporal." Hange finished with a second salute and headed out the door, leaving Levi alone in his quarters.

For a pensive moment, he remained standing in his shoes before seating himself once again at his desk. Levi took a moment to reflect on what had just been exposed before grabbing a piece of blank parchment and began to write. The man sighed. What were they getting themselves into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you are enjoying this story so far! Chapter 6 will consist of Rogue and the Scouts observing one another... hopefully Hange will not narrate Rogue's activity in "National Geographic Style" (lol Just kidding) As far as the current manga chapter goes, holy crap I don't want Eren to die!
> 
> Anyways, stay tuned!


	6. Curiosity and Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is watching whom?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hello all! Here is chapter 6 of Rogue! Again, it turned out pretty lengthy with a thousand more words than last time. Also, do to popular demand, I had Hange give a bit of a narration :) Thanks for the support with this fic!

Chapter 6

Curiosity and Chaos

Sleep had not been too kind to him. Though he was in repose, his body felt restless, trapped in a light sleep without the presence of dawn. His dreams kept him prisoner it seemed. Ever since he and his little ones had made their deal, his nightly visions were full of pain and heartbreak – illusions of failure and death to the last of his family. The titan was surprised that he hadn't tossed and turned in his nest as of yet – something he feared greatly for his little ones risked getting flattened by his weight. However, Armin and Mikasa had confronted him three or four times about crying out in his unsound sleep. Each time they stated their concern and worry, Rogue naturally shoved it away and gave a rehearsed smile – trying to indicate that nothing was wrong.

The titan shuttered, trying to mentally run from a vision of his little ones becoming dinner. Rogue clenched his teeth tighter as he cringed. A small and desperate whine slipped through his maw just as the faint rays of twilight descended down into the cove. As his skin soaked in the light like a sponge, the titan forced his lids to peel away. Gradually, he lifted his head from the dried leaves, letting reality sweep out the dreams from his mind. Rogue let out a hushed sigh and slowly placed his eyes onto his little ones. He himself was laying on his side, the two small children, who were deep in their sleep, resided in the dip between his ribcage and his pelvis. For a long moment, he watched their little chests rise and fall softy. They were so small, innocent, and helpless in a world full of monsters. The thought of bringing them outside the cove haunted him further. Rogue's eyes descended to the leaves in his nest as he thought. He couldn't. He could not expose them to the hunger of the titans. Yet he couldn't let his little ones starve.

The creature blinked, turning back to look at the two children nestled on his flesh, trying to come up with an idea to free himself from his deal and make him feel better all around. Rogue's ears suddenly perked up as a plan played out in his mind. His little ones were in a deep sleep whereas he was awake and alert. If he was careful, he could sneak away, get the meat they spoke of from animals, and return to the cove with food in hand. Granted, Armin and Mikasa could be awake by that time. Most likely they would be disappointed, angry even. But what could two small children do to hurt a fifteen-meter titan?

Nothing physical to say the least.

Rogue nodded to himself at his decision. He felt much better leaving them behind to wait in safety. As much as they wanted to see the outside world, his little ones would have to be patient. He would make the world safe for them first. Putting his plan into action, the titan slowly lifted his mammoth hands to the children. Rogue held his hitched breath as he placed one hand open and the other over the two. The creature then carefully lifted one of his tiny humans with his thumb and index finger with the same precision of threading a needle. The titan then placed his little one into his open palm before repeating the same nerve-wracking task with the other. Rogue took a precious moment to study the tiny figures. He was a bit amazed at his accomplishment, both proud and relieved that he had not accidentally broken the delicate bones in his little ones' bodies or woken them up. Rogue then gradually lowered his hand to the warm dry leaves, successfully removing them from his palm and tucking them in their leafy bed. The titan stole a few more gratifying seconds to watch for signs that his little ones were awakening, signs of failure. Once satisfied that the two children were still in repose, Rogue began his attempt to sneak from the nest – the action an obstacle course within of itself. The titan maneuvered awkwardly, placing himself over the two as he began to crawl on his hands from the hollow. Rogue could almost feel his body heat rising with his nerves. Not only did he have to make sure he was silent, but each placement of his knees, feet, and legs had to be precise. He would hate to lose his little ones by his own hands.

Rogue glanced from the wrong way up between his outstretched arms for the fifth time before bracing his foot against the rear of the trunk, supporting himself as he pulled his other leg from the hollow. However, the pressure of Rogue's extremity against the ancient bark of the vast tree, forced the wood to creak loudly across the tranquil hideaway. The titan paused, his heart drumming against his ribcage as he checked his little ones once more. His breath hitched in his quaking chest as Mikasa and Armin stirred slightly, making the creature's surroundings become fogged and a blur. After a few tense seconds, his little ones then settled like two baby birds in a cradle of twigs – making Rogue breathe a cloud of steam in relief. The titan then promptly removed his foot from the hollow without any second thought. The quicker he escaped, the better. A smile forced itself to form on his face. He was almost home free and the deal would be subdued. Perfect!

"Rogue?"

He froze at his name being innocently spoken, blood running cold through his hot veins. Rogue shut his eyes in aggravation, softly cursing himself with a small growl. Just his damn luck. The titan let out a sigh, turning to see that both his little ones were sitting upright in his leafy nest with their awakening eyes upon him in question. Guilt then washed over Rogue once again as the tips of his tapered ears traditionally turned red.

"Rogue?" Armin began, his tone showing obvious worry. "What are you doing? Are you okay?"

The titan dithered, looking at the tops of his knees fretfully, knowing he had backed himself into a corner. Finally, he gave a tired grin and performed a few meaningless hand gestures, grunting to get his point across and hoping his odd quirk wasn't giving him away.

The blonde tilted his head at the titan's explanation, to Rogue's better favor he looked confused. "Why – are you sitting outside the tree?"

Rogue huffed and teasingly extended his legs before him, flexing his feet to show that he just needed a stretch. The titan purred a bit, trying to coax his little ones to believe a lie, to his relief Armin began to consider the fact – but Mikasa's distrusting eyes were ever telling. The girl then sighed.

"I know you're lying Rogue." His little one began, forcing the titan to freeze with fear. "Carla told me about your little habit with your ears and how they turn red when you're fibbing. "Now, were you – trying to sneak away to hunt food for us?"

Rogue cursed himself again with another low and short growl. His plan had completely backfired on him. After instinctively running his fingers through his hair in shame, Rogue nodded sheepishly in return, eyes fixed to the ground. He couldn't bring it upon himself to look at them. He simply sat like a misbehaved puppy, waiting to be scolded.

"Rogue, you don't need to worry about us. You're a big titan." Mikasa continued, stern but nice enough to get a point across without sounding irritated. "In fact, you're strong – you tore the titan that killed Carla and Grisha to shreds. With you leading the way with Armin and I in tow, we're very safe."

For a moment, Rogue silently panicked. His little ones only knew about his slaughter of the smiling one – not the genocide he performed upon the others almost every day. If he could count the kills, he would lose count. Ever since that day, Mikasa had seemingly adopted his human's motherly instinct. Although she was understanding and nurtured him to the fullest extent, his little one was overbearing at times and concerned of his whereabouts and well-being. Rogue only knew that it was because she cared for him greatly just as Carla did, but due to her protectiveness – it was one of the main reasons as to why Rogue never indicated what he carried out on his hunts.

The titan moaned a bit in a mixture of disagreement and aggravation. There was no way out of this predicament. Even if he told them to stay they would only insist and if he just walked away he would face their angry human tongue later. Rogue then sighed, finally nodding his head meekly in agreement.

"Good. Now as another way to persuade your stubborn disposition, if you remember, Armin and I will be sitting on your shoulder the whole time opposed to walking on the ground. We'll be right with you! How does that sound?"

Rogue dithered once again, still not completely sure if their plan was sound and without holes. But he just knew that there was no escape. No point in arguing. Finally, he purred in likeness – the only act of reassuring that seemed good enough. The titan watched as his little ones put on smiles at his answer, making a knot grow in his chest.

"Fine then, it's settled." Armin began as he carefully climbed from the nest after Mikasa. "The two of us will get dressed, gather some water, and then we can head out. Just wait here and give us a minute."

Again, the titan nodded at his little one's request, watching as they each went to their designated corners and crevices to change their garbs in private. While the two rushed to get prepared, Rogue remained seated – still silently cursing himself at his mistake. He didn't feel good about this. At all.

With winter slowly departing from the land once again, the forest was left in a melancholy state. The once thick blanket of snow was now nothing more than a few mushy patches – slowly melting away at the summoning of spring. With solid now liquid, the earth was damp and nearly muddy in blotches of exposed dirt. The low trees that did not keep their green during the white winters were beginning to slowly awaken – buds sprouting among their branches. Finally, after the frigid days, spring was on the horizon once again.

The forest was quiet except for the rhythmic thumps of Rogue's giant feet. An early morning fog had settled over the wood, provoking the titan to utilize his translucent third eyelids. The thin membranes were a new aspect about himself he discovered recently that proved to be quite handy in allowing him to see through the mists and titan steam. Rogue's tapered ears flickered and angled about, trying to pick up the sound of potential prey and steps of other titans. However, with his little ones chatting on his shoulder, they were not being helpful – their voices like a foul scent to animals and a beacon for his mindless kind. The titan then turned slightly to interrupt with a stern grunt, one that told his talkative little ones to be quiet and stay quiet.

"Sorry, Rogue." Armin whispered. "We forgot."

Rogue only scoffed and held his index finger over his mouth – a common human gesture that his little ones had told him meant silence. Upon seeing the titan's response, the two children quieted as Rogue pressed onward. The towering creature sniffed once again, his nose still hooked on his target. Truthfully, the titan was not after deer. During their initial depart from the cove; Rogue had yet again forged a plan – this time to escape killing a deer. He loved the quiet creatures, and he did not want to see them become a meal. So, in exchange, the titan had begun to track the furry growling animals. He never liked the creatures, and his forest would be better with less of them. His little ones had said that every living and breathing thing was made up of meat, so the growling creatures seemed to be the perfect substitute. The muscles in Rogue's face relaxed, a streak of worry crossing them. Hopefully the two would be happy with his decision.

The titan paused in his step, ears angling and nose sniffing bellicosely. They were close now, their pungent odor forcing his brow to furrow and ears to flick at the sounds of false aggression – toying snarls and growls. Rogue slowed his pace as he approached, stepping lightly like a cat stalking a mouse. The titan's breath grew steady, sharp gaze locked on the pack of seven wolves as he contemplated his approach. His little ones looked at one another in confusion as Rogue selected his victim like a trained hunter – a fit and well-fed alpha, perfect prey. A small voice met his ear, but Rogue was much too focused, watching the creature's breath and listening to its mesmerizing heartbeat, completely indulged. As he waited for an opening in the small creature's activity, the titan allowed his body to lighten – a trait that was often utilized by his kind, commanding his heavy frame to grow light in mass in order to move at a fast pace. Granted, he normally was fairly quick for a fifteen-meter monster, but with the lightening 'magic' trick, Rogue's speed was nearly doubled. He didn't use the trick often, only when hunting down his victims, and in this case with the tiny predators - it would be ideal. The titan completely dispelled, allowing everything to turn still as an undisturbed pond while he waited. Then, the window opened.

With a powerful kick that upset the earth, Rogue surged forward into the growling creatures' territory. The titan roared with authority as he barreled through the brush, taking no notice of the small trees perishing in his wake. With an outstretched hand, Rogue easily swiped the small animal from its feet and held it before his face as the others scattered back into the forest, fleeing for their lives. Thinking back to the moment when the small creatures had terrorized and nearly killed his human, Rogue grasped the neck of the troublesome animal and snapped it in two, delivering a quick demise. The titan hummed cheerfully as he looked at the limp creature in his hand. A smile bestowed itself onto Rogue's face as he held the growling creature up to his little ones, proud of his accomplishment. However, to the friendly titan's dismay, his little ones only glared at the wolf in distress. Did – they not like his offering? Wasn't it meat like they wanted?

"Rogue." Armin coughed. "Um –

"NNEAAAT!" The titan insured, hoping the tiny humans understood. However, the boy shook his head.

"Yeah, it's meat, Rogue. However it's not –

"NNNEEEAAT!" He reassured; pressing the animal closer for his little ones to take it from his hands so he could hunt more. To the titan's amazement, the two took no action to retrieve their gift.

"Like I said," Armin began diligently. "Every living thing is made up of meat, including the wolf you just killed."

Rogue nodded vigorously, waiting for praise at a job well done with emerald eyes sparkling like light reflecting from water.

"Thing is, some meats do not taste good to humans. The wolf, the animal in your hand Rogue, its meat doesn't taste good to us. It's why we eat deer. Deer have good meat. Understand?" His little one explained, making the titan feel completely mortified.

Rogue groaned a bit in disappointment as he lowered the dead animal back to the earth unceremoniously. However, a gentle tug on his ear provoked the titan to stop. He then turned to see Mikasa eyeing him thoughtfully.

"Thank you for getting us the wolf, but Armin is right. It's not good to eat. Its fur on the other hand Rogue, can keep us extra warm in the winter. So we can keep it." The girl smiled softly in encouragement.

Although he felt ignorant for another failed plan and his lack of knowledge, Rogue simply nodded in understanding and handed the wolf to his little ones for safekeeping. Once he made sure they were settled on his shoulder once again, the titan rose to his feet and ventured further into the wood.

With each stride, Rogue carried his precious cargo further and further from his cove. The trio had surpassed the boundaries that the titan had marked, wondering into unfamiliar woodland that was nothing like Rogue's. Despite the current state of his forest being one of transition, this collection of trees wasn't the most attractive all around. There was nothing secure or comforting about it. Gloomy was the correct term. Trees drooped against their will and the earth was never covered in any sort of green, just impractical mud. Rogue himself had only ever ventured into the dour forest a few times in his entire existence. Nothing seemed very fertile and the moistness of the ground wasn't the best to move on – especially for something of the titan's stature. However, Rogue knew that deer used the grim pass quite often between his forest and the other lush ones. He wasn't familiar with these particular few, so perhaps he wouldn't feel much remorse.

The titan prowled further into the musk-grown landscape, each weighing step causing the moist ground to gurgle beneath his feet. Rogue let his ears angle about freely, searching for the familiar pitter-patter of hooves and a tiny heartbeat that didn't belong to his little ones. With each minute that passed, a sense of nervousness clung to the titan like tar. Not only was he sick at the thought of killing one of the only species of animal that ever bothered to understand him, but also being in an unfamiliar forest with his little ones made him want to finish his task quickly. Suddenly, upon the verge of turning back, he heard it. The small sound of flouncing met his eardrums, making Rogue stop in an instant. Declaring that his target was close with the rhythmic thumping rapidly approaching, the titan looked down just in time to see a large deer prance between his feet and into a clearing. Rogue remained vigilant, watching as the four-legged mammal slowed to feast on a lone patch of malnourished grass. The deer was a six-point buck with a good amount muscle – meaning that it possessed a great amount of stamina and was most likely from another sumptuous forest. Rogue tilted his head as he began to access the situation. From what he exhibited in his deer, they were quick and wiry creatures and could prove to be difficult to catch. The titan himself had never, in all his years with a beating heart, tried to pick up a deer – only pet them and grunt in an attempt to form a conversation. Rogue swallowed back another knot of worry as he slowly edged forward from the cover of a tree, breath restrained at the thought of what he was about to do.

With the sound of a deep thump echoing across the clearing, the buck looked up to meet eyes with the uncertain Rogue. The dark eyes of the deer became wide and frozen as it stared at the titan's immense frame. Its ears stilled, pricked forward in alarm as its body became petrified. Fear, the titan realized – an expression that caused paralysis without injury and made the mind swarm in panic, one he sometimes experienced. It was an opening, but one that Rogue wasn't truly wiling to take. The titan took a few steps further, crouched as he sulked to his prey – a much less aggressive approach from the one that he had performed earlier. As Rogue came within striking range, the buck finally found the will to move, more or less run. With a single kick, the deer threw itself into a sprint. Then, oddly, the creature stopped and turned, pausing to look upon the titan in question.

"Rogue you might want to hurry before it gets away." Armin suggested quietly as he griped tighter onto the titan's locks.

The giant gave a weary nod in return before trying to focus on his objective once again. With another colossal step in advance, the buck darted into the opposite direction again – this time showing no signs of slowing. In that instant, a sudden impulse to not withstand failure propelled Rogue into action. The titan barely allowed himself to lighten before he made a dive for the miniscule mammal, rattling his little ones with the sudden burst of speed. Landing onto his knees, the titan made a single swipe – catching the defenseless deer in the palm of his hand. Rogue let out a jet of steam in shock as he rose to sit upon his calves. The deer squirmed in the monster's grasp, antlers barely scratching his tough skin. The animal then began to announce its terror with a series of pained noises that Rogue had never heard from his own deer. Guilt and remorse settled into Rogue's stomach like a load of bricks as he peeled away his fingers to see the buck's body. The titan trembled as his shame grew at the sight of the small animal's frame. Its chest heaved in panic as Rogue examined his undoing's, the deer's back leg was twisted inwardly while another in the front was bent at an awkward and sick angle, bone puncturing through skin with crimson staining brown fur. Rogue let out a pitiful whine as he observed the deer nearly seizure in his palm. How could he kill something, let alone hurt something so innocent?

"Good job, Rogue." The raven-haired girl spoke softly into the titan's ear.

Hearing words of praise made Rogue feel worse. The titan let out another soft cry, eyes nearly welling up with tears at the thought of what he had done. His little one only sighed and patted his neck in comfort.

"We know you didn't want to kill the deer, but you have to look at it this way. Its sacrifice will help Armin and I live. But of course, humans eating deer is the natural order of things, Rogue. If you didn't, eventually someone else would have."

The titan paused in his acts of sadness to consider his little one's words, whimpering quietly. The way things worked in the world was cruel. Deer ate the grass, humans ate the deer, and the mindless titans ate humans – natural. Yet, he and his little ones, their harmony with one another, was a perfect example of something unnatural but beautiful itself. A perfect ideal. Their mismatched family even lived in peace with the deer and the forest's bounty. Did they really have to kill innocent things to survive?

"The kindest thing would be to put it out of its misery rather than letting it suffer." Armin began. "It's sad, but –

Rogue turned and addressed his little ones with a whine of disapproval, but looking upon their faces only made him collect himself. It had to be done. He loved them too much.

"It has to be done. Otherwise we'll starve."

With his little one's truthful words, the titan finally nodded and raised his opposite hand to the buck's neck. Rogue swallowed as he placed his thumb and index into place, shutting his eyes in revulsion as he quickly carried out what he had to do. The titan sighed as he removed his hand to reveal the dead deer. Not willing to look at the animal any longer, Rogue quickly handed the deer to his little ones, watching their faces light up in excitement as they took it with open arms.

"Thank you Rogue!" The blonde boy exclaimed. " Mikasa and I understand that it was a harsh thing to ask of you, but now we won't go hungry – in fact we'll probably be healthier than ever thanks to you!"

Rogue's ears flickered at the boy's words. So this meat made his little ones' health even better? The titan blinked, if that was indeed true then he no longer felt much pity. Knowing that his little ones were going to be okay, he was more than willing to carry out their deal. As long as the deer he was to hunt were not his own, he was at peace. The titan finally emitted a pleased rumble in reply; it made him feel good to see his little ones happy in an unforgiving world.

"Looks like we'll have enough food for the next two weeks! We can preserve it with some of the materials Rogue collected." Armin informed as the titan slowly rose to his feet, still looking at his little ones and awaiting an order. If they needed more, he would get it.

"EEERRR?" Rogue queried, gesturing into the forest. Mikasa shook her head.

"We've got enough for now, Rogue. We should head back now so Armin and I can prepare, eat, and preserve the meat." Mikasa paused. "Again, thank you."

The titan smiled at her kind gesture, letting out a squeak as he dipped his head as if to say 'you're welcome.' Rogue then turned in the direction of their home, but an all too familiar stench hit his nose, making him stop immediately in his stride. The small hairs on his neck stood up and his body froze. Rogue's face fell at his realization. No! Not now!

Feeling their vast friend's frame seize up, Rogue's little ones looked to him in worry. The titan's green eyes widened as his ears naturally angled independently in search. His hands trembled and heart hammered within his ribcage as another titan, thirteen meters tall, emerged from the trees. Rogue looked on in horror, ignoring his little ones' gasps in fright, as the titan paused in its lumbering waltz. Before he could make out the monster's facial features, his ears alerted him to another titan. Quickly, Rogue turned to see a hunched eight-meter glaring at him with soulless eyes, ones that only reflected hunger. With his conscious buzzing, Rogue took a step back in retreat – just as a third titan, a ten-meter, emerged from behind him. He hastily spun to face all three, cursing himself again for the umpteenth time that day.

He had been ignorant, wandering into a forest that wasn't marked with his scent. Because of his stubborn intentions to catch a deer that he didn't know, he had placed his innocent little ones into certain jeopardy. To make matters worse, he was in no position to fight them. His family, his precious babies, were seated onto his shoulder with their meat. Not only were they present, but also the soft and wet ground would make any fight a fatal one. If the titan were to make a wrong move and get stuck in the mud, it would be over for his human companions.

"I…I think – we'll be okay." Armin whispered shakily. "We smell like Rogue and as long as we don't move, I'm sure we will not be noticed."

The words were medicine to him. His little ones would be okay. They matched his scent, but surely –

Simultaneously, to Rogue's incredible dismay, the three titans took a step forward, saliva running from their lips like rivers for they were fully intent on their prize – a chance to satisfy their gullet. Did his scent mean nothing? As the titans advanced, the primal and feral instinct within Rogue forced itself up front and center once again. His eyes narrowed and pupils slit with rage. The fifteen-meter's breath grew ravenous and foreboding as his ears placed themselves against his head like an aggressive wolf. Rogue let loose a sinister hiss from between his teeth, letting his animalistic instincts awaken fully. He couldn't act – he was a cornered beast, but perhaps his own theory was true.

'YOU…FUCKERS.' Rogue's mind snarled as he watched two of the monsters roar dolefully in insolence. 'WHY!'

One of the beasts took a cautious step forward, forcing Rogue to release a threatening and savage growl. His eyes widened further, pupils shrinking a bit as anger ran white hot through his veins. Rogue then let out a feral howl directed at his enemies. Nothing was going to harm his little ones. He would make that clear in this undergoing standoff. He rushed forward a few steps, giving a separate roar to each of three titans – eyes darting back and forth from each with murderous intent.

"Rogue!" Armin whimpered. "We need to –

His little one's words only drowned in his fury as Rogue continued his threatening display, back arched and fingers twitching in pure wrath. The seed had been planted and there was no way to dig it up.

For what seemed like an eternity but was mere seconds, the four titans exchanged threats. Like his body, Rogue's furious state of mind only escalated. His luck was the worst it seemed. Why? Why did his kin have to intrude? Why… did they have to eat his little ones – or his humans?

'WHY… DO YOU… DO… THIS!' Rogue thought irately as he released an earth shattering roar, provoking his little ones to cower behind his ears, struggling to protect their own hearing from their massive friend's madness. The protective titan bellowed again and slammed a foot into the damp earth with authority, trying his best not to lash out at his foes for the safety of his little ones. 'YOU…

The thirteen-meter took a foolish step forward, spiking Rogue's anger higher like mercury in a thermometer – his rage and growing temperature bringing forth steam from his lipless maw and various pores upon his skin.

'WILL…NOT…

Rogue's mind churned and stormed, spiteful words igniting like lightning and echoing throughout his skull like thunder. The titan's eyes began to glow a menacing green as he watched the other two titans shift in their stance. If they were too dim to listen, he would be forced to act.

'EAT THEM!' The titan concluded; inner words and another powerful roar firing off like a cannon. Rogue then prepared himself, slowly raising his fists before him in a defensive stance, daring them to attack. Just as he was about to throw a punch, the thirteen-meter took a step in retreat – an unheard of feat from a titan. Rogue then watched as the larger titan changed direction and lumbered off into the trees seemingly without another second to spare. Before he could ponder further, the two other members of his kind turned to follow suit. After what had appeared to be a grueling and possibly heartbreaking battle, the despondent forest grew quiet once again.

A wave of relief swept over the titan aggressively. Making him nearly drop to his knees. Rogue let out a great breath of steam as his chest and heart heaved from shock. The titan leaned against a neighboring tree for support as he attempted to cool and gather himself. At least he knew that it wasn't his scent but his angry pheromones that were keeping his kin at bay.

"Rogue?" A tiny voice cooed into his ear as a small and delicate palm pressed against his toned neck. "It's okay now." Mikasa spoke maternally. "You scared them off."

Every muscle in his body loosened at his little one's voice, one that had the same caring tone of Carla that always put him at ease. Rogue's grim face then softened, like putty in the hands of a child as he turned to look at the two children perched upon his shoulder. They were clearly shaken, but better than being in the pit of a titan's gut. Forcefully, he smiled feebly with a small growl in acknowledgement. His little ones were okay.

"Thanks for saving us again, Rogue." Armin added, the titan knowing very well what his words meant. "Now, how about we go home?"

Rogue nodded vigorously in agreement, watching eagerly as the two got settled before motioning in the direction of the cove. However, as he walked, he could not help but feel the intense eyes from the two children. Not willing to eavesdrop on their shaky words, Rogue let himself submerge in his thoughts. It was still far too dangerous to bring his little ones upon these hunts. For now on, no matter how much they begged, he would not allow his tiny humans to come with him. He would make the world safe first. Rogue's eyes then peeked from their corners, glaring off into the trees that his evil brethren vanished into. Those three titans. Later he would hunt them down, and kill them. He would enjoy every rush that would descend upon him with every spill of crimson on his skin and earth along with his foes' cries of mercy. He would make sure of that.

The titan let out a cocky snort at the thought; as soon as he was able he would take care of the bastards. With his day's bounty and incidence – he deserved to carry out this act of revenge. Rogue found himself nodding to his small commitment, but then another familiar scent worked its way into his nostrils. The titan's head turned abruptly in the direction the smell's origin, eyes wide and ears facing forward. Was it really them again?

"Uh, is everything okay, Rogue?"

Hearing his little one's query, the titan turned to the two children, noting the concerned look upon their faces. Like usual, the towering creature played his trepidation off with a practiced crooked grin and a deep purr. To his better favor, the two only nodded in reply and returned to their conversation. Rogue began to walk again, gate slightly quicker than before. Was it the flying humans again? Could it be true that they were back in titan territory hunting in their pack again? The beast looked down at his little ones once again before returning his line of sight in the direction of the source. As soon as he returned his little ones to his nest, he would find them too. He had to see them again!

(POV SWAP)

Hange shifted in her spot on the high branch, barely able to contain her excitement. Ever since she had been told the news, she had been looking forward to this day for over a month. Admittedly, Hange had her doubts when 'No Bullshit Levi' filed her request for approval. Not too many Scouts took her seriously when it came to her experiments on titans. In fact, she was surprised that Levi had even listened to her in the first place. Over the few weeks of the approval's gestation, Hange's unease invaded her mind like a disease – maybe even like a drug. Then, just as her request seemed to be another in the rejected pile, Commander Erwin demanded that she and those who witnessed the strange titan first hand retell their encounter. After a thorough listen, the man approved Hange's request. However, as usual, there were terms and strict orders.

With every mission outside Wall Rose, the regiment's continuous death toll made the higher ups in Wall Sina weary of even keeping the Scouts –quite often fighting over the option of putting away humanities spear. In fact, it had been an uphill battle just to get approved five years worth of missions and permission to capture small specimens. With the case of The Rogue Titan, Erwin had taken a risky approach. The idea of an intelligent and genetically advanced titan was incredibly hard to swallow even for the Scouts, let alone one that wouldn't eat a human at the chance to do so. At the present time, if the facts were exposed, the Scouting Legion would lose all credibility and the fraction possibly terminated. Instead, they would gamble their stakes at keeping their observations of The Rogue a secret. These missions would be purely scientific observation with no interventions with their subject unless it was absolutely necessary. If the titan were to grow hostile against them, it would be killed immediately with no further question. The treks into Wall Maria would be disguised as their usual monthly exterminations, if they encountered a regular titan they were to dispose of it in order to keep suspicions from rising to the surface. Of course, all of this would only be carried out if the Scouts were to make contact with The Rogue Titan upon their inaugural mission. Otherwise, the case would be dismissed.

The scientist let out a deep breath as she peeled away the branch before her to check the clearing where the first experiment had been placed. Hange was nearly boiling over in excitement at the idea of it. The test was a simple but effective intelligence test designed to form a conclusion whether or not the titan had accelerated brain activity, using objects to stimulate intrigue. Normally, titans cared for nothing except their next human meal and paid no heed to human objects and possessions, except for the wall that they constantly scratched at. This test would also determine the Scout's next step as well.

Hange scanned the clearing as best as she could before letting out a sigh in defeat. Nearly two hours had passed and their fish had not taken the bait. She didn't need to look to know that the other soldiers were growing restless, especially Erwin, Mike, Molbit, and Levi who were all seated next to her in wait – their eyes carving into the clearing as well.

"You know, for once I actually wish one of those naked bastards would show up so we have something to do." Levi muttered darkly to himself. Erwin shook his head.

"Humph, its actually peculiar. We are here in the territory that you encountered The Rogue, a titan that goes after its own kind. Who's to say that the titans are staying away because of him." The Commander spoke deeply, his face like stone and voice laced with authority. The man was a powerful figure, a wise one too. Although there were constant jokes about his eyebrows being too big for his face among other accusations, Erwin's smarts and seriousness make him greatly respectable.

"You're probably onto something there." Mike supported. "It's past noon and we've only encountered a few titans, less than ten I presume. From what I saw of this titan, he's a nightmare to the others. I would stay away too if you ask me."

"Still, I wish that I had something to do besides hear Shitty Glasses squeak or squeal every five minutes at nothing." The Corporal grumbled.

"Hey!" She hushed. "I'm just excited for you to see my beautiful baby, Levi! You and Erwin are going to love him!"

The stout man scoffed. "I'm sure I won't. The fact that you treat these monsters like they're your children is disturbing, Hange." Levi grumbled as he nuzzled into the trunk of the tree, condensing his body for warmth in the chilly air. "Besides at this rate, The Rogue Titan is not going to make its appearance."

Hange only smiled gleefully. "He found us last time so he may find us this time."

Erwin looked to the Section Commander in question. "What makes you say that?"

Her grin remained plastered onto her face as she cleared her throat. "Well, titans can smell humans for miles. Our subject can as well, but his knack for hunting his own species just tells me that he can identify their scent also. If a titan finds us here, then the hunter will follow his prey." Hange nearly hummed as she peeked into the clearing again.

"Well, I do hope that –

A series of thumps then met the soldiers' ears, provoking them to prepare and look out into the clearing. Hange's heart hammered against her ribcage as her excitement of looking upon the magnificent titan swept over her again. To her disappointment, a single medium sized titan with a dopey face and chubby build had emerged from the trees. It moved in a shaky jog, heading right for the tree that the five of them rested in without any intent other than to consume.

"It's a five-meter!" Hange announced as she prepared to carry out Erwin's directives to slay any normal specimen, but just as she was about to give the order, Levi dived from his perch much like a bird of prey – movement so fast that he was difficult to track by the naked eye. With much precision, the Corporal dispatched the threat from their wake. The five-meter then toppled to the ground as Levi rejoined them in the trees, casually wiping the blood from his blade. The man's impassive face reflecting the idea that nothing had ever occurred.

"Well, let's see how true your theory is now, Hange." He spoke calmly as he continued his guilty pleasure of sterilization. The scientist only sighed, still keeping the smile upon her face despite Levi's arrogant attitude. Just as she was opening her mouth, Mike suddenly stood, his face becoming a much more serious one.

"He's here."

Everyone froze at his words. With her eyes wide as grapefruits, Hange and her subordinates turned their attention back to the clearing. The woman's body trembled in excitement as she squinted her eyes in an attempt to see through the rapidly ejected titan steam. At the edge of the forest, sheltered behind the towering trees, was a looming fifteen-meter shadow with eyes that nearly glowed beneath the evergreen canopy. For several minutes, Hange observed the titan excitedly – patiently waiting for it to emerge out into the open. However, as time passed, The Rogue Titan only remained in its place – its breath echoing across the clearing and making the eager scientist tense.

"If he's as smart as we believe him to be, then perhaps Levi should have not killed the other titan. The Rogue has seen what we do and knows about his own weaknesses." Mike muttered as he continued to observe the hiding fifteen-meter. "I doubt he will even come out now."

Hange barely heard Levi scoff in response. All of her attention was glued to the titan. Her heart lifted into her chest and a fearful heat flushed into her face. Had the monster somehow been steered away? Was it too leery to come out and greet them?

Suddenly, the titan's green eyes glanced into the center of the clearing right at the two objects upon the ground. The scientist watched, smile growing bigger as she registered the beast's consideration. The Rogue then adverted its gaze to the trees once again to look where the hidden Scouts were located.

"Well, he's certainly aware of us that's for sure." Erwin whispered so quietly that he could barely be heard. "He doesn't seem to have an appetite for us either, otherwise we would be dead by now."

Hange held her breath at the Commander's words. He believed her on this absurd matter. 'Come on.' She thought. 'We won't hurt you if you don't hurt us. So be a good boy and come on out!'

The Rogue Titan then released a breath of hot steam in an apparent snort. Just as Hange was about to let depression take her, the fifteen-meter took a step forward – its footstep vibrating the trunk of the very tree that she and the others resided in. Gradually, in a careful way, the titan exposed himself. Hange nearly squealed in excitement. The green-eyed titan was just as magnificent as she remembered him.

"Humph, it's an ugly son of a bitch isn't it?" Corporal Levi spoke quietly as he stared intently with steely eyes at the beast.

"Nonsense!" Hange whispered enthusiastically. "He's incredible and handsome!" She corrected as she turned to her assistant. "Molbit get ready to write down all I say and take note of anything that is of interest!"

"I have to admit, Hange." The Commander continued as he scrutinized the titan with great concentration. "The Rogue's unique in appearance I'll give you that."

'Just you wait!' The woman thought maddeningly as she began to assess. "Here we have the fabled 'Rogue Titan' in his natural habitat." Hange began with Molbit rapidly scribing her words. "He seems a bit shy, but this titan is fully aware of his weak spot and itself. After much hesitation, it seems like he's finally decided to emerge from his territory." The scientist narrated as she watched the fifteen-meter like a hawk.

The titan then stepped fully from the trees, its powerful frame coming into full view of the Scouts once again. Quickly, The Rogue looked around, its pointed ears fidgeting. The creature's hand then snaked up to its neck like it had done before, shielding the area from unwanted penetration. The titan's green orbs then danced among the surrounding trees again, watching for any sudden move of offense.

"As previously discovered, The Rogue Titan is protecting its nape from harm."

"Well, what do you know?" The Commander spoke, shock coating his voice like flour. "It's aware of its weak spot.

"This guy is a genius compared to the other little shits like him." Levi spoke, his stern tone scarcely covering his amazement.

The titan then snorted again with its gaze lowering from the distressed soldiers to the experiment before him. Hange watched as the creature's long and tapered ears pricked forward and its head tilted in amusement. The Rogue then let out a strange gurgle that was unfamiliar with the Scouts as its eyes stared at the objects – irises infected with what one could only determine as wonder.

"Looks like our specimen is showing an interest in our experiment!"

The fifteen-meter then motioned forward once again, gate shifting to a curve and an almost nervous one. The titan then paused above the two items, shifting a bit in hesitation as it debated on what to do. Finally, the creature gradually crouched down to rest on the balls of its feet. Everything remained silent and still as The Rogue glanced over its shoulder once more time before returning its focus to the experiment. The titan tilted his head in the opposite direction as it began to look at the shining object with child-like curiosity. The Rogue then emitted an almost gentle rumble as it held a single finger just over the object, an unused blade. The sight nearly made Hange release a massive squeal.

"Here we have The Rogue Titan showing its intelligence! Unlike other non-responsive titans, he has shown incredible interest and expressed amusement in a blade we use to kill his own kind. The titan even makes sounds of a suggestive gentle nature!" She squeaked. "Fascinating!"

The titan then lowered its finger to the blade warily, touching the cold steel lightly before pulling the digit away cursorily as if it was a rattlesnake prepped to strike. The creature then tilted its head again as it scrutinized further, body shifting a bit as it looked at the murderous tool from various angles – reminding the scientist of a puppy. After several seconds of the titan's observations, the beast delicately took the blade in hand – the sword appearing so small that it could be called a toothpick in the giant's forefinger and thumb. The Rogue then raised the weapon before its face, green eyes wide in curiosity as it looked at its refection in the steel. The titan made another series of grumbles as it inspected a ray of light reflect onto the blade, completely intrigued as it moved with every shift of the creature's hand. Hange then watched as The Rogue's attention was then thrown to the ground where a spot of light reflected off the tip of the sword. The creature's pupils dilated larger as it watched the spot move and shake upon the ground, unaware that the movement was provoked by its own doing. Then, much like a cat, the titan impulsively removed its opposite hand from its nape and brought it down upon the spot, a loud thump sounding across the clearing and nearly stifling a laugh from Hange.

"Oh look how curious he is! The Rogue Titan also displays animalistic traits as well!"

Levi sighed. "Big idiot."

Again, the scientist dismissed the crude comment and continued in her observation. For a moment, the titan continued to stare at the light, now on top of its hand, in confusion until it quickly covered its nape once again – seemingly realizing its mistake. The Rogue then glanced around at the trees, making sure it was in the clear before returning its attention to the blade. The titan tilted the deadly instrument again, watching the dancing light for a moment as it slowly came to conclusions, its eyes looking from the spot to the sword as The Rogue waved it back and forth.

"Incredible! The Rogue Titan displays basic problem solving skills! How vast its intelligence spans, we don't yet know!" Hange narrated excitedly, receiving a growl from Levi.

"Hange shut the fuck up." He groaned. "You can inform us without being annoying as usual."

Once more, she ignored the man's orders and continued to study her subject. The titan then kept its focused onto the sword, brows knitting together as it squinted in suspicion. The titan then suddenly held the blade to its calf and gradually poked the metal past its flesh, making Hange yelp.

'What on earth is it –

As blood slowly leaked from the small wound, The Rogue's face showed slight discomfort before pulling the steel away. The creature watched in awe as the small lesion steamed and healed in seconds to spare before tossing the weapon away with a small disgruntled growl.

"Looks like The Rogue shows interest in what human weapons are capable of inflicting!" Hange sighed with great relief. "How interesting!"

The strange titan then shifted its focus to the second object placed before it, an old mattress that had probably belonged to a long dead soldier that was either rotting in the earth or part of a titan pellet. Levi had been stern about throwing the ragged item out, but Hange had insisted that there was a better use for it – that being titan experiments as expected. The Rogue then surprisingly let its body relax, shifting from kneeling on its heels to seating itself upon its rump. Hange's eyes followed the titan's free hand as it gently tapped the mattress, scooting the object to and fro before placing it between its legs. The creature's ears then placed themselves fully forward again in intrigue, tilting its head once more much like it had done with the previous object. Suddenly, the titan shifted itself to sit upon its knees before bending over to sniff the worn mattress in question, The Rogue's breath loud and rustling the scattered leaves upon the ground.

"Now we see the titan sampling the offering in an attempt to identify the object! What will he do next?"

"Hange, so help me if you don't –

The Rogue then returned upright again as it stared down at the mattress with inquiry. The Scouts watched as the titan then lifted the mattress again with ease to bring it towards its face. To Hange's surprise, the fifteen-meter bit into the corner and with a smooth turn of its head ripped the edge off with no strain. The titan's eyes grew bigger as cotton spilled out of the mattress and between its knees. For a moment, the titan seemed to be in a state of shock judging by its frozen expression and body until it released a deep rumble and began to push the gutted cotton across the earth with its hand. The strange rumbling changed pitch every so often as the titan began to toss and mess with the innards of the object. The others looked on as the titan suddenly became very animated.

'Excitement?'

The Rogue then roughly sat the old mattress back down before bending over once again to meet the unnatural white fluff spilled onto the earth. The higher ups looked on, faces twisting up in confusion as the titan suddenly gave in to its strange desire and removed its protective hand from its nape, placing its maw close to the ground and even licking cotton clumps before spitting them out in distaste. The titan then continued to rumble and push the cotton around, making the scientist only more ecstatic and fuming with more questions.

"Incredible! The Rogue gives in to what may be more quirks! Even in the presence of humans!"

Levi's brow wrinkled in bewilderment. "What the hell is that thing doing?" He grunted as he watched the titan cover its nape again but continue to throw cotton in the air, watching it closely as it fell lightly like snow.

Hange scratched her chin. "Well, I think he's smart enough to where he's testing it. Like a child, he's never seen a mattress before so he wants a close look and in this case dissect it."

The Corporal folded his arms neatly over his chest, scowl growing deeper. "He's smart for a titan I'll say that. As far as a level of human intelligence goes, he's quite simple – like a toddler." Levi paused as continued to watch the titan. "What's he going to do next, roll in cotton like a dog rolls in crap?"

For the first time, Hange's eyes narrow. "Levi! Don't insult my test subject!" She put simply as she directed her attention back to the beast, watching as it now relaxed once again on its rear – still looking at the remains of the mattress now strung out across part of the clearing. 'Could… he really be doing what I think he's doing? Is it some form of –

Suddenly, the titan lost interest in the strewn bedding and stiffened, eyes wide but not in curiosity. The higher ups watched in alarm as The Rogue began to sniff the air aggressively, breath heavier and deeper than before – growing savage as the seconds passed. Abruptly, the titan got to its feet, ground shifting slightly as its nose continued to survey more assertively. A massive growl then erupted from the titan's chest, pupils transforming into slits and sending a wave of fear through every Scout. Hange's heart missed; did the titan finally turn hostile?

"Erwin! Your orders!" Levi began as he readied a blade.

The Commander's face grew grim, but as he opened his mouth to instruct, Mike received his attention with a firm hand placed onto the man's shoulder.

"There are three approaching titans from the west. I believe he's noticed them."

To confirm suspicion, the titan suddenly charged back into the tree line with a mighty roar, upsetting any sort of balance. As The Rogue Titan was swallowed into the evergreen foliage, both Hange and Levi looked to the Commander. His face was steel and difficult to read like most of the time. The man then readied his gear.

"Follow The Rogue Titan. I – need to see this." Erwin ordered as he shot forth a cable and was off. Hange soon joined him, laughing almost hysterically.

"Trust me, Commander! You're going to enjoy the show!"

(POV SWAP)

Rogue charged forward with sheer rage and determination to see to his enemies' deaths. With a lightened mass, he was pure speed. He could only describe the feeling as exhilarating, the trill of the hunt. During his search for the flying humans, he had been hoping to run into the three titans from before that dared to cross him, let alone targeted his little ones. He almost wanted to thank the uniformed men for drawing them close to him. Although he was capable of bringing forth incredibly cruelty upon his kind, humans were his to protect and didn't need anymore suffering in their life.

Truthfully, he had not expected to run into them firsthand even though he was following their scent specifically. He began to ponder as he moved faster, letting the blood and adrenaline pump throughout his body. Rogue had been amazed that he had actually pushed himself into human domain. But as long as he covered his weak spot it seemed, the flying humans couldn't kill him. Still, their presence this time puzzled him. They made no move to attack or hunt down any of his kin except for the small titan that rushed upon them with no notice. The uniformed men only watched and waited, speaking human tongue to one another as they remained hidden like birds in the canopy. Of course, during his exposure, the titan knew to be less threatening even though he had no intention to kill. Then of course there was what he assumed were presents, things that his little ones often would bring back in the past so he could look at them. Was it possible that the flying humans were thanking him too? Where they giving him those things for rescuing them before? Still, he couldn't say for sure. But one thing for certain, he knew they were just as interested in him as he was with them. Rogue wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Rounding a tight corner, he spotted the three hulking titans that he had encountered before. A sneer placed itself onto his deformed face as he raised a clenched fist, now that his little ones were safe in his cove, it would be the perfect time to carry out what he had picked up from the fighting book. Rogue roared in pure rage as he burst forth into the mindless ones' wake. The fifteen-meter seized up his great frustrations and previous heartbreak as he targeted the second tallest of the bunch. The furious titan then swung his raised fist, hitting the ten-meter underneath its chin so forcefully that it threw the monster into the air with its decapitated head landing several meters away, blood spraying up into the heavens and sending pleasure all throughout Rogue's frame. He rushed forward and almost gleefully bit into the still intact nape, tearing the vital spot away with crimson and spinal fluid painting his face. With no time to waste, Rogue spun around to face his other two foes, green eyes narrowed with revenge and nearly insanity. The feeling of ripping apart his own was bitter as it brought forth thoughts of his previous loss, but somehow it felt good all the same. He loved it.

The two titans before him turned to acknowledge his presence, bellowing their own late greeting. Rogue snarled through his clamped jaw and raised his fists before his face, letting the feeling of near invincibility wash over him as the imminent brawl began spawn. The titan rushed foolishly forward with a screech, making Rogue's lipless grin grow more ghoulish.

'I…WILL KILL…YOU!' His conscious roared as he threw his fist at the advancing giant, hitting the pathetic thing in the jaw. Before the blood fell, Rogue grasped the titan's uneven shoulders and brought his knee into the creature's weighty abdomen viciously, forcing the monster to double over and vomit a river of blood. Rogue took no time to celebrate his new move's success or feel the gratification of sprayed crimson as he quickly took hold of the titan's nape. With another furious howl, the fifteen-meter began to separate the spine from flesh, his victim releasing a bloodcurdling scream that hurt his eardrums – but was satisfying to hear nonetheless.

'ALL OF…YOU!'

As his prey fell dead at his feet, Rogue, with the separated spinal column in hand, shot his piercing eyes to the biggest titan of the three. He almost laughed, in fact he nearly did at the thought that the creature was getting what it deserved. With every titan he saw, the memory of his humans being devoured only fueled his urge even more. None of the titans were safe from his wrath. None. Zero. Rogue then slung the rapidly evaporating spine at the thirteen-meter's head, the severed part hitting its mark to blind the beast. He then lunged and encased its fucked up face in his palm. Again, he roared as he slammed the titan's skull into the thick and tall tree, making a sickening crack echo among the forest as bone was split open. Rogue snarled and repeated his assault multiple times, eyes blazing in reprisal as the creature's precious life juices and brain tissue decorated his body and bark. Even as the nape was destroyed, Rogue carried out his slaughter for several long minutes until the skull was unrecognizable, a nauseating mass of red. With crimson-coated hands, Rogue threw his head back to announce his rage and victory.

The titan sighed as steam rose from the corpses and blood evaporated from his frame. These three wouldn't be eating his little ones anytime soon. His day's bounty was truly rewarding. There were now a few less monsters in the world. Soon, it would be safe for his little ones and the rest of humanity.

"Damn, it's like flipping a switch."

Rogue froze at the voice. Quickly, he covered his nape and turned to look in the surrounding trees. High in the branches were the flying humans yet again. The titan swallowed fretfully, had they been there the whole time? Watching his hunt? Rogue remained still as he looked at the group of uniformed men in the center of the pack. Two of them were the same humans he had seen the first time he met the flying humans. There was the tall man with the hair on his chin and the female human with messy hair and glasses that made what seemed like excited squeaks every other minute. The other two that were with them were not there the first encounter. The bigger human had a stony face with hair the shade of Armin's and large eyebrows. The other Rogue almost mistook as a child for his short height, but his experienced face told the titan otherwise. His Adam's apple bobbed a bit as the titan swallowed fretfully. What were their intentions? Were they following him?

"Isn't he magnificent!" The messy haired woman squealed. "Such resentment for his own species!"

Rogue blinked, unable to make out most of her words for they were far too complex. He watched cautiously, debating whether or not to make a beeline for his cove. He watched as the big blonde human muttered something beneath his breath before giving a silent signal with his hand. Rogue surveyed in confusion as one by one the humans dispersed together into the trees before vanishing completely, leaving only their scent.

The titan tilted his head in question. What were they up to? Did they want something from him? Rogue stood still, glancing behind him in the direction if his home before looking back at the route the uniformed men had flown. The beings were so strange that he wanted to learn more from them. Despite the massive difference in size, they had the hatred of his kind in common with the lust to kill them. It intrigued him. Rogue peered over his shoulder again as he contemplated. The sun was setting on the world and his little ones would be asleep with the flying humans. His mind then hatched an idea. With his little ones safe behind the rock walls of their cove, he would go and investigate the uniformed men. He could observe them freely as they lay in repose if he was quiet enough. Sure, it was risky, but it would be worth it - he had absorbed enough sunlight to last him a few hours. The titan released a prolonged huff of steam before taking a step into the direction where the flying humans had vanished, hoping he wasn't making a mistake.

(POV SWAP)

Night had descended upon the forest, coating everything in darkness but gifting the Scouts with safety. On expeditions, every soldier was thankful for the presence of the moon for it restrained the titans from feeding. Levi settled further into his hammock that hunk from the limb of a towering tree, a practice carried out by the Survey Corps. In areas with no safe houses, they took to the giant trees like perched birds in safety – hanging from a hammock as if it was their cocoon – thankfully not a coffin. The smaller man shifted a bit, trying to rest his eyes through annoying snores and songs of crickets. Of course, the main thing that plagued him from sleep was the thoughts swimming in his head. Weeks ago, he heavily doubted Hange as usual, but seeing The Rogue Titan from Garrison myth left him in a state of awe that he had instinctively tried to cover up. The titan was just as described, pointy ears and all. Smart to a degree and tactical, but absolutely rabid and merciless when against its own kind. However, something was pulling at him, an odd feeling. How would that titan know to cover its nape – especially in the presence of the Scouts? After a moment, Levi sighed. Perhaps he was dwelling on it too much. The Rogue had probably picked it up from watching the previous expedition when the others had been ambushed the horde of titans. Then again, the stories the Garrison soldiers told, how did it –

Levi sighed and decided to delay his train of thought. The man then rolled over and let his eyes grow heavy with exhaustion with every passing minute. Finally, his lids closed and he allowed the coming sleep to claim him.

However, a deep rhythmic breath forced his eyelids to peel open. Levi bit his lip in aggravation. Really? Why did Hange have to be annoying in her sleep as well? That much he knew from finding the scientist in her office multiple times slumped over her desk with drool tainting the wood and snoring as loud as a man three hundred pounds heavier. Levi growled and rolled over again, trying his best to filter the noise out but was unsuccessful. As the Corporal listened he grew angrier, if Hange prolonged any further he would personally wake her up with a hard kick.

A thump met the weary man's eardrums followed by the soft whinny of a horse. Levi's brows furrowed as he blinked in confusion. For a moment he pondered. Why was a soldier down on the ground? Even if they had to shit or piss they were ordered to do it in the trees no questions asked. Levi blinked as he listened to the deep breathing again in suspicion. His heart then stopped in realization.

That wasn't Hange or any soldier.

Fully aware, Levi peeled away the cloth of the hammock to stare down at the forest floor beneath them. His eyes grew wide as he saw it. The fifteen-meter, The Rogue Titan that they had been viewing before, was in the center of their campsite – at night.

"What the fuck!" Levi hissed quietly as he watched the titan marvel at the soldiers' tethered horses. The man's breath hitched in alarm, observing the kneeling giant look around their ground level camp, a fire lit clearing that boasted the Scouts' supply wagons, larger weapons, and other tools before placing its attention back to the horses. Levi swallowed as the giant being carefully held a finger to the nearest equine, making him silently panic further. The Scouts' horses were bred to not be so easily spooked by a titan, but he wasn't sure if those genetics counted against a titan that would most likely pick them up.

"Looks like we have an unexpected visitor!"

Hearing her ever-familiar voice, Levi turned to see Hange, excited as ever, sitting upright in the hammock next to him. He swallowed, praying that the woman's elation wouldn't give them away.

"Hange – what the hell… it's awake!" Levi stammered, watching as The Rogue tapped a dark stallion with his finger. As a result, the horse grunted in annoyance but surprisingly stayed sane. The titan tilted its head, ears flickering at the four-legged mammal in amusement.

"I thought I smelt him."

Both Hange and Levi turned to see Mike and Erwin climbing down from their hammocks to rest next to the two on a lower branch.

"It – followed us." The Commander added quietly. "So, it's active at night as well."

"Unfortunately." Corporal Levi grumbled. "How should we approach this Erwin?"

For a moment, the Commander had no answer as he continued to scrutinize the situation. "We watch and wait. If it shows aggression, then we have no choice but to bring it down."

The titan then continued to examine the stallion, running a finger across the horse's back – releasing a soft and lasting rumble that made Hange squeak in delight.

"I didn't know they could make that noise!" She whispered excitedly. "I think that's purring!"

"Hange, it's not a fucking cat." Levi groaned as the fifteen-meter then directed its attention else ware, its massive frame highlighted by the fire and green eyes glowing unnaturally as it scanned the contents of a nearby wagon.

"How interesting." The scientist whispered as she pulled out notebook that had been tucked under her pillow, amazingly writing perfectly in the dark. "The Rogue Titan has tapetum lucidum!"

The Corporal sighed in aggravation. "English Hange."

"Oh! It's a layer of tissue in the eye that's behind the retina. It reflects light back through the retina to increase any available light!" She nearly giggled. "It's like night vision! This is exciting! I've never seen this in a titan! The trait itself has only been known to be present various animals. Hmm… I think it's the type seen in carnivores, choroidal tapetum cellulosum if I remember correctly. Wow!"

"So you're saying that this is an adaptation to being able to stay active at night?"

"Could be." Hange answered as the group continued to examine their uninvited guest. The titan had since begun to fish around in the contents of the nearby wagon, one containing both food and medical supplies. One by one, the fifteen-meter pulled an object before its face, looking at it intently with ears angling before placing it back into the cart with uttermost care. Next, The Rogue pulled out a crate, prying the lid open to reveal ration bars that Levi admittedly hated the government for making. The beast's unnaturally large and long tongue snaked from its maw to lick the compressed goods – coating them in saliva and nearly making Levi gag.

'Fucking disgusting.' The short man thought as the titan tossed the crate away in disgust – the sound making some soldiers rustle in their hammocks. To his dread, a few of them awoke to see the fifteen-meter below, stifling a scream. The Scouts looked to Erwin awaiting an order, only to see him showing a firm hand to halt before pressing a finger to his lips. As usual, they obeyed; sweat beading on their faces as they began to watch the show with their superiors.

The titan then moved on to retrieve other odds and ends, looking closely at dinnerware and cups as it breathed steam, sniffing the dishes in curiosity and eagerness like a dog. Again, the towering behemoth licked a few plates, brining the sickening feeling back into Levi's gut.

"I'm not eating off of those ever again." He grumbled while the titan continued, pulling out gauze and splints. The Rogue Titan's glowing eyes observed as the roll of gauze unraveled, falling like a waterfall to the earth and provoking the titan to tilt its head with inquisitiveness before directing its focus onto another nearby wagon. "This one has a lot of balls to come here in our camp."

"Titans don't have genitals!" Hange snickered.

"You know what I mean." Levi growled.

The titan rumbled softly as it pulled the canvas tarp from the neighboring wagon, uncovering the larger weapons used primarily for titan captures such as the barbed cannons, barrel cannons, and spiked nets. The Corporal swallowed, hoping that they weren't loaded. The Rogue then drew the net from the wagon's contents, putting its fingers through the holes as it stared at the object intently. After several tense minutes of toying with the metal netting, the titan returned it to the wagon. Its illuminating eyes then scrutinized the barb cannon, the heaviest piece of equipment that the Scout possessed. It was like the barrel cannon, but with far more shots. Both of the weapons produced barbed cables designed to penetrate titan flesh and make it difficult for even the biggest of titans to escape. The giant then gradually tilted the heavy cannon from the cart, wood crackling and creaking from the shift – making more soldiers rustle from their sleep. Immediately, The Rogue froze up and placed its hand over its nape, looking around and listening before removing its protective cover and returning to its examination.

"Oh, I hope those cannons aren't loaded!" Hange gasped. "If he pulls the trigger on the back – he'll be in a world of pain with barbs in his face!"

"Relax, they're not loaded." Erwin reassured as the titan lost interest and began to look around the campsite for more to investigate, walking oddly on its hands and feet as it kept along, probably reducing the weight in its steps as Levi concluded.

By now, half of the Scouts were awake and watching the titan in secret, sweating profusely as nerves gripped them like prison chains. The titan then stood upright, glancing at the contents of the camp once again before turning in preparation to leave. Levi sighed in relief, but his quiet celebration was cut short by a loud snap in the branches. An opossum had removed itself from a series of overlapping limbs to travel to a neighboring tree. The Rogue Titan's green eyes were instantly hooked, preventing the creature from leaving. The giant humanoid suddenly turned and walked right up to the source, ears facing forward in attentiveness as it peered upward into the treetops. Honestly? A monster being interested in horses and opossums? Seriously?

"Why can't that that thing just –

However, Levi halted his words as he realized the titan's shining pupils we not watching the small mammal but staring heavily at a hammock where a soldier lay asleep. His heart began to pound and perspiration formed upon the back of his neck. Soon, the other officers on the branch and the still recruits had come to the same horrifying conclusion as The Rogue stood on its tip toes, trying its best to look closely at the hammock.

"At least that's the closest he'll get. Titans are unable to –

Before the scientist could conclude her statement, the strange titan did something that shot a bullet of fear through every heart in the Scouts.

It grasped the trunk of a nearby tree and began to climb with surprising ease.

"Damn it! What the hell!" Corporal Levi stammered, words nearly stumbling over one another like a drunken man. He then sat up fully, preparing to grab his gear and ready his blades. As far as he knew, the titan's curiosity had gone too far or it had finally decided that the opportunity was perfect. Levi quickly scrambled from his hammock, but was immediately halted by the Commander.

"Remember, we only attack if it does." The man spoke sternly, brows narrowing as The Rogue scaled over twenty meters up the gigantic tree.

Every soul, with eyes wide, watched as the titan planted its sharp nails securely into the bark, allowing it to lean over and view the hammock. Several of the hanging soldiers covered their mouths to keep their cries of fear from escaping as they watched The Rogue come a mere few feet away from the sleeping soldier. Levi glanced over at Erwin once again who remained unchanged and unfazed by the level of horror in their mists. Even Hange had acquired a state of seriousness in the dangerous situation. Tight breaths could be heard from neighboring hammocks as the titan reached out much like it had done with the tethered equine, clawed finger hovering a foot away from the sleeping soldier.

"Fuck Erwin! Your orders!"

The Commander's mouth opened, but yet again words did not escape. Erwin remained still as stone as the titan's finger became inches away from the fabric. Before the Scouts could react with a shriek to their comrade, The Rogue tapped the hammock, the temporary bed rocking gently as the giant pulled its hand back swiftly like it had touched something poisonous. All was still as the titan watched the hammock sway, Levi waiting for hell to break loose from either the soldier waking up or the titan giving in to its desire for a midnight snack. The Survey Corps watched uneasily as the titan's green eyes followed the movement, pupils larger than its irises until the swinging seized. The officers held their breaths as the titan's gaze remained on the soldier, the creature blinking in what seemed like innocence. Thankfully, The Rogue broke its eye contact with the slumbering Scout and looked just above – spotting the soldier's maneuver gear. As expected, the strange titan reached out and plucked the vital piece of equipment from the branch, the only weapon that rested up in the trees with its users. Levi breathed a sigh in relief as the titan descended back to the forest floor, seating itself against the base of the tree as it stared at the piece of equipment.

"Thank god. Now let's hope it doesn't tear that up." The short man spoke, tone full of annoyance. With each passing moment, the situation only grew more hazardous. Why? Why didn't it just leave!

"Hmm, I wonder what made the big guy want to follow us." Hange smiled as she watched the titan look at the gear. "He's almost cute."

Levi rolled his eyes. "I'm going to pretend that statement never left your lips."

The Rogue Titan then pulled the gas canister from its holster and sat the rest of the equipment on the ground. As it had done before, the titan brought the canister to its ugly face. The creature sniffed, its nose wrinkling at the stench of gasoline, but the beast did not let its distaste deter it from its inquisitiveness. Unexpectedly, the fifteen-meter brought the canister between its large teeth – and bit down. Compressed gas escaped the container and sprayed into the titan's mouth, the vile taste causing the creature to cry out in disgust – waking every living soul in the camp.

"Shit! I knew this was going to happen!" The Corporal snarled as the soldiers took notice of the vast intruder.

The titan coughed violently until its sounds of suffering grew hoarse. Finally the beast recovered, realizing its mistake as it heard the panicked soldiers above. Impulsively, The Rogue placed its hand over its nape and looked into the branches, pools of green meeting Levi and the other officers. For a heart stopping second, all was still as the titan remained, its body seemingly petrified. The orbs of glowing emerald stayed wide and unblinking, the creature barely breathing. Ultimately, the titan hissed through its teeth, completing the standoff as it scrambled to its feet and bolted back into the thick forest – leaving the Scout's camp in a state of bewilderment.

"HOLY CRAP THAT WAS UNBELIEVABLE!" Hange squealed, first to respond as usual. "He's so amazing!"

Levi wiped a hand across his sweaty brow in an attempt to calm his nerves. For the second time since joining the Scouts, he had felt real fear due to uncertainty. But of course, he hid this away with his ever-present scowl. The Corporal then turned to Erwin, seeing the Commander rub his chin in thought while other solders began speaking of what had occurred. "So. What are your thoughts, Commander? A valid candidate to study or fear?" Levi asked, eyes harder than steel.

The blonde man didn't shed a sigh in relief, face still fixed in a confident expression. "After what I've seen, The Rogue Titan's behavior gives me further reason to allow continued observation. As I said before. Not a word to the Military police, Civilians, the Government, and most of the Garrison except for Pixis. This case is to be kept top secret until further notice. Understood?"

"Sir!" The officers replied with a loyal salute. Hange laughed, cackling like a hyena once again.

"I can't wait! Maybe we can adopt him!" The crazed woman celebrated, earning another eye roll from the Corporal

"He's a damn titan. Not your pet or your kid Shitty Glasses." Levi retorted.

She only responded with a mocking smile. "True. It would be impossible for a collar to fit him or to find clothes big enough."

The strict man only turned to look in the opposite direction knowing that it was useless to even argue with the titan fanatic. However, his eyes caught sight of the Commander's face once again, now transformed onto one of question.

"Levi?" Erwin asked as he folded his arms, a thick brow raising and a small smile contributing to his appearance.

"What?"

Erwin then leaned against the trunk of the tree, paying no mind to the bark digging in his back. "I'm starting to wonder just who is watching who."

(POV SWAP)

Sunlight seeped into his flesh, warming his body and making the blackness fade away from his closed lids – turning into a shade of orange that could only be described as womb-like. The sweet smell of flowers and fresh grass gently flowed into his nostrils and filled his lungs. His exhausted body felt at peace, but oddly he was uncomfortable. His nest was harder than usual.

"Rogue!"

The titan's tapered ear twitched at the shrill squeak, but his body demanded more rest and nourishment from the rays of the sun. Rogue let out a content puff of steam, letting himself relax further as he recharged.

"Rogue! Get up!" The voice spoke, angry but urgent.

The creature stirred, eyelids twitching but remaining shut. The titan yawned, curling inward on himself despite his uncomfortable bed.

"Damn it, Rogue! Wake up!"

Suddenly, the titan's mind left behind his desires. Slowly, Rogue forced his eyes to peel away, seeing his little ones before him. The titan nearly smiled in greeting like every morning, but then registered that the two children bore looks of worry and disgust – and the fact that he was lying in the grass instead of nestled into the hollow. Puzzled, Rogue quickly sat up in alarm, looking around at his peaceful home before turning his attention to the not so peaceful young humans.

"Rogue!" Armin began painfully. "You were gone all night! Where were you!"

The titan hesitated, nervously interlocking his fingers as the memory of the night before began to replay in his head. He had gone off to get answers about the flying humans by paying their camp a midnight visit. Rogue remembered that he found quite a few things, some he knew but most he was still questioning about their purpose. The titan recalled the four humans that seemed to be the pack's leaders – talking amongst themselves with hand gestures and the glasses wearing female squealing like a farm pig. An ever-familiar wave of sheepishness then washed over Rogue. How could he explain?

"Where were you." Mikasa demanded, eyes narrowed and mouth in a tight line.

Rogue hesitated, debating whether he should answer his little ones' query or not. Again, he decided to dance around the question to avoid a straight and verbal response by grunting a barrage of gibberish and hand gestures – his ace in the hole. He had heard humans in the past call the practice 'playing dumb' or as some of the uniformed men with flowers on their back used to say – 'playing titan.'

"Where were you Rogue! You had us worried sick!" The girl continued, her stern voice escalating into an angry yell. "We had no idea!"

Again, the titan remained unresponsive, surprised at his little one's tone. He had never heard her so angry. So furious. Truthfully, as big as he was and no matter how much of a monster he could be, she scared him.

"Are you acting stupid on purpose? We… we thought something terrible happened to you, Rogue!" Mikasa pressed further, voice full of frustration. "We… thought you were dead!"

Rogue's emerald eyes widened at the mention of the word meaning death. His ears drooped, shame spreading throughout his body. "SSORRrrEEE." He finally spoke, hoping his apology was enough, but his little one only grew more upset.

"That's not good enough!" She cried, tears soaking her face. "You're being too reckless! I don't want to see you die Rogue!" Mikasa forced from her mouth, racing up to the titan and punching his knee, making the beast feel more guilt than ever. "You can't die!" His little one sobbed, pressing her face into his knee and making a gloomy state descend upon the cove. "You can't be stupid, Rogue! Especially when Armin and I leave next year to the wall!"

The threes' eyes grew wide as the chaos quieted with her words. Rogue blinked in shock, watching his little one's body freeze and back away from his kneecap slowly – the child spellbound. Had he heard her correctly? Were his little ones leaving? Had they really been planning on leaving him! Rogue shook his head; he had to have heard them wrong. They were too close to break apart. They – loved him didn't they?

"Mikasa!" The boy uttered, chiding her softly. "How? We couldn't tell him yet. He – isn't ready for this." Armin responded, voice barely audible.

Rogue dipped his head, eyes narrowing at the grass. His own little ones, after all he had done to nurture them and make them safe – they just wanted to leave him alone! How could they do something so terrible? Sorrow, pain, and anger swelled within the titan's generous heart. Just how? How could they discard him! He did not deserve this! Rogue then slammed his fist into the earth, breaking his knuckles and knocking the two children from their feet. The titan roared; ears planted against his skull while his shoulders hunched over angrily. His muscles tightened, face twisting into an exasperated grimace as he stared as the two startled children.

"UUUuuu! S...SSTTEYY!" Rogue ordered, pointing a finger at the two before gesturing to his nest. To his surprise, his little ones only looked to him is awe, the children baffled by the first complete sentence that the titan had ever spoken to them. "UUU SSSTTEEYY HEEER!" Rogue bellowed, rough and throaty voice reverberating throughout the cove.

"Rogue please! Let us –

"NNNOOO!" The titan roared, suddenly rising to his feet despite his exhaustion. Rogue then initiated a tantrum, retrieving a boulder and chucking it at the haven's mossy wall before snapping a cluster of average sized trees with a powerful kick. He cried again as his fist met the wall. How could his dear little ones do this to him! After the horrors they experienced! How could they be so heartless! He was their guardian! Their protector! How! They were his little ones! His babies! His!

Rogue's brain stormed with fury, vile thoughts and truths flooding his impaired mind. Submersed in his fit, the fifteen-meter kicked the hard stone barrier. A sickening snap sounded throughout the cove as the creature's shin split. With a wail of pain, Rogue crashed face first into the grass. His newly healed hands upset the earth as the devastated titan began to tremble and cry in sorrow. Was he really useless? Did he do something to anger his little ones? Why? Did they secretly loathe him all along?

"Rogue?" Mikasa spoke gently, much like his human Carla as she placed a tender hand onto his head. "Please let Armin and I explain. It's not what you think and we don't hate you. So please hear us out." The girl alliterated.

Hearing her soft tone, Rogue slowly raised his head, face covered in mud as he stared at his little ones' tear stiffened cheeks. For a moment he dithered, before nodding to proceed. There had to be a reasonable explanation.

"Rogue." Armin began solemnly. "You've done so much for us and we appreciate everything, however we know you can't always protect and provide for us here. Mikasa and I – we decided a few months ago that it would be best if we left here and lived behind Wall Rose with the rest of the humans. Sure, you can now get us meat, but what if there isn't enough? What if one of us gets deathly sick? There would be nothing you could do except watch either of us suffer. We don't want to put you through the heartbreak of losing us forever, Rogue."

A lump formed in the titan's throat and his ears fell further. A salty tear leaked from the corner of his eye. "Nnnnoooo." He groaned, burring his chin into the soil.

"However, Mikasa and I have a plan, one that could help you."

The titan glanced up in question before propping himself up and resting his chin on folded arms, eager to hear more.

"Armin and I plan to join the Scouting Legion when we're old enough to be cadets next year." Mikasa began. "This way we can leave at certain times to visit you and perhaps – find a way for you to live and see the ocean with us."

The titan lifted his head from his arms at her words. So they were doing this for him?

"Yes. I know it's hard for you, Rogue. But listen to what we said. It's the best thing for all of us." The boy finished as he sank to his knees with Mikasa soon joining him.

The cove then retrieved its usual calm atmosphere again as the titan began to wonder. They were right. There were times in the winters where animals were hard to find or asleep in their dens. If his little ones grew ill he could not produce a cure to make them feel better. He wasn't going to take them outside the cove after what had occurred. He couldn't risk the dangerous gamble of their safety. If they lived with their own kind, they would be safe, be well. If this 'cadets' and 'Scouting Legion' helped them and possibly fulfilled the dream of seeing the water called the ocean – then he had no qualms against it. His little ones were growing like one of the great trees in his forest. Although they would always be little to him, the two tiny humans would soon no longer be human young but adults. It would be cruel to deny them freedom in the beautiful but dark world. He had no choice.

"YYEeeSs." Rogue muttered, gaze looking at the blades of grass.

Stunned at the titan's answer, the children looked to Rogue.

"What?" Mikasa spoke weakly. "Did you just –

"Yyeeess." The titan answered again, watching as his little ones' faces lit up in excitement. Without warning, the two children ran to Rogue and embraced his face in gratified hugs.

"Thank you Rogue!" The girl wept as she rubbed against his flesh. "You're the best brother I could have."

The titan raised a brow at her confession, skin pulling back to smile at the memory of his humans telling him that Mikasa was his little sister. His heart weakened as he gave in to emotion, nuzzling into her small body while his other little one thanked him as well. Rogue then released his signature purr, vibrating the two's small bodies and warming them to their bones. He loved them so much, but little did he know that his choice would change their lives yet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Chapter 7 will be the separation of Rogue and his little ones. Trost will be soon as well! I'm going to take the time to answer a few of the most asked questions. I plan for this story to go all the way through to the female titan arc (maybe further once season two of the anime is out. I have to read and watch both to get a full grasp on things) In this fic, the titans and humans are a completely separate species. I update whenever I can. (As of late I've been averaging two a month I think.) But yes, I'm so glad that you guys like this story! Feel free to share it :)
> 
> Also, read chapter 66 of manga. Holy crap! Eren's not dead and it looks like his titan is getting an upgrade! I wonder, will his form change, stay the same, be temporary, or permanent? Gah hurry up chapter 67!


	7. Melancholy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio begin their journey to Wall Rose all the while the Scout's begin to uncover answers and form more questions about Rogue's behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hey all, here is chapter 7 of Rogue! It's another lengthy one, but it's sort sad. The next few though will be much more intense. :) As I've stated before, I'm glad that everyone is enjoying this! I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan. I'm not a perfect person (a good majority of this was written at 3am) so there are probably some grammar issues I missed. If you find any errors, please tell me so I can make corrections. I'd appreciate it. Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Another side note, this story is copied and pasted from FF.net.. so some of the things that were in bold or italicized are not like that here. I'm not sure if there is a way to keep that in tact here....

Chapter 7

Melancholy

Armin sat quietly as he scribed notes upon the pages of an old and seemingly ancient journal while Mikasa used a thin bone and thread to mend their wares. It was early morning in the cove once again, sun barely peeking through the overhanging branches and rocky wall. As usual it was peaceful, however a translucent feeling of dread masked the haven. After a full year, it was finally time. Both the boy and Mikasa had become of age and had grown quite a bit in the passing of seasons. While he was still the shorter of the two – they had both acquired several inches in their height. Not only that, but they were obtaining a mature mental state. Although they still gave in to whimsy every once in a while, it was clear that they were becoming adults. In a mere few days, the cadets would be recruiting.

The boy let out an exasperated sigh as he let his pencil rest in his palm. Ever since the days they had reached the crucial but tender age of twelve, Armin had been planning their safe return behind the wall, tackling the strategy of succeeding without being seen for all of their safety. As soon as dawn had descended upon them, the two children woke to put the finishing touches on their plan as well as sort out belongings to a choice few before their departure. Truthfully, it pained the two to do so, but it was a thing that had to be done and was for the best. Who knew what obstacles they would encounter in time if they stayed in the cove?

Seeing that Mikasa's emotionless gaze strayed from her current sewing, Armin trailed her vision to see the titan still nestled in his nest, cavernous snores filling the tranquil cove. Armin felt a small smile emerge from hiding onto his face. Rogue was sleeping soundly, body as loose as it could possibly be within the hollow. It truly relieved him. Both he and his friend had been increasingly worried about their titanic friend's current mental state. Over the year that had passed, Rogue's small episodes were occurring more often – escalating noticeably in the last month. The titan would bicker more often when asked what he did on his 'walks' or when the two tried to do something simple such as cutting meat with a blade. Armin had concluded that some of these instances were simply because Rogue was being protective, but others he had not a clue or explanation. The year before, the two children had heard the gentle titan whining and crying out in his sleep. As always, Rogue seemed to put their queries aside, the two never knowing what was going on inside the titan's mind. Now, at least four times a week, Rogue would yelp, cry, whine, and even screech in repose. It was torture to the poor beast. Unlike humans, Rogue, once he had fallen asleep at night, could not be woken up until morning. Meaning that he was trapped in whatever vision he was experiencing until the sun freed him. The children's pleas would do nothing of aid. The titan's distress usually began an hour after midnight and would continue throughout until he would awake. The two children hated to admit, but they themselves had lost sleep over the titan's stress. It was almost routine that when Rogue started whining, the boy and girl would wake up and rub the titan's neck in attempts to sooth – which worked usually to calm Rogue down. Of course, the children never expressed any sort of hate to the titan for they possessed none. They loved their giant friend and anything they did or asked was out of sheer concern. Seeing Rogue submerged in utter peace was now a blessing.

"It's nice to see him like this." Mikasa spoke softly, watching as the titan's tapered ear and pointed nose twitched.

Armin nodded, looking at the line of sunlight that was closely reaching the hollow, a reassuring sign that the titan would soon wake. "It is." He replied, closing his notes. The boy then fretfully bit his lip as Rogue continued to snore, trying to think of how he would put his next statement. "Mikasa, do you –

"Think we're doing the right thing?" She finished, shoulders sinking a bit with her tone. "Is this really what's best? Rogue may be big and strong, but he has sensitive feelings. He's very delicate mentally."

Armin dithered. "Unfortunately, it is the truth. We can't survive out here much longer. Goods are limited and there's no medicine if one of us grows ill. We have no choice even though it is painful."

"You're right." Mikasa replied solemnly as she then turned her gaze to Armin. "I just hate it that we have to leave him, Armin. I know that his bad dreams and behavior lately is because he knows we're departing. He doesn't cope with loss well." The girl spoke, her voice weak and wails of sorrow trying to break through.

The blonde dipped his head, knowing that her words were fact. Armin then directed his thoughts onto the only promising idea that he had in his possession. "Well Mikasa, it's not like it's going to be forever. We'll be in the Scouts and maybe, just maybe we can…

Armin stopped, his words cut off again but not by Mikasa's hand. A loud cry erupted through the cove, capturing the two's unsuspecting attention. Rogue's body was clenched in on itself and trembling like unstable earth as the creature whined and yelped like a fearful dog. The titan's brow furrowed and his teeth clenched tighter in agony. Rogue curved in tighter, burying his face into the leafy bed as he shuttered. Suddenly, the titan flipped onto his back and began to lash out, arms clawing at the air as if he was quarreling with an invisible enemy. The great tree began to moan with the force of the thrashing titan who had begun to wail and kick. With their hearts beating faster than what seemed possible, Armin and Mikasa stood from their seats upon the roots – completely infected with terror. Out of all Rogue's episodes, the two had never seen the titan react unknowingly violent.

"Rogue!"

(POV SWAP)(Dream Sequence) 

The stench of ash, blood, and death tainted the air. Fire burned in an inferno, consuming what the monsters left behind. Like the cobblestone walk, the sky was stained red. Although the afternoon sun was still residing on the horizon, a feeling of darkness was cast over the city that had been reduced to rubble. Rogue stood in the debris, alone and terrified. Where were they! Where were his little ones!

The titan whined, scanning the desolate landscape for the two children's familiar faces. He sniffed, only for his nose to wrinkle in revulsion from the unbearable burning. Desperate, Rogue began to navigate through the ruined structures, lifting aflame beams and other pieces of human homes in a frantic search. WHERE!

Suddenly, a pair of hollow screams echoed across the district, bringing Rogue to a halt. The titan's gaze was drawn skyward to the source, making his heart stop. Standing behind the massive gate and stone wall was the colossal one. Its grotesque features like its lack of skin, corpse like mouth, and dark beady eyes instantly paralyzed the fifteen-meter. It was truly sinister, a symbol of death and a grim reminder. The pair of screams rang out again, causing Rogue to look to their origin. His stomach flipped and eyes widened, panic spread across his brain.

His dear little ones, his precious babies, were in the palm of the colossal one – screaming as their flesh was burned by the giant titan's immense heat. Rogue let out an agonizing wail as he threw himself forward. No! No! NO! His little ones, Armin and Mikasa – they could not be eaten! He would not let that monster get them! He would steal back his little ones! He would kill that fucker!

Rogue flung himself onto the fifty-meter wall, digging his nails as far into the stone as he could. The desperate titan piloted himself upward, only managing a mere four meters before his body gave in and Rogue slid back to the unforgiving earth. A searing pain soared through his leg as it was destroyed upon impact. The titan roared in anguish, looking up to see the colossal one edge his little ones closer to his vast jaws. Again, Rogue cast himself upon the hard and steep stone; again he fell to the bloodstained walk. His little ones screamed in horror as the skinless titan held the small children over his jaws, preparing to savor them. Rogue screamed as he began to scale the wall again, trying to ignore his protesting muscles that were shrieking for mercy, ligaments tearing inch by inch. He couldn't give up! He had to save them! He loved them!

The colossal one began to open his mouth, fingers peeling way from Rogue's dear little humans. The titan screamed again, tears welling up in his green eyes and dampening his face.

"Rogue!"

He fell yet again, crushing his bones as his little ones began their fall.

"Rogue!"

Again, he attempted to get to his feet, but his broken body only forbid him. Rogue met the ground again, screaming and wailing as he watched –

"Rogue!"

His little ones descend into the throat of his greatest enemy.

 

"Rogue! Rogue wake up!"

A soft shade of orange seeped through his eyelids as warmth soaked into his skin. The titan forced his eyes to open, still shivering from the aftermath. Rogue whined softly, struggling to calm himself.

"Rogue? Are you alright?" A gentle voice asked. The titan looked down to see his little one, Mikasa, rubbing his neck. Armin was seated next to her, looking at him in worry. It had only been a night vision.

The titan finally nodded, letting his frame relax. Almost instinctively, Rogue softly nuzzled his head into the two children like a child begging for maternal comfort. Again, the titan didn't care how he looked while doing so, he was just happy that his little ones were still alive and well. Rogue carefully wrapped his hand around their small bodies, cradling them closer.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Mikasa continued kindly. Rogue dithered, not knowing what a dream was, let alone a bad one. He had heard the two throw around the term before, but never questioned what they meant.

"DDRREEEaNNN?" Rogue asked innocently. "AADD DrrrEAaaNN?"

The two looked at one another in shock, realizing their neglect in informing the titan previously. Armin rubbed his chin in thought.

"A dream." He began, hesitating as he pondered how to explain. "A dream Rogue, is when you go to sleep and there is a vision or picture playing out in your head. Everything is in your point of view but you have no control over what happens. Some dreams are good and they are happy, but others are not quite so. Sometimes there are bad dreams that are called nightmares."

"NNNIITTNAAREES?"

"Yes, they are scary visions Rogue. They are utterly terrifying, your worst fears realized." Armin paused, biting his lip – looking to the titan with a concerned gaze. "Rogue, you were having a nightmare weren't you?"

The titan dipped his head, chin resting in the dip of his collarbone. Again, he whined at bit as the truth hit him. He had been having a lot of these nightmares, much more than he was experiencing pleasant dreams. Rogue nodded softly, leaning into his little ones again. He didn't even have to guess why he was experiencing them.

His little ones' expressions only grew heavier with angst. "Rogue? What are you dreaming about? What happened to make you lash out? Toss and turn?" Armin continued.

Rogue's body seized up, muscles tense. He had been rolling around and kicking? Really? He could have killed his little ones had they been with him. The titan's teeth clenched, ears wilting. Ironically, his little ones were the cause of this. Deep down, he did not want them to leave and for nothing bad to happen to them. Still, he wanted his little ones to fulfill their desires and be safe. Like the birds up in his tree's branches, the young had to leave the nest at some point. They had needs; he couldn't keep the two children from them. Rogue dithered, if he told his little ones about what was happening in his nightmares – they might refuse to leave him. As much as he loved the idea of Armin and Mikasa staying, he knew that they couldn't.

It was only best for him to play titan again.

"EEEETTHH." Rogue finally answered, looking deep into his little ones eyes with his.

Their brows only rose in response. Mikasa's face fell, sadness coating her body like an itchy blanket. The girl then placed her tiny hands upon the bridge of his hooked nose. She then began to rub, her comforting strokes long and delicate.

"You had a dream – about death?" His little one choked out, voice heavily strained. "Who's?"

The single word sentence sent a cold tremor down the titan's spine and made his chest flutter. He grunted and groaned, delaying as he searched for a suitable false answer.

"Who's?" Mikasa asked again, making Armin bite his lip.

Rogue hesitated. He hated to hide the truth, but he had to. "UUMMANnnS." The titan answered, interlacing his fingers as his gaze shot to his chest. Even though his next answer was currently incorrect, Rogue still had nightmares ever since that day he lost his humans.

"Humans?"

"CcUUrLA. GRRRIssa." Rogue reminded, gruff tone growing gruffer. He didn't want to use his beloved humans as a replacement. The memories of them flooded his head again, making his act suddenly real. The horrible image of the smiling titan returned, the scene of his sweet Carla being devoured consumed his mind yet again. Rogue withered, he should not have used them as a replacement – especially not in his current unstable state. Again, the gentle giant whined and pressed his face into his little ones in desperation. He was losing everyone it seemed. The thought brought forth eye water.

"Rogue." Mikasa began warmly, climbing upon the titan's breast. "Can I share something with you?"

The titan sniffed, tilting his head in question as he stared at his little one. Rogue then nodded weakly, waiting patiently for the young girl to continue.

"My mother once told me this a year before I lost her to those men. She said to me that we never really lose those we love even though they have since left the world. We carry their memories in here." His little one articulated tenderly, gesturing to the center of Rogue's chest.

The titan blinked, wondering what the young human was implying. Rogue raised a finger, emitting a small grunt in query as he followed Mikasa's gesticulation. The creature's eyes lightened a bit in wonder and hope. What was this thing that his little one was talking about?

"Yes." She smiled sympathetically. "That's where your heart is, Rogue."

"EEEAARRRT?"

His little one nodded, taking a moment to brush her long raven hair from her face. "Yes, a heart. Everyone has one. Of course some are corroded with hate, but most are full of understanding and kindness – a good heart. I'm not sure if other titans have them or if they are hollow, but you certainly do!"

Rogue's eyes widened at the information. He had this thing called a heart? How did his little one know? The titan tilted his head again, gurgling softly as a polite inquiry. Mikasa dipped her head.

"Oh yes! On the night that we first met you and every moment I rested upon your chest, I could hear your heart beating. It's loud and powerful, yet full of compassion. It's the strongest heartbeat I've ever heard, Rogue." The girl spoke as she knelt down and placed her tiny hands against his chest, feeling what the titan assumed was this beating.

Rogue's face softened a bit, giving into curiosity as he pricked his ears fully forward, straining to hear what his little one spoke of. Sure enough, there was a gentle metronome of thumps. They were just as the child described, the sound was upfront and formidable yet gentle as a spring shower. Rogue squealed elatedly, happy that he had this wondrous thing his little one spoke of. He couldn't help but return a smile, irises lighting up like candlelight.

"You can actually feel your heartbeat as well." The girl smiled as she grasped his fingers and guided them into place. "Try it!"

The titan's eyes widened in curiosity and innocence as his fingertips pressed lightly onto his flesh. Beneath muscle and skin, the rhythmic and smooth beat thumped clearly, feeling both alive and comforting. Admittedly, Rogue had sometimes felt the banging in his chest when he was angry, scared, or thrilled – but he had never known what it was. Now, he knew and was incredibly thankful that he was gifted with a heart instead of having an empty shell. It was amazing. Rogue expressed his pleasure with a high grunt and reverberating rumble, making his little one laugh.

"Incredible isn't it?" Mikasa asked with the titan responding with an eager nod. "Some say having a heart is a burden, but others say it is a blessing. I'm not sure which is true, but for you it's a blessing." The girl continued to beam, placing her hands onto his warm flesh again. "Anyways, as I was saying, people keep their loved ones alive by storing memories of them in their hearts forever. You can keep the memories of Carla and Grisha in yours as they did with you – in a special place. They are always alive within you."

"That's right!" Armin began as he joined Mikasa upon his breast. "You can keep Mikasa and I in your heart too. That way we can always be with you even when you can't see us."

Rogue dipped his head, purring a bit at his little ones words as the corners of his mouth pulled up into a smile. How incredible. There was another thing special about him it seemed, something unique and different. However, this thing was a very good thing, not just pointy ears or a proportionate frame. It truly made him happy. It was a bit of a relief from nerves and sorrow. He had another thing to call his. Rogue rumbled deeply, his expression of gratitude vibrating his little ones' tiny bodies, provoking a few giggles.

"Feeling better?" Armin asked, blue eyes holding hope.

The titan nodded quickly. "EEESS!"

"Good! Now Rogue, Mikasa and I are going to eat breakfast and we want you to join us. There's something we need to ask of you."

Rogue tilted his head in wonder as he watched the two children scale down the roots of the tree. Knowing that his little ones asking for his aid was a serious thing, the titan maneuvered himself from his hollow. He felt better since their exchange, but he couldn't help the vivid image of his little ones being consumed like humans feasted on cattle. Perhaps though, just maybe, this heart thing would help – especially in their impending absence.

The titan took a moment to stretch, reaching high over his head before joining his little ones by the designated fire spot that the small humans prepared their food upon. Rogue gradually took a seat upon his rump across from the two, waiting eagerly but anxiously for their explanation. For several minutes, his little ones nibbled and bit off strips of deer meat from bone – yet another one of the creatures that he was still hesitant to kill even after a year since he began to hunt them. Armin then cleared his throat.

"Alright Rogue. It's time that Mikasa and I share with you the plan of how the two of us will be sneaking into Wall Rose. As you probably know, humans can't see you yet, so I came up with what is perhaps our only safe option. Now, just knocking on the gate itself is out of question. The soldiers will think something is up when they see two kids in titan territory – with a titan nonetheless. There's no time to tunnel under the wall nor do we know how deep it goes. So, our only option is to scale over the wall." His little one began as he pulled out his book containing his human drawings; showing with a pointed finger at what Rogue assumed what his little one's plan. "This is the safest way over. Rogue will throw a weighted cable over the wall and Mikasa and I will climb up. Just so we don't strain or fall, a large knot will be tied every twenty inches in the cable so we can have something to grab onto and brace our feet on as we ascend. After we reach the top, Mikasa and I will take the military's service elevator down the other side. This will be done at night since the Garrison won't be on duty." Armin paused, reaching over to pick up the black vine that the titan had found long ago. "Okay Rogue, here is what we need. In order to tie the knots and have enough to go over the wall, we need you to break a promise."

Rogue tightened a bit at his little ones words, leaning back and brows rose slightly in surprise. His little ones wanted him to do something bad? They wanted him to do the act of stealing?

"I know we told you not to ever take things from there, but to survive we must. Rogue, Mikasa and I need you to go to one of the houses that smell of yeast. We need you to bring back as many of the cables as you can find. At least eighty meters in length is what we need. In addition, we need a large rock to be the weight. See if you can find one that's as big as your fist, Rogue."

The titan dithered. He hated to be put into a position like this. If only he could just climb that damned wall! Rogue gave a soft moan, dipping his head like a sheepish dog as if to ask if they were sure. Mikasa nodded.

"I can tell you don't want to break the rules, but like the deer, it's a task that has to be done. Please Rogue, we need them pretty quickly." The girl spoke; her eyes pleading for her, making the titan turn soft. To the creature, Mikasa was a master of persuasion – positive reinforcement.

Finally, Rogue nodded in agreement.

"Good! Now when you find the cables hurry back, Rogue. We have to take some time tie the knots and prepare the weight. As soon as that's done we must head out. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of time."

It was just like any early summer day. Spring was no more with the lack of buds upon branches. Everything had been replaced by massive amounts of green, the complete canopy sheltering the forest floor from the impending heat. Rogue walked deeper into a neighboring forest, one that was blanketed in ivy from the ground to the tops of trees. It was indeed beautiful and clouded with mystery with little sunlight peeking from the canopy, but Rogue also found it to be a bit troublesome. With nearly every step, the thick vines would sometimes tangle around his toes like tiny snakes. Annoying, but at least they broke away easily with every shift of his body. The other thing that bothered him was the sense of loneliness in the surrounding area. The landscape was all but empty with the exception of a few small mammals. For once, there was a lack of titans in the area as well and he was incredibly thankful for that. He preferred to have no distractions. He wanted as much time as could get with his little ones before they left his nest.

Rogue then crested a small hill, spotting what he had been searching for. He had been to this forest many months ago in search of supplies and dried food when he had discovered the small abandoned town before him. Like everything, it was covered in vines and coated in a layer of grunge. Half of the village's human residences had long since been destroyed with a scattered few still standing. Rogue of course came here for a reason. In his previous visit he had smelt the scent of yeast radiating from one of the buildings – meaning that one of the structures that he was told not to raid was one that he was now after.

The titan then paused in the center of the miniscule town and crouched to rest on his heels. Rogue then sniffed deeply, trying to detect and separate what was old and new along with the existing odors. As expected, the smell of yeast was present in the circumference of the area. Following his nose, the titan stood again and began to step lightly over the stony rubble in the direction of the scent's source. Rogue bent down to sniff again. No, it wasn't in a building with a flat covering, but in a human structure different from any that he had seen before. Although it was covered in vines, the human building was the most intact. It had a long pointed structure upon the room and the translucent coverings over the peeking holes were in an array of colors – some even making human pictures. Rogue tilted his head in awe, as much as he wanted to look and marvel at the human structure, he knew what he had to do.

With great care, Rogue placed his fingers precisely where they were needed, and pulled. The roof quaked and creaked, but the titan was a master at prying dwelling coverings off clean. Then, with little effort, the roof was free. Rogue then placed it aside with care and peered down into the human structure. A frown then came to his face. Although the building was colorful and almost cool on the outside, the inside was just like every other yeast smelling structure. The insides had been stripped out and replaced with tools and supplies. Although the interior didn't match the outside, the contents of the yeast dwellings were always interesting. But of course, Rogue reminded himself what he was there for.

The titan then began to messily fish through the contents of the human building, tossing aside boxes of what his little ones called 'food rations' and the strange steel log things that smelled and tasted utterly horrible. Not seeing what he was looking for, Rogue arched further, placing his keen nose into the interior of the building to let it do its work. These 'cables' that he was looking for had a scent much like many of the things that came from the yeast dwellings. Just as a feeling of dread began to bubble in Rogue's stomach, his nose caught the scent he was desperate for. Like a bear looking for food, the fifteen-meter titan ripped open a large chest, rumbling in delight as the cables tumbled out onto the dusty floor. A smile formed onto Rogue's horrid face, the creature happy with his find. Wouldn't his little ones be proud of him?

Rogue then retrieved the hefty coil of cable, a large amount that would easily take five men to lift, and fed his wrist through the center as if it was a giant piece of jewelry. The titan then checked to ensure the cables were secure before preparing to stand, but then Rogue caught the smell of the cables yet again. The creature's head tilted, hair falling messily around his shoulders as his ears twitched in question. Was there more? The titan then bent down to survey again, nose searching for any clue – scrutinizing every thing and surface. Rogue blinked in confusion as he came to a realization. He bent over further, nose pressed against the worn oak floor. There were more cables beneath the dwelling's ground?

The titan let out another curious rumble as he ran his nails over the floor like a dog trying to get food beneath a rug – sharp nails decorating the wood in deep lashes. Scratching rapidly, Rogue's nails caught a metal latch, making a small hole open up through the floor. The titan naturally grunted sharply in surprise. With curiosity guiding him yet again, Rogue bent over as far as he could to peer down into the dark abyss. From the small opening, he spotted more human objects like the things with bird feathers in them and more of the sharp sticks. Rogue tilted his head in question. Was it possible he had found some sort of human den?

The titan then tried to stick his hand through the small hole, but seeing that no matter how he approached, his fist was too big. Rogue sighed, releasing a great amount of steam in slight aggravation. There were more of the cables down there, and he wanted them. Although he didn't want to completely demolish the building, the thought of his little one's needs forced him to make a decision. Rogue then positioned a few of his fingers inside the hole, and with a slight tug, ripped up many of the floorboards and support beams. The titan purred a bit at his accomplishment, vibrating loose human objects as he pulled up a few more boards in an almost merry fashion. Once the floor had been stripped away, Rogue's eyes widened at what he had revealed. There were plenty of the giant plush bricks and even more things with bird feathers in them. Giving in to a bit of child-like whimsy, the titan quickly pulled a giant white brick from the human den –squealing excitedly as he ripped the object open to spill the snow like fluff onto the building's interior. Delighted, Rogue then innocently reached for another plush brick and mirrored his previous act, but then his mind recalled what he was supposed to be doing and returned to work. Scrutinizing the human den again, Rogue spotted a strange wooden thing resembling a giant spool – a thing that held his human's yarn when doing the act of sewing. However, instead of wool or thread, the giant spool held cable. Another proud and almost smug grunt came from the titan as he lifted the human object from its resting place and placed it aside. Wouldn't his little ones be happy!

Rogue then retreated from the building and placed the roof over the structure with tremendous care, but still shattering at least one window. His brows innately knitted together at the fragments of colored glass littering the ivy. No matter how careful he was, that always seemed to happen, but of course he had already torn the interior of the human structure useless so there was no need for perfection. The titan then hummed, ears flickering as he placed the giant spool into his palm with care and stood upright. Rogue then turned and headed back into the forest, off to look for a good rock.

The forest was beginning to open up again. Animals were more abundant and ivy was no longer coiling around his toes. Rogue glanced around his surroundings, looking at the moss and grass covered boulders that were nestled together like eggs in a nest. The titan scrutinized each one, looking from his fist to the rocks in an attempt to compare for the right one. Not seeing any that would be suitable, Rogue sighed, steam leaking from his incisors before moving on. He didn't want to waste much more time.

As he moved further along, the titan's chest began to grow heavy again, knowing that when he got back to his cove, he and his little ones would have to prepare the tool Armin spoke of and then depart. Soon, he would be alone again. His humans were long gone and his little ones were retreating behind the wall. His cove would be empty again with the exception of his deer. Rogue's ears wilted slightly at the thought. It was going to be hard to adjust not waking up to smiling faces or kind words – let alone any contact. It would be like it was before he had met his humans, lonely but not confused. The titan's free hand then snaked to his heart, feeling the gentle pulses beneath his fingertips. Yes, he would keep their spirits there, submerged within every beat. He wasn't just staying behind for his indifference, but for his personal reason. With his little ones safe, he was free to tear his enemies to shreds. He could rip out necks, organs, and crush skulls as long as he desired. While they were absent, Rogue was going to make it safe for them to return. He would see to that with the aid of his little one's memories.

The titan breathed steadily, pointed ears indulging from the gentle but deep beats of his heart. He loved the sound, not understanding why he had never taken the time to truly listen to it. Rogue began to scan the landscape again, but then a scent crossed his nose that made his heart pound against his palm. The titan froze in his path and quickly removed his free hand away from his chest and placed it onto his nape.

"Ah! Look at that! He already knows it's us!"

Rogue slowly turned to see the flying humans resting up in the nearby trees. The pack watched him intently, eyes bearing into his flesh with both tension and inquisitiveness. Over the last year, Rogue had gotten to know them quite a bit indirectly. The uniformed men would come to the woods at least once or twice a month. They would encounter his kind, but only if they HAD to. They just seemed to be more interested in him. The flying humans would always watch or lay out strange objects for him to look at, but never attacked. Rogue had figured that it was because of his looks and this word 'intelligent' that had been thrown around by his humans, little ones, and now these humans. Unfortunately, he had never really been told what the word itself meant, but whatever the implication – it meant that he was different. The titan had also learned much about the main four humans of the flying human pack. There was the tall one with hair on his face who had the ability to smell his kind from great distances much like himself. Then there was the female with messy hair. The human was always squealing or talking about his kind – often losing her composure when looking upon him. Then there was the short man who always wore a scowl no matter what the situation – always looking like his little ones when they complained of this thing humans called constipation, something related to some humanly body function. That aside, the short man was the best at flying, so fast that he was hard for Rogue to often track and the way the human took down his kind in a cold and precise manner amazed him. Finally, there was the eyebrow human that the titan had discovered was the pack's leader. He had hair the color of Armin's and a stony look that only reflected experience instead of aggravation like that of the short man. The other flying humans always answered to his words with a bizarre gesture of placing their hand over their chests and saying the word 'sir' with strong tones.

"This is so exciting!" The messy haired human continued gleefully. "The Rogue Titan is able to remember our scent and know it's us! How astounding!

The creature blinked. The Rogue Titan? How interesting, calling him by his name almost. The titan knew his name was a word in human tongue that Carla and Grisha had given him for they said that it seemed to fit him. They had said that it meant something, but Rogue had long forgotten the definition – but he did like the way it sounded.

"So it seems." The eyebrow man spoke beneath his breath, his eyes staring intently at the titan, making him uneasy.

"What's that thing doing with those cables?" The short one spoke, his voice threaded with irritation.

The humans became silent at the man's words, looking in question at the contents the titan carried. Alarmed, Rogue turned away and glanced into his hand and wrist. The cables? Were they – angry about them? The titan's head spun. Had they seen him take them from the human dwelling? Was it possible that they wanted to return the cables to where they came from? Rogue's gaze shifted back to the group who was still waiting for their next move before returning his eyes to his palm. The things had just been collecting dust, surely they didn't want them returned to their absent owner. Rogue NEEDED them, and he wasn't going to hand them over. His little ones were first.

"No idea." The tall man with facial hair spoke. "It's a bit strange. Why cables?"

"How did he –

Rogue ignored their words and began to walk away, pace quicker than before. With his hand still over his nape, the titan peeked over his shoulder to see a startling sight.

They were following him.

He moved faster. They had to be angry with him! Otherwise, why were they trailing him? Rogue rounded a great tree, and not wishing for the humans to find out what he was doing, the titan quickly lightened and bolted at top speed.

"What the!"

"Shit!"

"He's – fast!"

Rogue swallowed hard as his legs carried him as fast as they could. The titan knew this forest well, and he was confident in losing them. However, as he looked over his shoulder, his hopes diminished. From a distance, the flying humans didn't seem so fast, but now that they were close – the situation was entirely different. In fact, he wasn't so sure he could get away anymore. But of course, he was stubborn and it wouldn't stop him from trying.

The trees shook and earth quaked as the fifteen-meter barreled through the wood. Birds flew in fright from their roosts and deer scattered from his tremendous wake. The titan glanced over his shoulder again to monitor the flying humans who were maneuvering with great skill, threading through tree limbs like thread through needles – fast and nimble as bucks and does. Then, Rogue made his move. With a deep breath, the creature let out a large cloud of steam for cover, repeating over and over until there was a light fog in the air – enough to obscure their vision temporarily. The titan then veered sharply to his right, zigzagging through the foliage and trees. Rogue then burst into a slight break in the trees to find a deep ravine that he was looking for. Without a second to wait, Rogue carefully climbed into the gulch. The titan nestled himself into the shallow water resting at the bottom and beneath the overhanging rock face. The creature clutched the cables to his chest and wrapped his other arm around his knees, trying to be as compact as possible. Rogue then held his breath, heart pounding against his ribcage, as he remained silent – looking up as much as he could to ensure that he had lost them. He hated that he ran from them, but he wasn't going to allow them to make him return the cables from whomever they had belonged to. Sure, he was a thief – but he was for good reason.

Suddenly, there was the sound of whipping wind overhead. Rogue watched in incredible unease as one by one the humans sailed over the ravine and into the trees beyond. Soon, the entire pack had vanished, allowing Rogue to let out a great sigh in relief. That was a close one. The titan then let his body uncoil from its upright fetal position, letting his free arm drop to the water as he released a rumble of gratitude and tilted his head back in sheer gratefulness. As the titan prepared to haul himself out of the gorge, his fingers brushed a large and rough surface. Interested, Rogue grasped the object and pulled it from the shallow river. A crooked smile came to his face; at least he found the rock he was looking for.

(POV SWAP)

"How the hell can we lose a fifteen-meter titan!" Levi growled angrily as the regiment finally came to a halt in the trees.

Hange took a deep breath as she landed next to the Commander, Levi, and a few members of the Corporal's squad. The scientist looked around in shock. It was incredible. For the first time in the Scout's history, a titan had actually evaded their pursuit. It was as if The Rogue vanished into thin air like an illusion. Hange blinked in disbelief, the cogs turning in her mind. Why did the titan run? Why did it look so – afraid?

"Fucking thing!" Oluo complained, mirroring Levi as usual. "Where did it run off to? It tricked us!"

The Commander sighed deeply, turning to Mike with an impassive face. "Can that nose of yours pick up anything?" Erwin queried, his forehead wrinkling slightly in thought. The tall man sniffed, shrugging his shoulders.

"No. His smell just sort of went away when he did. Looks like he's not only intelligent but an escape artist as well. Still, why?

Hange thought further. Why did he run? The titan has never done anything like this. He looks at stuff we give him, he leaves most of it behind – but on the occasion he takes things, but never just straight up bolts away. More so, why was The Rogue so fretful and why did he look so frightened? Wait. How did he get the cables in the first place?

Erwin's arms folded over themselves yet again. "Impressive. The Rogue Titan strategized even when making a run for it. He breathed steam for cover then he probably moved erratically to throw us off while we were unable to get a clear visual. A great defensive technique." The Commander spoke, eyebrows knitting together as his gaze became fixed to the trees before them – a hint that indicated that there was something else bothering him to the veteran eye.

The scientist sighed, "I'm still wondering where –

Suddenly it clicked inside Hange's head. Pieces of the puzzle had come together. Now it all made sense!

"Commander!" Hange saluted, gathering the higher up's attention as well as a few surrounding soldiers by the pitch of her tone. Erwin raised a brow and unfolded his arms.

"Section Commander Hange?" The man alliterated, a hint of eagerness in his voice. "What is it?"

Hange's teeth briefly latched onto her lip, hoping that he as well as the others would hear her out. "Permission to go to the nearest safe house, sir! I believe I can explain some of the instances with The Rogue Titan!" She informed, nearly squealing at the end of her statement.

Erwin dithered, weighing options and dissecting facts. After what seemed to be several agonizing minutes, the Commander finally nodded and signaled the Scouts to move out. Hange rocketed herself into the air – hoping her hypothesis was going to be correct.

Within thirty minutes, and after dispatching a trio of titans, the Scouts arrived in the small town of Allana – a barren village that had long since been suffocated in vines since the abandonment of Wall Maria. Before, it was a peaceful village that was perfect for budding families and wood craftsmen. Now, it was nothing but an empty shell of its former glory like all the cities that once thrived in Maria. Once the area was clear of any danger, the Scouts descended from their perch to land before their target. Safe house number eighteen was established in an old church – an admittedly strange place for a depot and even a questionable one. However, the Scouts went by a code. Depots were placed at minimum twenty miles apart. When they had first surveyed Allana for the next location, the church was the most intact building. It was stripped from the inside, belongings taken with the residents when fleeing to Wall Rose. Admittedly it was one of the best safe house locations for its size and basement storage out of the fifty in the southern region of the wall. These days, the Scouts were thankful for anything.

"So, what exactly are we doing here?" Levi began, cross as usual. Hange however, routinely ignored him – humming as she thumbed through the ring of keys.

"Glad you asked Levi!" The woman cackled. "We're here for an exciting new discovery!" Hange elatedly informed, voice growing higher in pitch. "I think this will answer quite a few of our questions!" She smiled as she separated the key, watching Mike from the corner of her eye. As she suspected, the man was putting his incredible nose to good use. If she was correct, he already knew.

The eager scientist then placed the key into the lock, taking a few tries to get over her hands trembling in excitement. "Now Erwin, everyone, allow me to expose the formula to our equation!" Hange concluded as the lock clicked – hoping that she was not about to make a fool of herself. However, before she could place her hand onto the weathered wood, the entire door fell backwards – hinges detaching completely and revealing the interior of the depot. A few gasps escaped a few lips, but Hange only beamed from ear to ear.

"Fuck! This again?" Oluo announced, blissfully unaware of the impending truth.

Inside, the old church was completely ransacked, but much worse than the others. Aside from the scattered belongings and shattered glass, cotton and ripped cloth blanketed the floor – or what was left of it. A good third of the wooden base was no more. Splintered slabs and beams had been pried from their place, creating a gaping hole that exposed the basement that was in a similar state of repair. The floor was also decorated in deep groves, and tiny shards. If the walls weren't standing, the scene would have looked to be the aftermath of an earthquake or tornado.

"This is way worse than the last one." Petra uttered, looking around as they cautiously entered the depot. "What is –

"I'm about to answer your question!" Hange cut in as she supported herself onto a surviving stool, casually sitting like nothing had ever happened with a single boot propped. She then watched as her subordinates paused in their gawking and turned to face her. Hange couldn't help but smirk, light reflecting from her lenses. While some remained confused, it was obvious by their stern body language that both Erwin and Levi were already putting loose ends together. "Alright Mike! I need your nose for a minute. I'm sure you smelled our thief as soon as we walked in. Tell me yes or no with a nod if that's true!"

A smirk grew onto his face as he dipped his head, the Commander and Corporal looking to him in silent suspicion.

"AH! Yes! Just as I suspected! So Mike? How fresh is the scent? Pungent isn't it!"

The tall man leaned against the intact wall, clearing his throat. "Less than an hour old." Mike replied, mellow but with a hook of cunning.

"Damn! We just missed those bastards then!" Oluo continued, but quieted at Levi's steely glare. Hange only giggled in delight.

"Allow me to illustrate! I'm sure everyone is familiar with the safe house raids! Now, last year as Erwin and Levi both know, Mike and I's squads went on an investigation to find clues about our culprit. When investigating number fifteen, we only found clues that we could not connect. As usual, we found structural damage, which you all now know, is quite common in these parts! There were missing things, destroyed things, etc. At first, it just seemed like the settling of the building's foundation that busted windows and allowed animals to come in and of course turn the depot inside out. However, due to recent events – I have come to the conclusion of who our depot thief really is!

Hange observed as silence fell over the room and both the first and second in command's faces loosened in realization.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me." Levi spoke, finally breaking the silence.

"So it's really him then." Erwin added, catching the interest of the others who like them, reacted to recognition.

"YUP!" Hange cheered, rocking on her stool. "It's The Rogue Titan!"

At the words, Oluo blinked in disbelief. "Wait… What! How –

"Please allow me to explain!" The enthusiast began, voice like that of a teacher in a schoolhouse. "It's obvious and I can't believe we missed it! You see, upon observing The Rogue, pieces to the puzzle fell slowly into place. On our way here, I was able to process what I've learned from our friend. Sure, he's a bloodthirsty beast that rips his own kind to shreds, but like a coin he has two sides. I believe I can now confirm that the titan not only has animalistic traits, but he truly does have human intelligence!"

Levi scoffed, a single thin brow raising and wrinkling his forehead. "Hange. If he had human like intelligence, he would be living behind the wall, running a damn business, or hell even talking like every one of us in this room."

She shook her head. "Let me dwell on that further. You actually mentioned this last year when you first saw our subject. The Rogue has human like intelligence, but not to our level. He – has the mental capacity of a child. A four or five year old. Six or seven at the most."

"So, an overgrown toddler then?" Levi retorted, scowl remaining fixed even at the news. "Or perhaps a –

Hange nodded, slower than before. Knowing the fact, it almost made her feel maternal and even a little protective. "Yes. His interest in us is what led me to that conclusion. Like any child, he's engrossed in what's in the world around him. Any kid will go pick up a toy and look at it if it's new to them. The Rogue is intrigued by us, thus his curiosity is a major factor. So, he likes to look at our belongings whenever he has the chance. When I saw him with the mattress for the first time, I knew what he was doing! As crazy as it may sound, he gave into his desires and began to actually play!"

"Oh lord."

"Oh yes!" Hange continued, ignoring the Corporal's demeanor. "Our titan friend is a marshmallow underneath all that muscle and ferocity! It's incredible!"

"It actually does make sense." Petra smiled. "In every safe house, the pillows and mattresses are gutted! They're always missing too!"

The scientist nodded animatedly. "The Rogue is not only interested in our bedding as I said. When we're not present, like a child, he gets bored. So he breaks his comfort zone like any adolescent, and gets into mischief!"

"By breaking into our depots." The Commander assessed, received a squeal from the Section Commander.

"Precisely! He gets into things, takes them away – and like any sneaky child, covers up his tracks as best as he can!" Hange pressed further as she stood and motioned to the wall, pointing to the edge of the roof where damage was present. "At first we figured that this aspect was foundation issues, but it is actually the result of the titan pulling the roof off carefully and then replacing it once he's finished. The pressure of the roof meeting the wall again causes the broken windows like that one there." She gestured. " If an animal had broken in, the glass would be on the inside, not the outside of the building. Just like a child told to clean their room, he leaves the mess and covers it up! This depot is a perfect example of that! The Rogue has pretty much demolished and ransacked the interior of eighteen here – the hole, the claw marks on the floor, and the missing equipment!"

"Missing equipment?" Petra asked innocently.

"The damn cables." Levi groaned, instinctively resisting the urge to lean against a dusty cabinet.

"Correct!" Hange sang. "That gets to today's incident! Levi, let me ask you something!"

"Oh god, Hange. For fuck's sake –

"When you grew up in Sina's underground, what did you do when you were caught by watchful eyes taking something that wasn't yours?"

For several minutes, the corporal was silent, obviously lingering in her tough request. Not many knew that Levi had come from what could be classified as the slums. The Underground was an abandoned project by the government to construct an underground city – but thanks to certain circumstances, all that remained was an uncompleted project that became a nesting ground for those in poverty and criminals. Levi himself had been a thug before joining the Scouts. Hange didn't know the rest of the story. She would ask the short man every once in a while about it, but he always refused. Even Erwin never spilt the beans. Finally, Levi let out an irritated sigh, shifting his weight onto one foot. "I'd fucking run."

"Yes! Our dear friend was caught red handed taking something that wasn't his, like any being wishing to escape trouble, he turned to flee! Before he bolted, I looked into his eyes and actually saw fear! Can you imagine! A frightened titan! How adorable!" She hummed. "He knew what he had done, and not wanting to get in trouble he ran! Just like a kid, he didn't want to give back what he found!" The woman laughed, completely tickled at the thought while the others only remained in a state of awe. Hange then let her body calm to a point where she could tame her composure. However, as she did, another realization hit her, one that made her smile instantly vanish and her face fall. The other higher ups took notice of the sudden change immediately - this behavior was unlike Hange.

"Something on your mind?" Erwin questioned, brows knitting together in concern.

The scientist bit her lip. What she was about to bring up was probably harder to believe than what she had just put forth into play. "I – noticed something else when The Rogue Titan ran from us. I hope I'm not imagining things and someone else may have noticed it as well."

"Noticed what?"

"Well. It may just be a fluke, or just a reaction. I'm going out on a limb here so hear me out. Levi – did you notice how after you mentioned the cables, The Rogue immediately looked at the ones in his hand?"

At her words, the Corporal suddenly entered a state of incredible awareness. "Wait. Are you saying what I think you are?"

Hange nodded. "I believe… he may be able to understand us." She informed, making the disheveled room grow silent again.

"Wow! So you're saying The Rogue Titan knows English!" Petra exclaimed. "That's incredible."

Mike scratched his scalp, brows rising a bit. "How did it -

"It must have learned by observing us. That's the only way it could have." The Corporal answered. "Otherwise, like you said – it could just be a gut reaction to being caught with something that he should not have had."

"Yeah, could be. I believe more data is needed before I can confirm this." Hange sighed. "We'll have to do more tests in order to know for sure."

Again, it was still for several minutes before Erwin took a step forward in authority. His face had returned to his usual stony look, signaling a coming command. "This Information is astounding. You may share with the rest of Scouts what you uncovered about the depot raids and the titan's level of intelligence. However, the possibility that The Rogue may be able to understand English is to ONLY be kept between the six of us. Such news spreading to others could cause uproar. Like you said, further observation is needed before we jump to conclusions or make plans. Am I clear?"

"Sir!" The others saluted before leaving the safe house. Hange remained standing, watching as Erwin glanced back at her with acknowledgement, before trailing the others out the door. The scientist then entered another state of disbelief.

'Looks like the Commander is fully aware of this as well. Something is off here. Somehow, there is another hidden piece to the equation that's missing.'

(POV SWAP)

Melancholy. That was the only word Armin could use to describe the current atmosphere. The sky was darkening, like a watercolor wash of grey. A coming rain was present on the horizon, the scent of it even detectible by human noses. The gentle swaying moment of the titan's walk making him feel tired, a wordless and tuneless lullaby. Everything just felt sad and slow.

Armin shifted a bit, repositioning himself to rid a cramp in his leg. Both he and Mikasa had relocated from Rogue's broad shoulders to the titan's tapered ears. In terms of safe and comfortable positions, behind the titan's elfish ears and nestled within Rogue's long hair was ideal. Of course, every once in a while, the titan would flick his ears both teasingly and purposely – swinging the two teens out and in and never failing to provoke a few laughs. To Armin's surprise and much relief, the sightings of titans had been few. Unfortunately, his previous theory of the titans overlooking them due to both he and Mikasa possibly carrying Rogue's scent was false. Amazingly, whenever a titan made a move to approach them, Rogue would snarl much like he had done on their hunting trip – the approaching monster then turning back in the direction it came. The display reminded him of just how protective their titanic friend could be. Normally, Rogue was the perfect definition of a gentle giant: loving, friendly, and almost like cuddly dog – and if he had a tail, Armin was sure it would wag constantly. When angry, Rogue was as untamed as a wild animal, completely feral and utterly terrifying – he didn't blame the titans for being weary. However, he was glad that Rogue was a bit of a mother hen.

He hated to leave Rogue, he really did.

The blonde let out a sigh, shifting again. From memory, and according to a map Rogue had confiscated, they were halfway to Wall Rose. Surprisingly, they were making great time. When the titan had returned with what Armin had asked for, surprisingly not bringing any extras like pillows or mattresses, the three sat to work on the device that would help both he and Mikasa scale up the massive wall. The original design had even gone through a modification for the better. In every knot, a branch that was still green beneath the exterior was fed through, creating a makeshift ladder that would be much easier and safer to climb. With the titan's help of course, the process of assembly had gone rather quickly. Armin and Mikasa would measure the space between each knot, begin the knot, and Rogue would pull the cable so that the knots were tight. The same process went for the weight as well, with the titan lifting the large boulder along with tightening. Overall, their fine work was quality in the short interval of time. By the map and Armin's calculations, the trio would arrive at Wall Rose by tomorrow evening.

Suddenly, Rogue emitted a small growl in annoyance as he stopped in his tracks. The titan sniffed heavily, ears naturally facing forward as the creature looked up in distress.

"Rogue?" Armin grunted as he held onto the titan's ear, trying to keep his grip against the shift. "What is it?"

The two children watched as the titan sniffed again, leveling his head. "RRRRAAIIiinnN." Rogue answered as soon as thunder cracked overhead and water began to pour as if the sky had been gutted.

"Just our luck." Mikasa sighed. "Come on Rogue, let's find some trees or something." Armin heard her say, voice more caring and tender than before and he knew why.

The titan eagerly nodded in understanding and began to jog across the grassy plain. The boy and girl held tightly onto Rogue's ears as the titan looked from left to right, searching for shelter from the storm. After several minutes and the beginning of dampening clothes, Rogue spotted a small thicket with a few average sized trees and several giant ones like those in the forest that they had called home. Quickly, the titan made a run for the trees, pounding footsteps joining the rumbling in the heavens. Soon, the thicket's small canopy stretched over them as Rogue entered the deepest part where the giant trees flourished. The titan then let out a jet of steam in relief before looing up at the towering trees, eyes traveling from one to the other as if Rogue was making a selection. Finally, the titan pointed to one of the tallest with branches close at their bases and stretching far from the truck. Armin tilted his head in thought before looking to Rogue whose green eyes were lit with expectancy – obviously waiting for an opinion.

"That looks good. It will make a great place to camp for the night since this storm doesn't look like it will be going away anytime soon." Armin paused, looking to the homemade ladder wrapped around the titan's neck loosely like a scarf. "Let's try out –

Rogue's body swiftly lurched forward before the boy had a chance to finish. Before he could guess what was transpiring, the titan planted his nails deep past the bark of the tree – and began to climb with surprising speed.

"Rogue!" The raven-haired girl yelled. "What are you –

"Rogue!" Armin protested as the titan skillfully scaled nearly thirty meters, stopping every few seconds to examine a cluster of limbs before releasing a satisfied trill and climbing into what could be classified as a bowl of branches. Rogue then began to settle, lying on his back with head resting in clusters of leaves and legs lazily dangling around the trunk. The titan then rumbled in pleasure as he then carefully removed the two from his ears and placed them onto his belly. For moment, Armin sat in complete confusion with Mikasa, staring in bewilderment at Rogue who was purring and grinning awkwardly with eyes shut tight – completely content and proud with himself as if he had done nothing out of the ordinary.

"You… can climb trees?" Mikasa asked, eyes wide in shock. The titan responded to her query with a sharp nod and chirp, eyes opening to reveal green pools illuminated with glee.

"When did you learn how?" Armin finally questioned after he found that his mouth, tongue and lips worked.

Rogue's eyes narrowed slightly at the boy's words, making Armin bite his lip knowing he had brought on what was making out to be one of the titan's little 'episodes.' The creature grumbled non-threateningly, just a small growl that clearly meant that Rogue didn't wish to elaborate. Armin sighed.

"Oh well. You're better than me at it!" The boy gave in, hoping to solve the impending issue. To his relief, Rogue reverted to the pleased state he was in before, purring loudly and looking completely at ease.

Mikasa giggled lightly. "I hope you're not going to be like this cat that lived in our city once. It got stuck in the tree and was too scared to climb down!" She continued to chuckle – the visual of a fifteen-meter TITAN stuck in a tree nearly making Armin burst out in laughter.

Rogue replied in a series of cheerful huffs before cradling his arms around both he and Mikasa. For several minutes, it was silent between the three as the rain continued to fall, growing progressively harder. Armin and Mikasa's small bodies slowly rose up and down with Rogue's abdomen as the titan continued to purr softly – eyes half lidded in fatigue. Suddenly, a horrifying thought crossed the blonde's mind. Maybe they weren't so safe up in the canopy.

"Um, Rogue, maybe it would be better if you slept on the ground. You might have another nightmare." Armin frowned, hoping that he wasn't getting on Rogue's bad side.

The titan tilted his head in what appeared to be confusion but not quite betrayal at the inquiry. Then, Rogue denied with a small and fussy growl before beaming elatedly and pointing to his heart. The two watched as the titan began his odd way of explaining things, 'talking' in a series of ape-like grunts and grumbles that Rogue seemed to expect the children to understand. Sadly, it did get on Armin's nerves at points when he was trying to learn what exactly Rogue was up to, but of course he sympathized with the titan's unfortunate pain when it came to speaking. But thankfully, Rogue's wordless dialect, plus a few clear gestures, made some conversations easy to translate.

"You feel better since our talk this morning?" Mikasa asked, the titan nodding in reply, emitting a more grunts to boot. "That's great. Maybe that will keep your mind at ease, Rogue."

The titan dipped his head, purring again as his vast frame relaxed further. Armin smiled meekly, his mind processing thoughts. It was fortunate that Rogue did feel better at the simple and imaginary ideal, one that really didn't work for most people these days. Of course, any simple idea or thought the titan took seriously with his mental barriers. Although Rogue had the great ability to learn, his deficiency made him slightly gullible. To Armin and most, nothing was better than the physical appearance of someone you know and love.

The sky grew darker as the rain continued to fall, lightning flashing across the stormy heavens as time passed by. Thunder echoed loudly, sounding like one of the titan's angry bellows. Rogue protectively and loosely cupped his fingers around their small bodies, breathing deeply enough to make a few weak leaves tremble. Mikasa then sighed, relaxing against the titan's palm.

"Why don't we share a few stories to pass some time until we fall asleep?" She suggested - Rogue's eyes lighting up at the word of a tale. The creature grunted a bit, ears facing forward as he prepared to listen.

Armin chuckled. "Of course, it won't be stories from the books since we left those with you, Rogue. That way you can have more things to remember us by." The boy paused, hoping that his words didn't sound like he and Mikasa were leaving forever – hoping that it wasn't the case. To his relief, Rogue didn't notice, simply waiting with eyes glowing in delight. To Armin, it was clear that the titan was trying his hardest to be in good spirits at their imminent departure. During their journey, it just felt like Rogue was forcing bravery upon himself with every step. Perhaps every mile they gained, the titan's levelheadedness was lost bit by bit – replaced with false senses of security. It was nothing short of depressing and it made Armin only feel worse. The boy then forced himself to bare the same thin blanket of confidence that the titan himself was wrapped in. "I'll start us off. Do the two of you remember the time before the breach happened when the three of us used to go scare birds up in the canopy? Whoever had the most fly off the branches won?"

The girl chuckled. "I remember that. We had to constantly keep Rogue from cheating." Mikasa sneered.

At her words, the titan tilted his head, ears flickering and a single brow raised, pretending to not know what the two were referring to.

"Oh don't act like you have no idea! Yelling or in your case, roaring, was not allowed. We had to throw objects as high as we could to get them to fly away." Mikasa jokingly informed with the titan rolling his eyes. Armin chuckled at the distant memory. Rogue was always mischievous. During the game, the titan would try to sneak in a roar to get hundreds of birds to fly of frantically – doing so just to hear both he and Mikasa laugh.

"And when we finally scolded you enough, you decided to play along – well sort of."

Mikasa laughed. "You did say that throwing things was the basis of the game, but the rules didn't say how BIG the objects could be."

Rogue suddenly began huffing loudly, tossing his head back into the leaves as he laughed – the sound strange upon human ears. Armin crossed his arms.

"At least you weren't the one explaining how a thirty foot tree got into another one to a member of the Military police." He informed sternly but jokingly. Rogue only smiled cunningly, obviously amused. "Now that I look at it, you were probably hiding somewhere up IN a tree listening and laughing at the whole thing. You're lucky you didn't become a pile of bones that day, Rogue."

The titan continued to chortle, huffs trembling smaller branches. The giant being settled down a bit, obviously waiting for the two to share more.

"Remember that time when we went fishing, or at least tried to." Mikasa giggled, more animated than she had been in a while.

"Oh yeah, we were pole fishing and you kept hogging all the fish." Armin added. "I just kept getting my hook caught in everything before I could even cast out."

Rogue let out a huff and gestured to his ear, making the boy chuckle.

"The only thing I could catch that day was you!" Armin laughed as he recalled the titan's dumbfounded and priceless look when his hook had gotten snagged in the titan's earlobe. "We actually made you a rod too, Rogue if you remember. You used it for about ten minutes before you decided to fish bear style – which turned into you just splashing us with water." Armin snickered.

Mikasa smiled. "We all just ended up swimming after that."

The three of them chuckled a bit at that. During their visits with the titan, the giant's playful but unpredictable demeanor was what made things interesting and enjoyable. Rogue then grunted a bit, a small rumble that Armin and Mikasa recognized as one the titan would make when he wanted attention. The boy and girl observed as the titan's skin at the corners of his mouth pulled upward. Rogue then gestured to himself with a clawed finger, making eager noises that vibrated the beast's frame.

"You have a story that you want to share too?" Mikasa asked, enthused at the titan's willingness to participate.

Rogue immediately nodded vigorously at her query. The titan then swallowed, thyroid bobbing as he salivated his throat to speak. "AARRRnnINN… NNiKaSSaa… NNEEET… RROOGGuuE!"

Mikasa blinked in surprise. "Oh, when we all first met?"

The titan dipped his head in reply. "OOOUUnnnD LIiiTTLE OoNS." Rogue spoke proudly, mouth twisted into a crooked grin with chin elevated slightly. Armin then found himself in a state of awe as he himself tilted his head. Was that the term Rogue secretly called he and Mikasa?

"Little ones?"

The titan nodded, purring yet anew as he gestured to the two children. Armin smiled at this. Admittedly, he did find Rogue's way of naming them a bit endearing.

"I'll never forget that night." Mikasa began softly, making Armin wonder if she had been impacted by the sudden recollection of her parent's deaths. "If you hadn't come Rogue, Armin and I would have been in serious trouble. That and we wouldn't have both made an unbelievable and caring friend – the best that anyone can ask for." The girl smiled tenderly as she leaned further into the titan's warm embrace. "I don't think I can ever thank you enough for saving our lives." Mikasa announced, grey eyes looking at Rogue in gratitude. "Thank you, Rogue. For everything."

The titan's eyes widened a bit at the words, and for a moment, Armin thought he saw the behemoth blush. Rogue then returned her speech with a low blink and nod, as if to say 'you're welcome.' Another thought then came across Armin's mind, once that flew in every now and again that he always wondered about. "Hey Rogue?"

The creature then turned his attention to the boy, waiting expectedly with forward facing ears. Armin bit his lip.

"I've always wondered this, but what – made you want to help us that night?" The boy asked inoffensively.

Instantly, the titan stilled at Armin's words – looking owlishly into the boy's blue eyes. Rogue shifted uncomfortably in his otherwise comfortable position. The large being's green orbs then transferred to Mikasa, swarming with worry. The titan then made a small pained noise from between his teeth, making Armin want to kick his own in – accidentally bringing up more questions that could possibly upset. "Never…

"HHeEELTLEESSS." Rogue unexpectedly returned. "NNEEN NeEAN." He breathed. "AARRNiiN NNiIIKASSA UURRT." The titan alliterated, ears drooping and eyes filling with obvious sorrow. Rogue then looked to Mikasa, opening his mouth to speak again, but quickly stopping himself, recognizably drawing a line before him. Instead, the titan suddenly grasped Mikasa in a gentle hold, bringing her to rest in the dip above his collarbone. Rogue then gave a soft and nurturing lick on the girl's tiny brow before resting his chin against her in nothing but affection. To Armin, it was incredibly clear that Rogue was going to share something along the possibility that he had seen Mikasa's parents – perhaps their lifeless and bloody bodies. It was incredible that the titan was considerate enough to take her feelings to his account. Perhaps that was why the two had such a close relationship. Armin beamed warmly; Rogue truly had a heart of Amazonian proportions.

For some time, they continued to share stories of their past visits, even some that included Carla and Dr. Jaeger. Soon, things had grown quiet, peaceful in the now relaxing rain. Mikasa had long since fallen asleep against the titan's chest, his giant hand draped over her like a warm blanket. Armin rolled over a bit on the titan's flesh, opening his eyes to notice that Rogue wasn't asleep yet. The titan's luminous eyes were set onto the distant horizon, looking in the direction of Wall Rose. The boy watched and felt as the titan let out a shaky breath, curling his fingers tighter around both he and Mikasa's frames. Rogue brows knitted together, grief present on his deformed face. Armin had been right. The titan was fighting an inner battle.

"Rogue?" He whispered, watching the titan turn his head in alarm before instantly calming. Rogue tilted his head a bit, silently asking what Armin wanted. "Um, I know you're worried about us and that you're going to miss us, but listen Rogue. Nothing is set in stone and we'll be back before you know it. Don't you worry."

At the boy's encouragement, Rogue gave a slight nod in return before letting his head lull to the side and his eyes shut. In no time, the titan was filling the thicket with gentle snores as he joined Mikasa in a state of repose. Armin sighed and rested his head, but sleep wasn't coming easy. He dreaded the coming day.

(POV SWAP)

The moon had replaced the sun yet again, big and full – illuminating the dark landscape with a soft white glow. It was deathly quiet with nearly every living thing asleep except for Rogue's footsteps and his little one's small voices. They had left the safety of the thicket that morning with little issue. Although it was creeping into the later hours, Rogue felt active due to the fact that he spent the day walking out in the open – purposely for he would need all the energy he could obtain. The titan also felt something else, something that he had begun to feel the night before that made him almost sick to his stomach. The reality of the situation was settling in with each mile he traveled. Soon, he would be truly alone again for the first time in more than a decade. Rogue mewled at the thought; he hated being by himself. He wished that his little ones could stay or at least he could go with them. Alas, that was just another impossible thing. There were too many of his kin looking for a feast and he was a monster. This was their only plan and only option, but damn he felt like the world was constantly shitting on him. The titan sighed, could his heart really help him?

"You okay?"

Rogue turned to see Mikasa looking up at him with a concerned gaze. Upon looking at her usually still face, the titan whined - quickly turning away to blink back a salty tear. He did not want her or Armin for that matter to see him like this; he wanted to be strong for them. He had to be.

"I can tell that you're upset, Rogue." She proceeded sympathetically. "You don't need to hide any tears from us. It's normal to be sad when someone is going away for a bit. Showing your emotions to them just says that you love them."

Rogue then let his attention drift to his little ones again, looking at their apprehensive but understanding faces. Tears threatened to leak from his eyes, but then his gaze caught sight of the vast stone barrier upon the horizon – one that now appeared as just a grim reminder rather than protection and promise.

"There's Wall Rose." Armin announced softly, tone low and despondent. "Just as the map said, we should be coming up on the Trost district. We – should probably hurry. In a few hours, The Garrison will be starting their early morning patrols."

The titan flinched at his words, dipping his head a bit as his feet forced themselves to keep pressing forward. He wanted to stop desperately, but it was as if his legs had a mind of their own. Rogue then gave in and descended into a trance, recollecting memories and touch. Everything just made his heart sink further. It was the most uncomfortable sensation he had ever felt.

The titan's breath trembled as the wall began to draw nearer, his body quaking with every inch gained. The hands of his little ones began to rub his neck in an attempt to sooth, but it truthfully only made him feel worse. Rogue swallowed back a wad of discomfort as the wall stretched higher and higher – it was menacing. His hand then snaked up to his chest yet again, feeling the rapid beating and the imminent crumbling. No, he had to be strong for his little ones. He wasn't going break. He couldn't. He couldn't worry them.

However, as the trio stopped at the base of the immense wall, the situation hit Rogue full force. The titan suddenly fell to his knees, his inner emotions taking the reins. His broad back hunched bit as his shoulders slouched – nearly making both Armin and Mikasa fall to the earth. Tears leaked from his eyes, but he kept the dam from bursting completely. Still, the titan whined - hair obstructing his face as he slowly gave in to misery.

"Rogue?" The girl asked, the titan feeling her palm against his ear. "Rogue?"

Listening to her concern, the titan took a breath. He had to compose himself. He had to. Rogue's green eyes shifted to his little ones once again; the layer of water making them almost fuzzy. Instinctively, he acknowledged them with a purr, one that was shaky and trying not to be. The titan blinked, a few tears gliding down his gaunt cheeks and teeth, frozen smile masking his inner battle.

"It's okay." Mikasa began, her throat tightening with her voice straining to hold back tears of her own. "Let's be strong for one another, Rogue." The girl smiled meagerly. "Remember," Mikasa continued. "Keep us in your heart as Armin and I keep you in ours."

Rogue withered a bit as he found himself unexpectedly trying to smile. The titan suddenly took his little ones in his hands, letting them rest comfortably in his palm as he buried his face into them. The titan rumbled in likeness as the two embraced his face as best as they could, Rogue's warmth and cool tears soaking into their clothes and skin. Yes, he would be strong. His little ones were leaving the nest – but they would return. The thing called love bounded them together.

"Just like we told you last night, thanks so much Rogue, for everything. And don't you worry – Mikasa and I will be back before you know it."

"Like Armin said, we'll see you in time, Rogue." Mikasa squeaked, suddenly pressing her face to his nose, finally giving way to her own sorrow. "Thank you so much for everything." She cried, making the titan's chest flutter. His little one suddenly pressed her lips to Rogue's flesh, performing a small but incredibly meaningful gesture that the titan knew was a kiss - an affectionate gesture that was the strongest way to express love and his humans had often exchanged with one another. "I love you."

Again, Rogue withered at her words. Tears broke through again, the titan giving in a bit before gathering himself to be slightly more stable. Strong. He had to be strong for his little ones, but of course he couldn't help to express his emotions.

"We love you, Rogue." Armin added, obvious that he was fighting tears as well. "I – never thought I would be saying that to a titan in my life. You may not be human, but you're our friend that's loved and cared for us ever since that night we met. Although we hate to do this, we have to – but you care about our safety and what's best for us. You love us enough to let us go."

The titan smiled as best as he could before gently licking his little ones' faces – giving them his own version of a kiss. Although some would call it disgusting and run in retreat, Armin and Mikasa embraced it for what it was.

"I guess we should get going now." Armin suggested. "It will be daylight soon."

Reluctantly, Rogue nodded and placed the two children back to his shoulder before unwrapping the ladder from his neck. The titan then took the rock in hand, looking to his little one for instruction.

"Okay, this part is critical, Rogue." The boy began, shoving his emotions aside for the moment. "You must get this right with little errors so that The Garrison, the uniformed men with roses on their backs, don't show up and see you. We need you to hold onto the end of the ladder without the rock as you throw the rock over the wall. You MUST hold on to the ladder. Got it?"

Rogue nodded and placed the end of the free cable in his left hand, wrapping it around his index finger once for added security before closing his palm. The titan then got a firm grip onto the bolder, raising his arm back over their heads as he judged his aim. Rogue breathed deeply, putting a lid on his anxiety as he tightened his muscles. He had to throw the weight just right with the correct amount of exertion. To hard and straight, he would just be damaging both the wall and rock. The boulder would have to be high, at an arch, and hard. The throw had to be perfect. Then, with a fluid motion and an explosion of kinetic energy, the titan released the boulder from his grasp. The nearly two ton rock sailed through the air, like the hollow ball that he and his little ones used to play with – almost looking like it was floating. Rogue held his breath as he watched nervously, hoping that his aim was good and he would make his target. To his relief and amazement, the rock flew over the wall to hang on the other side. The titan adjusted himself; walking closer to the wall to gain some slack and let the boulder slide slightly further on the other side for added security. Next to him, his little ones gave a silent celebration.

"Good throw!" Armin encouraged. "Now, keep holding on as Mikasa and I ascend the ladder. If…" His little one paused, swallowing nervously. "One of us falls, please catch us, okay?"

Rogue nodded as he held out his free hand to the two of them to hop on. Once they were secure in his palm he guided then to the ladder, feeling his heart act up again – but he had to ignore it. He had to be strong. The titan watched as the two children debated the order that they were to climb before Mikasa willingly volunteered to go first. Rogue watched nervously as the girl placed her small hands onto the bark of the first limb, steadying herself as she controlled her balance. Armin soon followed her, slow but secure as he adjusted his footing. After scaling several feet, his little ones looked back to him with soft and easy smiles, expressing a final verbal goodbye.

Rogue dipped his head in acknowledgement. "LLOOVV OOUUU."

"Love you too. We'll be back soon."

The titan then watched his little ones ascend further to the heavens. Indeed, they were young birds leaving the nest and taking to the sky. Retreating to a bit of safety. It was almost and accomplishment, a completed stage in a mission. In their absence, he would make it safe for them and all of the humans trapped by their cage. He would fight. His heart would keep him going.

Finally, his little ones reached the top of the wall, making Rogue squint just to see them. He smiled a bit as his two dear children waved at him, the titan himself quickly returning the gesture. With one last lengthy look, his little ones then departed over the crest of the wall – vanishing from his sight.

He was alone again.

After pulling the ladder back to him, the titan finally gave in to his desires and let his feelings escape him. Rogue let out a loud cry, baying in the face of the moon with grief. However, he would be strong no matter what. Soon, his little ones would return. But he didn't know when or how long that would be.

(POV SWAP)

Sunlight bore down heavily from the cloudless sky, radiating heat off the stone surface of the wall. It was another miserably hot day of summer and being atop Wall Rose was the last thing that Corporal Levi wanted to do. The second thing he hated most in the world, right after unclean surfaces, was being hot and sticky with sweat. However, he didn't have a damn choice. An urgent message had summoned him from the comfort of his quarters. The only good thing about the current situation was the lack of Shitty Glasses. He was thankful for that at least.

Levi kept in sync with Erwin's stride as he secretly glanced to the garrison soldiers on duty. Due to the breach, none of the men drank alcohol on duty, the only positive thing that came out of the breach. However, knowing from a few trips prior of being atop the wall, most of the soldiers still goofed off on the occasion. At least they weren't as bad as the Military police – slacking off or fucking whenever they had the chance, doing whatever the hell they wanted in the interior – living off the king's spoils. How he hated them.

The Corporal blinked a bit as he continued to scrutinize the states of the present Garrison soldiers. In light of the rising issue that they were about to be briefed on, most weren't fooling around. Instead, they remained edgy but the older members seemed enthused – talking almost to the level of Hange as they shared information to the fresher Garrisons. Levi's scowl naturally grew darker. What were they dealing with and why in the hell did they call the first and second in command of the Scouts?

Then a familiar man approached the two seasoned soldiers. Levi knew him immediately from anywhere. The man was the highest-ranking Commander in the southern territories and of the Garrison, Dot Pixis. He was an aged man about the height of Erwin with a bald head, eyes clad with wrinkles, and a thick grey mustache. But of course Commander Pixis was really known by two things: he always had a flask of whiskey handy and he was eccentric. Levi could almost call him crazy, but despite his odd behavior at points, the man was brilliant.

"Ah, Commander Erwin and Corporal Levi!" Pixis began in his signature rough voice, sounding not at all like there was an emergency. "It's nice to see you two here on such short notice. I apologize beforehand that we're not discussing matters over a set of drinks."

"That's alright." Erwin nodded. "So, what seems to be the problem?"

The man laughed and gestured for the two to follow him. "Well, it's a bit of an odd situation if I don't say so myself. It all began with early morning inspections. One of our soldiers made the discovery when he was examining a few of the cannons. It's put us on high alert – mostly because we don't know what to make of the situation. We're a bit baffled to be honest, more so confused."

The Scouting Commander blinked in question. "What did your soldiers find?"

Levi watched as Pixis smirked a bit at the younger man's inquiry. The man then stopped in his stride and gestured over the side of the wall into the territory of Maria. "I don't think the question is what we found, but rather whom." He smiled cunningly as both Levi and Erwin met his side. Instantly, Levi's brows rose in astonishment.

There, at the bottom of the wall, was The Rogue. The titan was seating neatly, legs crossed with arms draped over his knees. The beast's green eyes were focused onto them, ears facing forward in alert. Levi's brow wrinkled a bit. What the hell was it doing here? During the past two years, he had never seen it venture further than its territory – moreover why did it look so sad?

"The Rogue Titan." Erwin recognized. Pixis nodded.

"Yup. It's the first time we've seen him since the breach a few years ago." The older man began, suddenly snickering. "Most of our veterans recognized him immediately. He's quite fetching for a titan, a sexy lady one would easily be attracted to him! He's quite a hunk!"

Levi crossed his arms, ignoring the man's humor. "So do you have any idea why he's here?" He asked, watching as Pixis retrieved his flask from his inner pocket.

"We're not exactly sure why. The titan has just been sitting there. He's not causing any trouble. He only gets up to dispatch a few titans and sleeps in a nearby forest. Hell, I caught a few of our new recruits throwing rocks at him and even firing a cannon at the fellow. Commander, you've debriefed me about your interest in this titan – so I was wondering if you could possibly provide some answers as to why you think he's here."

Erwin chuckled slightly. My scientist would have been better to ask, but I can say that this titan really is something else. For the last two years we've studied him since he caught our interest during an ambush. I can say from the presented facts that The Rogue Titan does indeed not show any interest in our consumption. In fact, he's made no move as of yet to even harm us, but he shows interest in examining our behavior and equipment. We believe he has human like intelligence, the level of a very young child. Still, he does surprise us. Right now, he's doing just that.

"So, we don't need to see him as a threat?"

Levi shook his head. "Just be vigilant. During our expeditions, we found out that he can climb trees quite easily and stay awake for extended periods at night. Looks like he can't climb the wall though since he hasn't made any attempts. Of course, if he wanted to harm you, he would have already been up here. So, how long has he been doing this?"

For the first time, Pixis dithered. "Well, for two weeks."

Erwin's eyes widened slightly, large eyebrows rising up on his face. "Two weeks?"

Levi was shocked. 'Two fucking weeks? That titan has been sitting there for two weeks! Why!'

"Yes." Pixis confirmed. "You know; if I didn't know better I'd say that he almost looks – sad. Detached from reality almost. He reminds me a bit of a dog that's waiting for his master to come home. I've actually begun to feel sorry for him."

As if to confirm suspicions, The Rogue Titan suddenly let out a moan, ears wilting as it adverted its gaze to the grass at its feet. Levi shifted in unease. What on earth was the damn thing doing?

Pixis then lifted his flask to his lips once again, brows knitted while he was deep in thought. "I've informed the rest of the Garrison to not speak a word of this, even to the trainees. A titan that hunts his own is a thing that could be considered beautiful at this day and age. I don't like wasted potential."

Erwin nodded in agreement. "Thank you Commander. I wish we could tap into that untapped potential. The Rogue Titan in truly unique."

The older man nodded. "Still, I wish I knew what he's doing."

Levi sighed, but then catching his breath as the titan suddenly rose to his feet. The Corporal and the two Commanders watched as The Rogue looked upon them one last time before turning away from the wall and vanishing into the nearby woods.

"Hmm, well I guess he finally decided to head back home since that's not the direction he goes in to shelter for the evening."

The Corporal sighed. There were so many components to this titan that were shrouded in mystery. This creature was more than what met the eye. That was for sure. Like Hange had noted, something about the titan just seemed – off. Levi really wished that he knew what it was.

He would find out one day. He just had a feeling – a bad one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I hope you all enjoyed! The next chapters will include the invasion of Trost. Chapter 8 will include a "calm before the storm" situation. I also post notices of updates on this story on my tumblr... and I'm currently working on all illustration of Rogue's cove. Anyways hope you are all enjoying!
> 
> As far as the manga goes... hurry up chapter 67! Argh!


	8. The Manifestation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years after Rogue and his little ones separate, disaster strikes again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait on this chapter! It's a big one! Just shy of 27,000 words! Lol, I just decided to keep the Trost arc as one big chapter. Also! I've done an illustration of the cove! You can find it on my tumblr account (its miranda-leek) or you can find it under the tag "rogue titan". You can also see it on Ao3 where this story is as well.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy this long chapter! I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan. I'm not a perfect person (a good majority of this was written at 3am) so there are probably some grammar issues I missed. If you find any errors, please tell me so I can make corrections. I'd appreciate it. Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Also, I'm going to put an "M" rating on this chapter for gore as you can expect.

Before you read this chapter, here is an illustration of Rogue's cove!

http://miranda-leek.tumblr.com/post/113097375863/ah-here-it-is-some-environment-practice-and

You can also see this image on my tumblr account (miranda-leek or under the tag "rogue titan")

Also, check out DarkenedDaybreak's fan-art as well!

 

Chapter 8

The Manifestation

A demanding command echoed across the courtyard, ordering Armin to place his fist over his heart in a signature salute. His gaze was fixed forward, a practiced look of determination painted onto his face to mask his insecurity. It had been hard, a sacrifice of sweat, blood, and tears but he had finally done it. After three long years, he and his longtime friend had graduated the cadets.

Armin looked to the group of exceptional people before him while the closing ceremony of their graduation commenced. They were the top ten, top of his class in the 104th cadets. The boy smiled, his attention venturing to Mikasa who stood among them. It wasn't too much of a surprise that she had placed first. Ever since they were small, Mikasa had always been the stronger and braver of the two. During their training, she excelled in everything. Truthfully, Armin was content that he hadn't made the top of his class. His specialty was strategy not full on combat, which had proven to be Mikasa's forte. Rank didn't matter, just as long as they could join the Scouts to help humanity, see the outside world, and reunite with their dear friend.

Yes, placement didn't matter. As long as he and Mikasa were in a position to carry out their plan, he was perfectly fine where he stood.

Soon, the ceremony had ceased and the cadets had migrated into the banquet hall, an incredibly large stone and wood building where a congratulatory feast had been prepared – a selection of food that was slightly better than what they were used to during training. The smell of piping hot tomato soup, garlic bread, and even a fresh roasted ham hovered in the atmosphere and provoked every mouth to water. Armin and Mikasa seated themselves with a full platter at a large rectangular table where many other members of their class sat. Normally, the two kept to themselves when attending breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although they knew mostly everyone, it was just something they preferred. This time however, the banquet hall was bustling with activity from both cadets and higher ups. Thus, the two took the first seats available to them.

For a long moment, the teens kept quiet between themselves – cherishing the taste of ham for the first time in months. Armin glanced up from his crimson soup, watching Mikasa push a few peas across her plate – obviously thinking. During the past three years, puberty had taken its hold on them. Both now fifteen, they had grown like weeds. Mikasa had shed her girlish touch and had taken a more womanly and athletic frame. Her face was thinner, raven hair cut to her shoulders, and her other feminine features more pronounced. He himself was still much shorter, but taller than when he first joined the cadets nonetheless. Compared to most of the boys in the 104th, Armin was underdeveloped. His shoulders had only broadened a little bit and his muscles were faintly evident. Even his voice hadn't toned down as low as the others. As far as other aspects about himself, Armin remained pretty much the same. He continued to watch Mikasa toy with her food, setting down her spoon to adjust her scarf, gripping the titan's gift to her that she never removed tightly before returning to her task of pushing her peas. Along, with her body's changes, Mikasa's attitude had undergone a transformation. Ever since they had left Rogue, the teen had reverted to her stoic state that she had dawned before. She was more reserved and serious, only speaking openly to a few people. Her face was mostly emotionless, only freeing itself from its stern prison on occasion and around Armin. Of course, he knew why Mikasa had changed. She was living up to her oath that she had made the night their trio had separated, be strong for their mismatched family. However, Armin couldn't help the need but to ensure that her mental state of mind was sound.

"Mikasa?" Armin asked, trying to keep rather low-key in the loud interior. "Are you – okay?"

The teen dipped her head, locks grazing her cheeks as she sat her fork down to the oak surface of the table. "I'm okay Armin." Mikasa spoke softly, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I just – kind of wish…

"That he was here with us?" Armin finished. She nodded, resting her chin in her palm.

"Yeah. It's not the same without him. I bet he would have been proud of us." Mikasa replied. "Armin – do you think he's alright? Admittedly, I often worry about his state of mind. He has been alone for quite some time now." She sighed, unease submerged in her words.

He bit his lip. "I bet he would have been pretty happy with our accomplishment, Mikasa." Armin spoke, purposely leaving out the titan's name just as they had done when referring to their friend in public. "I – hope he's okay, too. Like you, I constantly wonder if he's healthy and sane. Hopefully, we can see him soon." He smiled meekly, getting a similar suggestion from Mikasa in return.

Without warning, several of the other cadets placed themselves at the large table, laughing and in full conversation as they indulged from the celebration's spoils. The two teens sighed, at least they knew the group well. There was Marco Bott, one of the friendliest cadets around and seventh in their class. To his peers, he was known as a great potential leader and by his facial freckles- earning him the nickname 'Freckled Jesus' for whatever reason that no one really knew. Next to him was Sasha Blouse, a brunette with an alarming passion for food – especially meat. Most would call the characteristic disturbing. Sasha would eat nearly anything and any open opportunity she got she would steal a meal from either the officer's pantries or her fellow cadets' plates. Among the group was also Krista Lenz, a small blonde that was a genuine and caring girl that placed tenth in their class. There was also Connie Springer, a short boy with a buzz cut that was not known to be the sharpest blade in the military's arsenal – the first day of training proving quite laughable when he saluted the completely wrong way instead of what was instructed. Mina Carolina and Thomas Wagner were among the group as well as they took their seats. The final person that joined the group was Jean Kirstein. He was a tall boy with two-tone hair, brown below and blonde up top. To most, Jean was well known to be a bit arrogant and say exactly what he thought. Although he could be as stubborn as an ass, his talents in maneuvering with the gear earned him 6th place among the top ten. Another fact that most of the cadets seated at the table were aware of, was Jean's desire to be with Mikasa – an ideal that Armin's dear friend hated for she, like some, were not fond of the upfront individual.

"So," Marco began after savoring a spoonful of soup. "Does anyone here know what branch of the military they plan to go to? I'm sticking to the Military Police. It would be such an honor to serve the king!"

"I think most of the top ten are joining the MP's. Its kind of a natural thing isn't? Sasha added. "Of course, I'm going wherever there is food and something to do."

Connie chuckled. "You always say that Sasha. But as for me, I'm sticking with the MP's. I want to make my parents proud."

"I guess if you didn't make the top ten we still have the Garrison and the Scouts to choose from." Thomas chimed in. "When the choosing ceremony comes, I'll be going for the Garrison."

"Me too." Mina agreed. "Sure, the Scouts are always in need of recruits – but I'd rather avoid contact with a titan at all costs!"

For several long minutes, both Armin and Mikasa quietly listened to the undergoing conversations about choice military branches. Armin swallowed, secretly hoping that he and Mikasa were not to be included. He didn't exactly feel like explaining the reason why the two of them wanted to be part of the Scouting Legion – the branch with a sign up sheet that doubled as a death certificate. Suddenly, Marco turned to them, smile on his face, as he was about to ask the obvious question.

"Hey Mikasa and Armin. Have you two decided where you're going yet?"

"Yeah," Sasha added, talking with food in her jaws. "Are you planning on joining the same branch or separate ones?"

Armin dithered, seeing that all their eyes were upon them. He quickly found himself fretfully intertwining his fingers and biting his lip again while the group awaited an answer. Mikasa then cleared her throat.

"The Scouts. Armin and I are joining the Scouts." She replied simply, her tone flat and stern. As expected, eyes widened at her statement.

"The Scouts?" Krista asked sympathetically. "You were the first in our class Mikasa! Of course, you're the best there is at combat, I don't blame you for wanting to use your skills that you acquired. But…why would you put yourself on the frontline?"

Marco then dithered. "If it's not too much trouble in asking, is there a reason why you two are making that decision?"

Armin's body grew anxious at the teen's words. His mind then began to rapidly search for any lie that could throw them off. Of course, even if he had a lie selected, he wasn't for sure it would be convincing enough. What! What could he tell them?

"Well it goes like this," Mikasa pronounced, her voice low and nearly straining.

Armin blinked in disbelief. Surely not! She wouldn't share Rogue with them. It was too soon!

"Armin's best friend that was also my adopted big brother was unfortunately separated from us at the breach." She paused, obviously choosing her words carefully. "But you can't win any battle if you don't fight even if that means you risk your own life. That's our reasons."

For several tense seconds the teens stared at Mikasa, faces coated with shock and some showing remorse. In their years of being in the cadets, Mikasa had never referred to Rogue in a conversation besides the ones she shared with Armin.

"Wow." Krista began, breaking the long silence. "I didn't know that Mikasa. I'm sorry." She sympathized, voice understanding as usual.

"My apologies Mikasa." Marco added. "I didn't know either."

The raven-haired teen sighed, finally taking a bite of her soup. "It's fine. I never told anyone before." Mikasa spoke quietly, her hand clenching a bit to hold back any emotional urges. With her eye contact on her plate, it was clear to Armin that she wished that she did not have to elaborate further.

"So um, how old was he and what was his name?" Sasha asked innocently as she shoved her bread to her mouth. Armin nearly froze at her words, hoping that Mikasa could pull off an effective lie.

"I'm sorry Sasha, but it's not something I prefer to talk about." Mikasa denied as she placed her gaze back to the eager teens, getting her point across by stern expression alone. Thankfully the group of cadets retreated off the subject and began to adapt to other topics.

"Did anyone see the new cannons the Garrison has?" Thomas began as he took another bite of bread. "They're a major improvement from five years ago."

Marco snickered as he took a drink. "Yeah, the sight of them alone should scare the titans off.

Suddenly, Connie grew quite animated, eyes propelled wide as he quickly sat down his silverware. "That reminds me! The other day when I went into town, I overheard a few Garrison soldiers talking about something amazing! Apparently, The Rogue Titan is back!"

Instantly, Armin immobilized, the words 'titan' and 'rogue' in the same sentence sending him into silent confusion. His blue eyes glanced over, seeing that Mikasa had entered a similar state. Befuddled, the teen remained inaudible as he awaited Connie to elaborate further.

"Wait a minute." Sasha began. "You mean the titan from the Garrison's stories?"

Immediately, Connie nodded enthusiastically. "Hell yeah! According to the guys that I heard talking, they say that it has been appearing just outside of Trost – doing what it does best!"

"Are you serious Connie?" Marco questioned. "No one has seen it since the –

"Yes, I'm serious!" The boy ensured.

Mina blinked in confusion. "Hold on. What's The Rogue Titan?"

For a moment it was silent at the table except for the conversations occurring around them. Connie smirked cunningly, sanding and placing a boot on his seat in an almost smug manner. "The Rogue Titan is only the most monstrous titan there is. He slaughters his own kind mercilessly! They say that he's the physical embodiment of hell and humanity's rage all rolled into one!"

"The story goes that The Rogue appeared from seemingly nowhere." Marco began. "They say that during the breach, it just walked right past all of the Garrison soldiers that were on the ground preparing cannons. Most accounts say that it just completely ignored all of the fleeing citizens and went straight up to a titan and ripped it apart, its roars so loud that they shook the earth beneath the soldiers' feet. After that, it vanished, but now it seems that it's returned."

Armin's heart hammered in his chest. 'Could it really be?'

"Yeah. He's back! The Garrison said it's been appearing outside the Trost district once every month or so. They've been watching it hunt the surrounding titans, witnessing how it rips out their napes with its teeth and beats them to a pulp!" Connie paused, placing both hands onto the table in excitement. "He's a badass!"

The blonde teen's heart nearly stopped. Was it possible? No, it couldn't be. Could it?

"I've heard the stories of The Rogue too actually." Sasha joined, ignoring her plate for once. "I heard that the titan is like thirty meters tall and has razor sharp teeth!"

"Huh? I heard it was twenty meters." Thomas countered, brows raised in confusion.

"That's nothing. I overheard the Garrison saying that it even EATS its own kind too." Connie pressed on. "I bet he has claws that can rip his victims to ribbons as well!"

"That's cool! I wonder if he's like one of those skinless titans or if he's a skinned one." Mina spoke, joining in on the series of speculations.

"I bet he's incredibly strong!" Krista boasted excitedly. "I wonder if he's handsome."

"Handsome?" Connie laughed. "No way would he be handsome! He would be grizzly! The Rogue Titan fights his own kind so maybe he has some nasty scars! Like maybe one over his eye or something."

At his words, Sasha laughed. "Titans heal Connie."

"Oh yeah."

Armin continued to blink, his mind in an uproar as the cadets continued to speculate. Was it just a coincidence? He peered at Mikasa yet again, seeing that her furrowed brow led to the fact that she was sifting through the very same thoughts that he was currently experiencing. 'That can't be Rogue.' Armin thought frantically. 'He's not like that. He – can't be. Yet, at the breach… the way he went berserk and killed the smiling titan that consumed the Jaegers, the way he snarled at the other titans when we rode on him in titan territory… it's possible. Could Rogue really be THE Rogue?'

"Of course," Marco began seriously, eyes looking deep into the wood grain upon the table, brown orbs traveling in the direction of the swirls upon it. "The fact about The Rogue that everyone seems to know is that it's intelligent."

"Wait." Mina interrupted. "It's intelligent?"

"Yes." Marco continued. "It knows about the titan's weak spots, so it has some level of intellect."

"Wow." Krista spoke in awe, baby blue eyes nearly glittering. "I wonder if he's as smart as a human!"

And with that, the unbearable conversation only escalated to a new level, nearly every cadet joining in.

"I bet it knows how to count!"

"It can probably recognize the military's commands!"

"The Garrison said that it actually flipped them off!"

"I heard that it could actually speak!" Connie informed, quickly catching the attention of his peers, but before he could elaborate and the others decide if the fact was indeed a fact or if it was fiction, Jean chuckled, the laugh superciliously executed. It was then still between the teens as they nervously waited for the boy to remove his glass from his lips. Jean sighed, face twisted into a cunning smirk.

"Speaking? The ability to read? It's a TITAN. Sure, it may have some level of intelligence, but in the end it's just a dumb shit like all the others."

Suddenly, Mikasa cleared her throat, nearly making Armin fall out of his chair. Had she come to a similar conclusion like he had? Did she think that Rogue was the titan in question or was she currently acting on a hunch? Whatever the reason, he was frightened. Terrified. Surely Mikasa wouldn't let anger render her into making an irrational decision. Surly she wouldn't speak the truth! The plan would be done for!

"So Jean." Mikasa began, voice showing interest but its tone cold to the core. "Why do you think that The Rogue Titan is just like all the other mindless monsters out there? Enlighten me."

Jean flinched slightly at her request, golden eyes hooked onto Mikasa's dark irises that were shrouded with fury. The teen then casually rested his head onto his hand, nonchalantly taking another drink – obviously trying to act cool to impress the defiant teenager. "Well, it may be intelligent, but most likely the thing only has limited brain capacity. He's like a toddler learning to walk or how to go take a shit someplace besides their pants. It's just the basics." Jean informed before he proceeded with more examples, each more insulting as he continued. Armin observed as Mikasa's pale cheeks took a soft shade of red, jaw clenching in anger. Admittedly, he too, was feeling his temperature rise in frustration.

He wanted to say something in defense, but he couldn't. His mind was still weighing the possibilities.

"Personally, I believe the Military should get rid of it. A titan that's self-aware is just a disaster waiting to strike. Who knows? Perhaps it does have a high level intelligence and it's only putting on a performance to gain trust – and when it deems that the time is right, it adds us to the menu." Jean finished smugly, indulging yet again from his glass as if he had said nothing. From beneath the table, Armin noticed his friend's hands clenching her thighs in rage, but surprisingly kept her stoic expression.

"Well," Krista began, breaking the awkward tension surrounding the table. "At this point I guess it's all very opinionated. Personally," She smiled. "I want to have something to hope for."

"Yeah." Marco agreed, however his eyes suddenly grew large in realization again. To Armin's horror, the teen directed his attention to him and Mikasa once more. "Wait a minute. Didn't you two say you were from Shiganshina?"

For the umpteenth time, Armin's blood ran cold. Goosebumps painted his flesh as his hair stood on end. He couldn't lie about that. Everyone had already heard of he and Mikasa's former residence before the breach. As much as he wanted, he couldn't give false information.

"Yes." He answered softly, watching nervously as the surrounding teens' excitement grew.

"Awesome!" Sasha exclaimed, but then backing off a bit as she realized what she just said. "Oh I didn't mean like that, but since you two were there that day – you must have had a good view of The Rogue Titan!"

"Yeah! Did you see him? He must have been incredible! What did he look like?" Connie asked.

Armin's body only froze further, refusing to thaw to demand. Finally, he came to his senses. He had to get out of the situation – and out of the room. "Unfortunately, no. We must have missed him during the retreat."

"It was quite chaotic at that time so Armin and I were just focusing on survival." Mikasa supported, tone relaxing just as Armin's had.

To the teen's relief, the others backed off within an instant. Armin let out a sigh. They were in the clear.

"Darn, well I guess we can dream until we see him some day." Krista spoke, looking as if she was daydreaming with her elbows resting against the oak surface and chin latent on her palm.

"Just be careful what you wish for." Jean warned before the group began to move on to talking about other things. Seizing the chance, Armin turned to Mikasa who was in her own cone of silence, stress lined across her face. The teen looked at her plate in distaste, obviously having lost her appetite.

"Hey Mikasa." Armin whispered. "How about we step outside for a moment?" He suggested, keeping as low of a profile as he could. "For some fresh air?"

Without a second to waste, Mikasa nodded sharply, but still subtle enough that her emotions were undetected by those around them. Carefully, they rose from their seats and discarded their food before nonchalantly sneaking across the flourishing banquet hall. Stepping outside, a wave of gentle night air and reprieve washed over them. Outside the banquet hall was almost completely void of any soul with the exception of a couple making out in a dark alley. Otherwise, they were alone and free to talk among themselves. As they walked, Armin scrutinized his friend from the corner of his eye. Mikasa was clearly distraught, shoulders slumped and mouth drawn into a thin line. He could tell that she was submerged in a mixture of anger and confusion. However, he was just worried. Was it really true?

The two teens then took a seat on a secluded set of stairs that was placed far from the lively celebration. For a long moment, they were silent – lost in thought in the presence of a star filled sky and a massive full moon, a scene that would have been beautiful if it had not been for the remains of what had just transpired. After several incredible tense seconds, Mikasa let out shaky sigh, grabbing the wool of her scarf fretfully.

"Armin… do you – really think it's him?" She began, her voice trembling like a fall leaf against an early winter wind. "I mean, that's so unlike Rogue. He's so sweet and gentle… it just can't be, Armin. We're talking about a titan who couldn't bring himself to kill a deer and would let you braid his hair." Mikasa alliterated, giving into her emotions for the first time in quite a while. Her pupils then grew. "Armin, what if Rogue truly has gone insane? Could he have really gone mad in our absence?" She questioned, voice pleading and frail.

The boy dithered, startled by her weak demeanor, something Armin had not seen in years. Of course, he wasn't in much better of a state himself. "I – don't know Mikasa. Rogue is so sensitive." He swallowed, a bitter taste filling his mouth. "I mean we know that he was truly affectionate to us, but there were those few times when instinct took hold of him." Armin shuttered. "The night he killed those men, growling savagely and ignoring our pleas when we encountered a trio of titans in the forest, saved Carla from wolves, and when he lost it and tore that titan apart in front of us at the breach – that was the worst of his bad side and what he was really capable of."

"But," Mikasa began, dissecting fact from fiction. "Rogue did those things in defense."

Armin blinked, the cogs in his mind turning rapidly. "Sure, he reacted in defense, but not all of those instances were what they seemed. The one where he lost it at the breach, that was out of sheer anger and rage."

"Armin?" Mikasa questioned. "Where are you going with this?"

The boy found himself petrified yet again, the inconsistencies with Rogue suddenly made sense. Armin swallowed hard. "Mikasa, if it's really him that's doing all of this, then Rogue would be a likely candidate to be The Rogue. That first time, when he slaughtered the titan that killed the Jaegers – perhaps it felt good to him. It was a drug for him. The taste of revenge could have sent a spike of dopamine through his brain – feeling exhilarating. When we returned to the cove that night and he broke down and left – I think he could have killed more titans in the time frame that he departed before returning. He may have liked the feeling – revenge for Carla and Dr. Jaeger." Armin paused, salivating his throat as he prepared to deliver the hardest part that he didn't want to believe. "Mikasa, perhaps in the times that he took care of us, on his walks to get supplies, he released his frustrations on his own. Mikasa – I think that Rogue could have been doing this for years."

The girl turned sharply at his words. "Years?"

Armin nodded. "It's possible. I mean whenever we asked Rogue what he was doing he would always dance around our questions. He always refused to answer anything. I always thought he was trying to hide something." The boy sighed, his shoulders dropping and his elbows meeting his shins.

"If this is all true, then I think Rogue didn't want to tell us. It's like people who are addicted to alcohol, the level-headed ones don't want to tell their families about their addiction because they fear that they will be worried and scared." Mikasa hung her head. "We lived in a tiny piece of heaven, a beautiful cage in the middle of hell. Rogue just wanted us to be happy and feel like we were safe." The girl muttered, stress clearly present in every syllable she spoke.

"If this is true, if any of this is true – insanity, revenge, or protection… it's highly likely that the Scouts know about this. If that is the case Mikasa, then we stick to the original plan and hope for the best."

For a long moment, tension hung in a thick and translucent fog between the two before Mikasa sighed, grey and emotionless eyes traveling to the full moon.

"I just hope that things will work out and we can see him again, no matter what state of mind."

"Me too."

(POV SWAP)

Pain sliced through his abdomen yet again, stomach churning and shifting as if it was trying to beat itself up. A wave of nausea hit the titan once more, provoking a moan to escape the pit of his chest. Rogue curled in on himself tighter, ignoring the hard surface of stone as he instinctively massaged his belly in an attempt to tame the organ's anger. The titan gritted his teeth as a contraction ran across his abdomen, a sickening series of sloshes and gurgles echoing throughout the small area he was temporarily taking shelter in. Damn he hated when this happened. He had things to do. Things to kill.

The discomfort and pain then slightly dulled, allowing Rogue to sit up. The titan whined pitifully and in frustration as he tried to get somewhat comfortable in a new position against the rocky surface of the natural quarry – a basin like formation on the edge of his growing territory formed by rocks. It was a quiet area. A river ran through the small quarry, depositing sediment and mud across its grass-less banks. Rogue sometimes visited the area as a second getaway and hideout other than his dear cove for it was inaccessible for his other kin. Sure, it wasn't nearly as beautiful, but it served a purpose. Today, it was a substitute for safe cover and a deposit site for Rogue had accidentally swallowed a bit of a titan's nape – the meat making his stomach turn sour as it had done before.

Rogue adjusted himself again, a hand rubbing his furious belly in repetitive circles in a useless attempt to gain some relief. A disgruntled snarl left his lipless maw once more, cursing himself for his carelessness. Of course, this was now something that he had to get used to in his profession. Although it didn't happen often, it was just something natural that occurred with his damned species. Rogue let out breath of steam as he placed his free fingers into the muddy sediment and proceeded in the act of drawing, as his little one called it, scribing several large scribbles and swirls to get his mind off of his current predicament. He wanted to vomit so badly so he could hurry and resume his pursuit.

The titan groaned a bit as he felt an incoming contraction and a wave of nausea that was about to take him again. Over the last three years in solitude, Rogue had grown incredibly stubborn and certainly willful. Not only that but more ruthless. He was a dedicated hunter now. On most days, Rogue would expertly track down his kind in his and the surrounding forests, killing his prey with ease from sunrise to sunset. Over time he had polished his techniques in doing so. Rogue would seek out his targets by scent and now sight – recognizing signs such as faint footprints and snapped branches to indicate a titan had been through his territory. Besides tracking, Rogue had also picked up the concept of corralling small groups of titans into one specific area to finish them off. On other days, the titan would spend his time studying the moves in the fighting book, practicing them in his cove. Then there were those times that he simply kept to himself; trying to do things such as understand various picture books that his little ones once read to him – something that wasn't as fun to do anymore. Thus, most of his time was dedicated to his craft and whatever was left was devoted to wondering when he was to reunite with his little ones.

If he ever would.

Pain ran through his stomach again, the unbearable discomfort making the beast's toes curl and muscles tighten. Rogue tilted his head back as he endured another wave of nausea, his mouth beginning to salivate – telling him without words that his current suffering would soon cease. The titan began to think again in an attempt to keep his mind and body from focusing on pain, his hands still cradled around his abdomen. It seemed like it had been decades since his little ones had left him instead of three years ago. Truthfully, Rogue really didn't know why he had stayed at the wall for some time even after his little ones had disappeared behind it. After a few days of sitting and just witnessing the uniformed men with roses staring at him, he should have settled with the fact that Armin and Mikasa would be gone for a while. But he was too hopeful, certain that they would be gone for only a short while by the way they worded things. Of course, as the empty months rolled on by, the titan soon realized that their quick return was not meant to be. Just in case he wouldn't miss their reappearance, Rogue made the two-day journey nearly every month to the wall to wait for signs of his little ones' return. However, with each failure, the titan had concluded that they weren't coming home, but still he went. He wasn't mad at them, he knew it was simply because there were still significant numbers of his kind. Rogue wanted his little ones. That was all he wanted.

Suddenly, the titan's stomach twisted, contracting violently as the organ groaned raucously. Feeling the nausea sweeping over him full force, Rogue doubled over on his knees with pain crippling his torso. A thick mucus leaked from his jaws as his fingers held his belly firmly. With another wave of dizzying sickness, the titan began to heave forcefully – wrenching sounds filling the quarry as Rogue's frame rocked to and fro. A large mass then forced its way from the creature's gut and up his esophagus. Instinctively, the titan unhinged his jaws to allow the sick to pass. Finally, after a final lurch, a red mass hit the rocky bed of the quarry with a sickening thump. The titan paused, taking a breath to regain his composure before scooting away from his unwanted product. Rogue's green eyes stared at the titan pellet before him in a mixture of distaste and awe, surprised that the thing had come from him. The fifteen-meter was familiar with the pellets produced by his kind and how vile they were. After the breach, for days, he would see his kind vomiting the strange round balls. He remembered his curiosity forcing him to look at one and how horrified he was to find dead humans either whole or in pieces inside them. Of course, he found it more disgusting that the titans ate the tiny beings with no means to digest them. It was just pure spite. Rogue continued to stare at his own pellet, recalling how terrified he was when it first happened to him. Unlike the mindless ones' pellets, his was lopsided as opposed to being perfectly spherical. Instead of being full of human remains, Rogue's only contained raw meat and bone from his prey's spine – preserved from evaporating on contact by his stomach acids. Funny, the more he thought about his pellet, the more he considered it to be a thing of metaphorical beauty. As humans were to regular titans, his kin to him was worthless – just another thing to dispose of.

With nostrils flaring from the foul stench of his pellet, Rogue stood and moved to the opposite side of the quarry to escape the smell as he recovered. He could actually envy his kind on that aspect. The other titans were so used to eating and vomiting that they never felt a thing afterwards as opposed to he who spent at least half an hour to recover. He was actually glad that he and his kind didn't have a digestive tract, from knowing his humans and little ones, shitting every day didn't seem like a fun venue either. Stomach still riddled with cramps as a side effect of his biological misfortune, Rogue settled down against the rocky wall of the quarry – silently cursing himself of his ignorance. His purpose was pulling at him, but he didn't want to resume his hunt and journey on a bad note.

Boredom now settling upon aggravation and longing, the titan dipped his fingers into the nearby stream next to him, one of the many that ran off from the river into other sections of the rocky basin. Long ago, before the breach, Rogue had seen humans working in the very quarry – cutting and gathering rocks for reasons he did not know. Like all the humans, the rock gathering ones had fled when his kind invaded, leaving behind all sorts of objects relative to the strange task. The titan would sometimes but not often look and collect things – hoping to keep them as gifts for his little ones if they ever returned. Otherwise, the quarry was just a place to rest and recollect before the beast began another hunt. Rogue then raised his muddy fingertips to the rocky wall beside him, performing the task of drawing again to pass the time. The titan tilted his head a bit, giving into a bit of whimsy that he often sealed away these days. Wanting to attempt to scribe something that Armin used to draw, Rogue concentrated and used a single digit to draw something that his little ones called a line. A soft rumble forced its way from his maw as the titan added four more lines to his previous one. Finally, he drew something that his humans had lectured him on, things called shapes – a circle he placed on the top of the first line. Rogue then pulled back slightly to scrutinize his creation. Long ago, his little one showed him how he drew humans, calling them a 'stick person' which was a series of lines that indicated arms and legs with a circle representing the head. The titan blinked, although his scribble was equivalent to that of a toddler using a pencil for the first time, it was a suitable stick person. Although it was crooked and much less than beautiful, it was still a human.

Still recovering, Rogue had an idea. He then scribed a second little stick person to join the first. The titan then pulled away to examine his work, yes the two small markings looked well enough like his little ones – but his drawing was missing something. Knowing just what he wanted to add, Rogue retrieved more mud and started to scribe again. He added two more figures to be his humans, yet his illustration was still lacking. The titan then nodded and dipped his fingers again before raising them to the rock. Rogue then began to draw a much larger stick person than the others, letting it tower over them by a few meters. After the addition of the head, the titan looked at what he had just done. Ha had inserted himself, but his stick person just looked nothing like him except for his height. After a brief moment of thinking, Rogue added two small lines on the side of his head to resemble his ears. Deciding that it was good enough, the titan then dipped his entire hand in the mud before placing his coated palm and fingers onto the rocky surface, knowing from his little one that after humans draw something they always mark their work as theirs by writing their name. For Rogue, a hand print would suffice. The titan then scooted back to admire his scribbles, grunting in satisfaction and smiling for the first time in weeks.

For several long minutes, the titan's emerald pools looked upon his work, but then a feeling of hollowness settled into the pit of his recovering abdomen. If his little ones were present they would have given praise that he so desperately longed for. However there was no shock and awe, only nothingness. A silence more so. Rogue hung his head, now realizing that his drawing had done nothing to soothe but instead made things worse. He was lonely, so very lonely in the violent world. Dissatisfied and feeling disowned by what his own kind had brought upon him, Rogue snarled and quickly rose to his feet. At first, he just wanted to scoop up a wad of river mud and chuck it straight at his inscribed dream knowing that it could never truly be reality with the permanent loss of his humans. However he decided against its destruction. Stupidity was replaced by reason. To make the image no longer a dream, he couldn't just sit around and hope and mope. Fully well or not, it was time to hunt and leave.

Carefully, the titan then made his way from the quarry and back onto grassy earth – a relief for his feet for he could never form tough calluses to protect them due to his healing factor. Rogue then made his way up a steep slope to finally peak at the top of a large hill that overlooked most of his territory and the surrounding woodlands. During many of his hunts, Rogue liked to begin by surveying from the higher altitude upon the mound to gain an advantage. From the added height, the air was pristine and nothing obscured his vision. Although he could easily track his prey in the forest, sometimes he liked to have things handed to him. For all the levels of hell he had gone through he deserved it.

The titan then shut his eyes and sniffed belligerently, indulging from the surrounding scents of life and even death. Rogue's nostrils flared wildly as a foul stench registered to his enemy presented itself. The titan snorted, one of conformation as he looked in the direction of origin. Rogue then narrowed his eyes as he began to let his sensitive and acute hearing execute their craft. The titan's tapered ears quickly shifted, angled, and moved – natural radar that the beast had discovered could help him size up an unseen opponent. Rogue's eardrums continued to soak in information. From miles away, he could her his prey's raspy breath and footsteps. From the reverberating thumps, Rogue was able to discern that he had picked up the titan that he had been previously tracking. It was large in size, a fifteen-meter, with a slight moment of hesitation in its step – indicating a limp from most likely a deformity. It was also heading the way he wished to go. Instinctively, Rogue growled – one of determination. Yes, the titan in question was most defiantly the one that he had been hunting before, encountering it for the first time in a quarrel with a few other ten and twelve-meters. Set on his target, Rogue then lightened and charged into the woods.

The titan's ears flickered and indulged from the small creatures celebrating a day of summer, listening to woodpeckers, squirrels, and other birds as he bounded swiftly among the green foliage. Although Rogue often found it a bit harder to track his kin through the wood during the warm months, due to the great amount of distractions for both his nose and ears, the titan took it as a challenge. It just made things more interesting. Of course, the spilt blood was the fun part. Rogue then slowed his pace a bit, footsteps fading away as his charging frame came to a halt. The creature's green eyes traveled to the trees to see what he had expected; several broken limbs created from the brush of a large titan's shoulder. Rogue's gaze then shot to the earth to find a large print in the dirt, smooth, clear, and compact from a forceful weight. The titan then bent down to examine the print, running his fingers delicately over the disturbed sediment. Rogue sniffed, nose near the sole of the footprint as his eyes widened with each breath. Yes, it was the titan with the limp that he was looking for. Not only that, but by the sampling, Rogue could tell that his prey was close.

With his discovery, the titan began his pursuit yet again, faster this time to witness the look of his enemy's dead eyes when they ignited with a spark of fear that made them look temporarily alive. It was something that made Rogue's heart leap in excitement. To him, the sight of a titan seeing its imminent slaughter was something that was not only to be cherished, but something that was truly magnificent.

It was so exhilarating.

He then came to a rocky extension that overlooked a small dip in a clearing – revealing his prey that was completely unaware of his arrival. The sent of the monster's flesh and blood poured into Rogue's nostrils, causing them to flare and his emerald pools to glow feral. The titan's ears pressed against his skull, giving in to his furious animalistic traits. Rogue then announced his prey's impending execution with a vengeful howl, the roar so great that it sent his angry message for miles. Finally, as the mindless titan turned to acknowledge him with a dead and mocking gaze, Rogue lunged. Hell bent on destruction and demise of his foe, the titan angled his arm as he charged at full speed. The lame monster barely had a chance to even blink as Rogue's fist planted itself into the other fifteen-meter's abdomen, the appendage going straight through to see the light upon the other side. Rogue smirked cunningly, he had his prey right where he wanted him – delicate putty in his hands.

Blood stained the blades of grass like bristles on a used paintbrush. Rogue's wild eyes glared at his enemy in hatred. He was not satisfied. The stupid creature was so dull that it didn't even cry out in mercy – a sound that brought pleasure to course throughout his veins. Rogue bellowed again, violently ripping his hand to the side and nearly severing the titan's misshapen torso. Instantly, the monster fell to the earth, creating a crater that rapidly filled with its own blood. Rogue then forcefully, pulled the titan from its crumpled heap – lifting it upright before kicking out its legs with the limbs disuniting from the knee below. With his hands free the titan fell on its face, skull crushing from impact. A snarl sliced between Rogue's teeth as he circled the titan's body eagerly with ears pressed against his skull like a wild dog. Still, he was unhappy. This particular specimen had caused him to swallow his kind's meat when it had fallen into him. The creature was responsible for his stomach's torture as its breed for tearing apart his heart. Rogue wanted to hear it scream. He would make sure of that, even if he had to torture the monster.

He roared again as he went in for another attack, wrapping himself around the fifteen-meter in a vice like hold. The titan's muscles contracted as he squeezed the frailer frame of his prey, breaking its bones that tore the flesh – still there was no shriek for clemency. Blood boiled beneath his skin as his temper sent him further into his murderous state. Rogue then quickly placed his massive hands accordingly against the head of his victim – and twisted. A snap echoed within the small basin as the monstrosities' skull was separated from the spine. Rogue stood back a bit as he watched the pitiful beast squirm like a broken steed, its head hanging sickly from its shoulders as it struggled to defend itself - a pathetic whine finally escaping its wide jaws.

That was all he wanted to hear.

Rogue then stood to his full height and slammed his foot onto the titan's nape, repeating the action until it was nothing but crumbled marrow and mawkish flesh. Steam then gently rose into the air from the corpse at the titan's feet, looking like the smoky product of flame. He threw his head back and roared, a natural celebration for his victory. Rogue then looked down at the titan's evaporating remains in disgust, eyes narrowing as he effortlessly punted the steaming mass into one of the great trees. The titan dipped his head a bit, hair-obscuring most of his face as bone shattered like glass and blood caked the foliage, expression one that reflected a silent anger – brows simply lowered and flat with the lack of compassion. It was a look of disappointment.

The titan then sighed deeply, breath rattling in his chest as he attempted to regain himself again. His hand, crimson still steaming from it, pressed lightly to his belly to feel that the pain had ceased and the bubbling had stopped. Rogue exhaled a breath of heavy steam, relieved that his day's misfortune was over and resolved. Green pools then shifted north in the direction of the wall. That morning, he had made the decision to go and attempt to see his little ones again. This time however, he would see them. At night, after examining the uniformed men and killing his kind during sunup, he was to try to scale the dreadfully tall barrier. For weeks he had been practicing with the tallest trees in the forests. Now, he felt that he was ready. It was a risky move that could potentially kill him, but it would be worth it. He HAD to see his little ones. Sure, he had his heart, but a year ago the titan felt that it was nothing but bullshit. The memories of happier times only hurt worse and there was nothing like the physical presence of the young humans. Even if it killed him, Rogue would see his babies. He would make sure of that.

The beast then took a step forward despite the fact that the thumping in his chest was still rapid. Suddenly, his tapered ears fidgeted, quickly shifting forward as thundering footsteps approached the clearing. Rogue snarled, instinctively putting himself into his signature fighting position forward faced with fists outstretched before him in preparation to brawl. However, before he could make a single step to throw a punch, a thirteen-meter darted from the trees and brambles – running awkwardly on all fours like a one year old imitating the family pet. Rogue blinked in confusion as the monster reentered the trees again, paying his presence no heed as it thundered along. He had seen titans like this one before, although rare, he had witnessed their behavior on a few previous infractions. Rogue had taken to calling them 'strange ones' for their tendency in behavioral shifts and unpredictability. Of course, the titan couldn't stand and gawk further. Recalling his purpose, Rogue bolted after the beast without a second thought.

His heart pounded, pumping blood as he ran – eyes locked onto his bizarre target. The titan, with its odd movement, would be impossible to neutralize with a high or low sweep of his fist. In order to stop it long enough to rip the nape free, the fifteen-meter would have to bluntly and forcefully angle himself to kick his prey. Truthfully, as skills went, Rogue was not completely confortable throwing kicks. His talent lay mostly in his clenched hands and powerful jaw. Lately he had been practicing more with some 'fancy footwork' but still he felt at home with his grapples and punches. Now he had no choice but to execute a well timed kick. Of course, there was always the thought of letting his prey go, but that was not Rogue. He would do anything no matter how difficult it was to rid his enemy from the world.

Rogue pushed himself further, surprised that his opponent was even gaining speed in its awkward gate. He ran parallel to the creature, judging its steps and timing its movement. He would have to be quick. A single blow could prove devastating. Rogue then lightened himself more, his body sailing over the foliage at full speed to gain the ground that he needed – even passing his foe to ensure that his plan was to be executed without a hitch. Suddenly, Rogue turned sharply to crouch in a ready position, observing as the foolish and ignorant beast kept on its doomed path. False thunder echoed among the trees as the behemoth bounded right into the reaper's hands. With no second to waste, Rogue released a roar and threw out his leg as hard and forcefully as he could – hitting his translucent mark. The fifteen-meter's skin crushed the jaw and nose of his prey along with its arms. The strange titan shrieked in agony as it was knocked from its hands and feet. Rogue watched gleefully as the lump of flesh bounced and rolled across the landscape, tearing a craterous path and uprooting small and delectate trees. Finally, after several flips, the titan came to rest upright against a giant tree – most of its limbs torn from its armature. Rogue cried in defiance and brutality yet again as he charged to his piece of prized meat. His irises paper-thin slits, rage consuming him in a rush of dopamine and adrenaline. The titan then thrust his clawed hands into the monster's trachea, blood spraying onto his face like sleet and ice. Crimson coated his hand yet again, painting his wrist as he forced his digits deeper until he felt the rough texture of the titan's spine. A sliver of saliva glided down his chin, not produced by hunger but madness. Rogue fingers then wrapped around the vital bone – infrastructure of the nape. With a final roar, he quickly ended the pathetic beast's life with a potent pull. The monster fell to his feet in a useless pile, nothing more than a corpse.

Rogue then dejectedly dropped the hunk of flesh, chest heaving in exhaustion and in recovery. Green eyes shielded and unshielded before he let out a snort in disgust. Damned thing. He had hoped for little distraction on his journey to see his little ones, but his day had been sour since the beginning. He had already suffered another nightmare, now all too common since his companion's departure – a horrible vision of his little one's demise yet again. Before the sun was at its highest, he had encountered a horde of a dozen titans. He had grown ill and now had encountered more of his kind. The day had both been productive yet not productive. Rogue then sighed, turning to motion in the direction of the wall. However, a puzzling thought hit him, making the fifteen-meter titan slow to a halt. His mind buzzed with perplexity as he directed his glance at the evaporating carcass erupting with steam. Rogue blinked, a brow rising in question. His mindless kin, even those from his hunt earlier, they had all been traveling in the same direction. For a moment, he hovered on the topic further before releasing a conceited snort and dismissing it. Perhaps the strain and stress had made him imagine things.

"Ah, so he does have an extended knowledge of hand to hand combat! Looks like he is beginning to utilize his powerful legs as weapons as well!"

Rogue paused at her voice, no doubt the female human with messy hair. Slowly, he covered his nape and craned his neck to see the flying human pack resting in the overhead treetops. His chest tightened and his face heated by a few degrees. Really? They had come now? It was just his luck, another distraction.

"Hopefully he'll be a bit more open for observation today! He's been a bit stubborn lately!" The woman continued.

Rogue remained still, annoyed as he weighed his options. Over the past few years he had tolerated the uniformed men's presence. After he had been caught stealing cable, he had taken refuge away from the pack for several months, only observing from a distance for he had thought they were angry with him. As time passed however, Rogue realized that the flying humans had no interest in making him return the cable but more so in his appearance, behavior, and of course including the thing called 'intelligence'- whatever the hell it meant. Indeed, he had gotten used to their company and admittedly it was a bit of therapy to hear human voices that brought a sense of comfort to his loneliest days. When he was in a good mood, he didn't mind them much, just keeping to a spur of the moment schedule while listening to their human tongue up in the trees – an odd form of ease. At one point, he even felt comfortable enough to remove his hand from his nape, only to replace it when the small one moved. In the years, Rogue had already determined whom he liked, disliked, and whom he was indifferent about. The man with whiskers, the woman with red-orange hair, and the woman with messy hair he liked for they were interested. He especially liked the woman with orange hair; she was kind it seemed – voice always warm. Messy hair squealed often and he could call her obnoxious, but she was always thrilled to see and talk about him. She often spoke complex words that meant company, experimentation sounding like one of them. He wasn't sure what it meant, but by her tone it had to be good. Rogue was questionable about the man with large brows, often finding him hard to interpret. The titan disliked the small man early on. The man's human tongue was spiteful and foul, often full of insults – calling him words like 'brat' that Rogue assumed was an unkind term. Of course, his dislike also went as far as his skill – if he made the wrong move this man would kill him.

Unfortunately, when he was in a bad mood, Rogue avoided the flying humans at all costs. Hiding and hoping that he would not be smelt out by the tall man with whiskers. Today however, there was to be no hiding. They had already spotted him. Rogue's thigh twitched nervously, muscles pulling a bit as he hesitated on his next move. He couldn't just turn and roar an unwilling greeting for the sake of his life. If he ran, they would only follow him. The titan's massive jaw clenched while he continued to mentally debate. It wouldn't be wise to show the crude symbol he had learnt from his little one or simply tell them to stay away. If anything that would one make the uniformed men more interested and more likely to follow. The last thing the titan wanted was for the acrobatic humans to follow him to his destination. Rogue recalled the time he spent two weeks standing guard and seeing the short man and eyebrow man atop the wall, questioning themselves and their peers about what he had been doing. They were already suspicious of his presence at the foot of the barrier, they couldn't know of his plan to climb said barrier. Rogue's green eyes narrowed at the humans, not enough to make them draw their weapons but enough to show his irritation. Finally, he decided to go with a non-verbal approach that the four legged creatures with long tails and pointy ears had taught him, a risky but effective move. Deep down, he hoped that it would work. The titan then parted his teeth and released a low hiss like an exasperated feline. He was in no mood for them.

The men and women up in the trees instantly tensed, some hands hovering over their sharp sticks, pairing blades as he learned from them, making him slightly skittish. Had he made a mistake? Rogue glanced at the open landscape just beyond, he was still a ways away from the halfway point and his shelter there. His eyes glanced at the flying humans yet again, still trying to decide on his actions. The titan then slowly took a step in retreat, keeping his eyes glued to the uniformed men as he growled softly, nonthreatening but a gentle warning. Without waiting for human tongue to be spoken, Rogue turned and walked away at a brisk pace, neck still cradled in his protective embrace. Hopefully, he wouldn't be followed.

(POV SWAP)

"I guess that's a no then." Levi sighed, no hint of amusement in his voice.

Hange's heart fell to a low spot in her rib cage. "I don't understand it. He had gotten so relaxed around us after he finally brought up the nerve to show himself again." She muttered, missing the stout man's eye roll.

"He's probably gotten sick of hearing your pig imitations and bullshit."

The scientist ignored Levi's insult, a well-practiced move. Hange then folded her arms as she thought, watching The Rogue's broad back as his form was swallowed up by the leafy green. She was spellbound and confused. In all of their times observing and watching the titan, it had never made any move to communicate at all. The creature would just sit idle by or keep on doing whatever it was doing. Of course, she had noticed a change in the titan's behavior, that could be described as moody, taciturn, and as if the beast was giving them the cold-shoulder. Seeing The Rogue's response, Hange began to wonder. Was something pulling at the titan's strings? More so, could it have possibly been their constant prodding?

"I wonder if he's undergoing an emotional effect." Hange trailed off, still looking in the direction that the titan had disappeared.

"With this brat who knows." Levi continued. "Humph, he's just like one of those filthy toms in the allies, Hange. Animals will tell you when they want to be left alone."

"I wish I knew what was bothering him." She sighed, wanting desperately for the allowed privilege to question the beast himself – and that he was able to tell her.

"I may know."

The higher ups turned at the sound of Erwin's tone and the meaning of his statement. To their shock, the Commander's face was frozen, pupils deadpanning on the landscape ahead in a look of none other than apprehension. His brow was furrowed the wrinkles a light pink against his paled face. Hange swallowed, she had not seen this look on the man's face in years.

"What is it?" Mike questioned, his tired eyes suddenly fully blown and awaiting the man's answer. Erwin only remained still, stoic but petrified.

"The titans we encountered today, I believe in the split second before we made ourselves known to The Rogue, he may have taken it into account. Somehow he is unaffected…

"What?"

The Commander dithered for a moment at the Corporal's demanding words. "The titans," He began, seriousness the only thing laden in his tone. "They were all traveling in the same direction, toward Wall Rose."

"Wait, so you're saying –

"We abandon our current mission and head straight for Trost. I fear that this could be a repeat of five years ago."

(POV SWAP)

Stars replaced the cloudless and blue heavens; moonlight illuminated the surface of a small pond in a thick and rocky forest. Rogue let out another puff of steam in sheer exhaustion, having to run for miles to make up his lost time. The titan kept quiet, careful not to disturb the sleeping landscape. In his muscular arms, he possessed a large amount of fresh leaves from healthy maples and oaks. It was perfect bedding, different and new from his nest in the cove. The titan then gave into a yawn, his tired frame vibrating and begging for rest. But of course, with the day's misfortune, he felt that he deserved a comfy nest at least.

Rogue then entered the mouth of a large cave formed in the side of a rocky hill. Although it wasn't like his tree in his haven, this second nest was still snug and secure. It wasn't much to look at; the inside was composed of rock slabs and was dark with a dreary hue, a shade of navy when night dawned. The titan then slid down several meters from the entrance to the cave floor. Rogue captured his footing and crouched to place his many leaves onto his nest, a mere pile of detached greens surrounded by several rocks that he had placed himself to mimic the walls of his hollow tree. The creature then shifted the foliage around and tested the natural cushioning before climbing into his nest. For several minutes, Rogue shifted a bit as he placed all of his fifteen-meters within the circle. The titan then curled in on himself, letting a rumble of pleasure slip from between his teeth in satisfaction.

The cave echoed softly with the titan's breaths, smooth and unnatural just as he was. Rogue's eyes meandered a bit as he waited for sleep to claim him in open arms, watching water fall from stalactites into a shallow pool. The creature blinked, his mind wandering in thoughts of the future. Was he really doing what he was doing? Sneaking into the human wall to see his little ones with little chance of succeeding? He wanted them so badly. He didn't want to be alone. He hated it just as much as he hated his kin. Rogue observed the water further, fixated on every ripple in the murky surface that was still able to catch every ray of light it could. Yes, he was going to take the gamble. He needed to see them, hear them, touch them, and speak to them. They were going to be together, see the water called the ocean when all of the titans were extinguished from the cruel world. Even if it were just for a split second, it would put his mind at ease.

Unannounced to him, the odds would not be in his favor.

Sunlight poured in from the mouth of the cave, revealing its earthy tones and every dimple or crevice. The titan remained in repose, indulging from the solar energy. His nose twitched as his chest took a large rise and fall, breath rumbling throughout the rocky den. Rogue then settled again, letting every muscle in his body relax. It was a rare morning where the beast honestly felt like procrastinating, his nest almost too

comfortable to rise from. Rogue loved them, it was one of the only times where he felt at peace.

The titan's tapered ear then twitched as the sounds of small squeaks and patters graced his eardrum. Rogue grumbled a bit as the piping grew louder, sleepily placing a massive hand over his elfish extremity. The titan then tried to settle again, groaning a bit at the unwanted and annoying intrusion on his rest. Rogue groaned, listening to the animalistic activity that was not mistakenly growing louder. The creature's green eyes quivered as he growled, his temper beginning to test him. He had just traveled a day's journey. He at least deserved a tranquil morning.

With his body now and unwillingly alert and upset, Rogue quickly rolled over to command silence with a roar – but the signature bellow never sounded from his pit at the picture painted before him. Above, the flying fuzzy creatures were leaving their roosts on the cave's ceiling – heading deeper into the infrastructure of the stone labyrinth. Rogue raised a brow in question. From what he knew about these creatures from finding a few in his tree, these minuscule animals were only active at night and would remain dormant during the day. The titan blinked, his green eyes adverting to the cave floor where he noticed another abnormal fact. The scaled creatures, things his little one had said were lizards, were coming from the entrance of the cave in hordes. Immediately, Rogue sat upright as the reptiles scurried across the floor to retreat into the cracks and venture into his leafy nest. Feeling their touch against his flesh, the titan stood in bewilderment, watching as other small creatures entered the cave to invade his space. Puzzled, Rogue scratched his scalp, hair messily ruffling from his touch, its oils glazing his leathery skin. Why were these animals entering his cave?

Looking for answers, Rogue scaled the steep granite and out of his second nest. Outside, it was quiet, much too quiet for a peaceful morning. The titan scanned his surroundings, chest constricting at the lack of wildlife – not even insects scurried. Before he could grunt to question himself further, a flock of birds shot into the blue from the canopy, squawking urgently as they flew to the west. Again, Rogue shifted on the balls of his feet, questioning the circumstances. He had only ever seen animals do this when –

And then it hit him.

A tremor went down his spine as his gut twisted in alarm. Boiling blood ran cold trough icy veins, his body going into a state of suspended animation. His breath hitched, palms grew white, and his heart all but stopped at his realization. He had only felt this level of fear once before, the terrifying itch he had hoped to never feel again. The titan's shock was then replaced by panic. Rogue's breath quickened, heart pumping at an outrageous frequency. His kin, the titans, they were going to attack the wall again! A loud cry escaped Rogue, one of absolute distress and horror. No! The humans! They were behind the wall! His little ones! His dear, sweet little babies – they were in danger! He couldn't lose them! They were all he had left! He couldn't let them get eaten! They could NOT die!

"ARRNINN! NNIKKASSA!" The titan cried, the first words he had spoken aloud in years.

Without a second to waste or a further thought, Rogue bolted for Wall Rose in a dead sprint.

(POV SWAP)

A few clouds had mixed within the heavenly blue as the sun steadily rose higher. Armin kept to himself as he organized a few artillery shells, watching other cadets perform various duties on the cannons nearby. Currently, he, Mikasa, Connie, and several other recent grads and friends were attending wall duties with several of the Garrison soldiers – last minute tasks that required extra hands before the choosing ceremony that was roughly three days away. With all the talk the previous evening about the titan and Mikasa's fight to win spiel, Armin could not believe what he was hearing from the cadets now.

"So," He began, voice nearly catching in his throat. "You're serious about this?"

Connie nodded, eyes wide with interest as usual. "Of course! We need more soldiers right? Plus it gives me the chance to see The Rogue up close." He reminded as he shoved a grape shot into the cannon.

"The Scouts may be dangerous, but humanity needs all the soldiers it can get to fight the titans." Mina added, charming and upbeat tone unexpected for someone that was offering to fight mankind's greatest enemy – a tone that nearly made Armin sick to his stomach.

"Who else decided that they're joining the Scouts?"

Armin turned at the sound of his best friend's voice to see Mikasa leaving her task of polishing and cleaning. The blonde swallowed anxiously, it was rare for the teen to willingly join in a conversation – especially one as touchy as the current subject.

"They're not the only ones." Thomas informed as he nervously scratched his neck, cheeks turning the shade of turnips. "In fact I believe the majority of us are."

"Of course Marco and Jean are sticking to the Military Police." Connie furthered. "They've been dead set on the regiment and I doubt anything will change their minds."

The blonde dithered, too lost in thought to speak. Did they really know what they were signing up for? For the most part, none of his friends aside from Mikasa had ever seen a titan, a bloodthirsty one, in the flesh before. Their only experience was sketches on a blackboard and in old textbooks. Nothing compared to the real thing and nothing of the sort was fit preparation. Seeing Rogue for the first time, Armin was so terrified of the fifteen-meter's appearance that he nearly soiled himself and lost his common sense. Of course, after that faithful night and for the several years that followed, Rogue was nearly everything that the average titan was not. Titans, mindless ones, were much more terrifying than his giant friend that appeared much more grizzly than all of them. At least – that was the case if Rogue was still sane. Still, he could help but feel better at the fact that there would be people he knew in the Scouts that would protect one another if things ever got awry. It actually brought a bit of comfort to him. Of course, none of them could know of Rogue and he and Mikasa's plan – not yet at least. They had to get to the Scouts first, and then they would execute their plan at the right time. Their friends would aid them when it was the right moment to act.

The sound of devious giggling brought Armin back from his thoughts, the teen observing Sasha approach them, body language reflecting astuteness. The girl then slowed, keeping one hand inside her jacket awkwardly as she quickly brushed her brown locks out of her face and mouth as she breathed in exhaustion.

"Sasha, what –

"Hey guys!" The girl whispered excitedly. "I just helped myself to the officers' pantry!" Sasha spoke, nearly squealing as she pulled a large cut of meat, fresh sausage, from within her uniform and drooling at the sight of it. Instantly, Armin and the others became armed, eyes growing wide at the knowledge of the consequence relating to theft – especially for a rare morsel of meat.

"Sasha are you crazy! You could get thrown in jail for that!" Connie exaggerated, slowly backing away in fear that a Garrison solider could pass by – ready to bolt if needed.

The teenager only smiled. "Not if they find out! Come on, we can make some sandwiches for lunch!" Sasha continued, removing the meat from her jacket and placing it into a small empty crate for safekeeping.

"You know," Thomas began after a brief pregnant pause. "I would really like a slice please." The boy admitted with others soon following his action.

"I want one too." Mikasa gave in, a small smile flashing across her face for a brief second.

Armin sighed, deciding that it was a good chance to have a bit of meat before joining the Survey Corps – who knew when he would ever have the privilege of tasting the succulent flavor on his tongue again? "I'll have one as –

However, before he could finish his request, a group of at least six Garrison soldiers hurriedly made their way to the collection of teens. Armin's heart began to pound and his face grew red. Was it possible that they had been trailing Sasha and now they were going to confront the teens for their exploits? Before he could think of any excuse, Armin saw the look of terror and panic in their faces, brows furrowed in worry and eyes wide with fright. The groups of Garrisons then looked into the stretch of land before Wall Rose, sweat beading up on their necks and faces. A man peered at the horizon through a telescope, the color draining from his face.

"Is it The Rogue?" Connie foolishly asked, getting no answer as the group of teens looked on into the landscape.

Armin's eyes grew wider as he spotted it, his heart halting its task of pumping blood. He had never seen any titan like this one. The teen barely heard the orders from the Garrison as he examined the behemoth. The titan was a fifteen-meter class, skinless like the Colossal but its body was decorated in hard plates. Its hair was silver as coin currency and its eyes glowed a menacing golden-yellow. Although he had never seen this titan before, he knew it instantly.

It was the Armored Titan, the beast that cannon shells couldn't pierce and the very monster that broke through the inner gate of Wall Maria.

And it was heading straight for Trost's gate at top speed.

(POV SWAP)

Everything was a blur. The passing foliage, his mind, everything. His heart rattled and his feet pounded the earth relentlessly. Screeches and screams pronounced themselves from his throat, vocals that he could not determine if they were in rage or sheer fear. Rogue's chest heaved in exhaustion, but he was determined – ignoring the fact that he had been running full tilt to the wall all morning with no pause for a breather. He had to get there! He had to save his little ones from the coming, current, or past turmoil.

Crossing a clearing with the massive wall in his sights, Rogue crashed through a forest, mowing down anything in his way whether it plant or animal. He paid no mind to any living or stagnant casualties; his only priority was getting to his little ones. The titan didn't care how he got there. It felt as if he was in his own realm, a space of nothingness as he ran forward. Yes, nothing else mattered.

Then, the foul stench of his kind hit him and made him chug faster, plowing through thick scenery. There were lots. Many of them. Every one was heading in the same direction. No! It was happening again! Just his rotten luck! Rogue sailed over the brush and brambles, regret now hitting him heavily. He should have never taken them to the wall. Ever. However, he couldn't deny the fact that they needed nourishment. Really, why was he so surprised that his kind was making a second attempt? After all, they had already done it before. Of course, it wasn't the time to pity, but the time to act.

Suddenly, Rogue's foot caught a fallen tree, making his frame fall forward onto the earth and breaking his ankle. The titan let out a whine in both agony but more so desperation. His hand shot to the broken appendage, pain shooting up his leg as bones realigned and torn ligaments mended themselves. Rogue's protective instincts forced him to crawl forward. He had to keep moving. Feeling the repair becoming complete, the titan braced himself, standing upright and placing his weight onto one leg – limping in the direction of the wall that was now towering over him. Rogue then paused, testing his weight on his heel to find that it was fully functional. However, before he could race forward into the fire, an exotic odor swept his façade. The creature's nose wrinkled and flared as he sniffed the horrid stench. It was titan. Although it was different, it was titan. And it was close. Naturally, he turned his gaze in the direction of the scent's source, his emerald hues spying a monster through the branches and leaves that never graced his vision.

Standing just beyond the thicket upon a hill overlooking his marching kin, was a fifteen-meter titan. Like the colossal one, the beast was cursed skinless with the addition of hard places molded around its bulky frame – even more so than his ripped body. The vile being's face reminded him a bit of a creature that his little one called a 'snapping turtle' with the shape of its beak like mouth and plated face. Its eyes were yellow, glowing and soulless like a daemon. Silver hair topped its head like a grassy field. A wave of fury washed over Rogue, irises becoming feral and furious. This, this thing had somehow broken through the human gate and was now just watching his kin enter the wall – not fixed on joining the feast itself. It was responsible. It broke the human gate just so his loathsome brethren could eat!

For what the titan had done, he would rip the fucker limb from limb.

Rogue's brows lowered and his nose furrowed into a vicious sneer that could rival the growling animals in his forest, watching as the armored one turned and ran in the opposite direction and away from chaos. The titan took a step forward, hands balling into fists and steam leaking from his jaws and shoulders as he prepared to pursue with murderous intent. However, before he could begin his slaughter, his eyes recaptured the dozens of titans entering the human gate – ignoring and some evading cannon fire. The scent of blood and precious human crimson forced a thought of reason. He couldn't waste time. If he went after the armored one, he would lose precious minutes in searching for his little ones – if he lost both Armin and Mikasa he would never forgive himself. He vowed to protect them, always no matter what the circumstance.

With his decision made final, Rogue's feral eyes burned with hatred and vengeance as he stared at the entrance to the human city. With their low supply of iron balls for their giant guns, more titans were making their way into human territory, searching for helpless morsels. A massive snarl left his lipless maw, he could not let those fleshy molds of scum enjoy their feast on the humans and indulge off his companions' blood. It was time to pursue his prize, but first he had to hunt. He had to be bathed in blood.

Rogue then tossed his head back and released a great and defiant roar that commanded fear to settle into every living thing around him. He then lunged forward, barreling from the trees with emerald orbs blazing with rage – fists ready for delivering punishing blows and teeth ready to tear hot flesh from bone. The titan then threw himself into his nearest opponent, disposing of it immediately with the soldiers atop the wall pausing to witness the legend in action. Rogue threw a powerful hit into the skull of a thirteen-meter, bone caving in under tremendous force and blood adorning the stone wall. The titan then planted his teeth into the nape of his foe to execute his signature finishing move. Crimson highlighted his face as his jaws tore the nape free, the heavy scent of blood powering his rage further.

Although he was still a placid soul, he loved being painted in red. It was sweet and violent therapy.

With the path temporarily cleared, Rogue then raced for the gate with his hand placed over his weak spot. He glanced upward at the uniformed men atop the wall, seeing them frozen and their mugs crippled with awe. To his relief, they made no move to shoot at him. After all the titan's raids on his kin before their property, they must have realized that he was an unlikely ally coming to aid. He would have thanked them if he had the time. Of course, he couldn't rule out the possibility that it was too early for any gratitude to be given.

Rogue then quickly passed through the ruined gate, pausing again at the sight before him. Titans of all sizes were wandering around the large city that was a bit more upscale than his little ones' home had been, the pitiful trenches, barricades, and nets had done nothing to restrain their entry. Death hung in the air; a few bodies of uniformed men and their innards were strung on the stone paths. Further observation reviled no common humans. Was it possible that they were hiding in their homes? He sniffed, finding the air tainted with every smell imaginable. It was a cesspool of titan stench, human, and blood. Rogue whined in worry, pupils reverting from a slit to large child-like circles. There would be no way to pinpoint where his little ones were. He would have to be close to them in order to smell them out, so sight was the only thing he had to rely on. And of course, he could only remember what they looked like when they were children. He had no idea what they looked like now.

Or if they were even alive.

The thought sickened him, but then he remembered his mission. He needed to get rid of the problem at hand. The fewer titans there were, the less danger to his little ones or the other humans in the area. The thoughts of the armored one and the titans' attack in general, placed his rage front and center again. Rogue's eyes turned predatory, slits and ready to find his first victim. The fifteen-meter titan motioned forward, stride smooth – a hunter stalking his prey with aggression barely restrained, ready to explode onto his adversary. Thunder from a coming rain cracked overhead, lightning illuminating the darkened sky, a reflection of his mood. Rogue then rounded a corner to halt before his new target, a seven-meter titan with a broad stupid grin that sat like frog, beady eyes glaring at his frame. He dipped his head, ears pinned back and green hues wild as he released a snarl that rattled the nearby window frames. Daring the monster to come after him.

'THIS… ISN'T YOUR… WORLD…' Rogue thought, words reverberating in his skull. 'NOT…. NOT… ANY…MORE.'

Before he could blink, the seven-meter launched itself into the air, shrieking riotously with jaws open wide to take away a chunk of his flesh.

Rogue only smirked in cunning.

The fifteen-meter then moved forward, a single step and swung in a powerful uppercut – hitting his target perfectly, fist entering the monster's mouth and straight through its cranium and brain.

'I… WILL KILL YOU.' The titan thought as blood, bone, tissues, and brain matter detonated all around him to stain the rooftops and earth. The seven-meter then fell lifeless to the crimson walk, body broken and awkward as it struggled to move. Rogue then placed himself over the pitiful creature, raising his foot before propelling it to the creature's nape – bringing forth more crimson to coat his body.

'EVERY LAST…'

He stomped again and again, pounding the neck to pulp.

'ONE… OF…'

Rogue brought his foot down again, blood spraying his face.

'YOU.'

Seeing that the titan was dead, he released a dominant and projecting roar of victory; the bellow echoing throughout the human structures and making the earth tremble in his wake. Rogue then adverted his gaze to the extent of the city, watching more of his kind consuming and the uniformed men attempting to hold their own against the monsters. Rain then spilled from the sky and Rogue moved forward to continue his hunt – hoping that he would have a bit of good fortune, something that always came to those who helped and were good in heart. It was part of his vow. He couldn't let more innocent blood be spilled.

(POV SWAP)

Tears stung his face like dried earth caked on skin. Rain hit the blonde teen as he propelled himself through the air in full retreat. He was in hell. Pure, unadulterated hell – and he was alone. Nothing had been going his way and humanity's odds were never in their favor since the second strike had begun. To be more correct, they had always been stuck on the loosing side and it had been that way ever since the titans first emerged from whatever hellhole they had crawled out of. Armin raced over the terra cotta rooftops, his mind in a state of panic and despondency. Only minutes ago, the cadet squad he had been assigned to for assisting what little was left of the vanguard, had all been wiped out. Everything had transpired so fast that shock had not yet settled into Armin. Just as they had moved out to aid, Thomas had fallen victim to a lanky abnormal as it lunged with intent to satisfy its gullet – the teen swallowed whole just as his fight began. Poor Mina had met a similar fate. She had no warning just as every soldier did upon the field. A greedy hand had grabbed her wires, and she was bitten in half. Of the five, Armin was the soul survivor – if he moved fast enough.

Aiming another hook, the blue-eyed blonde checking around for both advancing titans and Mikasa. He had to find her. Most likely she was still alive and well equipped, the art of slaying monsters came easy to her for her instincts were sharp and so was her skills with the maneuver gear and blades. He swallowed back the vile taste in his mouth as he rounded another building. Yes, Mikasa had to be alive and hopefully his assumptions were correct. He only had two members of his family left, one he had not been able to see in years and one he could consider his sibling. Armin could not bear to loose anyone else.

The boy then turned his attention to the blood splattered streets below him, spotting two soldiers that he recognized from the cadets. Seeing movement, he instantly sailed to them, knowing the ground was the most dangerous place to be in the wake of titans. Why were they there and not on the rooftops? That was one of the first rules all cadets learned from their courses as a trainee. Were they both grounded? Out of gas?

"Um, Hannah? Franz?" Armin queried, his voice smaller than he anticipated as he address the two older members of the cadets. He himself barely knew them, but most knew the two were head over heels in love – the couple even speaking of the possibility of marriage in the bleak future, a thing that was hard to come by in the military for it just foreshadowed misery. Just as he was about to question them again, he stopped himself as he realized what was playing out before him. Hannah was frantic, in a fear induced trance as she performed CPR on her unconscious lover. However closer inspection upon Franz's condition made Armin's stomach turn over and his small breakfast nearly leave him. The older male was unmistakably dead; everything below his ribs was gone – certainly in a titan's gullet. Intestines, other organs, and life's precious juices were strung messily upon the brick surface. Despite the fact that her mate was obviously deceased, Hannah remained over him asking hopelessly for his return as she attempted to replenish air into his lungs. Armin bit his lip, trying to keep vomit from leaving him as he gradually placed a hand onto her shoulder. "Hannah… I'm sorry but Franz is –

To his dismay, she only brushed him off, acting like he wasn't there as she continued her attempts to revive. Armin's face paled as he slowly took a few steps in recoil. He could not help her; her mind was gone and trapped in a hopeless cycle – a product of war. Still, he attempted to bring her back to reality with trembling words, but she was gone, even as he shook and yelled at her for attention. He was useless. He could do nothing.

Hearing the footfalls of an approaching end, Armin abandoned the couple and flew to the nearest rooftop. The blonde then pulled the trigger on his right hilt, but no cable shot from the barrel and was instead replaced by a rippling click that made his heart stop. A malfunction.

A death sentence.

Unable to control his movements, Armin braced himself as he fell from the rainy sky like a large clump of hail. His petite frame then hit the rooftop and sent him violently rolling and flipping among the clay plates. After what seemed like an eternity of punishing hits, Armin finally came to a stop with his body awkwardly sprawled out upon the edge of the roof. He gritted his teeth as he slowly sat upright, trying his best to ignore the throbbing in his side and the aches crippling his body. His gaze then quickly shot to his gear, heart rate going up as he silently declared the expanse of the malfunction. It was a cable jam and perhaps the worst kind of malfunction one could have with their gear for if always required the user to take the mechanism apart – a difficult task that required tools and a good amount of time. Both of which he didn't have. Armin's chest tightened, skin paled to the shade of flour and water welled up in his eyes. He was a sitting duck, doomed, and done.

He was an appetizer on a silver platter.

Finally, his brick wall he had built around his emotions had crumbled. As a result, Armin submitted himself into a lifeless daze. In no time, he would be dead and there would be no witnesses to record the event. Tears leaked fully onto his still rounded cheeks as he thought of how his life had been. All those times with his grandfather, the Jaegers, and the times with Mikasa and Rogue in the forest – he would never have the privilege to remember them. He would never see his two best friends again. It was over.

A deep set of vibrations then sounded before him and rattled his frame. Armin glanced up to see a thirteen-meter titan mere feet from him. It looked like the average old man, a bald head with a grey and white beard – one that was stained red and coated in dried blood. Its easy eyes and false gentle smile masking its intentions and mocking death. Armin sighed, accepting wholeheartedly that his time had come, letting the titan pluck him from the roof and hold his body over its widening maw. The foul reek of decay and a scorching heat surrounded him, making his nose wrinkle and his tearful eyes burn. The creature then released its hold on the teen's jacket and Armin fell with a wet slap onto the titan's tongue. As the creature tilted its head back to swallow, the boy's mind suddenly snapped as his body slid toward the titan's throat. He screamed. He didn't want to leave the cruel world yet even though his demise was rapidly and undeniably approaching.

Suddenly, another hand encased his own, gripping it in such a stronghold that the blonde's knuckles popped in protest. Armin looked up to see none other than Mikasa, her face twisted in both determination and anguish as she held the titan's gaping jaws open with a sturdy hold.

"Mikasa!"

The teen then pulled. "You're not dying on me." She forced through her teeth and without another word, yanked with all of her strength and flung Armin out of the ring of fire and back to the rooftop.

With adrenaline racing throughout his veins, he turned to see Mikasa facing him with her features molded to reflect her anger and frustrations. To his horror, the titan's jaw was beginning to weigh down and go slack. With the position she held, Mikasa was done for.

"Mikasa no!" He pleaded, scrambling to his feet to make any attempt to rescue. He couldn't lose her! She couldn't be taken from him too! No!

The dark –haired teen suddenly smiled softly, donning a guise on her fear. "Don't worry, Armin." Mikasa spoke roughly. "We are still going to see the ocean."

"Mikasa!" Armin cried, watching in horror as the titan's jaws began to close.

Before he could release any more cries of desperation, Mikasa suddenly shifted and pulled out her sword, thrusting it into the top of the bearded titan's mouth. The beast then let out a screech of agony, seizing the chance, Mikasa jumped from the open jaws to the terra cotta rooftop to join Armin. Before he could speak a word in gratitude, the girl then shot a cable to a nearby steeple and propelled herself into motion. The skillful soldier then circled once to be at the precise angle, and drove her blades deep into the titan's nape – killing it instantly.

It was then silent as Mikasa landed next to Armin, her face emotionless as it usually was, fashioned to contain any emotions from her past trauma. Finally, Armin remembered to breathe.

"Mikasa, I – thank you." The boy muttered as he fell to his knees, eye water fully breaking the dam. "I – would be dead if it weren't for you! My squad, Thomas, Mina, they're all dead! My gear malfunctioned, my cables are jammed! I –

"Armin." She spoke, voice abnormally calm as she lowered to his level and placed a hand supportively onto his. "Now is not the time to get emotional. We have to focus. Right now," Mikasa continued as she slowly indicated behind her. "We have a big problem on our hands."

With golden brows rising in question, Armin looked in the direction of his friend's gesture to see another grim misfortune. The military headquarters of Trost was plagued with an infestation, titans attempting to burrow into the structure's walls like maggots into decomposed meat. It was the worst case scenario. The gas used to propel their maneuver gear, as well as replacement parts, was deep in the cellar of the large building. She was correct about the predicament being a vast one. Every soldier was dead if they couldn't get their supplies. Armin swallowed, knowing how slim their chances were.

"How much gas do you have?" He asked, the teen's voice hoarse from the excess stress. Mikasa sighed.

"Not much. Some cadets are out already. Jean and Marco's squads have pooled together trying to figure out a way to get in headquarters. As far as they know the supply teams are still inside, but with the place crawling with titans – it's likely that they are trapped. If I had to guess, I'd say they are running on fumes right about now." She informed. "We should probably meet up with them and help come up with a plan."

Armin only nodded, but then a frown came to his face as the sight of his maim gear reminded him of his misfortune. "Mikasa – as odd as it sounds, you'll have to somehow carry me. As I said, my gear is useless."

The girl sighed, one that Armin could not determine if it was one of exacerbation or understanding. With the sound of their approaching enemy, Mikasa then instructed the blonde teenager to wrap his arms around her broad shoulders and his legs around her waist. Armin held his breath as the awkwardness of the situation settled deep past his skin, but it was their only option so he gripped as tight as humanly possible for his frail frame. Of course, the only worry that made itself known was the likely possibility that Mikasa wouldn't be able maneuver with his added weight. However, he had to trust her, there were no other choices and they were far too venerable if they remained.

Mikasa then fired her cable to the nearest building, launching the two airborne with a mighty trust. Wind and light rain smacked and stung his face as they sailed at an incredible rate of speed. Armin winced, holding tightly as Mikasa soared over the structures of Trost, narrowly avoiding titans in their retreat. It was amazing, even holding his skittish frame; the girl was still able to perform with grace. Yes, there were reasons that Mikasa was the top of their class – this being one of them. Armin silently pitied himself; he wasn't of much use when it came to his roll as a soldier. He was lousy at maneuvering, average at the most and even poorer when it came to combat. The only things that he had to contribute were his strategic planning and his knowledge of survival in the wilderness. Other than that, he was just baggage in his mind's eye.

With another surge, the two flew forward again – the speed incredible. Armin tightened his grip harder, his digits throbbing and growing white. He didn't know how much longer he could hold. They were going so fast, too fast. Armin's eyes then widened in alarm; his concerned gaze shifting to the exhaust expelling from Mikasa's tanks.

'There's not much gas left! She's running on vapors!' He thought frantically. 'At this rate Mikasa will –

Suddenly, the exhaust ceased with a single hiss, signaling that the soldier's tanks were empty. The two simultaneously began to fall to the earth. As if on instinct, the larger of the teens wrapped her around his body in a protective embrace seconds before they hit a plated rooftop relentlessly. Friction did nothing to aid them as they rolled violently, Armin's teeth nearly going trough his tongue with the force. Unable to stop, the two fell from the four-story rooftop to the ground below. As a last ditch effort, Armin managed to squeeze the trigger of his broken gear, expelling a strong enough puff of exhaust to soften their descent. Their bodies then hit like rag dolls upon a wooden dumpster, knocking the wind out of their lungs but otherwise leaving them relatively unharmed with the exception of a few minor cuts and bruises.

For a long moment, Armin found himself looking up into the cloudy sky before noticing Mikasa doing the same. He watched as she slowly rose her blade to examine it, seeing that nearly half of it was broken off, her pale face remaining stagnant, not even reflecting the slightest hint of pain. She then sighed and slowly lowered her arm, turning to acknowledge him after what seemed like a brief but deep moment of thought.

"You okay?" She asked, obviously hiding discomfort and agony in her voice.

Armin nodded. "Yeah. Are you?"

Mikasa then sat up, mouth in a firm line as she held back a grunt in discomfort. "Yes. Nothing seems to be broken, but I may have a bruised rib." The raven-haired teen informed as she gradually stood and offered her hand to him.

He nodded in generosity as he accepted her invitation. Once standing, the two then climbed from the dumpster and onto solid ground. Armin then scanned their surroundings, taking note that they stood in a wide alley that was void of any previous hints of merriment – just a simple place that was probably used to tether horses and park carriages or to dispose of shit. It was just bland and ordinary. Mikasa then exhaled a strained breath.

"And I thought it couldn't get any worse."

"Mikasa," Armin began softly. "Are you sure you're –

"Yes." She replied. "What do we do now? I'm out of gas and your gear is shot."

The teen's hands then snaked to the tanks on his gear, trying to pull them from their holster. "I still have some gas left. It's not much, but we can't waste it." He spoke quickly as he continued his attempts to pry the tank from the bent braces of his holsters. "You'll have to use this sparingly in order for us to get to the other –

Armin's words were suddenly cut off as the sound of a heavy footfall met his ears and a great vibration coursed all throughout his frame. His breath hitched as he beheld an approaching fourteen-meter with a distended belly and mockingly idiotic grin. His heart hammered. That was it, how it was going to end. They were succorless prey. Still, Armin pulled at the gas tank with all his strength with Mikasa's aid, but their efforts were futile.

'Well, at least we lived a good life.' He thought as the titan kneeled with its arm outstretched before it, palm open to make the grab. 'A harsh life, but still a good one.'

The titan's fingertips then became inches before their faces, provoking Armin to end his observation and await death. However, hot blood sprayed his face and forced him to open his eyes, seeing that Mikasa's broken blade had severed the monster's index and pointer finger. Before he could register anything further, her hands forcefully shoved him to the side – the two narrowly escaping the titan's hand as it came crashing down onto the very spot where they had been moments before. The fourteen-meter swung again, missing by inches as Mikasa guided them away once again. The blonde watched as Mikasa intuitively got into a defensive stance, damaged blade ready to sever flesh as the titan struggled to get to its feet after falling upon its face. Armin's current state was a mixture of awe and fear. Mikasa was incredible. Even with all odds against her, she still kept going – fighting even in the darkest and bleakest of times. Why couldn't he be like that?

It was so much like someone he knew, someone that kept on trying despite his limitations. Someone that was always protective no matter what was thrown at him.

The titan then stood upright, blocking a stray ray of sunlight and outlining the two teens in a looming shadow. Once more, the monster reached out to grasp their helpless bodies. Armin then sighed in preparation, nearly letting his mind go blank.

He had a good life.

Suddenly, the earth shook relentlessly. Massive vibrations jolted their bodies, rattling the bricks beneath their feet, and shattering every window around them. Shingles fell from rooftops and foundations cracked. Armin and Mikasa's eyes grew wide in terror. Something was coming. Something fast, something BIG. Before he could call his friend's name, the two teenagers were suddenly launched several feet off the walk by a forceful impact just behind them – the ground rippling in waves. Eyes reluctantly looked up to see a massive form sailing over them and a giant fist slamming into the titan's face.

Armin and Mikasa then met the earth once again, ground shaking as the fourteen-meter landed and slid quite a distance from them. He blinked in disbelief, what the hell just happened? The boy then turned to Mikasa to question, but froze as he witnessed her fixed gaze and petrified form, listening to the savage and deep breaths that filled the alley. Armin then turned to see something that made his heart leap from its cradle in his chest.

There, standing with his side to them, was none other than Rogue himself.

A smile nearly came to his face, but quickly dissipated as he continued to scrutinize the fifteen-meter behemoth in silent shock. The titan was indeed Rogue, but clearly not the gentle version he remembered. For the first time in years, Armin was almost terrified of the titan. Rogue stood in a defiant stance, muscles tight and rippling beneath the creature's hostile breaths – rolling and bulging with each subtle movement of his immense frame. The titan's hands twitched unstably while his tapered ears were pressed flat against his messy locks that were stringy and still damp from the rain. However, the thing that alarmed Armin the most was Rogue's face. The titan's brows were furrowed and his hooked nose was wrinkled in rage, skin around his teeth and the corners of his gaping mouth were pulled back in what he could call a manic snarl. Rogue's emerald eyes were nothing but feral, reflecting the rage of a wild animal and glistening in madness. In all the years of knowing him, Armin had never seen Rogue look so lethal.

He could hardly believe this titan was his friend. It was evident; Rogue really WAS The Rogue Titan of legend.

"Rogue?" Mikasa managed to squeak, the small sound barely heard by Armin's ears. "My god, Rogue what –

The muscular behemoth then let out a low and rickety growl that made the teens' skin prickle, tresses of steam rising from the crevices of the creature's teeth. The titan turned slightly, harsh greens glaring at their pitiful target in nothing but hatred and wrath – glowing ominously from beneath the shaggy locks. Suddenly, Rogue threw back his head and released a bloodcurdling roar that shook everything around them to its roots - the titan's bellow so tremendous and vocally potent that the two teens struggled to protect their ears, the roar nearly making Armin's eardrums rupture. Without further hesitation, Rogue charged forward and began to brutally assault the titan before him. Thunderous cries and the nauseating sound of snapping bone and ripping flesh filled the alley. Armin looked on in terror as Rogue repeatedly threw his fists into his adversary. The fifteen-meter's eyes burned bright like an inferno as the beast savagely tore into the titan's limbs, ripping them free and coating everything in hot crimson. The titan beneath Rogue wailed in agony, a cry that Armin could not compare to any other plea he had every heard, the titan practically being dissected alive. Rogue's hands then plunged into the monster's bulging abdomen, pulling out anything his clawed fingers could grasp, the wounded creature below him now letting out muffled moans – incapable of even screaming as its belly rose and fell in short intervals. The green-eyed titan roared again and began to separate the other's spine from the pelvis, blood spraying every surface and ornamenting Rogue's tan frame. Armin's body drained of color as the titan continued to break and sever his opponent; Rogue now stomping continually on the thirteen-meter's neck. He simply could not believe that this was the same gentle titan that nurtured them in the forest. The very titan that purred, laughed, and would continuously want to play or snuggle with them was now beating the life out another titan and relishing in its blood – still delivering heavy and violent blows even after the monster beneath him was long dead.

"It's like – watching a manifestation of humanity's anger and rage." Mikasa uttered from paled lips, transfixed on the mind crippling slaughter before her. "Rogue. Oh Rogue…" Mikasa trailed off, voice showing maternal concern and reflecting a caring predisposition.

Rogue then planted his foot down; twisting his leg slightly as if trying to squash a large bug, onto what little was left of the nape. The titan then leaned slightly and screeched a wordless bout of dominance before standing upright to smirk and what Armin could say was admiring his masterpiece of blood and sinew. Rogue then roared once more, head and threat angled to the heavens. The boy swallowed the bile in his throat, scrutinizing the blood soaked alley and body of his vast friend. Never did he think that he would see his friend in such a monstrous state ever again. Was it possible that Rogue had gone completely mad in their absence?

Just when Armin thought the titan was about to pause and look to them, his feral hues shot to another titan a block away – leaving his kill and prowling right for it. Not even noticing the spooked teens.

For several pensive moments, the two remained almost comatose as they watched steam billow from the carcass and pools of red. Finally, the raven-haired girl snapped from her trance and yanked the gas tank from Armin's gear.

"My God! Armin we should not have left him! He's insane! We have to go!" She cried frantically as she replaced her empty tanks. "We have to go Armin! I have to see Rogue! I have to speak to him!"

"Mikasa!" Armin pleaded as he grasped her shoulders in restraint. "Mikasa, we can't!"

Her grey eyes then looked deep into his, a newly lit fire burning in the silvery hues. "Armin! It's been YEARS!"

He dithered, trying to sort through facts and possible explanations. "Mikasa! Listen to me! I know you want to speak to him, I do too – but right now we can't do that! Look, Rogue is here for a reason. Whatever it is we can't let him see us. I think," Armin gulped as he tried to tie loose ends. "He may still be aware, a normal titan would have attacked us first without hesitation. Whether or not he still remembers us, Rogue has a purpose in mind. He's satisfying a taste for revenge."

Mikasa quivered, struggling to hold back tears. "Armin, he didn't even notice us."

"Right, but he may have just overlooked us. There are titans everywhere and blood all over the alley, plus we've grown in the past years. His sense of smell is probably just overwhelmed." Armin continued, amazed that he was able to think and come up with accusations so quickly. "Mikasa, I know you don't want to hear this, but if there is a possibility that Rogue is looking for us we have to keep out of sight. If he sees us and tries to communicate by whatever means he chooses, especially his licking, everyone will think he's just a regular titan trying to eat us!"

The teen opened her mouth to reply, but quickly repelled her words. It was a brief moment of tense silence before Mikasa dipped her head in disenchantment. "Yeah, you're right Armin. If we want Rogue to be safe, we can't let him see us. However, the fact that he's here and killing his own kind has probably generated interest and perhaps fear. We – need to trail him until we need more gas. I don't want anyone not knowing the situation killing him." She sighed. "I couldn't live with myself."

Armin nodded at her words with understanding. He couldn't argue with her. To ensure their situation at hand, they could not leave Rogue no matter what his current state of mind. Once again, the blonde sheepishly wrapped himself around Mikasa as they took to the air again. The two then landed a few rooftops over, taking refuge just behind the spine of the hipped roof. Armin and Mikasa observed as Rogue eyed a nearby fifteen-meter plastered with a permanent scowl on its face. The titan's stride smooth for his massive frame, each step perfectly precise and paced - the stride of a hunter after its prey. This amazed Armin, the humanoid giant's predatory gate was something that Rogue had unquestionably mastered. A cat or wolf would envy him.

Suddenly a whizzing sound followed by a thud behind them forced the teens to peel their eyes away from Rogue to see something that they admittedly, almost dreaded. Connie stood, chest heaving as he took a moment to ease his lungs with Armin silently panicking. For the sake of their plan, he began to think of escape routes from the truth.

"Thank god! We've been looking for you! Did you –

However, Connie's words drained in his throat as his eyes caught the sight of Rogue and the advancing fifteen-meter, his skin caked with miniscule bumps. "Holy Crap, two fifteen-meter titans! Shit! Mikasa! Armin! We need to…"

"Wait." The girl spoke stern and unexpectedly, the two males staring at her in confusion.

"Mikasa?"

"That one." She pointed to Rogue. "Watch him."

Connie glared at her in confusion before the eyes of the small party witnessed Rogue come to a halt. The great titan's muscles tightened as he released an almost eerie and unworldly but powerful howl – saliva flying from his lipless maw with ears pinned and nearly folded over. The other beast returned Rogue's display with an almost pitiful excuse for a warning – one that Rogue would take no heed to. The feral fifteen-meter behemoth then did something that Armin, Mikasa, and Connie had never seen before.

Rogue raised his arms and clenched his fists, getting into a fighting stance that was the product of dedicated practice. The titan emerald pools stared intently at their mark, wide, wild, and unblinking.

'Hand to hand combat?" Armin questioned internally. 'Where did Rogue learn –

Before any of the other teens could point the fact out, the opposing fifteen-meter charged for the waiting giant. Within an instant Rogue threw a hand forward in a devastating haymaker, hitting the titan square upside its neck. Skin split and muscles tore as the monster's head was severed from its shoulders, flying nearly sixty meters before ramming into a spire atop a building. With breaths caught in their chests, the cadets watched as the headless mass fell before Rogue. As the creature attempted to blindly get up, the titan brought his foot down effortlessly onto the nape to finish the atrocity off. Rogue then paused to snort in disgust, making it almost appear that he was going to spit at the carcass in clear antipathy before setting his unbridled green eyes onto a new and nearby target – walking away with no shred of concern for the hunk of flesh.

As Rogue began to tangle with his new victim, Armin finally released his breath with Connie ultimately gasping in shock.

"Was, was that titan who I thought it was? The Rogue Titan?" Connie exclaimed, a grin pulling at his face. Mikasa nodded.

"Yes. That titan is indeed The Rogue himself." She informed coolly, keeping her emotions in check. Armin blinked again in question before he caught on to Mikasa's act.

"We've been watching him." Armin articulated as he pointed to the still evaporating corpse in the alley, observing the boy's eyes grow in size. "He's been killing titans. As far as how many, I'm not sure. But it's clear he has no reaction to us."

Connie then broke free from his stupor. "Holy Shit! Ha! The Rogue Titan of legend in the flesh!" He nearly squealed. "Damn! He's as menacing as I pictured him! The muscles, the shaggy dark hair, his teeth, those elf like ears, and those glowing green eyes! He's an animal!"

"Yeah, he's something alright." Mikasa added, glancing at Armin from the corner of her eye as if she was waiting on him to speak. The blonde continued to watch Rogue's slaughter, an idea suddenly popped into his head.

"I have a plan. It's crazy, but I hope you two hear me out." Armin began, observing as the two cadets became engrossed. "My gear is useless and Mikasa is running low on gas. I'm sure everyone else is in a similar state."

Connie nodded in agreement. "Yeah, most of us are stranded or running on fumes." He paused. "Armin where are you going with this?"

"Well, we need to dispatch the titans surrounding headquarters, right? Why not fight fire with fire? We could lure the other titans to The Rogue so he will follow us to headquarters."

"Wait. You want to recruit a TITAN?" Connie exaggerated. Mikasa nodded.

"Armin is right. It might be our only shot. We could take back headquarters with one sweep if this works."

The teen dithered, blinking repeatedly as he weighed his options before letting a sly smile come to his face. "I'm in, but we'll look like idiots if we screw this up!"

With plan set in stone, the three left the rooftop and made their way to Rogue. Armin swallowed, holding awkwardly onto Connie as Mikasa led the way, acting as a spear if needed. He watched as Rogue planted a fist into a titan's face, forcing it into a building, before the fifteen-meter could turn to face another titan that was racing to his side, Mikasa quickly cut the creature down before speeding away. Sure enough, Rogue's interest was piqued, the titan's tapered ears following the sound of Mikasa's maneuver gear. Before Rogue could turn to spot them, Connie propelled after the female cadet. Armin then let his mind focus, but then his ears picked up a familiar sound – a distressed whine like that of an adult looking for its young or an adolescent pleading for its mother.

(POV SWAP)

He stood almost motionless, his mind in a state of bewilderment and his heart high in his chest. Rogue moaned in desperation, sniffing the tainted air assertively. He was sure of it. It was them. It was his little ones. They were here after all! The titan took a step forward, his eyes searching urgently for the two familiar humans – but they were nowhere. Rogue then turned his attention to the flying humans again, a brow rising in query. It was no mistake that he had smelt his little ones. He shifted on the balls of his feet, a habit he displayed when deep in thought. These flying humans were different from those he had seen in his forest. Instead of the marking of a wing, these uniformed humans had two blades on their backs. In all the time he had lived inside the walls, Rogue had never seen this particular breed. Was it possible that they were like the flying humans in his forest? Just a different variety that stayed within the walls? They looked young compare to the others as well; perhaps this was the growth stage before the flying humans. Whoever the blade backs were, his little one's scent seemed connected to them. Could it be that these new uniformed men knew where his companions were? They had to; perhaps if he trailed them, the uniformed men would lead him to his beloved children.

Rogue then watched as the small cluster of humans flew toward the largest human residence he had ever seen, narrowly avoiding his kin's grabby attempts to devour. The titan's ears angled forward and eyes grew wide in attentiveness as he saw it. Scaling and surrounding the vast fortress was nearly a dozen of titans attempting to dig or claw their way past the stone barrier. Rogue's worried and concerned disposition morphed into frustration and boiling anger. It was clear that there were humans trapped inside even at the distance he was, most of the tiny two legged creatures flying for it at top speed with great levels of apprehension discharging from their bodies. A disgusted snarl escaped his throat as his nose flared and jade hues narrowed at his enemies' wrongdoing. Whatever the human structure was, it seemed to be of a great importance to the humans. It had to have been very vital, perhaps they used it like the small stinging insects, bees if he remembered correctly, like a hive to store their belongings like the bees did with their liquid gold. Not only that, but the scent of his little ones was pointing to the structure like a needle on a compass.

The titan then charged forward, fists ready to obliterate his foes and face giving in to another angry grimace. The humans needed help to save their hive and with the potential that his little ones were there, he could not move on with his violent exploration of the town. He had to take care of the problem and find a solution. Rogue then soaked himself in rage again.

(POV SWAP)

The crimson product of a thirteen-meter sprayed the two teens' faces as Mikasa yet again carved out the weak spot with skilled precision. Despite the hot temperature of the blood, Armin glanced from the corner of his eyes to check in on the status of his plan. Sure enough, Rogue was racing after them – the look of ferocity and vengeance worn on his face as the titan almost easily dispatched those that were in his way. Armin could barely believe his friend's developments that had transpired. Although Rogue had not changed physically, his sense of protection and fulfilling revenge was something that Armin both feared and admired.

Then there was the whine – a single toned sound that told the boy a telling tale. However as of yet, he could not pinpoint whether the story was fiction or nonfiction. If it was indeed what he believed it to be, Rogue was not insane like he previously thought –rather that the titan was looking for them. Armin gulped, he hated that he had to keep out of his friends sight, especially since they had not had contact with one another in years. But for Rogue's safety, it had to be done.

The trio then swerved from another close encounter and aligned with the window of the third floor of Trost's headquarters. Bracing for impact, Armin strengthened his grip and shielded his eyes seconds before their bodies crashed through the translucent glass. The teens landed on the wooden floor and shards, taking a moment to gather themselves before examining their surroundings. In the large room that had once been primarily used for office space and file keeping before the day had dawned. Now, the room was nothing but a barricade full of shaken and petrified cadets. The smell of secretion tainted the air along with the foul odor of precious crimson – the creation made by wounded soldiers and a few that passed do to injury or suicide. To Armin's relief, most of the cadets that he knew personally were there, but the question was why they were there and not back out in the heat of the battle?

"Mikasa?" Jean uttered, obviously in a disguised state of relief that the girl was in one piece.

"Thank god you guys made it!" Marco exclaimed, face suddenly changing into one of panic. 'Listen! We have a big problem in the cellar! There are titans –

A loud whistling sound incited the panicked room to grow deathly quiet. Suddenly, a section of the headquarters outer wall gave in, debris flying across the distance of the room and sending several cadets off their feet. Armin coughed, struggling to rid the dust from his lungs. When the smoke cleared, he and the others were met by the eyes of two large titans that were eagerly inhaling the scents of their desired meals – dead eyes wide in nothing but starvation. The souls of those in the room then began to panic like hens sought after by foxes.

"There are too many people! They can smell us!"

"We're all going to die!"

"Hurry! We need to get further in!"

Armin and Mikasa struggled to get their footing, soreness and fatigue grasping at their tired joints. However, before most could move, a sizeable fist smacked upside of the peering titan's head. Bones caved beneath brute strength and eyes bobbed from sockets, popping out and separating from their dim owners. Blood splattered the interior of the room in an abstract fashion, glorifying the space with shreds of skin and facial tissues. The two titans then fell back to the earth with none other than Rogue himself landing before the hole, glaring at his fallen prey with fiery rage and chaotic purpose. The great beast then roared in authority, once again breaking the glass of the intact windows and shaking the foundation with the deep and lurid bellow.

"What the hell!" Jean exclaimed in bewilderment as he and many other cadets, including Armin and Mikasa, joined him in the gaping opening, watching in awe as the fifteen-meter began to prowl once again.

"Oh yeah! Armin, Mikasa, and I came across this guy! He's The Rogue Titan!" Connie informed elatedly, causing a swarm of interest and excitement to spread throughout the group of cadets. "He's been slaughtering titans left and right!" The teen guffawed. "Yup! This big beautiful son of a bitch is our ticket out of here!"

The group of young spectators watched in awe as Rogue lunged and threw a first into another unsuspecting titan, the dull creature landing with its neck twisted. Rogue roared again, projecting his anger far into the heavens that were now bathed in intense sunlight.

"Are you fucking kidding!" Jean harshly disagreed with golden eyes glaring daggers into Connie. "A titan is not going to help us!"

Armin found himself vastly ignoring the teen's words as he watched a translucent membrane cover Rogue's uncompromising eyes – a trait that his friend had never revealed to he or Mikasa during their stays with him. The fifteen-meter deviant then pivoted sharply on his feet, skillfully surprising another advancing titan by bracing the monster's shoulder. The cadets' faces fell at the sight of Rogue turning and throwing the entire weight of his opponent head over heels – a hand to hand combat move that was difficult for even the strongest of soldiers. Rogue then released his grip, sending the bulky specimen plowing over a collection of smaller titans. Another loud bellow erupted from their unlikely ally's throat before the massive titan threw himself into the bedlam again.

"It is working Jean." Mikasa spoke sternly after a long moment of tense silence with eyes nearly narrowed at the troublesome male who looked on at her in silent reasoning. "Right now, we're defenseless without gas. The Rogue Titan is keeping the others off and away from this building. Let him rampage."

Jean opened his mouth to retort with yet another disagreement before retreating from his advance. Instead, he joined the others in watching the storming Rogue. The green-eyed megalith then sank his teeth into the jugular of another titan, nails puncturing its skin as he snarled through his vice grip. Blood then leaked and sprayed several meters as Rogue's jaw clenched further upon the esophagus of his prey, muscles in his toned neck bulging with incredible fortitude. Then, with a smooth jerk, Rogue ripped the titan's throat open for all witnesses of his hunt to see. The wounded creature then began to choke on its own blood, Rogue's eyes seemingly lighting up in great pleasure at the display of suffering. Effortlessly, the fifteen-meter braced his open palm onto the face of his foe, and with a firm push, bent the monster's neck in two with the attached head barely hanging over the titan's frail shoulders. Armin stomach nearly turned over as Rogue then planted his teeth into the exposed neck again, savagely tearing through torn muscle and biting into the spinal column. To most of their horror and shock, Rogue then pulled the vital connection of bones up and out of his adversary's lame body, making several of the cadets vomit the content of their stomachs as the titan's body instantly collapsed on itself in a sickening form of disfigurement.

"Holy crap," Marco muttered. "He's incredible. It's like its too easy for him."

"Wow." Krista began softly. "The Rogue is so amazing. A lot of our previous accusations like him being thirty meters are defiantly off, but he's better than I imagined him really. He's not only fierce looking but he's – he's so powerful." The small girl spoke in amazement as the titan continued to spill blood.

"He's like a bull, the color red only provokes him further." Sasha added as she watched Rogue tear limb from body. "He's amazing!"

Connie laughed. "Hell yeah, this guy's insane! He's probably killed more titans than the Scouts combined!" The boy announced, turning to the opening with hands cupped around his mouth. "Yeah! Kick their assess!" The teen projected as a form of encouragement, ignoring the looks his fellow cadets gave him. Armin swallowed; the last thing he wanted to happen was that someone was going to grab Rogue's attention.

And to he and Mikasa's dismay, the titan paused his massacre – making the weary cadets freeze in fear as Rogue's pointed ears flickered to the source of the unexpected optimism. Thinking quickly, Mikasa and Armin backed into the shadows just as the fifteen-meter titan turned his head sharply in their direction, piercing green eyes glaring deep into the soldiers' souls. Breaths hitched and were held as Rogue kept his gaze glued to the party of teens, never blinking once even as several hands snaked down to their blades. The titan seemed to notice this, pupils dilating and scrutinizing the deadly instruments before bearing into faces yet again – brows pinching together in distrust. Armin swallowed a wad of apprehension, would his friend really attack them?

"Fuck Connie!" Jean whispered bitterly. "Now you just added us to his to do list!"

The other teen didn't reply; sweat beading up upon the male's face as the fifteen-meter continued his intense glare. To their surprise, Rogue snorted a cloud of steam in a cocky manner and almost rolled his fierce hues before turning away to continue his hunt. Sighs of relief then swept the room like high wave, some cadets looking as if they were on the verge of fainting. Armin and Mikasa then rejoined the curious group, watching in utmost disbelief as Rogue picked up a small seven meter and held its shoulders firmly, fingers soaking with blood as they burrowed down to bone. A piercing screech then filled the air as the vast beast then proceeded to tear his outmatched opponent straight down the middle, halving the creature from its neck down to its groin. Armin's hand flew to his mouth, struggling to hold his stomach contents at the gory display. Blood pooled in a lake beneath Rogue's feet, the severed titan's gut falling to the earth with its contents visible through the thin patches of the lining. The large titan then flung the steaming corpse away, paying no head to his own crimson-coated body as he released another bout of rage – the sound dangerously close to insane pleasure.

"At least with him going at it out there, none of the other titans will come in – but of course there is the issue of the cellar."

Hearing Marco's words, Armin screwed a lid on his nausea and turned to the freckled teen, puzzled by his statement.

"What's with the cellar?"

Marco dithered, biting his tongue. "Well, the other reason why the supply team couldn't get us gas was that somehow about seven four to five meter range titans had somehow gotten in. Right now, we don't have many ideas of how to get down there and flush them out."

Armin blinked at the gave news. Things just seemed to get worse and worse. The blonde then began to ponder, cogs turning as he tried to think of an execution that would work with minimum casualties. As he deliberated, Armin observed Rogue punt a small five-meter with incredibly ease, sending it flying far into the neighboring streets. How he wished that they could kill titans as easily as Rogue without gear. Now that he was in the military, Armin envied that aspect of his titanic friend. Then, after a few moments of sulking in his worries, Armin had an idea.

(POV SWAP)

The titan sat perched upon the human hive. The sky was beginning to stain with brilliant oranges and bloody reds. He was admittedly growing tired. Rogue's muscles were beginning to take on a familiar ache and strain. If he made it to the following day, his morning was gong to be rough. However, that did not steer him from his ambitions. Grasping stone and lifting himself up on a high tower, Rogue released a wordless declaration of claim – the projecting roar echoing all throughout the human residences. This human hive was his and only his. For the safety of its occupants, he had declared that he and only he could touch it.

Rogue willingly released a breath of steam, observing the cityscape around him. Worry and fear began to settle within him again. After defeating his kin attempting to get into the human hive, the titan had tried to call out for his little ones again. To his disappointment the blade backed humans had retreated into their hive, leaving him with no soul to gesture to. He found them odd – they were childish. Enthused to a point where one with a shaved head called out to him, tone one of reassurance. Truthfully, it had caught him off guard. It was rare that humans ever did something like that. From what Rogue knew about the wall uniformed men, they only pointed, drank, and passed green leaves to one another in merriment as he hunted – these actions always followed by human tongue and pointing. So when the praise came, he was surprised to hear it. However, when he saw a few hands hovering over blades, he announced his distrust with a nonthreatening gesticulation – hoping that none of these humans would keep his little ones away.

However, he did feel appreciative that they had taken to hiding his little ones deep into the hive away from the exterior dangers. Rogue scoffed again as he watched a cluster of titans enter the district through the hole in the wall. How much more could there be? There were already dozens of titans ravaging through the human city. He was growing exhausted from his hunt; he couldn't deal with much more of his kind. Although he loved the display of red hues and the feeling of revenge, he would have to stop at some point. Not only that, but he couldn't retrieve his little ones let alone talk or bring them from the depths of the human shelter without the high chance that they could be ambushed by his kind. Even though he marked the hive as his, the titan wasn't entirely sure that the technique worked. Of course, he feared for the other humans too, they didn't deserve any of this. But he couldn't keep tearing apart his own kind. Each moment he wasted, more humans died. Damn, it all felt like it was on his account.

Rogue dipped his head in thought, he had to do something – think of a way to stop the titans from entering the city. But what! Then, something deep in his conscious clicked. Although he loathed the idea, he would have to avoid his kin at costs unless it was necessary. Instead, he would take back the district. The gaping orifice that allowed the titans entry needed to be plugged. Near the gate, Rogue recalled seeing a large boulder that was nearly three times his own weight. It would be perfect, and it was perhaps the strongest thing to keep the titans at bay. Sure, he wasn't positive if he could lift it – but he was stubborn.

He was going to do it.

(POV SWAP)

A cluster of cadets took to the air, supplies replenished and bodies somewhat revived. Armin stood before the gaping hole on the façade of headquarters, adjusting and checking his levels of gas on his new set of gear, slightly proud of his accomplishment – something that had finally gone in his favor. He had come up with a carefully organized plan to use the lift of the supply room to blind the seven titans while the most skilled with their pairing blades took the beasts down. The first task was the simplest step, getting the titan's to notice them – something that took no effort since titans came running to a human's scent like called dogs. Next was blinding the creatures with bullets to the eye, forbidding vision as the most adroit of the soldiers rained from the above rafters to execute their targets. Their unlikely and doubtful success was a relief. Now, due to his plan, the cadets were back in the field.

Finishing his task, Armin looked up in search of Mikasa. After their discovery of Rogue, Armin could not leave her side or abandon the task of monitoring their oversize friend. He soon spotted her atop a nearby building standing with a few other recruits – all gazing before them. Feeling worry tug at him, Armin launched himself into the air to land with Mikasa. At the sight of her, he swallowed. The girl's face was pale as porcelain with every tense muscle in her body like stone. Her eyes were blown wide and her chest barely moved, only rising with a trembling breath.

"Look there." She uttered, voice stricken with quiet panic.

Following her demand, Armin entered a similar state as he saw it – a state of mind that nearly everyone possessed on the rooftop. Surrounded by at least six titans was Rogue, armless and almost backed into a corner. The boy's eyes widened as he saw the titan's chest heaving in enervation. Armin swallowed fretfully, the fifteen-meter was defiantly showing strain, a sign that Rogue was incredibly focused and occupied by his kills before they had indirectly reunited. It was very clear, Rogue was exhausted – and to make the situation worse, the day was growing shorter. The powerful titan had no time to recharge.

Although he wasn't sure why the titans were gaining up on Rogue, but perhaps it was like predators seeking out the weak or injured. Amin shivered, the titan was both of those things at the moment. Before he could lean in and exchange a whisper, another terrifying sight caught his eyes and stopped his advance. Coming up an established road, was a lanky fourteen-meter with long thin appendages and short blonde hair. Armin had, to his great misfortune, seen it just hours before. The mindless titan was a certainly a dangerous one – an abnormal – titans with no intelligence but incredibly unpredictable.

"That's the one who ate Thomas." Armin muttered nervously, watching as it lumbered closer. The boy nervously shifted his gaze back to Rogue, knowing that if he were overpowered he would be done for. However, the fifteen-meter was incredibly alert, glaring at the abnormal with a practiced eye and glancing to the others around him before returning to the new arrival. Rogue then dipped his head, eyes narrowing and forming into slits and giving off a menacing reflection. It was then very clear.

The intelligent titan had a plan of execution.

Suddenly, Rogue released another long roar and pushed his way through the cluster of titans, smashing a five and four meter in his trembling wake. The cadets watched, eyes wide as the berserk creature raced for the abnormal – amazed that the still healing organism kept on going. Rogue then lunged, sinking his teeth into the blonde titan's nape, making the monster go limp in his grasp. A rippling growl pronounced through the fifteen-meter's throat as his jaws clamped further and squeezed the life out of the abnormal.

But Rogue wasn't done yet.

To the cadets' amazement, the titan quickly lifted the creature's entire weight over his head, neck muscles bulging and bracing as he stood surveying the positions of the nearby behemoths. With a muffled roar, Rogue flung the blonde titan to the ground, crushing four of the others in an explosion of crimson and gore. While the abnormal was still in his grip, though barely together, Rogue swung the titan's body into his last remaining foe – the blond titan's frame severing from its head with force and hurling the two massive forms into a residential building. Armin gulped, Adam's apples bobbing as the fifteen-meter dejectedly dropped the blonde's head before tilting back his own to release a howl to proclaim that he was the soul victor.

However, before Armin and Mikasa could breath a sigh in relief, Rogue collapsed to his knees, shattering his kneecaps before falling face first into the stone walk.

"No!" Mikasa squeaked. "He can't leave us!" She quietly panicked, preparing to make a run for the downed titan before the blue-eyed teen grasped her shoulder.

"Wait, Mikasa. He's still healing." Armin whispered, observing as Rogue let out a rather pitiful whine in sharp contrast to his previous angry bellow as he struggled to push himself back up with his partially healed arms. The titan whined again in frustration with each attempt, looking completely helpless with his nape entirely exposed.

"Titans are titans. We should kill the thing before it turns on us." Jean began, getting several looks of confusion from their comrades – including a deathly glare from Mikasa that was ever telling.

"Are you kidding, Jean? He's far more effective than any cannon or blade!" Connie disagreed, the long faced male giving into a look of surprise and disgust.

"Oh come on! It's not like he's a new friend!" He replied as Rogue was finally able to get to his knees, arms completely healed but missing his hands.

Thinking quickly, Armin discreetly guided Mikasa behind another spire to observe Rogue just as the titan turned his head. The creature's green eyes peeked from his messy locks to the group of cadets; hues burning a bit softer as glances were exchanged. For several seconds, it was nothing but intense taciturnity. The soldiers' bodies trembled as Rogue remained deathly still; stare growing more solid as his eyes shifted slightly to each teen. Armin watched as the tips of the titan's fingers completed, making the creature whole again. To his amazement, Rogue lifted a hand to place over his nape, another feat that Armin had never witnessed from his dear friend, as his beastly greens remained hooked to the teens. The boy raised a brow in question. It was obvious by the titan's scowl that Rogue was trying to get his point across that he wasn't to be touched, but the slight movement in his eyes as he glanced to each cadet made it also clear that Rogue was indeed looking for them as he studied every facial feature before him. Relief swept over the boy again. Rogue had not gone mad, more temperamental perhaps, but thankfully not insane.

"Armin," Mikasa began, realizing the very same. "He's searching for us."

He nodded. "Yeah, but remember, no matter how much we want to reunite with him, we have to keep hidden until I figure out how this is going to play out."

Rogue then stood upright, still cradling his weak spot in an almost tender embrace as he towered over the cadets, emerald eyes still shining down at them in what Armin could determine was a silent thanks. The titan's ear then characteristically flickered before motioning in the direction of the wall. The creature paying no mind to some of the cadets that fell to their knees in relief from the intense stand off. Rogue's two companions watched as the titan easily put a distance between them with his long strides. Armin blinked, watching as his vast friend made no move to kill a ten- meter just a few rooftops from where the creature was. Why wasn't Rogue going after it?

"Why is The Rogue not bothering to go after that titan?" Sasha wondered, easily gathering the other cadets' attention much to the two teens' dismay. "He's just – walking away."

"Is he tired?"

"Do you think he's leaving the wall since he's apparently finished?"

"The hell is that thing doing?"

Armin and Mikasa remained unspoken as the young soldiers continued to speculate amongst one another. Knowing that the group was distracted, the two readied their gear to follow Rogue, even after knowing the titan for years – they were clueless as to what he was doing.

"How about we follow The Rogue?" Marco suddenly suggested. "He's intelligent, so he has to be up to something."

"You're right. He must be." Krista replied. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind too much if he's made no move to kill us."

With their words, the group of cadets launched themselves from the terra cotta rooftop and after the fifteen-meter. Seeing their decision, Mikasa and Armin quickly trailed their advance. As they flew, Armin continued to note how their friend simply passed by his kind, and when Rogue seemed to make the utmost effort to circle from a titan's path, it was clear to the calculating male that the green-eyed beast was purposely avoiding his kind. The sight sent Armin into puzzling confusion. Rogue was completely rabid before, just minutes ago stopping at nothing to erase his opponents from the world. So why was he stopping now? Was it true that he knew he was too exhausted to carry on and was heading outside the wall for safety? If humanity had another day, would he return to look for them?

Armin put his thoughts away as the team rounded a corer to see another plausible sight. Rogue was standing still, eyes transfixed on a massive boulder that was much larger than the titan himself. Taking refuge behind the crest of a roof, the teens observed as Rogue tilted his head and slowly began to orbit around the boulder, letting out several grunts and grumbles as he adjusted himself to examine ever angle of it.

"Yes idiot." Jean grumbled. "It's a fucking rock." The boy insulted, receiving another deadly glare from Mikasa.

"Why is he so interested in that boulder?" Armin questioned, not realizing that he was speaking aloud as he watched Rogue run his hands over the rough extremity in intrigue. He was used to seeing the titan interested in new things like leather balls, books, and plush animals – but why the sudden interest in an object that he was very aware of? It didn't make any sense. What was so special about that rock?

"What do you think he's doing?"

"Why is he touching it like that?"

"Is this a way that titans leave their scent on something?"

"Sasha, really?"

"I'm just saying. It's a possibility."

Again, the group of teens began to talk amongst themselves, throwing out outlandish ideas that would have normally brought forth a laugh from Armin. However, both the small blonde and Mikasa were far too transfixed on the bizarre scene before them.

What happened next, no soul could have predicted.

Rogue crouched down to the boulder's base, and with a determined roar, began to lift the massive rock from the earth. Gasps ran through the titan's audience as Rogue positioned the boulder onto his shoulders, hot steam erupting from his frame as he braced his palms against the rough surface. With his neck painfully arched and pressing into his burly shoulder, Rogue took a step forward – the entirety of Trost seemingly vibrating beneath his feet. Armin watched in awe, rooftops rattling and other solders stopping to watch in utter amazement as the titan carried on – muscles bulging and becoming much more pronounced than before, displaying both great strain and strength. It was nothing short of incredible. He could have never imagined that Rogue could lift such weight – let alone come into the fray in the first place.

Or that he was indeed The Rogue Titan of legend, the titan that hunts his own and bathes in their blood.

His blue eyes then followed the direction the towering beast was heading, coming to a conclusion that made his eyes grow wide in shock for the umpteenth time that day.

Rogue was heading for the breach, determined to seal the hole.

With titans still residing in the general region, it was clear what they had to do. They had to fight. They had to protect.

(POV SWAP)

Every fiber in his body screamed and wailed in agony, begging to be put out of their misery. Steam shrouded him in a hot veil while every part of him begged to stop. He felt as if his entire body was to buckle beneath the weight – something that admittedly surprised him even though it should not have. He was so tired, but he had to keep soldiering on. As much as he wanted to stop for a breather, Rogue restricted himself from such a pleasure. He had to save the humans. He had to save his little ones. Instead, he just concentrated on forcing one foot in front of the other.

Smoldering steam poured from his teeth and jetted from his nose. The earth rippled beneath his feet, each step forming craters in the organized stone. His muscles bulged the most they had ever had, nearly breaking lose from his tough skin. Slowly, Rogue's eyelids opened, peering through his thin and translucent membranes. Before him was a sight that nearly made him stop in his tracks and drop the boulder in bewilderment. All around him, the uniformed men were engaged in heated combat with his kin. His glowing eyes blew wider as he observed their attempts in their own assault. Their blades sliced the napes of his kind, making them fall one by one as nothing but useless hunks of meat. However, there was the great spill of human crimson. Before a titan would fall, several of the males and females lost their lives. Bodies were bitten in half, torn limb from limb, swallowed whole or even decapitated without a thought.

The great strain began to make Rogue's vision blur, little black dots flashing before his eyes as he was on the verge of collapse. The great titan blinked, resisting shaking his head to and fro for the risk that he could drop the boulder. Rogue's gaze then shot downward, seeing two barely clear humans running on the ground before him – their colors blurring together like mixed paint. Why were these humans on the ground? Did they know they could get killed? Eaten or stepped on?

Unable to keep his gaze to the earth, the titan directed his attention before him again, trying to resist the strong smell of hot ash, his foul kin, and the sweet scent of sugary blood. As he propelled himself further to the breach, seeing the uniformed men soar and fly at his enemies, it then became very clear what they were doing. They were protecting him. Attacking for him. They were making sure that he was to reach his goal.

They were on his side.

Rogue's stomach fluttered in pride as he took another massive step. Had the humans finally accepted him and his entirety? It sure appeared so. Their aid – it was such a blessing. They were longing for survival in the cruel world. Like him, they wanted a victory. Damn, they were so alike, yet so very different.

The titan's eyes narrowed, glowing bright in determination. He would. He would bring them a bit of reassurance. He would make them happy.

"FIGHT!" Rogue's mind screamed as he turned toward the gate. The word – it was so meaningful. In order to win, he would have to lay it all on the line. They couldn't win if he did not fight.

"FIGHT!"

It did not matter how cruel the world was. Everyone was born free. To hell with the ones that tried to take that away! To hell with them!

"FIGHT!"

He was going to be free once again. Water that stretched beyond the horizon, red earth, mountains of ice – the whole bit! Once he, his little ones, and the humans laid their eyes on that, they would have freedom. But first, he had to fight.

"YOU!"

Rogue took another step, muscles on the verge of ripping to shreds as he became mere meters from the breach.

"MUST!"

The titan motioned further, listening to the cries of encouragement from the unformed men as he continued on.

Their words were enough to send him over.

"FFFIIIGGGHHHTT!"

With an earth-shattering roar, Rogue lifted the boulder from his shoulders and plunged it into the breach, sealing the wall so tightly that not even sunlight shone through the crevices. Finally, the titan collapsed against the rock, chest heaving strongly as he let his physique relax and cool. Slowly, his body, most likely cursed with cracked bones and internal bleeding, began to mend. Rogue's brow relaxed as his head tilted back in liberation and allowed a small proud smile to grace his face. He had done it. Against the odds, he had done it. The thought nearly making him purr in delight.

Then, a new thought suddenly hit him, one that made his smile instantly fade.

Gradually, Rogue turned to peer at the uniformed men from the corner of his eye, seeing that they were now silent and still with their own eyes glued to him. He watched as many of the men exchanged quiet human tongue with one other while glaring at him in what he was able to discern as worry. The titan's eyes danced from one individual to another, also spotting the familiar flying humans that he had come to know, all of the uniformed men staring at him with utter seriousness.

It was then that Rogue realized that he had made a crucial mistake. His body shook as he braced himself against the rock, looking up at the wall in fear. He did not thoroughly think his seemingly brilliant plan through, missing the grave error. The titan had sealed himself on the wrong side of the wall where the uniformed men were, away from the safety of his cove and territory. For the second time since the sun had risen, Rogue was completely an undeniable terrified.

"So, what do we do with him?"

"What next?"

"Should we neutralize him?"

"What if The Rogue attacks us now that he's here!"

"My god, what do we do!"

The titan blinked, turning to face the uniformed men with a hand placed protectively on his nape in instinct. His eyes then stared off at the human hive where his little ones were. He couldn't. Judging by the tones of the men, they were too frightened, he would have to wait. Rogue moaned miserably, feeling utterly stupid that he believed that he could see his little ones and take them back home. If these men saw him with the two children they would not hesitate to kill him. Life had a cruel sense of humor.

Rogue trembled further, whining like a frightened puppy. He had to get away! He couldn't die! He had to be safe so he could see his little ones again! Suddenly, several of the uniformed men nodded to one another and slowly approached the weary titan, digits on the hilt of their blades. Instinctively, Rogue scooted away on his rump, crying loudly as his mind was in full panic.

"Don't give us too much trouble big guy."

"Please, don't get any crazy ideas."

"Don't move."

"Steady now."

"Come on now, keep calm."

"Don't you dare, titan."

Finally, Rogue's mind snapped. Despite the fact that he was still recovering, the creature abruptly stood and bolted, whimpering as he charged into the human structures without a single plan. The titan moaned loudly, running among the abandoned streets as he heard the sound of the things that he uniformed men possessed around their waist, the beast showing a much more venerable side that had never been seen by the eyes of the military before.

Without warning, the small man from the flying humans landed on a rooftop before him, scowl still fixed and revealing no other hint of expression. Rogue skidded to a halt, pupils wide in terror.

"Alright big brat. Quit your fucking crying and settle –

The titan did not dare to stay and listen to the man complete his sentence. Rogue turned in the opposite direction and carried himself as quickly as he could. Again, more uniformed men landed before the titan and attempted to speak, but Rogue wasted no time. Screeching and screaming now, the titan barreled forward through several structures, debris clouding the air in dust. Suddenly, Rogue's feet crossed one another and he fell to the earth, sending another shroud of dust that settled into the air like a heavy fog. As efficiently as he could, Rogue got his footing and set his sights to the wall.

He would have to. There were no other available options. The only way out was up. Rogue withered as the scenes from his nightmares played out before his eyes, the continuous tries and fails. The titan's brows then narrowed. No. He had practiced and practiced. Tired or not, he was going to try. He was going to fight.

Soldiers screamed in protest as Rogue made a beeline for the breach. With a powerful kick, the titan launched himself atop the boulder and leaped as high as his lightened weight would allow him. Like the great trees in his forest, Rogue sunk his nails and fingers deep into the surface of the wall. With great strain, the titan threw his other hand forward to do the same. The creature ignored the angry declarations and desperate pleas in the distance as he repeated his actions. Rogue winced as his exhausted muscles began to tear once again, but he gritted his teeth to ignore the unpleasant burning in his joints. With each meter he scaled, his heart ached even more, knowing that with every movement he made, the further he was retreating from his little ones. The fact that he had smelt them and was near them was even more painful that his protesting body.

The titan's fingers then curled over the edge of the wall. With his heart thundering like the stormy bellows from the heavens, Rogue quickly hauled himself over the top of the wall. For a moment, he remained perched atop the massive barrier, looking down in both disbelief and relief, barely paying no mind that he had conquered one of his biggest fears. Below, the uniformed men were shouting at him and at one another in harsh human tongue as they scattered like ants.

"Halt! Don't you move!"

Hearing the call, Rogue turned to see seven uniformed men charging for him, hands over their blades and palms outstretched. Rattled, the titan turned and looked over the wall's edge into Maria. Without wasting another second, Rogue ventured over the edge of the wall, sliding down the ninety-degree slope. Skin peeled off in sheets from his body before he reached the bottom, his entire legs shattering beneath him upon impact. Rogue cried in agony as he waited for his marrow to mend, the men above watching the titan suffer in incredible shock. Finally, after his limbs repaired, Rogue bounded off into the direction of his beloved cove – cursing himself for his ignorance at everything.

(POV SWAP)

Levi remained still in his stance, watching the soldiers around him. Every single soul was in a state of sheer astonishment. They barely spoke to one another as their eyes traveled from the boulder to the top of the wall where the titan had vanished. Admittedly, he himself was in a similar state of mind. For the first time in history, humanity had won, and ironically it was from the aid of an unlikely ally – a monster that humans considered their greatest enemy. A titan of all creatures had come up with an execution to seal the hole in the wall, saving a territory that would have been lost. Not only that, but the beast had managed to scale a full fifty meters to escape over Wall Rose. It was nothing short of incredible.

The short man then turned to see Erwin approaching him with a more than serious look, eyes narrowed in determination and stride sturdy and strong. Levi saluted.

"Commander, what do we do now? Where do we go from here?"

The tall man stalled his reply, looking up at the peak of the wall and the sun settling behind it. Erwin then returned his gaze back to the Corporal, eyes ignited with strong purpose.

"We prepare our case for Zackley. We are capturing The Rogue Titan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Hope you enjoyed the monster of a chapter! Next will be as you can probably guess, but the Scouts are in for a few surprises!
> 
> As for the manga, it looks like what I thought, Eren's titan isn't armored- but he can finally get hard XD


	9. To Catch a Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rogue faces the Scouts in a race for freedom as well as many revelations about the titan are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here is another really long chapter of Rogue! I apologize for the lateness! I was a bit sick for two weeks and didn't feel like doing much of anything. But here it is! There is a lot of the Scouts in this one... along with a much anticipated event that MANY of you wanted me to do. Anyways, hope you enjoy this long chapter! (You guys seem to like the longer ones so I'll stick closely to that) I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan. I'm not a perfect person (a good majority of this was written at 3am) so there are probably some grammar issues I missed. If you find any errors, please tell me so I can make corrections. I'd appreciate it. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 9

To Catch a Fox

Levi remained quiet, eyes facing forward in an almost blank and disinterested stare, keeping to his thoughts within the room filled with upscale people – those he considered idiots among the human population. He was already tired and annoyed; the trip to the capital had been a lengthy one, even more so than those in the past. The stout man had the newspapers to thank for that. Since the incident at Trost, the press had become fully submerged in the only story that seemed to matter from the event – how The Rogue Titan had 'come to their rescue'. The papers, now circulating all across Rose and Sina, documented the event to the full extent from every aspect and even included sketches of the beast created from observations made by soldiers. Due to the release, when passing through a town, the locals instantly approached the Scouts with queries such as: 'Is there really a titan on the team?' or 'Does it really not eat humans?' among other annoying requests. Of course, everyone was answered with the simple statement that everything within the ink was true, but the Scouts kept most of the information secret. Ever since their missions to observe the titan in his natural habitat, Erwin had only shared what intelligence they gathered with Pixis as they had previously declared. Everyone else was kept perfectly in the dark. Today however, they would have to reveal it. After three days of crucial paperwork and processing, they were ready. Finally, the trial on the fate of The Rogue Titan had arrived.

Levi shifted his weight again, resting most of it on one of his legs with his arms folded over one another in disapproval. God how he hated being anywhere near the courthouse, let alone in it. The large room before him was what he could call a breeding ground for political opinion. It was an open space with marbled floors and vaulted ceilings with generic wallpaper, a luxury that was common in Sina. Everything seemed to be in dull shades of navy and grey while the room had an aroma of order – not the kind of cleanliness and sterilization that Levi preferred. Some would say that the mood fit his own, but he despised the place in all honesty. The attendants in the giant room consisted of wealthy aristocrats, merchants, Wall Cultists, and worst of all the Military Police. Of course, there were also groups of civilians – most being from Trost and even a small number of former residents of Wall Maria. The Corporal's trained eyes scanned the faces in the room to size up their odds of winning. Levi's icy hues then stopped on the features of a man in the MP's. Automatically his brow creased in aggravation. The tall and scrawny man was none other than Commander Nile Dock – the Military Police's commanding officer. From previous encounters with the man, Levi knew him to be arrogant and standoffish - unreasonable as well. Nile had a thin face with black hair fixed messily upon a shaved head. The taller man's eyes were like his own, just as unkind and unamused – but they served as a disguise over his flappable core. The man would run the first chance he got when faced with real danger. Levi's scowl grew even deeper as he recognized the man next to Nile. It was Pastor Nick, head priest of the Wall Cultists – a religious organization that worshiped the walls as some sort of god or deity. Like most, Levi couldn't stand them for the group could be considered as insane and he felt that he couldn't trust them like the many he once knew in the underground. This was just great. How were the Scouts supposed to win their case, obtain The Rogue Titan and enlist him as a member of their legion where he would be put to good use?

Levi trusted Erwin. Their carefully organized plan had to work. They could not fail or their beacon of hope would be exterminated. They had to expose the terrifying and legendary Rogue Titan as he was in his entirety – a creature that no one needed to fear. They had to sugar coat everything.

Suddenly, an echoing and cavernous creaking of an opening wooden door filled the spacious room, silencing all its occupants. Every soul stood from their seats to devote their full attention to the gentleman entering the court. The man was certainly a decorated and respected one – none other than Premier Zackley, head of the three military branches. Levi knew him to be a serious man, wisdom reflecting from the perfectly groomed white hair and beard with his face framed by glasses. Of course, having great experience with reading people, Levi sensed that beneath the medals, badges, and ribbons of the man's coat that there was a sense of understanding – perhaps specks of lunacy if one dove deep enough. Zackley then made his way to his seat at the high podium that overlooked the entire interior of the room. The Premier then sat down, casually rolling up his sleeves before nonchalantly spreading out the paperwork of the case before him. For a moment, the man's eyes scrutinized the words closely before adverting his gaze from the pieces of parchment.

Zackley then breathed a sigh, one that sounded as if it was one in preparation for a long and difficult trial – which could very well be the circumstance with the strange titan. "Alright. Shall we begin?" The man spoke, seating the others without a direct command. "This court in now in session. Now, if you all please, due to the nature of this case, reframe from arguing with one another and save it for an appropriate venue." Zackley addressed the room's population before glancing back at his notes. "We are here today to determine the fate of The Rogue Titan. In light of the recent events at Trost – this falls under my jurisdiction. I will decide whether this bizarre specimen lives or dies." The Premier paused, Levi witnessing the man's words sink in through the others' skin. "According to the paper as well as Garrison and witness accounts, The Rogue appeared in Trost at the height of the titan assault. From my sources, it is said that this titan hunted its own kind within the city before plugging up the gate of Wall Rose. The Rogue then fled over the wall before vanishing into the abandoned Territory of Maria." Zackley hesitated for a second time, taking the moment to adjust his glasses before turning his attentiveness towards the smug MP's.

Levi felt his fists tighten, preparing is own words and facts if need be for when the moment would come. With Nile, he was bound to grow even more irritated.

The Premier exhaled. "Commander Nile Dock, what is your proposal in this case?"

The Corporal's mouth pinched, growing thinner in annoyance as Nile lifted his sheet of notes to his view - as if the man would even need them when his answer of defiance was clearly going to be the latter. "I, Commander of the Military Police Brigade," The arrogant man spoke dramatically with no need to be. "Propose that this Rogue Titan be disposed of immediately! With the facts presented and the statements of the titan's possible intelligence, we have deemed the monster to be nothing more than a potential threat to humanity!"

Levi crossed his arms, still keeping his stern gaze to the dark haired Commander. 'Humph. As expected.'

Zackley dipped his head in acknowledgement. "I see. Is that your full proposal, Commander?"

"Yes, Sir!" Nile concluded, voice stern, booming, and to the point as per usual.

Again, the Premier ever so slightly nodded in response. The bearded man then glanced back to his papers before turning his gaze to Pixis who stood next to Erwin, face almost pulled into a relaxed but cunning look. Levi blinked. The eccentric head of the Garrison was always a wild card – but with the Scouts constantly passing information to the man, the Commander had to be on their side. "Pixis," Zackley initiated again as he rested his chin on his palm. "Is it absolutely fact and not fiction that the wall was sturdily sealed by this titan?"

The elderly man nodded, casually and confidently crossing his arms around his back. "Yes, and I doubt that it will ever be breached again."

"Good. Now Commander Pixis, does your regiment have a proposal in mind before I continue? Do you have any plans for the titan in question?"

At the query, the peculiar man let out a laugh that could have been dangerously close to a snort, the display of expected merriment echoing among the decorative walls. "My condolences Premier Zackley." Pixis apologized as he captured his stability. "I'm going to be quite frank with you. In truth our regiment cannot put such potential to use. The brute is too big to reside up at the top of the wall or man a cannon. Yes, not much use at all. However," Pixis paused, glancing to both Levi and Erwin with his golden eyes peeking from the corners of wrinkled flesh before clearing his throat. "I believe that the Scouts are fully capable of housing such a beast. With them, whom I have full confidence of, I believe that they can utilize the titan's full potential to humanity's advantage."

"Hmm, I see." Zackley acknowledged, seeming absorbing the words in careful contemplation with the speed of a sponge soaking up water. "Commander Erwin Smith, can you support Commander Pixis's statement? Is your proposal as such?"

The tall blonde's facial structure grew into one of hardened seriousness. Yes, Levi was very familiar with the man's particular expression. Indeed, it reflected confidence, but deep past the layers of skin, muscle, and bone Erwin was carefully calculating the circumstances. "Yes, Sir. Our proposal is exactly that. We will capture this titan in his domain and bring him to Survey Corps headquarters. There, he will be tamed and domesticated and with success be instated as a full unofficial member of the Scouts." The Commander informed promptly without delay. "That is all."

Zackley's fingers combed through his beard, eyes questioning and attempting to grip the concept through a large series of murmurs and whispers ever since Erwin had finished his speech. To their misfortune, Pastor Nick stepped forward, hands slamming against the railing before him in resentment.

"No! Such an ideal poisons the Goddesses of the Walls themselves! It is sin! That monster, that demon, is a blight upon this secure world that must be expunged! To think of bringing such a hell into our heaven is a wish for death! You! You will be punished like that vile creature and just as severely! The Goddesses will have no mercy upon you!"

Levi let out a sigh at the crazed man's insistent interruption, watching as another individual close by began to argue with the Priest of the Wallists. It was truly annoying, but why was Nick even in the very courtroom? The man and his followers should not have even been allowed in. Religious views were not permitted in court. In Levi's eyes, they were nothing more than untrustworthy people looking to start a riot. They had no part in any of this.

Finally, the Premier rolled his eyes in annoyance and called for order with several hits to the oak podium before him. "I said that there would be no arguments in this court of law! Save your words for another time! Any more outbursts and you will be escorted out!" Zackley stated, cheeks tinting slightly red as he delivered his direction. Thankfully, the two men quieted down but still silently pouted. Levi could practically feel the animosity discharging from the two. The Premier then sighed, but then his face wrinkled ever so slightly in question and curiosity. The man then blinked and turned to Erwin once again, a brow raised in suspicion. "Commander Erwin Smith, you seem very confident in your proposal. Might I ask… why? Was Trost the first time you encountered the titan? Or not?"

The corporal nearly flinched at the Premier's question. Steel irises flickered to Erwin, observing how the experienced man's throat bobbed slightly – keeping a coil of nerves at bay. Truthfully, he didn't know how Zackley was going to react to the withheld information – a major felony against the government. This would either save the case or compromise it.

"Premier Zackley, four years ago on a mission to investigate a few raids upon the safe houses that our regiment has placed throughout the region of Wall Maria, Section Commanders Hange Zoe and Mike Zukarious encountered something that we Scouts had never witnessed before. Upon their mission, they were ambushed in a field by at least a dozen titans. Of course, three-dimensional gear isn't the most practical thing in that environment. Thus, they were far outmatched. However, a fifteen meter titan stormed into the facility and skillfully slaughtered his own. After he made his kills, the titan simply looked at the two squads before vanishing into the forest."

Levi's brows furrowed, even after all this talk of this information being revealed to the public, he still couldn't believe that they were exposing something so delicate. But they had to sway the skittish public and not to mention the judge himself.

"Upon returning to headquarters, it was then realized that this titan, one that we are currently considering a new breed, was indeed The Rogue Titan from the Garrison's observations at the first breach – something that was once believed to be a myth. With the titan's appearance and deed, we became curious. And so the Scouts made it a priority to study the specimen as a part of our titan research program. What we experienced and found – was incredible."

Zackley's brows arched again before his forehead furrowed, realizing what the Scouts had brushed under the rug. "Erwin Smith. Did you act on your own accord with the study of the Rogue Titan?" The man spoke calmly, voice still laden with utter seriousness.

Erwin did not hesitate. "Yes. It was for the good of humanity. With the vast potential residing with our subject, we had to keep this labeled as a classified matter. At the time, man was not ready to accept the fact that there is a possibility of an ironic form of hope."

"That's treason!" Nile shouted from across the room, becoming animated once anew. "Withholding information from the rest of the military and the government is punishable to the furthest extent!"

The Premier abruptly turned to the arrogant MP, eyes narrowed in distaste. Was it possible that Zackley was willing to overlook the fact and listen? "Commander Nile Dock, I did express that there would be no outbursts in this court of law. I am fully aware that what the Scouts have executed is a felony. However, the study of all types of titans is permitted within their approved program of titan research. Crime aside, I am willing to listen to their discoveries. Besides, they are more than willing it seems to share what they know now." The man informed with Nile's muscles falling in bewilderment and lips twitching in aggravation. "Now Erwin, please enlighten me and this court on your discoveries."

Levi observed as most of the spectators of the room edged forward in their seats, ears and eyes fixed upon the tall blonde as he cleared his throat. "Thank you. The best person to relay this information to you is the head of our research department, Section Commander Hange Zoe. Permission to summon her to the stand, Premier Zackley."

The man dithered, resigning his chin to his palm yet again. "Granted. Will Miss Zoe approach?"

The Corporal nearly let himself curse beneath his breath. He wasn't too fond of Shitty Glasses testifying, but at least her constant jabbering would prevent any questions from arising from the crowd. A few annoyed grunts could be heard as Hange pushed her way through the soldiers, nearly squealing in excitement as usual. Levi's face naturally formed into an even deeper scowl. Hopefully Hange would not foolishly give way to error.

The scientist then took her position at a podium placed in the center of the courtroom just below the Premier. Hange then took the time to eagerly gather her notes before opening her lips to make her address. "Premier Zackley, on behalf of myself and the Scouts, I thank you for the opportunity. Now," Hange pressed on with her mood suddenly just as serious as Commander Erwin himself. "Questions from the public have surfaced in light of the recent publications about The Rogue Titan. You may have heard these speculations yourself on your way to this very hearing. Does the titan eat humans? Does the titan really have no interest in harming us? Does The Rogue really have a horrifying physique? Muscular and powerful body? Big exposed teeth? Pointy elf like ears that move to every sound? A roar that shakes the earth? Eyes like feral emeralds? Is this titan really intelligent? Supported by the facts that my team and I have put together, I can wholeheartedly say that all of those questions, besides the query of the Rogue eating humans, can be answered yes. Every bit is true and I'm here to support my resolutions with facts and inform you of this titan's true unseen nature."

Her statement sent a wave of murmurs throughout the room.

"So it doesn't eat people?"

"It – doesn't want to harm us?"

"It really is intelligent?"

The barrage of whispers was then silenced by the cold look of Zackley. Once all was just again, the Premier motioned for Hange to continue with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you. Now, where was I? Ah yes. After our first initial encounter with The Rogue, as Erwin stated, we returned to Maria with constant study in mind. As a specimen, The Rogue is unlike any other titan I have observed before. He is far from abnormal – a deviant type indeed. Nearly everything about this titan is something utterly special. I shall begin on the topic of his intelligence. Extensive surveillance on The Rogue revealed that the intelligence level of this titan is indeed human like."

Premier Zackley leaned forward in incredible attentiveness at the shared fact, hand sliding further over his chin to hide the lower portion of his face. Of course, to Levi's dismay, several more voices sputtered in the back of the room at the presented information.

"Human intelligence?"

"Could it be smarter than us?"

"Is The Rogue… could it be tricking us?"

"Incredible. Perhaps humanity is saved!"

Once more, the Premier plunged the room into silence with a hit to the great oak podium. "Please be silent! Now Hange Zoe, could you please continue?"

Levi nearly smirked at the man's interest, but his desired gesture never broke free. How would Zackley react to the fact that titan was a bit of a dork with an adolescent's state of mind?

"Yes," Hange proceeded. "The Rogue has human intelligence, but most certainly not to our level. Our experiments, observations, and discoveries have led us to the conclusion that the titan only has the level of intellect of a child. Five to seven years old at the most." He woman paused, hesitating through more hushed voices before continuing. "We were able to determine this by performing a series of tests and connecting a few dots. I'm sure that all of you who have children in this room can relate to this very well. Curiosity is a natural thing in a young one's mind. Kids like to look and touch everything. The Rogue Titan, although he is probably as old as you and me if not older, is blossoming with child like intrigue. During our first experiment with our specimen, we presented him with a few objects to find. Within a few hours, The Rogue Titan appeared and took a great interest in an unused iron bamboo blade and old mattress – in which he ripped out the cotton stuffing and started to actually play with it, even producing sounds of obvious pleasure. Now, if you can remember the mentioning of our mission to explore the cause of the depot raids, we originally thought the culprits were animals. However, sometimes child like curiosity can be quite a folly. After catching the titan stealing cables from one of our storehouses red handed, two and two was put together. The Rogue Titan has always been incredibly interested in our strange belongings and us. When he's either bored or itching to get into mischief, he sneakily breaks into our depots and goes through everything – especially pillows and mattresses." Hange paused getting a breather and a slight drink of water.

Levi sighed. This was going to take a while.

"Of course, his curiosity with us doesn't stop there. Oh no! The Rogue Titan even infiltrated our camp one night when the majority of us were asleep! He scrutinized our horses, our food and small supplies, our trapping tools, and even climbed a nearly forty meter tree to look at a soldier asleep in a hammock – poking it in weary interest before observing said soldier's maneuver gear. This instance not only showed that The Rogue has no interest in our consumption, but basic problem solving skills. This is evident with the titan's act of sealing up Trost's gate to forbid any other titans from entering. Because of his intellect, we know he has the ability to adapt and even ascertain. Like I've stated, he's very interested in observing us. The Rogue Titan learns by seeing and discerning the behavior and actions of others. He knows to cover his weak spot around humans because of us – this piece of behavior was also seen in Trost when the titan came in contact with Garrison soldiers and Cadets." Hange paused yet again to savor her breath and sooth her pipes. "In fact, The Rogue is certainly a specimen that is very eager to learn. As with the night in the camp, the titan would usually follow us around once he found us. Although we remain in the trees, that of which he certainly can climb, The Rogue remains close to watch and listen. Sometimes he's so comfortable around us that he will sit at the base of a tree and relax."

"So he never has shown any aggression towards the Scouts?" Zackley questioned, fingers toying with his beard.

Hange nodded. "He never has." The scientist informed. "He never does because he is aware that we can kill him. There has only been one instance when the titan expressed a small and non threatening hiss to be left alone before walking off – just like a cat that doesn't want to be approached. Of course, this now leads into his animalistic and other characteristics that may be native to his particular genetic makeup. Compared to other titans, this one displays more animal like quirks in addition to human like ones. Most of which seem to be feline and canine like. Some of these include the fact the Rogue has been observed in the act of scent marking his own territory – done by stripping bark and rubbing either his shoulder or the side of his face over the exposed wood. Others include the fact that he has tapetum lucidum, which could be described as night vision. The Rogue Titan's ears are incredibly acute to sound and move together or independently to pick up any trace of noise in addition to moving according to his current mood. His stamina is far better than a common titan's. He hunts in a very similar way to most predators, stalking his prey before skillfully bringing it down. The Rogue is the perfect tracker. The perfect hunter. Every aspect about his form leads to the fact that he is an advanced species of apex titan."

Zackley continued with his pondering and jesting with the individual strands of his beard. "Miss Zoe. Your information is very revealing. I have a few questions about some of the points you raised before you continue further. Most of these tie to recent events. The Rogue Titan seems to be very used to your company and you even suggest that he can possibly be friendly even. However, there are reports from Trost that state that when the titan sealed himself inside the wall where many soldiers surrounded him, The Rogue responded in a way that could be described as a panicked reaction. Why do you think that is?"

Levi's brow naturally raised slightly in thought. Zackley was a smart man and most likely knew the answer. Was it possible that the man believed their words and wanted Hange to deal more positive info to sway the public in favor of the case?

"Ah yes. I once talked with Corporal Levi about this when the titan pulled a similar stunt with the storehouse raids. Like any child or animal that has been backed into a corner, one that values their life and isn't looking for trouble, they grow fearful and try to get away. At that point in Trost, the titan was faced with an unfamiliar situation and felt threatened. Not willing to be killed or harmed, although incredibly and unbelievably frightened beyond his own understanding, The Rogue howled and whimpered as he struggled to navigate away from us before successfully climbing the wall."

"Hmm, I see. Now there have also been reports that the titan knew some of the basics to hand to hand combat. I'm aware that the Scouts don't really use this often in the field let alone in titan territory. How do you think that The Rogue knew these moves, do you think it's something that he learned by observation from you?"

For a long moment, Hange dithered in her own cone of silence. Her hand then reached up to brush back a strand of oily hair before taking a deep breath. Levi shifted his weight again. What the scientist was about to speak of was possibly the hardest to dish out. In fact, ever since uncovering the possibility, the Scouts were not entirely sure of its authenticity.

"Your query is actually something that I was going to discuss in my final topic. Keep in mind that this is still under current investigation, but we have reason to believe that The Rogue Titan maybe able to actually understand human images and words. Again, this is currently a theory that we've been debating and are still studying. As for your question on the titan's knowledge of combat, we think that either he watched a few soldiers spar in their spare time or this next idea. A book referencing fighting techniques was one of the items taken from a depot. Although we doubt that he has the capability to read, we have gone far enough to say that he could have taken the book and studied the pictures on the pages. But that is a stretch so we believe more in the first idea. As far as words, the first hint that this was possible was when The Rogue was caught stealing. When the word 'cables' was mentioned, the titan immediately looked to the object in hand. There were instances in Trost as well that were eerily similar. Then again, those could have just been gut reactions. Still, with the fact that the titan is intelligent – this is a strong possibility." Hange pressed on, taking her time to explain things even slower than before. "Sir, with all of the facts that I've presented, I believe that the Scout Regiment is fully capable of being able to tame this beast and give him orders with no threat attached." Hange smiled broadly, hoping that the Premier was satisfied.

Zackley's brow wrinkled slightly in deep thought. To Levi's surprise, Pixis cleared his throat.

"Before we continue, I wanted to speak in support on the behalf of the Garrison. We too, have witnessed the titan's interest and non-threatening display towards our soldiers. Once a month the titan comes to take care of the titans surrounding the wall and sits down at the base of the wall to watch us. At first, he remained in his spot for two weeks straight. Then he came around for at least one or two days a month for the past few years. He's never showed any aggression towards us. Even though it's now apparent that he can climb the walls, he never once did so to get closer to us. In fact Erwin and I have been in constant communication over this titan since it's resurface from the first breach. I am very confident that they will succeed with their task."

The bearded man shifted in his seat. "So you have had knowledge of this titan as well, correct?"

Without hesitation, Pixis nodded. "Yes. I am well prepared to take the fall for choosing not to speak of any of this until we had a better understanding of our titan subject. The Scouts and I felt the same about this. I'm sure you can understand why."

The Corporal could barely believe what he was hearing. Pixis was certainly sticking his neck out on the chopping block for such a risky case. The fact that he was willing to fall for such a cause was incredible. Zackley then nodded.

"I see. However since Erwin did share with you the information, as you are the highest raking Commander in the Southern territories, I understand the reasoning behind your decision. Not only that, but since the Scouts feel that they have accumulated more evidence and were willing to share it with us today, for that I will drop the charges of treason." Zackley ruled, nearly bringing fourth another outburst from Nile – the look on the MP's face nearly making Levi huff in amusement. "Now Hange Zoe, one more question that you haven't seemed to shed any light on. Why is it that this titan is only going after his own kind? Is this a characteristic mutation in the genes of this creature or is it some other behavior?"

Again, the scientist shifted nervously in her stance. The question was another one that the Scouts could not figure out as of yet. "This is another thing that's in the dark for us. We defiantly do not believe that this is a forced trait intertwined in his system like the actions of an abnormal titan that just does things with no reason, thought, or explanation. The Rogue does this because he wants to. Not because he has to. He is skillful and doesn't hunt recklessly. He does things with purpose. His body features and build are perfectly suited for what he does. But of course, we haven't pinpointed whether this is innate to his breed or some experience has triggered such violent resentment for his own kind. We may never know until we are able to conduct further study on The Rogue."

The Premier finally nodded and leaned back in his seat. "Thank you Section Commander, you may now be seated." Zackley addressed before returning to Erwin. "Commander, how do you plan to capture such a beast if the approval is given? The Rogue is clearly smarter and bigger than your previous captures. Tell me, what do you plan to do? Would you be going with a different or traditional approach?"

The tall blonde opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a clamor from the crowd. A chubby man whom Levi assumed was a merchant, stood in objection. "This is ridiculous!" He stated, voice booming up into the rafters. "They still don't know everything yet they insist on capturing this monster! That's tax dollars going to waste! The Scouts can't even guarantee that they can get this done! What if this is all just an act to suck up every bit of our money to make up for their own failures or to suit their off duty desires!"

"Shut up you spineless dog!" Another man shouted. "With a titan on our side we could return to reclaim Wall Maria!"

"Quiet!" Zackley addressed, his voice coated in poison. "I will now hear Commander Erwin Smith's plan is for execution of this task."

Erwin dipped his head in thanks. "We plan to do this in a traditional yet professional and humane manner. Knowing the titan's strengths and weaknesses we have developed new kinds of tools that we will implement on missions to capture The Rogue. The titan's nature and curiosity will be taken into great account in this matter. In this circumstance, our friend's inquisitiveness could ultimately be what gets himself caught."

To the Scout's unfortunate disarray, Nile lifted himself to the rails again. "How? How can you be so sure that this titan, who you people think is possibly like your own personal attack dog, will remain the same once you make your advance? Like you said, he is weary of humans. He could very well lash out in defense when he is attacked with weapons! Especially to a group of people that he has grown used to. If he's as smart as you say, then perhaps the monster will realize you set him up. Hell, you could make him distrust humans entirely if he really does have no qualms against us."

For the first time during the trial, Levi swallowed nervously. Nile's point could stop them in their tracks and throw them onto the losing side of the case it was so damning. The Corporal had been dreading such a moment. He had a hunch that Nile was going to try something. With those harsh words, he feared that the Scouts might have lost their leg in the race.

"For all we know the titan could very well still be able to consume a human. During further investigation, the Military Police came across a missing person's report. Three men vanished into the forests of Wall Maria two years before the first breach without any trace! Who's to say that the titan is the reason for this?" Nile pointed out, causing a wave of reconsideration to flow down the Scout's opposing side. Levi then straightened, knowing that his card had just come into play.

"Listen pig, can you actually tell me that it was this monster you hope to destroy? From what I see, you have no solid evidence. The area was a known as a trafficking route. It's all too common for opposing criminals to get into disagreements and disappear so no one can follow the other's trail. Besides, that was like you said, two years before the breach. Now as for the titan," Levi spoke sternly, eyes pure platinum in utter seriousness as he came around the rail barrier. "You better ask yourself if you are capable of killing the beast if he decides to prey on you. I'm sure my reputation proceeds itself. If we fail, I'm very if not more than capable to take The Rogue Titan out if the situation calls for such an action. Although that is our last resort, its nothing that we can't handle."

The room was silent at humanity's strongest soldier's words; movement was void except for the slight shift in Levi's eyes towards the Commander. The tall blonde then raised his hand in proposal.

"Yes Commander?" Zackley questioned, folding his hands together, barely directing his gaze to the man.

"I have another suggestion to go along with our proposal."

"What is it?"

"If we are able to capture The Rogue Titan, I will place him under mostly Levi's supervision. The Corporal is a very capable candidate to train the titan."

Levi nearly scoffed. 'Yeah, like training a damn dirty dog. Thanks Erwin.'

"And if the titan lashes out with the intent to kill, then Corporal Levi will dispose of The Rogue if it comes to that."

The room grew quiet again as Zackley relaxed at his podium, lids closed in consideration. Levi too, remained in his own world of thought. With Nile's crafty intrusion, this was their only way to come back into the game. Deep in his mind, the short man was sure that they would not have to resort to such a drastic measure after what he had seen at Trost. The choice to use the words to point out a willingness to execute if need be, could very well save them. Of course, far into his core, if they won – Levi hoped that this action would never have to be taken. Although the titan seemed used to their presence, The Rogue wasn't tame. He was a wild creature – one that could very well kill if provoked. Zackley then stood from his seat, his form looming over them with commanding influence.

"I have made my decision."

(POV SWAP)

The blue hues of the blonde teen peered up to the absent sky as he remained sealed away in his own state of mind. The sun had long since sunk behind the trees, giving way to an opaque and dark palette. The heavens were strewn with constellations, clearly visible to the naked eye with the lack of interruption. The area in which he stood was unsettling despite the beauty above. The surrounding cadets were in a state of mind that Armin could recognize as exceedingly nervous or silent hysteria. Few were in conversation; hardly any of those exchanges were speaking of something pleasant. He could understand why.

Armin sniffed, blowing his nose to rid the smell of burnt flesh and ash from his nostrils, the vile product of bodies that had to be gathered and burned hours before to reduce the spread of disease. It had been nearly five days since the siege upon Trost. Since then, so much had changed. Not only were there the vast amounts of sadness that clung to all survivors, but there was also a twinge of optimism. Armin was still in a state of awe and disbelief that Rogue had appeared at the breach. It was hard to swallow for him and Mikasa. However, he almost felt that he shouldn't be surprised at the titan's act. During the years that he had lived with Rogue, Armin knew the crafty beast was up to something, even if he didn't want to believe it. The rumors spread by the Garrison had formed an epiphany for the teen, only becoming truth as Rogue carried out his self made mission in the bloody streets. Armin swallowed his nerves once more; thinking of the fifteen-meter's display. Rogue was truly relentless. His hidden power and nature had been his pilot, violent justice with powerful fists, teeth, and a surging bloodlust. Although it was stomach churning and utterly terrifying, Rogue was an inspiration to those who witnessed his power– a beacon of hope that had become a widespread celebrity overnight.

Of course, there was another fact about Rogue that swam in Armin's head in repetitive circles. In spite of their long absence, the titan was still aware of their existence. Although the creature looked completely consumed by rage at points during his hunt, those few precious moments of hearing familiar whines and longing calls from Rogue brought the boy and girl much relief – but also grief. Their beloved friend was desperate for their company and safety, a thought that warmed Armin to the core. To see the creature ultimately fail to retrieve them was heartbreaking; Armin could barely stand to watch as their giant ally screeched for help and in fear as soldiers surrounded him. The boy hated it. He despised how they had to keep themselves hidden from the titan's emerald hues. But it had been for the better. It could have been a lot worse – someone mistaking the titan as an enemy and killing him foolishly.

Armin sank down to the dirt, sitting against a brick wall next to Mikasa who appeared to be racing among similar thoughts like his. For several minutes it was silent between the two teens, their dull eyes staring out at the somber crowd before Mikasa shifted uncomfortably, forehead rumpling slightly just as it did whenever something bothered her.

"What do you think they plan to do about him, Armin?" The dark haired teen muttered between her lips. "Everyone saw him. They saw how powerful he was. He dispatched our enemy, plugged the breach, and even scaled Wall Rose. I don't think they are going to leave this be so easily. Rogue's shown his prospective value."

Armin exhaled despairingly. "You're right Mikasa. They're going to do something about this. He's way too valuable to be left alone. I know the Scouts are planning something. It's a bit obvious what and I bet they are going to debrief their plans here tonight. It's not often that they headline for a ceremony like this."

Mikasa turned to the teen sharply, realizing what he was speaking of. "You don't think they –

"They won't do harm. He's one of a kind." Armin promptly informed. " I can almost guarantee that is their plan. If so, we can probably work this to our advantage."

She blinked. "How so?"

Before Armin could dwell on his facts further, Connie and Sasha joined them next to the wall, looking just as worn and anxious as the others. It was strange not seeing them in high spirits, but of course everyone in their small circle of colleges knew the source. It was the night of the Choosing Ceremony, the assembly of the 104th Cadets to choose their regiments. Not only that, but it was a time of mourning. In addition to losing both Mina and Thomas, Marco had fallen victim to the titan's wrath as well. It was a heavy blow to those that knew him, especially when no one saw what had exactly happened. It was a mystery that was never to be solved.

It was a long moment of watching leaves rustle against the gentle wind before Connie heaved a hefty sigh. "You know – I'm not sure what to do now. After Trost happened I've been so torn. I always wanted to join the MPs where it would be safe in the interior. Even though a new form of hope has appeared, I don't really know if I ever want to see the face of a mindless titan again. Of course, if those monsters can break through Walls Maria and Rose, they will get into Sina sooner or later. I could prolong my death in safety or I could fight for hope and leave my mark with no guarantee I'll survive." The teen sighed, tilting his head back against the bricks. "Screwed either way."

"Yeah, I don't know what to do either." Sasha agreed. "Have you two changed your minds at all?" The brunette queried.

As he expected, Armin felt several beads of sweat form along his neck, fearful of answering the girl's query. Mikasa then shifted.

"Our decision stands." The exotic teen alliterated flatly. "We're fighting for our brother and loved ones. Connie is right about both paths leading to the same fate, but with the return of The Rogue Titan one of those paths could change. Armin and I are still going for the Scouts. Nothing is going to change our minds."

The three blinked at Mikasa's blunt response, amazed by her lack of fear. Armin eventually nodded.

"No matter what. We're joining the Survey Corps. That's where hope is." He finished on an ironic note, using carefully selected words to express his meaning but hiding the truth.

Both Connie and Sasha collectively looked to the dirt before them, still dueling with their internal conflictions. Several more tense seconds passed before the girl sighed, amazingly ignoring her grumbling stomach.

"Do you guys think that Jean was serious earlier? I mean – his goal was to be a member of the MPs and serve the king. When he found – well you know… he looked like he had gone off the deep end." Sasha whispered as she and the three other teens turned to view the usually arrogant teen who walked alone among the tree line – even at a distance the boy's long face held pain.

As stubborn as Jean was, both Armin and even Mikasa could not help but feel his sorrow. Every cadet knew that Marco was the standoffish teen's best friend. To make matters worse, Jean was the one to find Marco's body – or at least half of it. That evening, while watching their ally's corpses succumb to blazing flame, tears had been seen coming from Jean's eyes for the first time since they had known him. With a lust for revenge, the boy had made his decision right at the depths of hell to join the Scouts. To Armin, it was as if a fire had been lit under Jean himself. "Judging by the tone he used and his sincerity, I don't think he's bluffing." Armin eventually answered, watching as Jean stopped to slouch against a tree, constantly glancing to the empty stage before them.

"I think you could be right."

Suddenly, a loud bell was rung across the yard, stealing every cadet away from their cones of silence or quiet colloquies. The blonde's heart barely thundered; remaining steady due to the long preparations he had formed for this moment. Mikasa too, looked barely fazed by the gathering signal, but the others were clearly thrown into a state of emotionless and quiet madness.

"All cadets report before the stage! Time to make your choices!" A man ordered, no sympathy present in his voice – the kind of person that treated everything as an assembly line in Armin's eyes. One by one, the members of the 104th lined up in rows, fluctuating nervously in their boots – soles now worn from years of brutal abuse. Armin and Mikasa placed themselves next to one another, keeping together and off to the side so they could absorb information without interruption. Thankfully, the others had followed suite in separating themselves among the crowd, faces that Armin felt that he would never see again. After a tense minute full of rustling boots and uneasy breaths, a tall blonde man revealed himself. The man's features gave him away immediately. With thick brows, finely combed golden hair, and piercing blue eyes the male's identity was none other than Commander Erwin Smith. Armin had never met the leader of the Scouts in person, but it was evident that the theories about the man were true. Erwin's face was sculpted into a serious gaze that looked as if it was permanently bestowed upon his façade. The man was a calculating and stringent individual. From countless lectures about the Commander during his time as a trainee, Armin knew that Erwin was a strategic genius. The fact that the Commander was before them meant that this was certainly a sign that plans had been made. As to what those plans were, Armin had a very clear idea.

"My name is Erwin Smith, Commander of the Scouts." He began, voice just as solid as his looks. "By the end of this ceremony you will branch off into one of three military fractions as you probably have come to know. By my presence here, I'm assuming that you all have many questions. My purpose is to disclose with you some vital information that could aid to your decision." The Commander paused, looking intently at his audience as if to scrutinize every crease of worry or uncertainty in their faces. "The following information is the results of a controversial trial held in the capitol of Sina a few days ago. Such info has not been disclosed to the pubic yet but will so within the coming morning. I'm sure you are all aware of the events at Trost, particularly the appearance and actions of The Rogue Titan."

At the mention of Rogue's new alias, Erwin's audience seemed to instantly focus, ready to absorb every word. Perspiration formed on Armin's pale palms as his heart picked up speed. So far, his suspicions had been correct.

"For those of you that are a bit unclear or not familiar with the titan's actions during Trost, allow me to shed some light. Besides sealing the breach and the creature's intelligence, it was estimated that The Rogue killed almost thirty titans within the short time span of three hours. That number is incredible. In fact, that's more than what a single experienced Scout could average in their lifetime."

Armin's eyes widened. 'I only saw him kill at least ten! My god Rogue… his bloodlust is even greater than I thought.'

"I believe if this titan wanted to hunt more of his kind that day, he very well would have. Now, the trial that was held was to determine The Rogue's fate. Our proposal was to use this titan for the good of humanity – ultimately our case was won. In a few days, our elite teams of experts are to head into Wall Maria and capture The Rogue Titan."

'I knew it!'

Erwin cleared his throat, silencing the rustle of whispers that had swum through the sea of recruits. "Before I get into detailed plans of capture, I will share with you what we know about this titan, more information that's new to your ears. For the past five years, we studied The Rogue in secret. In truth, we happened upon this specimen when one of our squads was ambushed by a large group of normals. As you can imagine they were overwhelmed until The Rogue arrived and slaughtered the dozen present. Like in Trost, the titan wasn't interested in our consumption. Since then our expeditions have been pure scientific study of this titan. The Rogue's behavior is something that no other titan has ever exhibited before. We found that our subject has human level intelligence equal to that of an adolescent, is active at night as it is during the day, has acute senses such as hearing and smell, and has some very animalistic like traits that resemble felines and canines – further examples of that include hissing, purring, climbing trees and walls, and even territorial marking. Further observation revealed that The Rogue is very curious in human activity and objects – even to the point of intruding into our own camp while most of us were in repose."

Armin felt himself nearly convulsing at every word. Rogue had really went to such extremes? He had known that the titan was fond of exploration and observation, but Armin had not a clue as to just how far Rogue would go to look at something that captured his interest.

"In addition to The Rogue's curiosity, there is possible evidence that the titan may be able to understand spoken language to a certain degree."

The pupils in Armin's eyes shrank at the Commander's news. 'What did he do?' The blonde silently questioned himself. 'Could he have spoke? No, Rogue's too shy to – or maybe he could have…' The teen continued to ponder frantically as the surrounding cadets became bewildered by Erwin's words. How much did the Scouts know?

"Yes. You heard correct. The Rogue may have an understanding of spoken word. But like much that is known about the titans themselves – it's speculation. However, do let that sink in. Because of this specimen's strength and smarts, this capture will be far more complex than any other. Thus is why we will need any able body we can get. Now, as the plan goes…" Erwin trailed off as two other members of the Scouts, a pleasant looking redhead and another arrogant looking soldier, carried a large roll from behind the stage. Together, they unveiled the scroll's contents to the crowd to view – a large map of southern Wall Maria that was decorated in strategic marks. The Commander then motioned for the large-scale diagram, gesturing over a large wooded area highlighted by a red barrier. "The indicated area is what we have been able to confirm as The Rogue's territory. The landscape is mostly forest area, home to the infamous giant trees with the exception of vacant fields outside the perimeter. The titan has also been spotted on occasion at the areas you see marked in blue. This is the jest of the capture plan. Since the gate of Trost is no longer operable, we are forced to depart from Katness district. Because of that, it will take about four days to reach the forest of The Rogue Titan instead of the usual two." Erwin explained as he directed his gestures across the map in a designated path. "Upon arrival we will set up the first but delicate stages of our plan and utilize new confining equipment such as the titan equivalent of a bear trap. Our tactic will be to take this beast's curiosity and use it to our advantage."

Armin bit his lip, his mind swelling up with worry.

"Of course, I should also be brutally honest with you. Although the titan seems to be used to our presence, there is no telling how he will react to the company of weapons used. There is still a chance that The Rogue could go into a ballistic rage and attack in defense. If that occurs, it has been ordered by the government that The Rogue be slain immediately without further thought."

The blonde teen's heart stalled, rising higher in his tightening ribcage. He had seen Rogue become incredibly frightened by the sight of the military's pairing blades when they approached him. But what would the titan do if he were actually attacked? Would he truly lash out when shot with spikes? Would he go the great length to kill? With the way he forced his rage onto any enemy, it was possible. Armin blinked, thinking deeper. Then again Rogue wasn't completely ignorant. The titan was desperate; he wanted to reunite with them. Rogue wouldn't do anything to get himself killed. Of course – he did wander right into the eye of the storm.

"With that being said, the first mission will take place within a few days once preparations are made. Now, the veterans and elites of the Scouts will only attempt this first mission. As recruits, you will first train and learn the various techniques and formations before you venture out on this mission. You will be kept on standby."

The color from both Armin and Mikasa's faces drained in the slightest, blood running cold beneath soft and youthful flesh. 'Not allowed on the first outing?' Armin's mind raced. 'Damn it. We're going to have to think of another way!'

"In the last four years," Erwin continued. "The Scouts lost approximately ninety percent of their recruits." The Commander put bluntly, causing another anxious rustle to spread amongst the cadets, making Armin wonder why he was disclosing such a fact when the regiment was eager for new members. "Those are horrifying figures. However, with the addition of The Rogue Titan as a member we expect those numbers to decrease dramatically with our success rate rising substantially. So I ask of you, are you willing to fight for humanity? Are you willing to risk your life for hope?"

It was then silent, the sound of one another's breath almost torture in the tense atmosphere. The two teens remained emotionless and still as they gazed at the others from the corners of their eyes. Bodies were stiff, crippled by the impending decision at hand. Then, one by one, cadets turned and walked in the other direction – deciding that the uncertainty-surrounding Rogue was far too much of a gamble. The world seemed to turn grey at the moment, shrouding all in dread as more cadets brushed by. Armin's heart sank to his stomach in great disappointment. Even with all that was said, was a chance at hope not worth it?

Armin then searched for the familiar faces of his fellow classmates. To his surprise, Connie, Sasha, Krista, and even Jean remained standing in their places. Although they remained stagnant, it was painfully obvious that the other teens were inwardly struggling with the choice. Sweat was beaded upon their pale skin; hands trembled at their sides, and eyes nervously adverting back to the more comforting distance. They were utterly torn. He gulped; he wanted them to stay. Armin would need their support in the near future. Not in battle, but in believing him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, no other soul walked from the assembly. A small group of no less than ten recruits, including their known classmates, stood before the Commander. Slowly, one by one, they pledged their hearts and souls to the man in a signature salute – barely able to hide their shaking bodies. Erwin nodded in satisfaction and returned the gesture in a proud by serious stance. For a moment, Armin briefly caught a small smile appear on the man's face.

"Welcome to the Scouts. We are honored to have all of you. Tomorrow morning you are to report to Scout Regiment headquarters within the southern part of Wall Rose, arriving no later than five pm to be assigned your uniforms, rooms, and temporary squads. Thank you and good evening." Erwin concluded before he casually left the stage, eyes scanning every new recruit as if to memorize every facial feature before disappearing completely with the other Scouts.

With the departure of their new subordinates, the group of teens began to make their way out of the lot to retreat to the comfort of their personal quarters. No one spoke to one another, trapped in their own mind in light of their decree. Both Armin and Mikasa trailed the pack, keeping far to the rear as the others walked ahead. A light tap on his shoulder demanded him to turn to its source. Mikasa's face was barely solid, making it obvious that she was straining to hold back her feelings as she motioned for Armin to follow her into a lonely alley between the barracks and a tall brick barrier. The dark haired teen double-checked to make sure they were truly alone before turning to Armin, her eyes looking worried yet almost dead.

"Armin, we need to tell them!" She whispered hastily. "What if Rogue feels that he needs to defend himself? What if they kill him! Unable to go on the first mission, we can't do anything! They need to know!"

"Mikasa." Armin stuttered, trying to will his brain to function and form words. "We can't do that." He sadly informed, taking note of Mikasa's expression of perplexity. "What I mean is if we just went up to Commander Erwin and Corporal Levi and told them about our relationship with Rogue there is no way that they would believe us. We have absolutely no proof!"

"But Armin," Mikasa began softly. "If they attack Rogue, he could get defensive. I mean – he killed those men that took us Armin. Plus the fact that he's certainly more hostile against his own. His temper is certainly shorter as well."

The blonde teen bit his lip. " I – don't think he will Mikasa. He wouldn't get himself killed if he wanted to find us. He's smart enough not to do so. Besides, he's only ever got defensive if it was us that were involved. In addition to that, and this is just a theory, when Rogue got into Shiganshina – there had to be some Garrison soldiers that went on the offensive. In other words, he most likely got fired upon. There were no reports of him actually attacking the Garrison at all. They say he just walked by them and there were even some that said he flipped the bird."

Mikasa exhaled heavily, interlacing her thumbs in thought. The teen then sank to the earth, relaxing against the wall with Armin quickly joining her. "I hope you're right, Armin. Rogue doesn't deserve to be hurt." She stalled, eyes suddenly growing dark and flickering with rage. "If they do, I will share with them my specialty of slicing up flesh."

Armin swallowed fretfully at his friend's vengeful words. "That won't be necessary, I assure you." He smiled, still hoping that he was speaking the truth. "As far as disclosing the truth about Rogue, the first chance we get to go on a capture mission – we make our move. In order to pull this off and get the Scouts to believe us, we have to show them Rogue in person if you know what I mean, Mikasa."

The raven-haired teen let out another tired and frustrated sigh. "I hope." She muttered as she hid her lips behind her scarf. "Dr. Jaeger did say that Rogue was the key." Mikasa informed.

Armin blinked, recalling the day after the first breach when he and Mikasa were speaking of what had transpired. His dear friend had told him of Dr. Jaeger's strange last words to her just before he was eaten. The two had gone over the statement multiple times discussing possible meanings. They had several theories, but they had no solid ideas. Armin almost cursed the late doctor for not elaborating, but he knew that the time was an exception. The boy sighed. "The key to everything."

(POV SWAP)

Water threaded through his toes like tangled ribbons, feeling like sheets of fine silk against his rough flesh. The river's cooling bounty seemed to loosen every thread in his muscles. It was a quiet day, peaceful with warm light and a gentle breeze. Green hues gazed over the translucent surface of the flowing water, scrutinizing every scale and smooth movement of the swimming creatures. Fish as he remembered, while watching schools of them wrap and navigate around his feet – animals that usually brought a sense of peace and relaxation to him. But to his great misfortune, such a feeling was absent. Although the day was the perfect combination of serene and finery; Rogue was consumed with dread.

The titan loosened slightly, leaning his head back against a tree and letting his great arms sink in his lap. He shifted his feet, watching the water ripple and fish scatter before growing still. Rogue exhaled in minor irritation, upset that he couldn't seem to settle. Since his attempt to find his little ones and rampage within the human city, he felt utterly bitter and foolish. He had been ignorant. Did he really believe that he could just take his little ones from their home before the mass of uniformed men? Did he really think that they would let him? He could not have no matter what route he took. The only thing that he was able to do was clear the way and make it safe for them to continue on living within the walls. He could do nothing more. Only fight. Rogue was impatient. He would have to wait for his little ones. He could not go get them no matter how much he wanted too.

He hated it. He really fucking did.

Rogue lowered his chin, ears pinning against his skull as he continued to roam his frustration. He felt just as lonely as ever. Nothing wanted to be around him, not even other titans – sensing every ounce of bottled rage radiating from his warm flesh. His deer as well moved in retreat from him if he took a step in advance. Rogue was without company and compassion. The affable titan was miserable. He had spent the entire week since returning upon his territory sulking as he tried to recover from the great strain from his actions. For the first three days, he simply lay in his nest – disheveled and depressed until he felt so disturbed and angry that he had to vent his fury upon his kin. For two days he brawled with any titan that he could get his hands on – ignoring his recovering body as he painted his territory red. Finally, he was where he was now, trying to calm his vengeful thoughts – which he couldn't say the technique was working.

Of course, he wasn't just remaining reserved for the sake of his feelings but also because he was leery. Upon his immediate departure over the wall, the uniformed men had frightened him, believing that they did not trust him after all he had done. Yet, some of the men's tones were ones of almost sympathy – even the short flying human sounded that way. Still, he wasn't for sure of their intentions, so he would avoid any trips to the wall for a while until tensions calmed. He wasn't going to take that risk. He could not do something to get himself killed. He had made a promise.

Rogue turned his gaze to the water's crystalline surface, watching the reflecting light and liquid lap against the water worn rocks. Weeks ago, he would call this another one of his favorite places to relax, but now it was just unsettling, The titan's mind was in a constant blender mixing hindrance and desolation. Lately, it seemed that anything he tried, Rogue could not clear his head of his feelings. The beast sighed, unworldly hues catching sight of a small pebble shaped lizard that had come into his wake. The fifteen-meter titan tilted his head, driven by the desire for company; Rogue shifted his hand to pick up the minuscule organism to place in his palm. Any attention from anything was good enough. To his improbable misfortune, the small reptile caught sight of his immense form and urgently motioned away from Rogue, moving as comically fast as it could. The titan snorted with resentment. Not even this pitiful creature wanted to be in his presence.

Restless and unable to make any sort of acquaintance, Rogue gradually got to his feet upon the stone riverbank. Disappointed with it all, the towering beast retreated back into the forest – searching to clear his head. Just as it always was during the summer, the forest was green and lively, bustling with activity from rejuvenated life. However, the cheerful melodies of birds and other pleasing sounds, silenced as Rogue passed through the wood. He hung his head. Perhaps his forest could sense his feelings, too.

For several minutes, leading up to over an hour, Rogue strolled among the quiet vegetation. Deeper into his domain he ventured, not having a set destination in mind. God how he wished that he could just blink and he would have his life back. Every bit of his old life with both his little ones and his humans. Alas, that was never to be. Yes, all he could do was prepare for his little ones if they returned.

If they ever returned.

Suddenly, an ever-familiar scent swept before his nose. Rouge paused in his stride, eyes widening ever so slightly as his ear flicked characteristically. The titan sniffed to confirm, discovering he had been correct, his answer sending him into a state of confliction. It was not mistakenly the flying humans on another one of their hunts. Rogue's brow furrowed a bit as he started forward again, his mind weighing his options. He was in a bad mood, depressed from it all. The beast's instincts were warning him to be leery just as they usually did when he was in the presence of the uniformed men. However, his contact with them previously was telling Rogue otherwise. It was the blade and flower backs that had made their unsettling approaches that day; the flying humans merely supervised and took down his surrounding kin. They didn't seem hostile by any means during that time. In fact they were helpful. A small smile tugged at the corners of Rogue's mouth. Perhaps he should go in search of them. After all, it seemed that they had taken an interest in him. Maybe they would temporarily aid his sense of loneliness.

The titan then shifted his course, rumbling a bit as he thought about listening to actual words again. The thought excited him. If he couldn't be with his little ones, these uniformed men were the next best things. Surely they were not displeased with his previous help in their human city. The scent of the uniformed men grew stronger with each step. Rogue then pondered further. What if he was wrong? Could these humans be mad at him too? The idea made his frame shutter. How could anyone hate him for his help? The titan swallowed fretfully; perhaps it would just be best if he went back to his cove and attempt to coax his deer. Still, even as Rogue considered his plan, his legs felt as if they had minds of their own, propelling him forward at a casual pace. It was as if he was in a trance like state all over again.

Then, two recognizable scents from the flying humans hit him full blast. Naturally, Rogue covered his nape and came forth from the brush. The titan's eyes captured the images of two flying human forms. One was the redhead that he had grown fond of at a distance, her personality nearly as sweet as his Carla's. The other was the female with untidy hair and glasses that seemed to be the most intrigued by him at any time they exchanged looks. Rogue watched as the two turned to lay eyes upon him. As usual, Messy Hair produced a small animal like noise as her face lit up in enthusiasm.

"Ah! Look! There is our lovely Rogue Titan! He's just as ripped and handsome as usual! He doesn't even look tired from all the work he did!" She exclaimed as she dug in a pouch in search of something. "Who's a pretty boy?" She cooed. "You are! Yes you are!"

The titan huffed a small cloud of steam at her words. He could understand them well due to his humans speaking to him in a similar way long ago. Rogue would have welcomed the tone and words if they had been from those closest to him. He wasn't truly fond of similar phrases, making him feel a little silly and uncomfortable, but he tolerated the exaggerated librettos. Today however, he wasn't much for them. They just made him feel worse. Hearing the words coming from someone that he didn't know as well only made him feel even more ignorant. If he weren't before them, he would have rolled his eyes.

As the uniformed female continued to fish through her pouch, Rogue's gaze adverted to the redhead. The titan's brows furrowed slightly in confusion. Unlike Messy Hair, she didn't look nearly as enthused at his arrival. Her face was difficult to read, almost emotionless. The titan blinked. Was she worried? If so, why was she? The flying humans as well as she had been around him enough to know that he wasn't going to harm them.

Finally, the excited female then pulled what he recognized as some sort of metal cylinder – a small tool that looked like a cannon that could be held in a small pair of hands. Messy Hair then pointed the device to the sky, and pulled the trigger – sending a violet jet of smoke high into the clouds. Rogue found himself tilting his head slightly in even more bewilderment. From lurking among these humans he had come to learn that they used these tiny smoke cannons as another way to wordlessly communicate. The titan himself couldn't put a name to most colors that he could see with his naked eye, but he knew the usual colors of the smoke well enough. There was the green hue, color of the leaves and grass, blue as in the color of the sky, yellow like the sun, red like blood, and black like the night. Each of these had a meaning to the flying humans. He wasn't sure what the yellow, green, or blue meant, but he did know that red symbolized that they had seen his kind and black was that they had spotted a strange one. If he had to guess meanings of the others he would say help, retreat, or go on.

However, this new color he had never witnessed from the uniformed men. His little ones had said that it was known as 'violet' or 'purple' – a combination of red and blue. Again, Rogue blinked. What did this color mean to the humans?

"Alright! Let's hope the big fellow follows us!" The messy haired female declared as she abruptly flew from her perch, trailed by the redhead.

The titan dithered. Was that what the violet smoke meant? Was it a signal for the flying humans to come together? More so, going by the female's spoken words that included the hopeful invite, did they want him to join them? Rogue shifted his weight on the balls of his feet, weighing his choices. Was it possible that they wished to thank him for his aid? They seemed a bit eager for him to come to their pack's gathering. He hesitated further, or was he wrong? The titan took a single step forward. No. They had to be grateful to him. There was no reason for them to resent him. Rogue took a second step, then a third and fourth. Worries aside, it would feel good to hear human voices again. He really wanted some company that could respond to him. Rogue was desperate for it. Hungry for attention.

So he jogged forward.

Rogue sniffed and searched for the two flying humans, listening for their invisible wings. Rounding another cluster of trees, the titan spotted the two sailing just beyond, heading into the deep forest again. As he moved, Rogue watched the two gain speed, heading down a natural path guided and shaped by the towering trees. Sunlight barely graced the earth through the canopy, light only appearing in patches. The titan then slowed his jog as the two humans came to a stop many meters ahead, landing on branches that served as a temporary perch for the man with whiskers, the eyebrow man, and the short man. For several moments they exchanged complex words that Rogue could find no meaning too, before turning their attention back to the waiting titan. To the beast's surprise, the group of humans settled into the branches very much like they had done many times before when resting or gathering up in the trees surrounding him to observe his actions. Rogue's ears flickered, facing forward in attentiveness. The uniformed men had not done this in his likeness before. Was it possible that they really were waiting on him?

If so, he didn't want to disappoint. From his previous actions, he wanted to be on his best behavior. Sitting near them as they liked might do both of them some good.

Deciding to put away his frustrations, Rogue slowly took a step forward, walking leisurely with his nape still under his palm for safe measure. The titan's line of sight traveled around the high foliage, finding the other members of the flying human pack resting among the thick coverage as well. Like the redhead, their faces were nearly emotionless, watching him as they leaned on the odd objects that looked like a wooden honeycomb – eyes following his immense form closely. Rogue rumbled a low and neutral greeting, ensuring them that he had followed their request. As he slowly made his way among the strewn leaves and brush, an unsettling sensation fell over the titan.

Something was off. Something wasn't right.

Unaware that he was still walking forward, Rogue gave into nous of nervousness. Though the level of apprehension wasn't near what he felt when the walls were breached, it was well enough for the titan to take into account. The beast's tight and leathery flesh prickled and his hair stood on end. A knot of trepidation grew in his stomach as he slowly continued. Rogue's emerald orbs wandered among the trees as his tapered ears wilted further with each passing second. The titan's heart thundered in his ribcage as fear began to further settle in. Still, Rogue walked forward, not noticing how the tip of one of his toes had brushed away a bit of verdure – revealing a set of giant steel jaws that lay in wait like every breathing soul around him.

Finally, Rogue's anxiety forced him to halt mid-step, foot hovering just over another steel trap that the titan had failed to notice. Rogue looked around at the other humans, beholding the few leaders holding a cable that fed to one of their large wooden honeycombs. Rogue's irises and pupils grew as he looked at the group of humans and their strange tools in alarm. Then, instinct, one pertaining to fight or flight, rocketed through his bloodstream. A voice deep in his mind screamed out a single order:

'RUN!'

Like lightning crossing the heavens, Rogue sharply pivoted on his heel – turning in the direction that he come and bolted. The titan charged at full speed, hand over his weak spot and mind in a whirl of panic.

"Shit! He found out!"

"Fuck!"

"Quick! Realign the barrel shots!" The blonde leader ordered. "Ensnare him before he leaves the perimeter!"

Rogue continued forward, cursing himself for his ignorance yet again. He should have known! Before he could think further, a searing and crippling pain shot through his right leg, causing him to wail in agony – the cry ear splitting as he fell to the earth. The titan quickly turned to see that his foot had been torn off, bone, blood, and sinew in a set of steel teeth – something he could only associate as one of the flying human's tools.

"Yes! The traps worked!

"Hurry! Get him before his foot heals!"

Feral eyes darted back to his now hunters, realizing that he was something that he had never been before, prey. Instinctively, Rogue snarled a warning through his maw, ears pressed flat against either side of his head as the titan struggled to get back to his feet – toppling over on his steaming stump. These humans. They had betrayed him! Why! Why were they doing such a thing? He had done nothing wrong! Had he really made them angry? Rage boiled in his blood. Fire seemed to burn within him, and not the good kind. For the first time in his life, Rogue felt like smiting the human titan hunters. Just when he was almost truly trusting of them, they had disowned him! Still, he could not attack them. He had sworn against such an act. Made a promise. Not only could he not break his vow, but also he couldn't endanger himself. He had to get away! He had to!

Just as the barrel shots were adjusted, Rogue threw himself into another full speed retreat, moving on both of his hands and one leg – ignoring his repairing foot. Although the stance left his nape wide open, the unfamiliar position allowed him to pull away with surprising speed.

"Holy shit! He's fast! Even missing part of his foot, he's fast!"

"Fire! Fire the barrel shots!"

Another loud and reverberating blast assaulted Rogue's ears, making him wince slightly in his desperate evacuation. Again, pain soared all across his muscles as a series of barbed spikes from the shot implanted into his flesh. The titan roared in discomfort once again, but still he charged forward – puling the cables attached to the barbs and yanking the weapons from the trees with little force as the behemoth raced along. Splintered wood rained in all directions as the barrels met bark with great force, rendering them useless.

"The barrel shots are too light!"

"Get in front of him! Slow him down and bind him with cables!" The leader ordered profoundly.

The words were merely white noise upon his ears at the moment as he focused on placing one limb before the other. Dirt and debris flew from Rogue's might, disturbed as the titan's large hands pounded the bark of trees and the earth. He vastly ignored the pain in his shoulders, thighs, and rear as he moved unnaturally across the forest floor. Rogue rebounded against another towering tree, propelling himself high into the air by several meters before touching down again. The nerve endings in the creature's newly formed toes completed themselves with a tingling sting, signaling Rogue to finally plant his rejuvenated foot to the ground. With a powerful thrust forward, the titan repositioned himself upright, racing faster than before in a destination that he hadn't decided on yet.

Pain equivalent to that of sharp pinprick met the titan's waist. Alarmed, Rogue glanced down, vision cutting through his messy flowing locks too see that one of the flying humans had sent his cable deep past the beast's skin to anchor itself to his massive form. Rogue released another powerful wail that sounded dangerously close to a scream. For a moment, the startled titan considered grasping the man's delicate body and throwing him off, but he then realized that was a death sentence. If one bee was bothered, then the whole hive was bothered. Quickly, Rogue twisted sharply to change direction, turning so harsh that the attached soldier was violently torn from his grip on the creature's hide. The flying human's cables were dislodged; completely useless and slack as the human landed harshly in a mass of brambles and bushes. Apart from bruises and thorns, the traitor was alive but Rogue could do no celebration. He had to keep moving. Another pair of humans dove before him, ready to pin the titan's arms to his broad chest. However, the beast had seem them coming and stopped dead in his sprint before changing direction yet again, causing the two unlucky soldiers to collide and tumble to the mossy floor of the wood.

Rogue glanced over his pumping shoulder, monitoring the flying humans' pursuit, seeing that they were not far behind and still cursing constantly in aggravation. Recalling his first time evading the pack, the despairing titan inhaled a large amount of the fresh forest air before exhaling an enormous amount of thick and foul smelling steam – breath tainted by his previous prey. Rogue mirrored his action, producing another thick bulk of fog as he darted in and out of trees, careful not to unintentionally run over anything that would give himself away.

"Don't lose him! He's done this trick before! Keep your eyes and ears peeled!"

The titan pushed himself further, heart thundering against his sturdy bones as he threw his lightened body left and right. Once more, Rogue peered over his shoulder, seeing that the flying humans were far behind and trapped in the makeshift cover up. Satisfied but still longing for a certain escape, Rogue darted into a labyrinth of massive rocks and high cliffs. The rough terrain was covered in various types of moss and interlaced with a network of vines. The titan knew the patch of rock well, sometimes he would lure his kin here before finishing them off or ambush his unsuspecting enemy. Before that, he and his little ones used to scour the area for geos, an amazing stone with other shining stones within it that Armin had shown him. Now, it was shelter and a place to think.

Rogue hastily positioned himself out of sight beneath an overhanging ledge and behind a massive bolder that was near the size that he had lifted a week before. The titan ripped the loose cables from his flesh before he pressed his back against the rough texture, green pools wide in shock and hair messily draping across his face as Rogue's breath heaved in his chest. Nervously, he glanced around him before adverting his gaze to his dirty feet – hues unblinking with his mind corroded with terror. Why? Why where these uniformed men attacking him suddenly? What did they want to do? Rogue shuttered, frame visibly shaking as theories played out in his bustling head. Where these humans trying to kill him now like every other titan that they hunted? Was he as much of a monster as they were now since he had made himself known? Wait. That couldn't be, Rogue realized. By observing the flying human pack's hunts, they killed his kind instantly with no delay. The Short One would have killed him faster than he could blink. If they had wanted to end his life, they would have done so already with no further thought. Rogue's heart continued to beat, eyes and ears constantly checking for his pursuers. Was it possible that the flying humans wanted to capture him? He was no stranger to seeing humans in the past capture various furry creatures in strange human devices. These uniformed men seemed to be doing the same thing with their cables and strange wooden honeycomb cannons. No, they weren't trying to kill him; they were trying to obtain him.

Like an animal.

The titan hung his head sadly. Yes, he was nothing but a beast. However, he could not let the flying humans succeed. If he was in their clutches, he couldn't wait or look for his little ones. Their relationship would be completely severed, one that only hung by a singe thread anyway – an affiliation thick as a rope that had been trimmed and worn down into one that was in the balance of being saved or being cut. Rogue glanced beyond the ridge of rock, looking off into the direction of his cove. It was far too risky to head for his home; the flying human pack would merely follow him and expose his hideout. He would have to evade them and stop them without killing them. But what!

Rogue's ears flicked at the sound of the uniformed men's translucent wings, sensing that they were gaining ground on his position. He couldn't stay where he was. Soon, he would have to move. Then again, how was he to slip away unseen? The titan rummaged through his mind as fast as he was able, conjuring up a bizarre plan that just might work in his favor.

Or otherwise get him killed.

(POV SWAP)

"How the hell did we loose that bastard again!" Oluo declared as he landed with a huff next to Levi in the rocky gorge.

The corporal blinked in amazement as he and the other higher ups scanned the stony landscape. Like the others, he was shocked and surprised at the turnout of the ongoing mission. For days they had made their plan of capture and calculated everything, or so it seemed. Levi had never expected for The Rogue to sense and figure out what was in store for him. Their original execution was that they were to reel in the titan by its curiosity and capture it via the barbs and cables. But in light of The Rogue fleeing before reaching firing range and destroying barrel shots by the sheer mass of his own immense body, it was clear they had been reduced to the unpredictable option of improvising.

Along with both Hange and Erwin, Levi watched as Mike sniffed the air in search of any traces of their target. The quiet man then frowned and ran his fingers along his bristly chin in thought, nails picking at each individual hair.

"So?" Erwin asked. "Any sign of him?"

Mike shrugged. "He's as sly as a fox. He's certainly mastered the disappearing act, but this time I can still pick up on him. The Rogue stayed here for quite a bit – a few minute's tops. Then it looks like he left north in the direction of the plains."

"That's odd." Hange added. "Why would he go out in the open if he wanted to hide? It's clear he knows his territory and the area well, but why?"

Levi scoffed, amazed that the fact had never seemed to cross the scientist's mind. "He's smart and he's watched nearly all of our expeditions in this area. The Rogue's probably aware that we can't effectively use our maneuver gear on flat and treeless terrain, Shitty Glasses."

The Commander nodded. "That could very well be true. He's intelligent, so it's possible." Erwin articulated. "We push forward to the fields. If we see the titan, hang back so we can figure a plan of execution. Let's move!"

The Corporal and the rest of the Scouts quickly trailed Erwin as he rocketed off the stone terrain. For several minutes, the group of baffled humans followed the direction of Mike's nose, sailing quietly as possible high in the canopy. As they moved, Levi's watchful eyes caught sight of the slight indications that The Rogue Titan had indeed gone in the very direction proposed. Several broken twigs, though small and insignificant, were ever telling. Not only that, but the careful titan had mistakenly stepped in a patch of mud, leaving behind his distinct footprint that was incredibly unique – indents and evidence of the titan's claw like nails clearly present. Levi's eyes flickered, The Rogue was definitely meticulous, a trait that had clearly shown when the beast had eluded the Scouts for years when raiding their depots. Now however, it seemed that the creature was ignoring the details. Of course, even with humans, one tended to overlook things when they were unnerved.

Soon, the team of Scouts came to rest within a tangle of thick branches overlooking a vast plain –familiar to those who had first seen The Rogue since it was the very spot of their faithful meeting. A signature scowl came to Levi's face as he glared at the field's only inhabitants, a group of eight titans that roamed without a thought. Disgusted, he turned to Erwin who was questioning Mike.

"Odd. The Rogue should be somewhere around here." Mike spoke in a low tone, sounding nearly disappointed in himself. "His scent leads here and it's incredibly strong." He paused. "I don't understand how this guy vanishes so easily."

"It's amazing isn't it!" Hange squealed softly. "Usually captures are so uneventful! Our handsome man is making us work for once! So exciting!"

Levi rolled his eyes. "This is just fucking aggravating. Not exciting what so ever." He retorted as he glared out into the field, watching to see if any of the other titans had noticed their presence. Sure enough, some had already smelt them and were ever so slowly lumbering in their direction. All except for one. At the far right of the field was an odd looking titan. It walked slouched, partially dragging one of its legs and limping every few steps. The monster's shoulders were tilted at an anomalous angle, one arm dangling loosely at its side and the other cresting over the back of its neck. The titan had a head full of hair that was wiry and hanging over its face, covering its ears and features. Levi's icy blue irises grew at the sight. Was the titan really… "Hange." The short man began urgently, capturing the excited titan enthusiast's attention.

Hange looked to the Corporal in question, not used to the man's imperative tone. "Yes, Levi?"

"That abnormal there," He began as he pointed to the beast, the others following his observation. "It looks out of place doesn't it? Something is off with it, and not in the usual way that abnormals are."

The unkempt and curious brunette stared long and hard at the lumbering titan, her wide orbs growing wider. "You're right. That limp, it couldn't be possible with that titan's proportions that are perfect in every sense. It looks like it's forcing itself to lean and walk that way instead of moving naturally."

"It appears like it's forcing its gut to pooch out as well – a difficult thing to do when you have no ounce of fat on your body and you're nothing but muscle." Levi scoffed. "It's even making sure its nape is concealed in the most undetectable way possible."

Hange nearly squealed once more, fists trembling in utter enthusiasm. "What a cleaver creature he is! The Rogue has disguised himself to look like a regular titan in order to escape!"

"What an interesting defense." Erwin agreed as he began to watch the beast with both Hange and Levi. "Very clever indeed."

The Rogue titan then paused at the tree line, with the Scouts watching in awe, the mammoth creature looked two and fro from beneath its draping locks. The titan's pointed ears then pushed themselves from the wild strands to survey the plain with a few flicks, the Survey Corps remaining silent. The creature then abandoned its crippled stance to retake its usual upright position. Much like a human, The Rogue then smoothed its unruly hair from its face to reveal its piercing emeralds and grotesque features. After one last look, the giant being then charged into the forest again, leaving the Scouts spellbound.

"Are you kidding me?" Oluo began, breaking the silence. "It plays pretend too!"

"Amazing. I've never seen a titan mimic another one before." Petra muttered.

"That big brat is a lot smarter than I originally thought." Levi spoke beneath his breath.

"Hange." Erwin started as he looked to both Levi and the Squad leader. "Do you still think that The Rogue Titan has the mental capacity of a child?"

The scientist hesitated, instinctively running a palm over her brow. "I'm not so sure anymore."

The Commander was silent, looking off at where The Rogue had gone. The tall blonde's large brows then furrowed in determination. "Alright here's what we do. This may be our last chance for the day so we need to be precise. I'll lead the platoon after The Rogue, hitting him from three angles. From what I'm able to discern, he's headed for the fork in the deep forest – another likely place where he can hide or lose us. This is where you and your squad will come in Levi. Your job is to cut the creature off and immobilize him with no violent contact. Use your strongest binding cables and anchors and disguise your scent so The Rogue doesn't notice you early on. If he attacks you, then you know what must be done, Levi. Remember what we talked about?"

He nodded, thinking back to the late night conversation that he and the Commander had the night before. Though it was vague, it was clear to Levi's understanding on what his real task was. "Yes, Sir." The Corporal saluted. Erwin dipped his head.

"Good and good luck to you and your squad." He dismissed, steering the Scouts into pursuit.

Levi then prepped his team, the most elite of the elite, silently hoping that they were going to have a lucky break. But with this titan, he wasn't so sure.

(POV SWAP)

Rogue hummed smugly to himself, pleased at his clever maneuver. He felt fortunate that his bizarre plan had worked. Amazed even. The titan smirked; his pursuers had been foolish enough to overlook him as he remained in plain sight. Needless to say, Rogue felt proud of himself as he jogged lightly through his forest. To ensure his total escape and to throw the flying human pack off more, he was heading to a place where the river forked, an area deep enough so he could submerge himself in the murky depths to hide completely by sight and scent.

Still however, the whole ordeal was a great encumbrance upon him. It made him feel ill at the thought of these uniformed men's sudden decision. Why did they want to capture him? It didn't make any sense to the titan at all. What could these humans possibly want from him? What did they hope to gain from his capture? Bragging rights? Like he was a trophy? Rogue clenched his teeth as he continued further. Whatever the reason, he knew that he hated them. Not as much as the titans, but enough all the same.

Suddenly, a barrage of violent hissing and buzzing met his tapered ears, tough cartilage straining to the source. Alarmed, Rogue turned to see his hunters too much of his dismay. The titan growled, wordlessly cursing himself as he yet again lunged forward into a sprint. An hour and a half had already passed since the flying humans had begun to hunt their prey, and already the charade was getting old.

"Quickly! Pin his arms to his chest! Hurry!"

Rogue charged ahead at full speed, hoping to outrun his seekers. Unfortunately, the harrowing sounds of their invisible wing beats whizzed by his ears. Quickly, the titan threw his hand over his nape in protection, keeping his sights onto the uniformed men. From the corner of his eye, Rogue caught movement, the fast motion of cable and grappling hook shooting just below his shoulder. On reflex alone, the titan quickly grabbed the cable before the hook could imbed in any surface. Both Rogue and the soldier attached to the cable gave a short look in surprise before the creature instinctively took action. Like a toy, the titan swung his frightened catch, the man looping in an arch as Rogue released the cable from his grip. His unsuspecting victim then landed roughly in the tree tops, cables tangled in the branches and pulled beyond use. Seeing the aftermath of his action, Rogue had an epiphany. He could ensnare the flying humans up in the trees by their cables, hanging them like ornaments! The idea was perfect, more so safe. He could effectively loose his pursuers without killing them, the only physical damage being minor cuts and bruises. Not only that, but they were away from the reach of other members of his kin. Rogue smirked, the technique felt almost natural to him. Hours of tossing a ball with his little ones and polishing his combat skills had improved his hand to eye coordination ten fold.

Within seconds, another cable sailed inches past his ear. Grunting angrily, Rogue snatched the soldier's cable and repeated his previous action, hanging the helpless soul upside down like a bat on a branch – the man's curses music to his ears. One by one, the cunning titan snagged Scouts in the canopy, leaving them behind in a shroud of their own confusion.

"Shit! He's grabbing our cables!"

"His reflexes, he's not even missing our shots!"

"Damn it!"

Rogue's smirk grew bigger, but then disappeared as a series of soldiers came from his side. But he was quick. As their cables came before him, Rogue dispatched of them effortlessly. The titan glanced over his shoulder at the path that he left behind, seeing that the vast majority of the flying humans were caught in their own steel webs and tangled in the trees – like a spider's prey. All that was left was the woman with messy hair, the man with whiskers, the eyebrow leader and a few other high ranking or loyal humans. Rogue's eyes narrowed. Where was Short One and the four other humans like the redhead and the annoying man? Had they volunteered to be left behind?

"Alright!" The leader announced, voice booming against the forest foliage. "Fall back!" The man ordered as he stopped in his quest to rest in a tree, the others around him joining him within the limbs and leaves. Rogue naturally raised a brow in question. Why were they hanging back? Was it possible that they were going to try and retrieve their stranded pack members? Not wanting to stick around, Rogue focused his attention forward.

Just in time too.

A large metal net was rapidly heading for his face, each of its four corners held by the missing flying humans that flew faster than the others. Stunned, Rogue quickly reached upward sooner than he could blink, giving in to his own protective instinct and a bit of fear. In the next second, his fingers were roughly forced into a fist, nails cutting into his skin as the cold steel wrapped tightly around his hand. The titan then opened his eyes to see the outcome of the advance, watching briefly as blood seeped from the small punctures in his flesh before looking for those that dared to ambush him. His heart skipped a beat as the titan and the five humans' eyes met one another. Rogue swallowed.

He was in serious trouble.

Yes, they were indeed who he thought they were, but he never imagined himself coming into direct contact with the small party of slayers. From previous and very far observation, Rogue knew very well that they were the most experienced of the pack- which meant that they were the most dangerous. Under the command of the Short Man, they were unstoppable. In the past, he had found them to be such a joy to watch. The redhead, the arrogant one, the blonde man with his hair restrained, and the brown-headed one were always in sync. They didn't even have to speak with one another to do so. Rogue glanced at his hand that was still bleeding and bound. The cables that kept the net attached would have to be cut away. The titan would need both of his hands to deal with his new opponents. Knowing that it was wise to still protect his nape, Rogue brought the cables to his teeth and began to chew through them.

"Damn. I can't believe he grabbed the net." The blonde one exclaimed as Rogue continued to nibble. "That and a titan is using its teeth for something besides eating. Your orders, Sir?"

"Simple, tangle the brat. Right now, he has one operable hand. Make use of it. Bring the brat to his knees so we can subdue him." The Short Man spoke sternly, voice laced in pure irritation. "Gunter and Eld, you know where to aim." He concluded with the two men nodding in understanding.

Rogue flinched, digging his teeth into the wire quicker than before, desperate to rid the net from his vital appendage. To the creature's misfortune, he wasn't quick enough. The gifted group of flying humans descended from their perch, moving just as fast as before with Rogue barely able to keep track of their advancing forms. The blonde and the brunette swooped low, like hawks after snakes – bodies perfectly poised and controlled. For a split second, Rogue was confused. Why were these uniformed men going so low? Then the obvious came to play. It was natural for a titan to aim straight in its line of sight whether killing off or pacifying an enemy. In a human's case as far as he was concerned, it was either to aim high for the kill or low to impair. Rogue prepared himself, placing his trapped hand over his nape protectively as he closely watched and waited for an opening. The two men then leveled out, flying only a mere few feet above the ground. The titan then watched as their positions shifted by a few degrees, the two soldiers beginning a wide rotation around his ankles. Although he had two other flying humans whizzing by his face, he knew better – a common distraction. Instead, he continued his focus. The cables then brushed against his flesh, signaling Rogue to act. With quick action, the beast lightened and jumped – sailing in the air a few meters from the earth and catching the team by surprise. The sudden move threw the blonde and brunette off course, their cables snagging the backs of the titan's heels. Before the two could fly further, Rogue's free hand reached around his backside and grasped the men's overlapping cables and pulled the two from their task. Rogue then hit the earth, ground trembling as the sheer force of his feet produced craters. Not bothering to take the time to listen to the two's sounds of distress, Rogue swung the two like dolls, yanking their hawsers beyond use and causing the men to roll and overturn against the forest's mossy and grassy floor – leaving them battered but amazingly alive with minimal injury. Feral greens then shot to the other three flying humans, waiting for them to make their next move.

"Fuck! He knew we were aiming low!" The arrogant human announced. "Fine! Let's see how well you can guess my movements!" The man challenged, circling around the clearing to execute his first attempt. Quickly, Rogue returned his trapped hand to his jaws to cut the cables again, some that were stronger than what he was familiar with. The titan pulled at his steel binds, managing to yank a single wire off before the arrogant man came inches from his frame. Again, Rogue protected his vital spot, eyes searching for the arrogant man. Suddenly, the human shot from behind his head, heading for another tree before him in order to engage in a punishing maneuver. However, the flying human had made a grave mistake, leaving his other cable still imbedded in the tree behind the beast. With the golden opportunity at hand, Rogue then grasped the cable and freed it roughly from the bark. The titan, without hesitation, swung the steel line with the man gasping in fright as he cast the human skyward, like a worm on a fishing line. Like many of the others before him, the egotistical male was entangled in his own lifeline and leaves – a barrage of insults leaving his lips, only falling death onto Rogue's ears.

"He's using the cables of our gear to his advantage!" The redhead exclaimed.

Rogue hastily returned to his trapped hand, able to chew away two of the wires – close to the point of freeing himself. Again, before he could rid the netting from his body, the female of the group had successfully swooped around his left shoulder and waist – aiming to restrain further arm movement. To the titan's incredible luck, Rogue quickly trapped the cable between his teeth, pulling the redhead in an almost violent manner and snapping the cable in two. The frightened woman screamed for mercy as the earth came closer to her petite frame. Surprisingly still possessing a bit of sympathy for the redhead, Rogue quickly took hold of her broken cable. Next, he simply sat her down, although not in the gentlest of manners by any means, but out of the way at least. Rogue did not pause to consider his slightly pitiful gesture, but instead he met eye to eye with the Short Leader.

Now was where he would have to imply any once of skill he had.

Rogue growled low in his throat, shoulders hunched and emerald hues wild with anger and determination as they met the man's cold steel irises. The atmosphere grew heavy and tense at the standoff rapidly heading toward them.

"Levi! Watch your cables! He'll grab them any chance he gets!" The arrogant man warmed from the canopy.

'LEVI.' The titan thought. So this was the short man's name. The title of the man that he had always feared the most. The very man that had astounded him with his skill at a distance. Rogue's eyes narrowed further in insolence. This was the human that he had to beat. He had to win.

Before Rogue could think a single thought further, the short soldier dived, speed so tremendous that the form of the man was nothing but a blur. Not even blinking, the man, this Levi, has vanished from his sight. Rogue screeched in fright, there was no way he would ever be able to snag his target's wires with only a single hand to work with. With the idea that the flying humans' goal was to capture him for their own purposes, Rogue lifted his wrapped fist from his nape and savagely began to tear at the remaining binds of the net, opposite hand outstretched in ready position. Turing in search of his hunter, the titan caught sight of Levi again – the miniscule human purely a smudge upon the forest canvas at the rate of speed the being traveled. Before he could snap the remaining cables on the net, Rogue looked up just in time to see the short leader spin around his shoulder and circling his waist – vanishing again in the blink of his shadowed eyes. Steel cables cut deep into his skin, producing a wail of aggravation and agony. Now furious and terrified, Rogue searched for his target once more. Wind rippled against his hot flesh as Levi circled his immense frame for the second time. With the slight flash of movement, the titan swiped only to catch nothing but thin air.

Angry, Rogue took a step in advance, lifting the tangled netting to his jaws again. Before he could free his hand, pain stung and slid across his arm and chest, pinning his only available way of defending himself to his chest. Rogue's eyes widened in terror at the sight of what was once his free arm now pressed flat against his breast. Boiling with rage, the titan roared, announcing his displeasure to every surrounding witness. He was not going to go down! Not here! Not now! Rogue then latched onto the encasing wires again, seconds away from a chance.

But seconds were too late.

Cable suddenly cut into the titan's ankle, making the titan stumble and struggle to stay upright. Before he roared another bout of frustration, cable rapidly ran up behind his other ankle, causing Rogue to fall backwards to the unforgivable earth – his teeth finally snapping the net. The beast landed harshly upon the mossy landscape, making tremors that shook every bone and root around him. Desperate and on the verge of crying in defeat, Rogue forced his head to turn to his opponent – seeing him gently sailing toward him in a manner that felt very much like a mocking one.

"Humph, and for a moment I thought you would be harder to take down."

The creature's eyes narrowed, brow furrowing and mouth contorting into a snarl. With the knowledge of how to understand the short man's words, the very comment sent him over the edge. With a monstrous bellow, Rogue quickly threw out his free arm – releasing the open net at full force. For the first time in the titan's knowledge the man, Levi, was too slow to react. The steel webbing wrapped around the small man's body and sent him tumbling and rolling like a sack of potatoes across the compact clearing.

For several moments, every soul was stunned as they looked on in sheer bewilderment, listening to the man's moans of distress. Rogue blinked, finding himself amazed at his difficult accomplishment. He couldn't believe it. He had beaten the strongest soldier in the flying human pack. Feeling his frustrations return as his eyes witnessed Levi squirm in search of an escape, Rogue released another threatening hiss – stilling all life around him. Wide and horrified orbs watched as the titan quickly sat up and lifted itself back to his feet. With a simple but effective bulge and flex of the titan's powerful muscles, the constricting cables snapped and fell to the beast's feet as Rogue intimidatingly prowled to his own capture.

"Levi!"

"Corporal!"

"Corporal Levi!"

The titan ignored their pleas as he covered his nape and knelt to the net, Rogue's face reflecting the look of augmentation and almost triumph. None that was able, dared to make a move as the creature lifted the net from the ground, examining it for a moment before holding the steel cradle to a branch that was as tall at the titan himself. Rogue continued to look at his defeated adversary, face twisting up into complete annoyance.

Levi groaned. "What the fuck do you think you're doing brat?"

Rogue disregarded the trapped individual as he focused on the remaining wires of the net. The titan then began to wrap said cables around the thick tree limb, ears flickering at the sound of the short leader's growls - ones that were nothing but pitiful to him.

"What are you doing you stupid fuck? Put me the hell down." The titan's victim snarled, eyes flickering dangerously.

Hearing the vile insult, Rogue halted his task to loudly hiss at Levi – the man cringing at the smell of his breath, one that had a scent of his kin's carrion. Satisfied, Rogue returned his attention his current job of ensuring that the man couldn't free himself. The titan hesitated slightly as he took the two pairs of cables between his fingers and thumbs, trying to recall how his little ones had made those things that they called 'knots' for the 'ladder' that they had built long ago. Rogue then began to interlace and weave the cables over and under one another, trying to make his attempt worth it.

"You are so damn lucky that I was unable to use –

The man only stalled as the titan was finally able to tie a correct knot, green eyes scrutinizing his work before returning this Levi that he had the displeasure of ever meeting.

What Rogue did next, produced a sharp gasp of shock from nearly every soldier.

To get his point across to the man known as Levi, the titan held up his middle finger on display for the small-statured leader's eyes to behold. To his pleasure, Levi's brows rose and eyes widened slightly, the first true expression besides a scowl that Rogue had seen from the man – figuring that it wasn't a common occurrence that anyone had given this gesture to the man let alone from a titan. For a few more gratifying seconds, Rogue held the bird before the face of his adversary before slowly moving his arm to show the surrounding victims of his cunning the same thing. Once he was sure that all had gotten his message to 'fuck off' Rogue placed his attention back to Levi, crossing his muscular arms and a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. With a smug snort of steam, the creature left his defiant stance and charged back into the forest, laughing as he did so.

(POV SWAP)

His head throbbed, already welting up a bit beneath his stabilizing palm. Levi swore beneath his breath, feeling completely mortified. In all of his years as a Corporal and soldier in the Scouts, a titan had never outmaneuvered him.

Ever.

Not only had he been caught completely off guard, but also he was seething with anger at this much different defeat. The putrid stench of the titan's breath still hung in his nostrils, his skull was pounding, he was trapped at least fourteen meters up from the forest floor, and the crude image of The Rogue's middle finger before his face was welded to his mind.

He felt so stupid, especially in the presence of his allies. Although they were in a very similar state, he still felt utterly humiliated.

"Well now! How's it hanging up there, Levi?"

Recognizing just who had dared to let the mocking phrase slip from their mouth, the Corporal looked down to see Hange, Mike, and Erwin arrive in the center of the clearing – the three somehow managing to remain operative to his embarrassment. "Shut the fuck up and get me down!" Levi ordered angrily, only making the scientist laugh harder.

"I'd say our friend is quite talented! He managed to neutralize the infamous Levi Squad! Remarkable! It also looks like the stories of him flipping the Garrison off are true as well! What a clever creature!" Hange teased, going on about The Rogue as usual.

"Hange. Quit running your damn mouth and get your ass up here to help me." Levi grumbled, sick of everything.

"While you're at it, get me down as well!" Oluo called down to the able team. "My blood is rushing to my damn head!"

After nearly thirty minutes of several soldiers struggling to cut him and Oluo free, Levi joined the two other Section Commanders and the Commander at the forest floor, doing headcounts and rounding up what was salvageable.

"So what do you propose we do now?" Levi spoke, almost sarcastically to Erwin who was adjusting the saddle on his horse. "Do we try again in the morning?"

For a moment the Commander glared at the Corporal, blue eyes firm and brows sinking, showing the man's own mixture of disappointment and irritation. Erwin then glanced in the direction that the titan had gone before heaving a heavy sigh. "No."

"Sir?"

"At this point, we are unable to proceed with the initial capture mission. Nearly all of our recruits have inoperable cables or broken maneuver gear thanks to The Rogue Titan's actions."

"So we're retreating to the nearest storehouse then?" Levi questioned, wondering just how many soldiers had ended up entangled in their own gear.

"No. We return to Katness district. Any cable we can get from the depots or any that we have on hand are too weak. Any of the shots or other anchors are too light. The Rogue may be a fifteen-meter, but he's far stronger than a standard one. Even if you were able to restrain him, the titan would have easily broke free. And of course, the titan also showed more of his intelligence with techniques we've never encountered before – including his message to you and the rest of the Scouts." Erwin paused, mounting his horse before returning to Levi. "We retreat behind the walls and return to headquarters. We need to rethink everything."

(POV SWAP)

The warmth of the tea in her hands warmed her palms deep past the skin, soothing the tired joints in her hands. Exhaustion sat in her entire frame. Hange's muscles ached deep into her tendons, same for the rest of the Scouts. The journey back from Maria was a tiresome and disappointing one. With The Rogue's damage to their gear, it had taken them a whole day to get to a safe house – their only means of travel horseback, which wasn't the safest without something to rely on. Of course, the other aspect of the journey was the awful feeling of leaving empty handed. Hange was in complete awe at the titan's skill and cunning. Never did she think The Rouge would pull such stunts. Capable? Yes. Perhaps the creature was smarter than she had previously predicted. But more so, how did it learn what it knew? The question had been a brainteaser since day one for Hange. It truly bothered her to not know. If only they could catch The Rogue Titan to solve all the mysteries. If only the creature knew that they weren't going to harm him.

Deep down, she hoped that they would never have to draw their blades.

Hange then lifted the cup to her lips, savoring the hot tea as she examined her surroundings and listened to the other higher ups strategize. They sat at a wooden table outside a popular eatery and pub, a busy one in the center of Katness district. The Scouts had frequented the place in the past for they had quite a few free benefits due to their status as soldiers – a longtime relationship. It wasn't the best place, but it nourished so it was good enough. Tired and aggravated with the failed initial attempt, most of the Scouts were sitting around indulging on whiskey and beer – something that Hange herself desperately wanted. However, she needed her mind to be clear to think so fresh hot tea was a good substitute – the other higher ups cossetting on the same thing with the similar side of garlic bread and steaming soup.

"We need to formulate a new strategy." Erwin spoke, exhaustion sprinkled within his tone. "Four days ago was just a sampling of what The Rogue was capable of. Who knows what else he can do."

"You're right." Levi sighed, picking up his cup of black tea in his strange way of doing so, grasping the lip and tilting the cup to his own set. "How soon do you think we can resume operations?"

The Commander dithered. "I'm afraid it could be at least two weeks before we make a second attempt. Even so, I'm not even sure our most durable cables can even hold him. Thus, I'm contacting Zackley for a bit more aid."

The Corporal took the glass from his thin lips, ever so slightly raising a brow in question. "What?"

"I say that because I believe it would be wise if we were given a higher grade steel and gage of cable so the titan can't break free or bite through it. Not only that, but we need heavier barrel shots and barb cannons, he just tossed ours like toys. The only downfall of that is more horses will be needed to pull the weapons wagons with the added mass. We may even have to make entirely new weapons and traps. With such a list of necessities, it will take more time just to produce those things and receive them. Which means Zackley will also have to extend our deadline by at least another month."

The shorter man then unceremoniously placed his tea back to his saucer. "Shit, this brat is not only a pain in the ass but expensive."

"Unfortunately. I also hope that it doesn't resort to brutal force. That's a last resort that I want to avoid at all costs."

Hange exhaled, growing more depressed at the Commander's statement. It would be a while before she could be able to experiment on the incredible titan –if she ever could. The scientist then let her gaze travel around the area of the eatery and street, looking at the variety of sights to see. It was a sunny and pleasant day, one that had lured most people from their homes to play or work, mostly work. Men lifted crates and merchants sold goods, a common sight on a sunny day in Katness. Hange's eyes then fell on the table neighboring theirs. Seated and eating their meal was a mother and her two children. One was a rowdy boy with brown hair and a chipped tooth that looked to be around six years old. The other child was a small blonde girl with her hair puled into two low pigtails that appeared to be the younger sibling – maybe four years old. Hange found herself scrutinizing closer, spotting something that made her mouth slightly become agate and had her doing a double take.

In one of the girl's arms was a doll. It wasn't extravagant by any means like she had seen some girls in Wall Sina carry, but rather one that was handmade from closely woven and tan burlap. The doll's hair was made from chocolate colored horsehair and its body was shaped a bit like a gingerbread man, arms and legs short stubs with a round head. The thing that had caught Hange's interest was not how plain the doll was with a lack of any sort of clothes, but what or rather whom the doll was made to look like. Its eyes were made up of two bright green buttons and its mouth was painted on – teeth exposed and split into two rows. The doll's ears were included as well, pointed elf like extremities jutting out from the horsehair. A smile came to Hange's face as she casually left her seat to join the mother and her two children, eager to know more.

The woman looked up from her meal as she approached their table, Hange putting on the kindest expression she could emit. The two siblings followed the mother's reaction as well, the girl hugging the doll closer to her body.

"Hello there, my name is Hange Zoe." The scientist grinned. "Do you mind if I set with you for a moment?"

To her relief, the woman beamed warmly. "We don't mind. Please join us Miss Zoe!"

Hange then nodded in thanks and took her seat, trying not to loose herself in her excitement. Sure, her subordinates were used to her personality, but regular citizens would only grow uncomfortable. "So, what is your daughter's name?" Hange asked politely, waiting as patiently as she could.

"This is Ellie." The woman gestured to the girl who seemed to have broken out of whatever shy spell she was in and smiled at Hange. "Why don't you say hello to the nice Survey Corps woman?"

"Hi!" the small girl greeted, turning her attention to her doll. "Why don't you say hi, too?" She addressed it, making it wave its stump of a hand. The Section Commander smiled and waved back, eager to continue with a conversation.

"It's nice to meet you Ellie." Hange began kindly. "I was just having a cup of tea and I couldn't help but to notice your cute little doll. Could you tell me more about it?"

Ellie nodded enthusiastically. "Mommy made him for me. His name is Roguey! He's The Rogue Titan! The friendly titan that saved us!"

Hange could not help but let her smile grow bigger. "Is he now? So do you like The Rogue Titan?"

Ellie answered with another dip of her head and hugged the doll very tight. Her brother then became enthused at the mention of the titan.

"Yeah! He's amazing! The Rogue killed like a billion titans at Trost!" The boy spoke as he gestured prominently, throwing his hands in the air to emphasize the greatness of the number. We watched him save us!"

"Did you now?"

Ellie nodded. "Yeah we saw him kill other titans and put the big rock in the wall!"

"Yeah! The Rogue Titan's roars were so loud that they shattered all the windows in our house and vibrated the ground! He sounded like this!" The young boy began as he stood from his seat. Hange watched in amusement as the boy inhaled strongly and puffed out his chest to look bigger than he was. The boy then clenched his hands into fists and locked them to his side before letting out a loud attempt at the beast's roar, getting a few of the higher ups attention and many other's at the close by tables. Hange laughed. The boy's roar was a bit pitiful, nowhere near as booming and menacing as the real thing. The boy then climbed from his seat and began to play in the street, terrorizing a nearby stray cat with his Rogue Titan act. Seeing her brother's antics, Ellie left her seat to join him, carrying Roguey in hand.

For a moment, Hange continued to observe the two children play until she turned to their mother. "So, you saw The Rogue Titan in the flesh huh?"

She nodded. "Oh yes. It's quite a long story but I'll abbreviate it. Unfortunately our house was near the breach so we couldn't get out in time to escape when the titans arrived, so we took refuge and hoped for some sort of miracle. That came in the form of The Rogue Titan. The three of us watched him kill a few titans with little effort and then we saw him plug the breach. Since then, those two haven't stopped talking about him. As you could see, Ellie even wanted a doll of the titan."

"I see," Hange replied as the two children continued to play. "That's amazing."

"Miss, can I ask you something?" The woman queried, suddenly a bit more serious.

"Sure."

"Okay. Is The Rogue as friendly as the media says? You're a Scout that knows the titan firsthand so I figured I could ask you."

The scientist nodded. "Yes, he's not what he seems. His face may be as ugly and terrifying as sin, but he's just like a big kid almost, a mischievous kid. Whenever he can, he likes to steal and play with our pillows and mattresses in our depots."

The mother smiled. "Ah, I see. I know the Scouts plan on catching him to make him a member of the corps, but I have to ask. Are you – going to hurt him in the process?"

Hange stalled slightly. Thinking of their mission and all that had gone wrong with it. Hopefully, the Scouts would never have to resort to such measures. Hopefully. "No. We are doing everything in our power to not resort to that. We are being as careful as possible, Mam."

The woman nodded in approval. "Ah yes, I do hope not. A lot of people from Trost look to him as a hero, my children included. If anyone can bring him back it's the Scouts. I wish you luck."

Hange nodded in thanks just as the familiar rolling of wooded wheels attracted her attention. Excusing herself, Hange then returned to her position next to the first and second in command. The four higher ups looked on as a horse drawn carriage came to stop before them. The wagon wasn't a common one, more luxurious with bronze accents and glossy black paint. The carriage door then opened to reveal Commander Pixis and another blonde soldier. The elderly man didn't look as spirited as usual, more serious with creases on his brow and his mouth a grim line. Worry then began to settle beneath her skin. Pixis wasn't known to do such a thing, leaving his post at this time a day.

"Commander Pixis?" Erwin questioned as he put down his tea. "What brings you here?"

Pixis cleared his throat without hesitation as the blonde Garrison soldier came to his side. "I apologize for the intrusion. I heard about the outcome of your mission and the hard journey back so I hate to bother you. However, I need to speak with you. There is some information that Cadet Hannes here has disclosed to me that you need to know."

Nearly every higher up at the table raised their brows, Hange more so. What could these two know that the Scouts did not?

"What is it, Commander?" Erwin asked as he rose from his seat. "Is it about our target?"

Pixis nodded. "Yes. Shall we all retire to a more private venue?"

The conference room at the Garrison headquarters was a large and plain one. A long rectangular table sat in its center, polished wood surface reflecting the rest of the room's features such as the simple stained glass windows and bookshelves. Besides the clean table, everything else in the room had a thin layer of dust over it – making Levi a bit uncomfortable in his seat. Hange sat next to Mike as they looked at Pixis and Hannes, an older solder as well with short blond hair and a few hints of stubble on his chin and above his top lip. The man looked the part of a typical Garrison soldier that secretly indulged on alcohol on duty, but now Hannes only looked uneasy and nervous. Whatever the man had to say had to be substantial. Hange was inwardly screaming for him to begin.

"As I said, this is Cadet Hannes. He's a survivor from the first breach five years ago. He was present from when the Colossal Titan kicked in the wall to the Armored Titan's charge. Last night, over a bit of whiskey, Hannes told me a story that he kept secret since that day. You need to hear it. Although it's hard to believe, if may answer all of your questions you haven't solved about The Rogue."

Erwin leaned forward, resting his elbows on the polished table with a palm placed under his chin in interest. "Really? What happened Mr. Hannes? What did you see?"

The man let out a deep sigh. "Alright. I kept quiet about this for years. I figured if I told anyone they would call me a drunk and refuse to believe me. But in light of the recent events, I feel that I need to tell you what I saw. On that day – I was stationed at the bottom of the wall within Shiganshina. When The Rogue Titan arrived and didn't attack us, I gave into curiosity and followed it from a respectable distance. Now, at the time I did have a cup of beer in my system, but I was level headed enough to know what I saw was real."

"What did you see?"

Hannes bit his lip. "I hope you believe me on this, but just before the I saw the thing attack another titan I noticed something that made me do a double take. At the time I couldn't believe what I was looking at was real." Hannes paused, swallowing back a wad of saliva. "On The Rogue Titan's shoulder and tangled in the titan's hair behind his ears when he fought – were two small children."

The room grew deathly silent, eyes wide and hooked onto the fretful soldier who was now sweating. Hange's heart began to pound relentlessly. Had she heard him right? There were really two little kids riding a fearsome fifteen-meter titan let alone The Rogue himself? Really? Willing or forced, she was immediately a bit jealous, but she was more spellbound than anything. She had to know more!

"What?" Erwin nearly stammered. "Two children were with him? Tell me everything that you know." He demanded. "Did it look like some sort of hostage situation?"

"Don't leave out any details either." Levi added.

Hannes quickly dismissed them with a negative nod. "No, it wasn't any sort of kidnapping. Those two children, it was obvious that they knew that titan and it knew them as well. They spoke to it and calmed it down after its outburst. Yes, it was no hostage situation. When the titan began to leave the district, the children looked more than willing to go with it rather than follow the other refugees. They vanished into the forest and I don't know much more than that."

"How old were the kids?" Mike asked. "What did they look like?"

The Garrison soldier rubbed his neck. "My memory isn't the best with people, but I do remember that it was a little boy and girl. One had blonde hair while the other's was black. They looked to be about ten years old."

The Scout's Commander set back in awe at the news. "Incredible. It's possible now that those children could be survivors in Wall Maria."

"If they're alive, they have to be at least fifteen years old by now." Mike informed.

"And here I thought I'd seen and heard everything." The Corporal sighed pouring himself another glass of tea, surprisingly still calm despite the big news, on the outside at least.

The scientist herself was in a frozen state of shock, her mind buzzing. Suddenly, it all hit her like The Rogue's own fist crushing another titan's skull. "HOLY SHIT!" Hange exclaimed loudly as she leaped from her seat. "FUCK! THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING!" The enthusiastic woman laughed madly, producing a smirk from Pixis.

"I did say that the information could solve a few riddles didn't I?"

"HELL YES!" Hange replied turning to her subordinates. " Erwin, Mike, Levi – this is the missing piece to the puzzle! We were wrong about some of the titan's actions! I know what's going on now! FUCK THIS IS AMAZING!"

As she expected, Erwin's face reflected that of when he met the same realization that she did. "Now it's all clear…"

"Hange. Explain." Levi demanded. "You think this is the root to The Rogue's strange behavior?"

The scientist nearly squealed. "Yes! Allow me to illustrate! My goodness, where do I begin here? Okay, I'll start from the beginning, with the safe house raids! True, our specimen does have the entire child like curiosities that we've seen before. It's a natural aspect about him. As far as the reason as to why he broke in, it's not boredom but rather to gather things! He knows those children so he's protecting them and caring for them! The Rogue stole our food for them so he could nurture them! It's astounding! Parental instincts!" Hange paused to catch her breath. "It also explains the titan's knowledge of certain things. Who's to say that those children told the titan to cover his nape when around other humans, especially those in uniform? It's highly likely they even taught the titan to tie knots and the gesture of flipping the bird as well."

"What about it's knowledge of combat? I doubt that two tiny kids could have the know how of such techniques to teach The Rogue." Corporal Levi queried, showing more interest by the second.

Hange ran her fingers through her unkempt hair. "True, I don't think the children taught The Rogue those things. Perhaps they are already imbedded into the titan's DNA. Of course, if all of this is real then the titan may be attacking its own kind just to protect them! As to why it doesn't attack other humans, it's smart enough to recognize and is used to human contact! The titan knows we are nearly defenseless against its kind! It protects those children so it feels the need to protect us as well! In fact, I believe these children may be why The Rogue Titan is purposely evading capture. He feels it's his duty to look out for that boy and girl so he refuses to leave them."

"You've got a point, Hange." Erwin began. "I guess this also proves the fact that the titan is capable of understanding the human language."

"It is!" Hange agreed, but then frowning as a thought made itself known, one that made her worry. "He's a defensive titan, really defensive. Even if we were able to get the message across somehow that we weren't going to harm him or his 'adopted babies' – I don't know if The Rogue would believe us, especially after our failed attempt. Mama bears are very protective of their young. He's no different."

"That's true. He's got a good reason now not to trust us." Mike sighed, leaning back lazily in his chair.

"Since this is certainly news to all of you, I'm guessing you now have another reason to go after The Rogue then?" Pixis spoke as he opened his flask of whiskey once again for the fifth time since they had begun talking.

Erwin folded his arms, large brows returning to their usual position upon his face. "Yes, but only if this is true. The only solid proof we have is your word. If what you say is fact, then the titan must be keeping them wherever it resides in its territory. On the next mission we would have to search or try to find clues as to where that location is. But as I said, we don't know how true this is, so we can only play it by ear and see what the titan's next move is. This does however, seem highly likely."

"Even if that was true," Levi added. "There is also the change that those kids didn't survive due to whatever reason. If you recall, there have not been any raids on the depots in the past three years. But like most of you, I would prefer the other theory."

Hange sighed heavily in exasperation, listening to the conversation at hand. It was astounding to her that this was an incredible possibility, a true miracle that two children had befriended one of the most dangerous monsters imaginable. Desperately, did Hange want to believe that the story was true. As always, she wanted to know how and why. However, in light of the unbelievable revelation, the information only seemed to spawn more questions than ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: Hope you all enjoyed Chapter 9! Did any of you spot the little Easter egg? (I'm going to call it that) Are the little girl and her brother a bit familiar? (Apparently, Ellie is the girls name. I couldn't find her brother's) Anyways, Chapter 10 is one that I've been wanting to write for quite a while! And yes, it involves Rogue reuniting with his little ones :) It will most likely be pretty lengthy also. Stay tuned!


	10. Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a close call with Rogue, the Scouts recruit a few new members to assist them on their missions. Armin and Mikasa put their plan into action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Well what do you know? I managed to get another extremely long chapter of Rogue done this month! Yay! It's got some moments you've been waiting for... and a few I suddenly added that I think some of you will like. Starting at about 10,000 words in... I hope I didn't go too overboard with Rogue's mannerisms. I suppose though if you haven't seen someone in years you'd be rather excited and want to be with them every second - and in Rogue's case become completely beside himself. lol Yeah, hope I didn't go too overboard. Anyways. Enjoy! I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan. I'm not a perfect person (a good majority of this was written at 3am) so there are probably some grammar issues I missed. If you find any errors, please tell me so I can make corrections. I'd appreciate it. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 10

Bonds

'RUN! RUN!'

Blood pumped through his heated veins as his heart pounded like a massive drum.

'RUN!'

His muscles flexed, footfalls pulverized among the brush and dirt.

'RUN!'

The beast's irises were blown wide, nostrils flaring in search of his hunters.

'I…MUST…RUN!' The words echoed within Rogue's head as he sprinted in retreat. Again, he sniffed in search of any oncoming pursuers, his nose only detecting the scent of an imminent and heavy rain. Lightning danced across the darkened sky with the clack of thunder vibrating his eardrums. A snarl left the titan's lipless maw – the flying humans had picked a hell of a day to fuck with him. Ever since their change in their plans and demeanor, during the month that followed their first attempt in putting him in a cage, the uniformed men had made four other attempts to bind Rogue. Ever since then, the creature could find no reason for their actions. However, the game at hand had gone from cat and mouse to the fox and the hound. Things had become a matter of endurance and cunning.

When the flying humans had come to take him again, they didn't dare or bother to set out their human traps. Still, after their first stunt, he couldn't trust them. They would just chase him, cut him off, try to corner him, corral him, and if they got too close - Rogue immediately snagged the unlucky soul in a tree. Of course, there were still points where the flying humans would try to trip him by swinging near his moving feet, but since that day when facing the small leader and his followers, he knew what was coming. Now, during these strange hunts, things were always ended by either a low number of 'working' flying humans or by the lack of the thing keeping the uniformed men's invisible wings running. It was all puzzling to Rogue. How he wished he knew the answer to the simple question of why.

A few stray raindrops made their way through the canopy, gracing his swinging shoulders. The titan blinked, peeking from the corners of his shadow rimmed eyes to scrutinize his opponent's positions. Rogue cursed himself with a deep growl. He had carelessly let the humans put him in a difficult position. The majority of the pack members were at his rear, including the blonde leader and the man with whiskers. One group led by Messy Hair was on his left and the Short One, Levi, was with his collection of followers on his right. Rogue gulped, forcing his eyes before him to watch in the direction he was heading. If a group ambushed him from the front, he would only have a split second of thought of how to evade.

Damn, trouble always seemed to find him.

"Keep steady! He's in position!"

Rogue rounded another bend, releasing a hot cloud of steam to shake his pursuers, now hoping that his ace in the hole of his vanishing act would work. Over time, the flying humans were growing more aware of his tricks, dwindling his defensive arsenal. They had figured out his lame titan waltz trick no matter how much he altered his appearance. He desperately hoped that they wouldn't find a loophole in his best escape plan. The titan's ear then flickered, listening through another rumbling in the heavens to hear the buzzing of invisible wings. Rogue turned his head slightly to see just who had taken the challenge of fortitude against him. To his unfortunate pleasure, it was the short leader who had veered to sail just a few feet away from his shoulder. The titan watched as the man continued to hover just over his skin. The titan hissed and prepared to go for the man's cables, but to his surprise, Levi halted in his advance to stop high above the forest floor – the other members of the flying human pack following his action. For a moment, the titan was confused. Did the uniformed men have to stop their hunt?

As he gained distance, Rogue huffed in accomplishment and cunning. It seemed that he had gotten the better of them once again, producing a small gurgle in satisfaction before he faced forward.

Rogue never saw the tripwire.

The titan's foot pulled the extended cable with great force. Before the creature could look down to examine what had just snagged his ankle, a thick yellow gas was expelled from several concealed pumps – directly into Rogue's face. Before he had the chance to comprehend what had happened, an immense stinging sensation coursed through the titan's corneas. Pain gripped Rogue's eyes even deep into their sockets, surfaces feeling as if they had been lit on fire. The titan released a roar of agony as he stumbled into a tree, blinded by pain and whatever substance he had unfortunately come in contact with.

"Commander! The tear gas worked!" A human shouted over another screech that left his throat. "Orders, Sir!"

"Continue with stage two!"

Rogue whined and cried in pain, his hands' vice grip breaking the bark on the tree he rested against. Instinctively, the titan let his nictating membranes slide over his pupils, unknowingly disturbing the substance in his eyes further – only bringing forth more pain. Tears glided down Rogue's gaunt cheeks as he blinked and rubbed his eyes desperately. He could not see! He was blind! It was such a damning realization that the titan's thundering heart nearly stopped. White-hot frustration swelled up within him once again. The flying humans had decided to use traps after all. Rogue's tapered ears shifted to the sound of translucent wing beats, detecting that they were approaching at a great rate of speed. Naturally, the beast panicked. Without his sight, he was impaired. Sure, he could just bob out his eyes and wait for them to grow back, but there was no time. Every second was precious. His ears flickered again, nose sensing an increase in the rain's scent. Rogue then turned to face the previous direction that he was heading. Although he was without sight, he knew his forest like every vein in his body. Every stone, tree, river, and lake he knew them all. Without hesitation, Rogue propelled himself forward. With the aid of both his keen hearing and scent, the great behemoth fled at a great speed one again, skillfully weaving in and out of every obstacle.

"What the hell! That thing is blind!"

"How is it –

"Keep on him! We must make it to the intercepting point! Don't budge! Keep on him!"

Rogue kept his legs moving, thrusting one foot in front of the other. Rain then fell in sheets through openings in the canopy; heaven's tears eased the pain in his shielded and watery eyes. But of course, the titan couldn't stop to solve his current predicament. He had to keep moving. Keeping one hand protectively over his nape with the other outstretched to snag any unlucky soldier, Rogue continued his evacuation. Thunder clashed overhead and lightning lit up the sky, making Rogue wonder just how far the flying humans were willing to go to capture him. The creature veered from an incoming tree to move without interference. He proceeded to weave, but then the buzzing of many met his ears. To his unfortunate luck, the flying humans were right on his tail again with Messy Hair and Levi's groups at his sides. Rogue snarled, holding back his rage that brought the urge to punish. The titan then realized just how the tables had turned. Normally, he was the one to corral his enemy, but now his foe was herding him.

The titan then burst forth into a clearing, the very one that he and his little ones once loved to romp around in, playing ball and other human games reflecting pure innocence. Rogue raced across the glade, determined to loose his pursuers.

"FIRE!"

At the sound of several echoing and booming blasts, Rogue was petrified with panic. Pain coursed all along the surface of the titan's body as dozens of large and sharp barbs impaled his flesh from the cannons – strong cables keeping his bulk in place. Rogue screeched in pure terror as he attempted break free, but his thrashing movements had been reduced to a series of convulsive twitches with the tightness of the cables. 'NO! NO! NO!' The beast's mind screamed. He could not be captured! He had to stay in his forest! He had to wait on his little ones!

But the titan could do nothing. Blind and bound, he was caught.

Still, he wasn't going to give up so easily. With his head free with the exception of a few barbs in his jawline, Rogue turned to try and bite his way out of the human trap. Alas, to the titan's misfortune, his teeth were only able to manage a few scratches and dents. Rogue roared in frustration as he attempted to jerk free from his restraints. Again, he was unable to. The creature released a jet of steam in annoyance, frustrated with the flying humans and himself. He should have never let his guard down. Now he would never see his little ones.

Rogue tilted his head back, letting the leaky canopy sooth his throbbing eyes. The titan let out a long moan from the pit of his throat, one full of sorrow. He had failed in his mission. He was now miserable and mortified. Nothing would make him feel better. Suddenly the sound of invisible wings, hooves, and voices came into the clearing, provoking the titan to unveil his tender and bloodshot hues. Though the falling rain had helped his eyes, his vision was blurry but better and steadily improving. Rogue watched as the shapes of the flying humans gathered below him, their scents indicating that they were the four pack leaders. The titan snarled, pulling away from them as much as he could, instinctively giving them a wordless warning.

"Well Hange, looks like your tear gas worked." The Short One spoke. "That and the higher grade cables finally did their damn job."

Rogue roared; ears pinned to his skull in anger. If he could will himself to break his vow, he would. The titan watched; nose wrinkled in obstruction as he observed the blurry form of Messy Hair jump up and down.

"HOLY SHIT! HA! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! WE FINALLY CAUGHT THIS BIG BOY! YES! I CAN'T WAIT TO STUDY HIM!" The female exclaimed, turning to the blonde leader's form. "Commander, when can I confront him to see if that soldier was right?"

The titan roared again, shaking his head back and forth with his wild hair flying as he continued to attempt an escape. If only he could shake loose! However, each time he moved, pain sprouted from every spot he had been punctured. Here, his healing factor was a bit of a double-edged sword. The more he struggled and mended, the more he hurt.

"Let The Rogue calm down a bit first before you attempt to pick up on anything from him. Right now, he's far too stressed to even approach. Not only that, but I doubt that he can see us well right now. Give him some time to relax and get his vision back before you attempt contact, Hange."

"Yes, Sir!"

Rogue narrowed his watery eyes at the four, disgusted. The titan then held his head back once again to allow the pouring rain to sooth his corneas. Once his eyes were clear, he would figure a way to escape – if he could figure a way.

"If we get any clues or indications from him, we'll go to the source. If not, we will have no choice but to dismiss the theory and release the sleeping gas we tried on the test subjects. Once he's out, we'll load him up."

The words were a blur to Rogue who was much too occupied trying to lean over and get more rainwater to fall in his eyes. Of course, he could not bring himself to truly settle, the idea of what and where these humans would be taking him made the titan all the more restless. As the pain dulled even more in his eyes and sight became clearer, Rogue attempted to listen in on the human tongue emitted by his hunters – growling and snarling in objection to whatever they were talking about, the creature not understanding their complex words. Finally, after several long minutes, Rogue unshielded his now improved eyes, although they were still red with irritation, the titan could see just fine. He glanced around at the trees, seeing the wooden honeycombs that had shot the cables to bind him. Rogue then glanced down to the earth to see the flying human pack swarming around the clearing. A massive thing that humans called a wagon was guided within the trees, pulled by a number of antlerless deer that Rogue couldn't count high enough to determine. Several humans also toyed with a blue liquid that was being loaded into some sort of pump that the titan couldn't name either. Rogue scrutinized the activity below him further, looking at the pack's leaders. They spoke to one another, their tone stern and serious – occasionally giving some sort of order to a lower member of the pack behind them. The titan blinked in confusion. Where was the one with chaotic locks?

A familiar odor met Rogue's nose, provoking the beast to turn his head to see just who had dared to sneak up on him. As he expected, it was Messy Hair, a woman that he had heard the eyebrow man call Hange. It was obvious that she was even more ecstatic than usual, perhaps he could say more than ever. The female wore a broad and toothy smile with her eyes wide in emphasis, body trembling in excitement as she edged further out on the branch that was the closest to his head. Taking heed at how uncomfortably close the woman was, Rogue hissed a loud warning – pupils going briefly into slits and his elfish ears pinned back. He was in no fucking mood.

"Ah come now!" This Hange began as if she was speaking to a small human. "Don't be like that! We just want to ask you a few things!" She paused. "Can you understand me? Can you understand us?" The flying human spoke lucidly and slowly.

Although the titan knew exactly what she was saying, Rogue simply growled and adverted his gaze away. He didn't want to hear her, nor did he want to give her a reason to keep up with her queries. A large dose of stubbornness settled in. She and the others did not deserve his attention. However, to his bad fortune, the female cleared her throat to speak again.

"If so, I want to apologize for doing this to you, but we had no other choice you see. You're a bit of a slippery one!"

Rogue snorted, displaying a cocky demeanor as he turned his gaze to another spot, still searching for a way out of his predicament. Although he was angry, the titan couldn't help but listen. He had no idea what the word 'apologize' meant, but this uniformed human had better be spilling the reasons for the pack's actions and why he was bound.

"You're a bit of a grumpy titan too aren't you? Oh yes you are!" Hange spoke in a maternal and mocking tone again. "Now, let me ask you this my gigantic friend –

Hearing the word 'friend' Rogue turned to hiss at the woman again, line of sight reflecting that of a wild animal. How dare this flying human refer to him as a friend! After all they had done to him! The titan growled once more, warning the human on her tongue. He had almost felt like swatting her, almost. His promise prevented such things.

"Hey! Hey!" She spoke softly, trying to sound as nurturing as she could, but still loud enough to be heard over his aggressive breaths. "Okay, I won't say that. Still, let me ask you something. A little birdie told me that you've adopted two teenagers. Is that true?"

Rogue's eyes narrowed in both frustration and confusion as he turned away obstinately. What was this human talking about? What bird told her something? Birds could talk? He had never noticed before. More so, what did the word 'teenager' mean? What did 'adopted' mean? The beast blinked in confusion. What the hell was the human asking?

"Hmm…" Hange hummed. "Do you know what I'm talking about?" The female hesitated, shifting on the branch to see his turned face better. "Do you – have your humans?"

Rogue's emerald pools peeked from his dark rimmed flesh. "His humans? His humans were long dead, having been devoured by an ugly grinning titan. Why was this human questioning about his Carla and Grisha? The titan let out a low and irritated growl like that of an aggravated cat before turning his focus elsewhere. The female, Hange's queries were nothing but nonsense.

"Aw, you're a bit fussy today aren't you?"

The titan paid no attention to the flying human as he scrutinized and studied the wooden honeycombs in the treetops. Each one was placed just above his rear and had many cables extending from it. Rogue let his hues travel from one of the devices to the other, looking closely while he ignored the woman's attempts. The cables were so tough that he couldn't just charge forward into freedom. He couldn't bite through or grab and pull either. The beast blinked, but suddenly realizing a major fault in his binds.

"If you know what I'm asking you, can you give me an answer?"

Still, Rogue ignored Hange as his brain began to process what he was seeing and something that had occurred to him. Long ago, he and his little ones were playing with his favorite toy, his ball. It was a human game they were participating in where they had placed the ball in the center of a big cloth – using it to toss the spherical object high in the air. When the ball was thrown skyward, the cloth had to be pulled tight. When the ball came down again, the weight of it made the cloth go slack and sink with the ball's dainty weight. Rogue looked at the human traps and the cables that fed into him. From the tops of his thighs to his shoulders and a single one in his chin, his body was covered in the damned barbs. His knees however, were untouched and able to bend if he wanted. Rogue's heart began to beat faster at his recognition. The cables were just like the tight cloth and he was the ball. If he could will himself to quickly descend – he had a chance. It would be painful, but it was his only option.

"Can you please give me some sort of answer? It feels bad that you're ignoring me. Come on now! Don't be shy! Now, do you have two –

Rogue ignored her further, secretly bracing himself for the looming agony. Inhaling heavily, the titan then released a heavy cloud of steam before folding his legs beneath him. The creature's bulk was only able to hover above the forest floor for a few tense seconds before several of the cables snapped in unison as he began his decent.

"SHIT!"

"FUCK! HE BROKE THE CABLES!"

The titan screamed as the barbs tore free from him; taking his flesh off in ribbons, steam erupting from his wounds and clouding the area. As Rogue impacted the earth, the barb cannons were yanked violently from their perches, shattering on impact in a splintering mess that forced the uniformed men to duck in cover. Rogue howled in pain as he quickly got back to his feet, hand grabbing any remaining barb to free it from his body – the creature's hot blood splattering the grass in an abstract display. Not willing to waste further precious seconds of time, Rogue turned and bolted into the trees, a tremendous crack of thunder disguising his steps.

(POV SWAP)

Levi simply could not believe what he had just witnessed as he stared out at the rubble that The Rogue Titan left behind. He wouldn't admit it or show it, but he was dumbfounded. Their mission was going well. They had the upper hand for once. The plan was perfect – or seemed to be. The beast was to be corralled into their trap, blinded temporarily, and then bound and shipped back to headquarters. Of course, that was how their mission would have played out if they were after a normal titan. The Rogue was a whole new ball game. Instead of finally acquiring their much-deserved prize, they were back to square one.

"I can't believe the brat evaded us again. This shit is getting really old." Levi spoke venomously beneath his breath.

Erwin, who was standing next to him and surveying the damage as well, let out an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "He found the fault in our binds that we were ignorant to overlook. In a regular scenario, restraining a titan from the rump up usually works, but with this particular titan – he figured out that he could bend his knees and lift his feet up to use his weight as an advantage." The Commander exhaled. "We were such fools to overlook that. Now we're going to have to retreat to headquarters to rebuild the barb cannons. His act destroyed nearly all of them. Sure, our decision of using the thickest of cables was the right one, but I cannot say the same for the placement of the cannons. Next time we must take this into account." Erwin informed as a lightning bolt lit up the area in a shade of bright blue with thunder soon following. "The storm is getting worse as well. We need to retreat to the quarry since the wind is picking up."

The Corporal only let out a tired groan, eyes narrowing in distaste at their situation. To his further displeasure, Hange descended before them with her eyes wide and body shaking with glee, the annoying woman nearly letting out a squeal. "Hange, I'm in no mood for your pig imitations unless you have something worth telling us."

"Did you find out anything, Hange?" Erwin questioned. "Did he understand anything or give any indication that Cadet Hannes was telling the truth?"

"Sure didn't look like it." Levi grumbled. "The Rogue just kept hissing and growling at your disgusting ass."

Hange merely laughed. "Ha! You couldn't see or hear much from down here Levi! I however, was given a front row seat! As far as The Rogue's ability to understand human language, I'd say that it's a fact that he can!"

"How so? Like Levi just said, he just kept turning away from you."

"Ah, but you were not close enough to see that he showed some interest as to what I was asking him! Sure, he would turn away, but his ears were still facing me!"

"Hange." Levi interrupted as he ran a hand over his face. "He could have just been keeping you in check. Did that ever occur to you?"

The scientist laughed for a second time. "Of course Levi, but that's not it! When I mentioned the word 'humans' while he was facing away, he glanced at me from the corners of his eyes. Now, when I said the word 'friend' as in referring to a relationship between him and me – he immediately reacted with anger! He expressed his unhappiness with us!" The woman squealed as she threw her hands up, staring at the Commander excitedly.

"So it's a strong possibility that he truly can understand us. Did you ask him about the teens that he's supposedly harboring?"

She nodded. "Yes, that's what I meant when I mentioned humans. Again, he showed the slightest bit of intrigue but refused to answer or give me any clues." Hange spoke but then growing serious as she rubbed her chin, ignoring the worsening weather at hand. "He's either running on protective and paternal instincts and refusing to give them away or he mistook what I was implying to be us ourselves. It's puzzling. Then again, as much as I hate to suggest, it could all just be a gut reaction – survival techniques."

"So it's still up in the air even after that." Erwin queried with Hange dipping her head in reply. "Our only option now is to regroup and continue on next time. We'll get the truth sooner or later. However, I have a strange feeling that it's genuine."

(POV SWAP)

It was a warm and sunny day, perfect with the brush of a gentle breeze against one's skin. Armin, Mikasa, and their friends from the 104th sat at one of the tables eating lunch in the courtyard of the Scout's headquarters. The Survey Corp's base was by far the best military headquarters that Armin had ever found the pleasure to be in. It was a large old castle located in the countryside of Wall Rose, sitting in the middle of a vast clearing of large woodland. It was said to have once been under the ownership of a few royals as expected until the Scouts bought it out as a suitable place to execute their work. It was probably the most well kept place in all of Rose as well. During their first day, just after being assigned their private quarters, Corporal Levi had ordered them to clean their own rooms from top to bottom before cleansing the entire castle. If their work didn't please him, they would have to redo everything. Aside from their rigorous training they had to preform in the woods, fields, and extensive studies on formations, the Scouting headquarters was overall a pleasant place that Armin experienced in his spare time.

The blonde teen turned his attention from a single cloud to look off into the courtyard, a fenced in area at the castle's side that used to be gardens and statues judging by the ornate stone path than curved and flowed throughout the piazza. Now however, the courtyard wasn't a relaxing garden but rather a research area for the Scout's titan program. Most of the landscaping had been ripped out and the patio was now a stockade for the two latest titan test subjects – four and seven meter classes that Section Commander Hange Zoe had 'lovingly' named Sonny and Bean. Armin took another bite of his bread, watching as the two titans remained emotionless, wearing blank stares as they shook or heaved over every so often in their binds – occasionally snapping at a soldier if they got too close. Watching the two small titans over the last month was surreal to Armin. It was hard to believe that this was the norm for the species itself. Living around Rogue for so long and seeing him show so much emotion, intelligence, as well as his antics like licking, purring, nuzzling, and playing just seemed like the most natural thing. But if that were the case with all titans, humanity would just have them as large exotic pets or friends and not live behind massive walls in fear. Rogue was unusual indeed.

At the far edge of the courtyard was a large unfinished shed that was the Scout's side project – a housing building for Rogue when we was brought back. It was a big enough to house a fifteen-meter titan, made of pines, oaks, and cedars and sat beneath the shade of a few trees. Most of the Scouts and a few recruits thought the structure was pointless. In fact it was declared that if it weren't suitable for the titan it would be used as a weapons storage facility. Armin however, had optimism about it. For some reason that he and Mikasa could never truly pinpoint, Rogue preferred to sleep curled up in a cramped space – like his tree at the cove. Even as they rested up in a tree the night before they separated, Rogue had naturally tried to curl around in his sleep although he was unsuccessful in doing so. Looking at the shed that the Scouts planned to string the titan up in, Armin was sure that once the higher ups were presented with Rogue's true nature that the immense creature would love it.

In fact, both the blonde teen and Mikasa were amazed at how Rogue was evading the Scouts. He couldn't describe how relieved he was when he had heard that Rogue had escaped them without taking violent action. Secretly, it brought a few laughs to the two friends, knowing that their acquaintance had bested some of the Scout's strongest and brightest – including Levi. Still though, Armin wasn't sure how long Rogue could get away much longer. It worried him. He and Mikasa had to be there before they were able to capture the titan. They HAD to be.

Armin's attention was then pulled away from his daydreaming as Sasha approached with her second helping of soup – most likely stolen from the kitchen. The brunette displayed a broad smile as she approached the group – and not the usual one she wore for when she was excited about food, bringing Armin to question.

"Hey guys! The Scouting teams are back from their mission! They're not too far from the castle now. They got their butts kicked again!"

At her words, Armin nearly sighed in relief.

"Whoa! Really? Again?" Connie asked. "That's the fifth time now!"

"Yeah! They did come close this time though. They had him but then he slipped through their clutches! He figured out how to escape the barb cannons! Even with the heavy cables!"

Armin swallowed. Rogue had nearly been caught?

Connie laughed. "You know it's actually kind of funny to see the veterans lose at their own game. Hell, I would have died to be there when The Rogue caught the Corporal and then flipped him off! I didn't think that was possible! Both of those things!" The teen cackled.

"Still, though," began Krista. "If the Scouts knew that The Rogue was friendly, why did they resort to use such measures? I mean; it seems a little pointless to use traps and stuff." The small girl implied.

"I think I can answer that." Sasha spoke through a bite of bread. "They said that The Rogue Titan has a lot of animal characteristics right? When he was cornered in Trost and the soldiers tried calming him, being cornered in an unfamiliar setting was what ultimately frightened the titan and sent him in a panic and over the wall. Now, sometimes when you encounter a creature in their established territory they can get aggressive and defensive. With no guarantee of The Rogue remaining docile in his own domain if they got close enough to perhaps coax the titan – it was only logical that they resort to such measures." The teen lectured, Armin knowing that what she said made perfect sense.

"Personally, I think it's all rather stupid."

The group turned to see that Jean had approached them from behind, arms folded over one another and his lips thinly pressed into a grim line.

"What do you mean, Jean?" Connie questioned with a raised brow. "You saw what he could do in Trost! He's a titan killing machine!"

The long-faced teen sighed. "The Rogue Titan obviously doesn't want to get caught. That's why he's going the extra length to evade us. They should just let him rampage out in Maria rather than gamble with our limited budget."

Armin remained unresponsive as he listened to the boy's statement. He and most of the others that knew him, noticed that Jean's temperament and attitude had changed slightly since Marco's death. Before, the teen was incredibly stuck on himself and very arrogant. He had wanted Rogue to be slaughtered just like any other titan since he categorized the tender beast to be playing them and possessing a taste for blood just like all the countless others. Now however, Jean appeared to have a change in heart over the titan. The teen was always suggesting that they leave Rogue to his own desires – not killing him. Armin still wasn't completely positive if Jean's new view of Rogue was because of Marco or the titan's acts in Trost. He may never know for sure.

Connie opened up his mouth to retort, but then the sound horse hooves and rolling wagons rang across the courtyard. The group of curious minds stood, leaving behind their lunches as they removed themselves from the courtyard and rounded the castle. The six teens then came to rest at the front of the castle at its entrance, butting their way through a few other curious Scouts to view the sight before them. The latest team to return from their ongoing mission looked disheveled and tired. A look of defeat was on every exhausted face as they dismounted their horses and sluggishly guided them to the stables. Behind the group of soldiers, were several beaten wagons filled with debris, piles of steel and wood. Armin squinted slightly in attempt to solve the mystery as to what he was looking at. His blue eyes grew wider as he realized.

"Geez, The Rogue even destroyed the special barb cannons." He uttered, gaining the teens' attention. "Those were even weighted down as heavy as they could be."

"Shit, I just thought he destroyed the cables." Sasha whispered with Connie in almost unison.

None of them spoke a word as they watched their four superiors dismount from their steeds. However, instead of showing their fatigue, they wore looks of urgency – except for Corporal Levi who still possessed his signature scowl. Section Commander Hange looked the most expressive, her face showing vast determination and earnestness but hiding a thread of excitement as usual. Mike and Commander Erwin looked similar, showing great but levelheaded concern. Erwin then stood sternly before the collection of Scouts, almost looming over them it seemed as he cleared his throat.

"ALL SCOUTS ARE TO REPORT TO THE MESS HALL IMMEDIATELY!" The man's voice echoed. "THERE YOU WILL ALL BE DEBRIEFED ON NEW INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN UNCOVERED BY OUR MISSIONS. AGAIN, THIS IS COMPLETELY NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROGUE TITAN THAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD!"

Armin's heart hammered against his small ribcage at the words. What was the Commander talking about? What more had Rogue done?

Minutes later, Armin sat with Mikasa in the large mess hall with the rest of the Scouting Legion. The room was the largest in the castle, once used for extravagant banquets and feasts. Now it was a bland space with stone walls displaying the occasional wings of freedom crest hung here and there with meals no grander than what was given to the lower middle class – not to mention the lack of aristocrats and nobles that were replaced with hardened soldiers. The vast majority of the surrounding Scouts were speaking loudly to once another about what the hell was happening or wondering if the Scouts were finally hanging their efforts up. Armin was nervous, incredibly shaky. It wasn't the usual occurrence to assemble together to bear news after the missions. So far, the only way news was given from returning troops was the shake of the Commander's head upon arrival and a red signal flare. The thought of Rogue possibly pulling something new and hopefully not dangerous made the blonde almost queasy.

The room was then silenced as the four superior soldiers entered the area. All eyes watched as they took their places upon a small stage that had once been used as a source of entertainment by the castle's previous hosts – now just a place to relay information consisting of morning duties and training schedules. Commander Erwin then approached the podium before him, signaling everyone in the room to stand and salute before seating themselves. The man then nodded with acknowledgement at the required gesture before placing his hands casually behind his back. Erwin's eyes traveled from almost each and every soldier to ensure that their focus was in the right place before proceeding.

"Greetings, I'm sure all of you are aware now that this latest mission was a failure along with the others. Again, The Rogue Titan displayed more of its intelligence as it figured a way to escape being bound by the weighty cables and cannons – which involved obliterating such traps to the point that they are unrecognizable. Two weeks will be needed to rebuild and replace them." Erwin paused, as he made sure he still had his audience's attention. "Now, the reason why I have chosen to gather you all here is because of some information from a previous tip that was given to us. Before I disclose said information, please know that it is not a hundred percent proven just yet although with all the facts we've learned about this elusive titan we believe that the information is likely true."

Armin could feel his palms beginning to sweat and see his knuckles turning white. 'What's Erwin talking about!' He thought frantically. 'What could have possibly been shared!'

"After our first failed mission to capture The Rogue Titan, I and your superiors were approached by Commander Pixis with a Garrison Soldier in tow. For reasons, I will keep the man's identity a secret. The soldier was stationed in Shiganshina the day Wall Maria was breached and when The Rogue made his first debut. Recently, that particular Garrison Cadet broke his silence to Pixis about what he saw that day." Erwin paused, swallowing hard to keep himself established. "Ladies and Gentlemen, what I have to share with you is quite shocking, so much so that it was thought to be a joke at first until the story fit with our theories and our most recent encounter with our target. We've come to believe that The Rogue Titan is caring for two teenagers in Wall Maria, raising them in titan territory."

A series of gasps erupted from the soldiers of the room as Armin nearly let his feet fly and fall out of his seat. His eyes frantically shifted to Mikasa who looked completely shocked by the news, her eyes wider than he had seen them since Rogue's appearance in Trost. Armin broke out in a full body sweat; heart thumping wildly while the others surrounding them went into a state of bewilderment.

"What! There are survivors in Maria? Kids being raised by a titan?"

"The Rogue is raising children? Are they insane?"

"What the hell? How is that even possible?"

"The Garrison had to be bullshitting! They are always making up wise tales!"

"Do they have proof?"

"My god, a titan nurturing children?"

"That soldier had to be drunk!"

As Armin attempted to keep his dizziness under control, the Commander cleared his throat to silence the room.

"You all heard correct. There is a tremendous possibility that the information is true. This can all be supported by the previous shared facts about the titan such as raiding our depots, knowing to cover his nape, and the vulgar symbol it's shown the Garrison and us. It also explains the fact that The Rogue has knowledge of the human language. Now, we were informed that the two teens in question were willingly retreating with the titan at the ages of nine or ten. They are male and female, somewhere near the age of fifteen by now, and have blonde and black hair."

Armin nearly fainted, Mikasa looking completely petrified at the news – it was a good thing they were at the rear of the room. Hopefully that was all that was known. If their names had surfaced along with the eyewitness's accounts, they would be facing serious consequences. As if they already were.

"Do keep in mind however, that this is not proven yet – just a highly likely theory. Now, for the next mission two weeks from now, we are choosing to recruit some fresh faces due to a few injuries from flying debris. Those whose names are called will report fourteen days from now at the front of headquarters on horseback and fully ready at six am sharp. Those who are chosen will be split into Hange's, Mike's, and Levi's squads for this assignment. Remain silent as I read the list of names."

The blonde teen kept his gaze to Mikasa, noticing her crossed fingers beneath the table as the Commander began going through his list. They had to go on this mission. They had too! The moment had come for their plan to be put into action. Rogue and the two of them could wait no longer.

"Krista Lenz, Jean Kirstein, Sasha Blouse."

Armin held his breath, waiting in a panic.

"Connie Springer."

They had to go. They needed Rogue.

"Finally, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert. You are all to be a part of Hange and Levi's squads."

A wave of relief swept him into a sea of sanguinity. At last, they could begin – and hope that their plan would work.

 

It was surreal to Armin that after three years he was back in Wall Maria. The past two weeks had been difficult. His mind and body was full of so many emotions such as excitement, nervousness, fear, and others he could list. This in turn had made most nights sleepless. For the most part, Armin had lain awake in bed, staring at the polished ceiling as he thought about seeing his friend again and hoping that their plan would work without a hitch. Overall, it was nerve-racking, but he needed to be vigilant and ready. He and the raven-haired teen had waited far too long.

Armin found his eyes wandering off to the woody landscape less than a mile ahead of them. It felt as if he had entered another world at the sight of the massive trees. Sure, the castle had some, but none near as tall and grand as those in Maria. The blonde found himself so transfixed that he nearly steered his mare off course. He shook his head slightly and brushed back his hair to get his mind to ease. Armin then glanced around to look at the soldiers making up the two squads. He had been placed in Hange's squad whereas Mikasa was with Levi's, but that did not seem to matter since the two squads were working together which was ideal for the two longtime friends. The only person that seemed unhappy at the placement was their own Corporal who was constantly annoyed by Hange's squawking and chattering, something that many of the new recruits found humorous to witness. The recruits from the 104th rode together in the center of their squads, the safest place in their small formation – like ducklings following the mother with the other more seasoned squad members acting as the father behind them. Like him, the faces of the new Scouts seemed nervous, constantly looking around them wide eyed but still trying to remain sane. Mikasa was the only one that was faced forward with a determined stare. In truth, Armin envied her a bit. She was more than ready to risk anything to reunite with Rogue, looking as if she was fully prepared to cut throats if need be. Every once in a while she would turn to him, not to speak but to ask silently with a nod if he was all right. Naturally, he would dip his head in return, but he only felt like he was lying.

"Have any of you noticed the lack of titans around here?" Connie questioned as he turned to the group. "When we first left there were dozens in the beginning, but now it looks like they've all but disappeared."

"That's because we are in The Rogue's territory."

The teens turned to see that Petra had come up from the rear to ride among them. Armin liked the woman as well as several of the new recruits. She was a member of Levi's permanent squad and was very skilled, usually helping them in training. Petra was perhaps the friendliest soldier of the Scouts, from always saying hello in the halls to warning them about Levi's mannerisms and moods. She reminded Armin of Carla in many ways.

"Really?"

"Oh yes." Petra continued. "The Rogue does good housekeeping around here." She chuckled. "He takes out the trash quite often if you know what I mean. Years ago, on average, we would usually see about thirty titans around here. Now though, we barely see more than ten in this area. Sometimes we've watched a titan stroll up to the borders of our friend's territory, only to stop and turn in the other direction!"

"Whoa." Sasha replied, completely in awe with Connie. "The other titans are terrified of him!"

Petra nodded. "There are rare days when they avoid The Rogue Titan himself like the plague as well. Sometimes, when they come across our target on accident they'll try to run away – which never works because The Rogue always catches them by hunting them down afterwards." The redhead smiled.

"Humph, if that's always the case then why not just leave him out here to kill his kind rather than take him to headquarters." Jean cut in. "He'd be way less terrifying if he was left out here too instead of with us and the rest of the population behind Wall Rose."

"Believe me, that was looked at before we made our decision. The problem with that is The Rogue only kills titans around here for the most part. He only ventures away every so often to hunt around the wall. If he was with us, he could mow down more titans in a much broader range. As far as people and The Rogue, you'd be surprised. To most from Wall Rose, and especially refugees from Trost, he's considered a hero. In fact the first time we returned from one of these capture missions and stopped in Katness, Hange saw a little girl with a doll made to look like The Rogue Titan. It was cute."

Armin's brows rose at Petra's news. Perhaps they wouldn't have to work that hard for the public's approval of Rogue like he had previously thought. Even without the story in the papers, he was sure that the people would still be in favor of Rogue and his deeds. Mikasa too, seemed to be on the same page with Petra's words.

Several more minutes of silence passed as the squads entered the forest of giant trees. The blonde found himself looking skyward. He had nearly forgotten what it was like to be beneath the towering canopy. It was beautiful just as every past summer with Rogue had been. Dappled light painted the grassy floor like shining sequins. Flowers, berries, and other dense fauna were in full bloom. A few deer could be seen among the brambles, darting away as the many horses galloped through the area. A small smile crept onto Armin's face. He really missed Rogue's beautiful domain. He could even call it his home despite how risky it was to be within it nowadays. From the corner of his eye, Mikasa seemed to be in the same state. She was in awe, a sort of daze as the memories seemed to flash before her – long days of relaxation and play as children to their time living with Rogue. If the forest was this beautiful, he could only imagine what the cove looked like - the only area untouched by the scum of the titans. Compared to the condition of the other forests they had passed through, Rogue's was nearly mint.

The two teens were then snapped from their daydreaming as a whistle to halt came from both Levi and Hange. Armin looked ahead to see that they had stopped in a clearing where Erwin and Mike's squads had already dismounted and were unloading the newly built barb cannons – having been scouting for a place to set up their trap for Rogue. After everyone dismounted their horses, they were assigned a task to aid in the Scout's plot. Most of the teens worked with loading the barbs while others remained on the forest floor untangling cables, including Armin and Mikasa. The two had chosen a spot to work that was slightly further from the others, a place where they could talk without being overheard but where everyone could see them.

Armin glanced up from unraveling a knot to look upon his four superiors that stood in the center of the clearing. As expected, they were discussing tactics among themselves, only glancing around every minute or so to survey the soldiers and watch for stray titans. Armin then turned his gaze to Mikasa who was looking at him and waiting for him to begin.

"You recognize the clearing we're in, Mikasa?" He whispered; keeping his voice muted as possible but still loud enough for her to acknowledge.

She nodded. "Yes, it's where we used to play hide and seek with Rogue, it's not too far from where we first met him."

"That means the cove is about half a mile west from here. We probably know every bit of this part of the forest as well as Rogue does. Although the Scouts have been in Rogue's forest before, they have never found his home. So they don't know this particular area a hundred percent. Levi and Hange even informed that this was only their second time in this part of the forest. This means that we will have to leave a bit of a paper trail if we pull ahead of them. Do you still have those smoke bombs in your pack?" Armin asked, referring to the small novelty fireworks that they had bought in town a week before.

"Yes." Mikasa nodded as she opened her bag in the slightest, revealing the potato sized smoke bombs. "I have more experience with my gear so I'll drop one if need be. If we have to drop the smoke bombs, there is no way they can loose us if they get behind. Like you said, they can burn for twenty minutes. I'll stay ahead too if we are ambushed by a titan – which I doubt will happen since we are so close to the cove."

"I'll be right behind you to keep watch." Armin informed as he glanced over to their superiors and around at the other Scouts, seeing that the timing was perfect. The boy then turned to Mikasa and nodded. "It's time. Let's go." Armin concluded, shaky but attempting to sound strong as he stood and grabbed the hilts on his gear, ready to make a run for it.

After so long, this was it.

None watched as Mikasa got to her feet and pulled out her flair gun. The two teens covered their ears nonchalantly as Mikasa pointed the gun to the sky – and fired an acoustic round, a special and rarely used round to signal or alert another squad that was far ahead with a piercing hum. The unholy noise echoed among the clearing and made Armin's ears throb. Several of the soldiers dropped whatever they had been doing to save their precious hearing with their hands uselessly protecting their ears. Ever so slowly they began to recover, looking around for the source.

"Christ! My ears!"

"What the hell?"

"Who the FUCK fired an acoustic round!" The Corporal demanded as his furious and intense gaze searched among the new recruits and other Scouts. Seeing the higher up's follow the man's suspicion, Armin and Mikasa quickly took to the air and began their beeline to the cove.

"What are those two doing! No one is allowed to leave the area!"

"That's Ackerman and Arlert!"

"Quick! Follow them!"

Armin looked over his shoulder to see that the Scouts had dropped their current tasks and went airborne themselves, some of those that were late to react on horseback. The teen gulped and faced ahead. If they failed, they would be in a world of trouble equivalent to hell itself.

His heart pounded harder with every minute that had passed. The wind stung at his face, eyes watering at the incredible speed and velocity that his maneuver gear was taking him – both he and his friend going as fast as their gear could possibly allow them. Mikasa then turned slightly to him, peeking from her wildly flowing hair.

"Are they still trailing us?" She yelled above the wind.

Registering her question, Armin glanced over his shoulder to see nothing but the dense vegetation behind him. However, the sounds of chaotic orders and a swarm of soldiers closing in could be heard in the not so far off distance. "They're falling behind! We need to leave the trail!"

The girl nodded abruptly in response as she skillfully reached into her pack and pulled out the smoke bomb. Mikasa then quickly put the string attached to the object between her teeth and pulled it free – activating the small novelty. The teen then let it drop to the forest floor, the smoke bomb producing a gentle but consistent stream of a deep blue smolder.

"Good! They should notice that easily!" Armin smiled as they weaved among the trees. Mikasa gave a positive nod in agreement, but suddenly frowning with her face reflecting a sense of dread.

"Armin?"

"Yeah?" He questioned, worried at his friend's sudden change in demeanor.

Mikasa hesitated. "What if we get to the cove and Rogue's not there?"

Armin dithered, but then remembered that he was prepared for the question. "He'll be there Mikasa! It's six am! The sun is just rising! If you remember, it takes a little longer for light to reach over the cove's walls! At this point, Rogue is more than likely to be in his tree!"

She nodded at his explanation, a small smile spreading across her face as they sailed deeper into the forest, following their memories – a map deep in their minds of the forest. Mikasa then took another moment to drop another spoke bomb before looking to Armin once again. "It's not much further now. I really hope this works Armin!"

He looked over his shoulder to check up on things before allowing himself to answer. "Me, too!"

After many more tense minutes of constantly checking over their shoulders and leaving a trail of burning crumbs, both Armin and Mikasa burst into the mossy clearing. The blonde felt his heart flutter at the sight of the towering rock wall that stood strong in the center of the glade. Everything was just as they remembered it. The tall stone was still covered in lush vines, moss, and fungi with great branches from ancient trees gracing the rocky peaks. A flashback of his first time here played through his head at the sight of the natural structure – a stormy night where a grizzly looking supposed foe of humanity had willingly, perhaps eagerly, taken them under his care. The thought that their three-year wait of this very moment nearly made him whoop in delight.

The two teens then landed at the high and main entrance to the cove, the very one that was curtained in locks of ivy that the titan came and went from as he pleased. Armin took a moment to catch his breath before looking back the way they came, seeing the evidence they left behind in a thin, low, and hazy blue trail.

"Looks like they're still behind." Mikasa pointed out, voice almost jumpy from anticipation.

"You're right. The smoke bombs did their trick though. We should have at least twenty minutes until they're here. In the meantime, we need to prepare Rogue for their arrival – and hope that things go smoothly. We still don't know how he will react to them when we're present. Let's hope Rogue doesn't get too protective."

"Yeah." Mikasa spoke after a moment of disinclination. "Let's hope he doesn't get angry."

Armin nodded as the girl then pulled back a set of vines that obscured their vision. Instantly, the teen could feel himself withering at the sight before him. The cove was just as magical and mystical as it was when they had left long ago. The grass was green and littered with the familiar forget-me-nots across the landscape. Deer and other small animals frolicked among the vegetation, indulging from the riches of the crystal pond. The boy's ears then picked up a smooth and placid rumbling reverberating from the cove's rear. A broad smile then spread across Armin's face. Within the hollow of the old tree was Rogue himself. As he had predicted, the titan was fast asleep with the sunlight just cresting the opening to the titan's leafy nest. It was evident that the behemoth was in a peaceful slumber. Like always, Rogue was curled in on himself, resting on his side with his arm wrapping close to his chest – a pose that Rogue had adopted when Armin and Mikasa slept with the gentle giant each night during their time together. The teen nearly laughed as the titan's tapered ear twitched, another characteristic that Rogue displayed in repose. Judging by the sight before him, everything seemed unchanged.

"Let's go Armin." Mikasa whispered as if she didn't want to wake the sleeping creature. "We can't waste anymore time." She finished as she motioned to the entrance. As the teen began to navigate her way through the vines, a thought crossed Armin's mind. Recalling what their vast friend had experienced over the last month, the smaller soldier abruptly grasped Mikasa's arm – watching as she turned with a clear questionable look upon her face.

"Armin?"

"Mikasa, before we go see him, we need to remove our jackets. Rogue has most likely seen the Scout's insignia and knows what it means and whom it refers to. We don't want to spook him." Armin lectured as he quickly removed said piece of his uniform with Mikasa quickly understanding and following suite, simply tossing the two tan jackets aside at the entrance for the others to find before venturing through the cove's front door.

(POV SWAP)

 

Everything was at ease, peaceful. His body was loose in his nest, the first time he had been comfortable enough to relax fully in days. Admittedly, ever since his near defeat, he had acted on a cowardly instinct. Rogue remained in hiding, keeping within his rocky haven that he was sure would never be found by the likes of the flying humans. It didn't feel good to be trapped, but with his temper on the back burner, his deer and animals had returned to give him a bit of company – making the weeks a bit more livable and his nights much more sound.

The titan's elfish extremity twitched as he rolled slowly onto his back, still curled up in his nest with the warmth of the sun beginning to brush against his skin. Rogue however, did not awake. His mind was still wandering in a deserved dream, a needed alternate reality with a rolling field of flowers and blooming trees before him. The creature purred a bit as he let himself drift further into his vision. There was something about the beautiful landscape that seemed so familiar, but he had never been there. It was incredible, wide open with no walls in sight and an array of colors decorated the grass between his toes and all around him. Everything was so clear and so very vivid. The smells of lilacs, dandelions, and daffodils seeped into his nostrils – scents that to him were far better than the smell of blood. It was peaceful, but missing something.

"Rogue?"

The titan's muscles twitched in the slightest, but he remained in his dream. There was something new in the field, two more scents – ones that he loved to indulge on. A small smile appeared on Rogue's face as he continued to drift further into his dream. Yes, the scents of his little ones.

"Rogue?"

The titan's nose twitched, inhaling his two favorite scents. Emerald hues scanned the landscape. They were in his vision, very close to him. He had to go search for them.

"Rogue?"

Suddenly the titan could feel something brushing the tip of his nose, miniscule nails grazing his tough hide. Rogue whined a bit in disapproval, stubbornly attempting to keep in a state of repose and hang onto his dream. The titan's tongue slid from between his large teeth and passed over his face before retreating back into his maw – hoping to rid the little issue and get back to his private visualization.

"Rogue? Come on. Wake up buddy!"

The titan's brows came together, creases forming in confusion. A voice?

"Come on Rogue! Get up!"

He remained puzzled. Two voices? Two very kind voices? Where were they coming from? He had long since left his dream so why could he still hear the voices? Why could he still smell –

Then it hit him.

Rogue sniffed aggressively, leaning forward in his lounging position, his nose brushing along two small weights upon his chest. The scents, they were human. They were –

He then opened his eyes, bright green hues staring down at two tender and smiling faces – a pair of large human offspring. Rogue's eyes grew wider. These two humans, they had the scent of his little ones! But they were bigger than them – were they really…

A state of shock swept over the bewildered titan, producing a high pitched screech of surprise and sending him scrambling from his position and backing into the interior of the great tree, knocking the two humans into his leafy nest. Rogue remained frozen, chest heaving as he watched the two climb back to their feet and give him a loving and tender gaze. They had to be –

"Hi Rogue." The blonde male spoke earnestly. "It's us, Armin and Mikasa. You remember us?"

"Sorry, it's been so long, Rogue. But we're here now." The female added.

The titan's eyes grew bigger, looking as if they were going to pop out of their sockets at any moment. It was them! His little ones had returned! After all the changing of seasons, they had finally come home! His babies were back! Rogue's jaw contorted into an awkward but clear smile, a stray teardrop glided across his prominent cheek. In the time that had passed, his little ones had visibly grown. They were nearly as tall as his humans had been and their features had matured. They were both physically taller and their bodies has molded into the distinct forms of a male and female adult. Out of the two, Armin had remained very similar to the last time he had seen the boy except for that his shoulders were slightly broader, his face less round, and his tone was a pitch lower. Mikasa had undergone quite a transformation. Her hair, black as the night, was shorter, sculpting her feminine features – her face shaped like his Carla's. Like she had always been, she was taller than Armin. Her frame was fit and slender, chest broad like the other human females. The girl's skin was still porcelain, complementing the red scarf that he had given her long ago around her neck. She was beautiful. Rogue blinked for the first time in several minutes, hand rising to his chest to calm his rapidly beating heart. He simply could not believe it. Just to be sure, he had to ask. This felt far from an illusion.

"ARR…ARRNNINN? NN…NIIIKKASSA?" Rogue questioned in a timorous voice, another tear of happiness leaving his eye. The two dipped their heads.

"Yes, Rogue! It's us!" Mikasa smiled. "We're here!"

Finally, after so long, a feeling of pure bliss washed over the titan. Happiness coursed all throughout his body – making his frame tremble like an excited puppy. With his heart leaping in his chest, the titan released an overdue squeal of pleasure that echoed throughout the cove. Rogue then gave in fully to his feelings, letting emotion take control. With another series of trills, the creature quickly scooped his prized little ones up from his nest and clumsily descended from the tree. Rogue then ungracefully collapsed to his knees, emitting a series of joyful grunts and gurgles as he placed both Armin and Mikasa before him onto the lush grass. Unable to even take the reins of his delight, Rogue bent over and expressed his affection with his own version of a kiss – licking his little humans over and over, provoking a few muffled laughs and grunts of slight antipathy.

"MURGH! ROGUE! GEZZ!"

"URK! Well… it's nice to see you too!"

Hearing their words, Rogue pulled back, releasing a massive purr and dove in again, this time nuzzling lovingly into his now drenched little ones. Feeling their small hands hug his face, the overjoyed titan produced a series of even more high pitched squeaks and chirps – sounds he hadn't made in years. Damn he felt good!

"Well, Armin – he hasn't changed much has he?" Mikasa teasingly asked Armin as Rogue brushed the bridge of his nose over the blonde's face.

"Nope!" His little one chortled, the two's mirth and laughter only provoking Rogue further into his blissful state.

With another spike of pleasure coursing throughout his veins, the titan tweeted loudly. Sounding more pleased grunts from his maw, Rogue then gave in to more of his youthful demeanor. The creature roughly flopped onto the ground before his precious babies, rolling over onto his back with his arms curling over his chest and head tilted back in almost ecstasy. Rogue's feet kneaded like the paws of a cat as more happy and almost pig like grunts like left his throat – the titan looking much like a dog desperately wanting a tummy rub. As ridiculous as he looked, Rogue didn't care about the lack of normalcy in his display. He was just so elated to feel the wonderful emotions he had longed for far too much to experience again.

"Oh dear Rogue." Mikasa smiled. "What are we going to do with you?"

Armin snickered. "I think we've been gone too long."

Hearing even more of his little one's amusement, Rogue inelegantly scrambled to his feet once again. Not knowing what to do with himself, the towering behemoth ran in a tight circle around his little ones – still bleating in joy as he merrily made his way to his pile of findings. He had to give them a welcome gift! He had to show his gratitude! Rogue then excitedly fished through his collection of odds and ends like a toddler, trying to separate what he thought was treasure and junk. The titan then completely surrendered to his impatience and picked up a fistful of random oddities before making his way back to his smiling children. Rogue then abruptly dropped the collection of sorts at Mikasa and Armin's feet – a handful that contained things such old doorknobs pulled off of nearby abandoned dwellings, torn pillows, moth eaten cloth, rusty cooking utensils, and even an old human hat. As the two continued to laugh at Rogue's unusual antics and excited animalistic noises, the titan lifted himself upright again and with the grace of a three year old, circled his two friends as he was completely beside himself. After tripping once and falling roughly onto his knees, Rogue ran over to his little ones, scooping them up again with a high pitched hum, and nestling himself against the roots of the great tree. The titan held his longtime human acquaintances in his folded arms much like a mother ape holding its young. Rogue purred louder, feet kneading once again as he looked down at his little ones in nothing but undying love. It felt so good to see them! Hear their laughs and holding them again! It was incredible! None of what was before him was a dream! It was real! Finally, he could have a bit of heaven in the hellish world.

For several long minutes, Rogue continued to purr as his fingers brushed through his little ones' blonde and black locks. The titan settled further into the gap of the tree's roots, calming himself as he observed the two look up at his easy eyes. He felt utterly blessed. It was just like it was long ago before his kind, vermin, invaded the humans' land and his forest. How he missed those days!

The gentle titan then watched as his little ones turned their attention away from him for several seconds, nodding to one another in silent exchange before returning their gazes upon him.

"Hey Rogue?" Armin began sincerely. "We saw you back in the city killing titans." The boy smiled, making the beast suddenly grow tense. "You've been hunting the other titans haven't you?"

Rogue swallowed, his little one's query making him quiver slightly. They had found out about his hunts? How did they see him in the human city when he couldn't see them? How? The titan exhaled a small cloud of steam. Ashamed that they discovered his lies, Rogue whined and nodded meekly – hoping that his tiny acquaintances would forgive him for keeping his secret from them. However, to his amazement, the two only smiled.

"Are you doing it because of what happened to Carla and Grisha?" Mikasa questioned kindly, voice smooth and maternal.

Realizing that there was no point in hiding anything now, Rogue nodded for a second time, guilt replacing joy. Still, he wondered why he hadn't been scolded. "NNAD?" He asked, desperate for an explanation. Quickly, his little ones shook their heads in denial.

"No Rogue!" Armin corrected. "We're not mad at you! In fact, nobody is mad at you!" The male informed, making the titan raise a brow. "Everyone is happy that you are doing what you're doing Rogue! You're helping everyone! You saved a lot of people that day in Trost! Rogue, we're really proud of you."

Hearing the much-wanted praise, Rogue gave another blissful trill, hugging his little ones even closer. Knowing that he wasn't in anyone's wrong, the titan let out another respire in relief. It felt good to get things off his chest.

Mikasa grinned softly, rubbing his arm as an act of tenderness. "In fact Rogue, there are some people coming here who want to ask –

However, her words faded as a familiar odor swept through his nostrils. The titan's heart skipped several beats as he quickly recognized the scent. Rogue sat up in alert, ears facing forward to determine his foes' position.

"Oh no. Rogue! Rogue listen –

Hearing the sound of human tongue just before the cove's open door, Rogue emitted a cavernous growl and pressed his ears against his skull. An overwhelming need to protect washed over him as he lifted himself from the embrace of his tree and squatted on the balls of his feet. Rogue hurriedly placed his two little ones beneath him, one hand pressed against the earth before them as a shield from his invading hunters with the other pressed against his nape in protection. The titan's back then arched and his pupils morphed into feral slits with his hair rising on end. Rogue let out an aggressive snarl. He was not going to let the flying humans near his babies! How dare they come! How fucking dare they!

"Rogue! Settle down! They're not going to –

However, his little ones' words seemed to fall on deaf ears as the titan's feral greens watched the flying humans emerge into his home, descending from the cove's rocky entrance and tainting his grassy floor. Rogue snarled viciously as the pack of uniformed men edged forward and not without hesitation. He could not only see it upon their faces, but Rogue could practically smell their fear – the scent of human sweat. Their faces were mixed in terror and shock, blades shaking in their hands and bodies in their boots. The atmosphere of the cove was anything but placid, full of an unpredictable aura. Rogue eyes narrowed further, irises practically illuminating in rage. Why were they in his home! Did they follow his little ones? Did they want to hunt them too?

The four flying human pack leaders came forth from the center of the pack, eyes meeting his own. They too, looked on edge – more so than he had ever seen them with even the short leader's face twisted into a look of foreboding. The titan didn't blame them for their appearances. In all the years of encountering them and during their hunts, this was the first time he had ever expressed his aggression against them. We would NOT let them near his precious babies. If they wanted to risk retrieving them, they would have to go through him first!

Rogue roared again, arching his shoulders further and hair rising up a few more feet. The titan's clawed nails dug into the rich soil as his muscles grew tense – looking as if they were going to break through his skin. He snarled, saliva dripping from his chin as he prolonged his threat. These men. Why weren't they running? They should be sprinting back to their wall! Instinctively, Rogue unhinged his jaw and bellowed a bloodcurdling screech, making most duck down and cover their ears. To his dismay though, some of the flying humans were still frozen in their spots. The four leaders looked to one another intently.

"Commander Erwin! Your orders!" The male with whiskers shouted over his thundering growls. "He doesn't look too forgiving!"

The eyebrow man hesitated, face somehow remaining stoic. The man, this Commander, stalled in his reply – eyes still hooked upon his massive bulk.

"Erwin?" Levi queried, scowl returning. "Should we execute?"

The Commander merely blinked. "No." He spoke sternly. "Look beneath him."

The titan's breath hitched in his chest, realizing that they had seen his little ones below him. Angrily, Rogue crouched lower to offer Armin and Mikasa more protection, hissing and snarling loudly. Rogue howled again, the earth vibrating beneath him and dislodging a few loose pebbles from the rock wall.

"That's Ackerman and Arlert! Damn it! What the hell!" The short leader growled.

Messy Hair looked on in a daze, confused but studying him as always. "What's The Rogue –

She was delayed in her sentence, as he roared as loud as he possibly could, sending tremors through every object and body. They were not leaving! They were not retreating from his bellows like the growling creatures! Why! Rogue clacked his teeth, body trembling with rage. Steam rose from small open pores as his body heat steadily rose. The creature snarled, releasing a strong jet of hot steam through his nose. His temper was flaring; a primal and defensive instinct began to claw its way into his soul. He and his little ones were cornered, at a loss in the current standoff. Rogue had only felt this level of fury twice before, both episodes occurring when those he cared for were in jeopardy. The titan roared greatly, sending birds for miles away in panic. He would have to stand up for them. Rogue lifted his hand from the grass, appendage shaking as he struggled with the thought of breaking his promise.

"Erwin! Your orders!"

"He's not fucking around!"

"Look! He is –

"STOP!"

Stop. The single word intruded his ears and a light and sensitive touch upon his wrist brought Rogue to the light. The voice was pleading but angry, he knew that voice from anywhere. Slowly, the titan turned his gaze below him to look upon Mikasa who was staring up at him in great concern. Seeing eye water gracing her cheeks, Rogue instantly calmed, sinking to his knees. He had upset her? How? He was only trying to protect her. Did she not want to be?

"Please. Please Stop." His little one squeaked. "Settle down now. No one is going to hurt us."

The titan blinked in confusion, tilting his head and green eyes filled with worry. He watched as her hand gently stroked his wrist, ignoring the heat of his flesh.

"It's okay. They are not going to hurt you."

Rogue's brows knitted together and the skin at the corners of his mouth sank into a vexed frown with his tapered ears wilting. The titan let a small moan come from the pit of his throat, wordlessly asking if she was certain.

"Yes. Nothing is going to happen."

"Don't worry, Mikasa and I are safe." Armin added, following Mikasa's actions. "You are going to be safe."

Rogue felt himself go limp, body relaxing against the earth. He was so confused. However, before he could ask them to elaborate, a loud gasp of shock came from Messy Hair. The titan watched as the woman's face fell in shock. What was she squealing about now? What the fuck was going on? Why were his little ones in contradiction of actions against the flying humans?

"My god," The woman began. "You two, you're the two titan children!" Messy Hair spoke slowly but animatedly. "You are the ones that were raised by The Rogue Titan!" She announced, making the faces of the uniformed men change into looks of perplexity and disbelief.

"Armin Arlert? Mikasa Ackerman?" The leader asked in a stern by considerate tone. "Is this true?"

Rogue watched as his little one nodded. "Yes." She spoke, looking back up to his bewildered face; a brow rising in question, wondering what Mikasa was carrying out. "As for an introduction, this is Rogue Jaeger. He is my big brother." His little one spoke strongly, eyes like a small burning flame. The creature found his heart warming slightly; he had always liked it when he was referred to as a family member.

The blonde leader's large brows rose. "So, the titan's name is Rogue then? Not to far removed from his alias the people have given him then."

"What!" A voice rang out from the cluster of flying humans. The titan followed to voice to find its source was the same boy that was nearly bald he had seen back in the human city. "Mikasa? The titan? He's your brother!"

His little one dithered with Armin nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, technically Rogue was… adopted." He beamed fretfully. "It's a long story."

"Actually me and him Armin." Mikasa corrected quietly.

Rogue blinked, looking from the flying humans back to his little ones in serious confusion. Wanting someone to explain what was happening, the titan lifted his hand and gently poked his small colleagues, ignoring the pack's watching eyes as he received his little ones' attention. Rogue then asked his question in a series of small grunts and grumbles, pointing innocently at the uniformed men who were completely astounded.

"Are you wondering what's going on, Rogue?" Armin queried.

Rogue nodded quickly in reply, completely eager and ignoring another enthused squeal from Messy Hair. The titan crossed his arms, showing his impatience. He wanted to know what the hell was going on now.

"Okay, do you remember a long time ago, Rogue? When Mikasa and I told you we were going to join the Scouts? The Survey Corps?"

Again, he nodded, but then noticing the shiny contraption hanging around both of his little ones' hips – something that he had failed to detect earlier. Rogue grunted deeply as he pressed a finger to Armin's device, tapping it in demand of another explanation. It looked just like –

"Oh these things? That's our maneuver gear, Rogue. You see – Mikasa and I are Scouts now. We use these to fly around, Rogue. You see? These people are –

The meaning came to the titan before his little one could finish. The uniformed men and now his little ones used the invisible wings. The flying humans – they were called the Scouts. His little ones' clothes matched theirs, their long sleeve cloth donning of all the men in the hands of another soldier next to Messy Hair. They had everything the uniformed men had – the pack that had been hunting him. Rogue's heart beat faster in panic, eyes wide as the fact settled in. His little ones… they were with the flying humans?

In shock, Rogue let out a sharp cry of fear and roughly backed against the roots to his tree, siting awkwardly on his heels with his hands pressed firmly to the ground as he desperately tried to merge with the tangling roots. He was so confused! His little ones, could they have betrayed him? No, that couldn't bet it! They would never! They would never tell these humans to hunt him! Never! Yet, why did they lead them here? Rogue then witnessed as his little ones mouthed something to the Scouts and then latched onto his tree's roots – flying up to rest next to his head. The titan watched as they approached him warily, putting on warm looks with the intent to calm.

"Hey Rogue?" The small blonde spoke earnestly. "We didn't mean for any of –

Still not knowing how to interpret the situation, Rogue immediately interrupted with a small, prolonged, and high-pitched growl as he pushed himself further into the interwoven mass of roots, looking and sounding like an angry cat. The flying humans watched in complete awe at the titan's behavior, but he didn't care how much of a show he put on at this point.

Armin's smile only softened. "Like I was saying, we didn't mean for any of this to happen to you, Rogue. Would you let us explain? Are you willing to?"

The beast wavered, still on edge. Yes, there had to be some sort of elucidation. Then again, if his little ones had known about the flying humans even before he discovered them, why didn't they inform him of them? His Carla and Grisha had told him about the flower backs. Why had he not been informed about the Scouts? Did they think that he would never run into them? Even if they were dedicated titan hunters? Slightly frustrated, Rogue then began to boast his argument in gibberish – snorting, grunting, and rumbling his objections – completely unaware of how many of the flying humans were watching utterly spellbound.

Armin shook his head in response with the titan hoping that they had understood him. "Look, I know this is all a bit of a shock to you, but would you please hear us out, Rogue? I can tell you everything from start to finish. Will you listen?"

For a moment, the titan remained stubborn, looking down at the grass and dirt beneath him with a slight pout as his nails dug once more into the earth while he dwelled on the opportunity. After a moment, Rogue then grunted – waving for them to proceed with a hand. His little one nodded in gratitude.

"Thank you, Rogue. Now, after the titans got through the wall and we began to live with you all the time, Mikasa and I had an idea. As we told you, we couldn't exactly survive out here even with your help, but we didn't want to leave you alone forever. So Mikasa and I formed a plan. If we could somehow show you to the Scouts and get them to see how unique and kind you were, we could possibly get you to live behind the walls with us. So after we left you and joined the trainees. That was our original plan. Of course, then we heard the stories of you killing titans! At first we didn't think it was you, but when we saw you in Trost our suspicions were confirmed. You were THE Rogue Titan! After you saved everyone in Trost, the Scouts saw how valuable you were! Mikasa and I then used the Scout's plans to catch you to our advantage. As soon as we were able to, we were to lead them to the cove to see you, Rogue. "

The titan blinked, beginning to understand the peculiar actions of his little ones. This was all done to help him? Really? Rogue's brows knitted together in question. The creature then grumbled again, gesturing to Mikasa's maneuver gear and then pointing at his skin – poking everywhere on his body where the flying humans' cables had pierced him. If they thought he was worth something, then why did they still hurt him? Rogue gestured to his foot as well, illustrating in a series of hand movements how it had gotten ripped off by steel jaws. Perhaps his little ones had an explanation for that too.

"Are you asking why they hurt you?"

Rogue nodded, waiting.

"Well you see Rogue, they didn't know for sure if you could understand them or what you would do if they approached you in your forest like how those other soldiers did in Trost. Mikasa and I couldn't just TELL them about you because they would not believe us. When people are scared Rogue, they take risks sometimes. Since you're a little… unpredictable, they resorted to the measures they used to capture you. After the first time they did, someone other than us told them that they saw you carrying and protecting Mikasa and I in Shiganshina. Going on that, they put things together and understood why you do some of the things you do and what you have the ability to do. Knowing that you can understand what people say for the most part, they tried to just talk with you – but you kept running away. That was the reason why whey used the cables again that last time – to get you to stop." His little one paused, getting a breath before starting again. "They hated to do that Rogue! They really did! They are desperate, Rogue. Humans are thinning out. More and more of us are being killed. The Scouts have done everything they can to help – but it's not enough."

"Yes, soon there won't be any of us." Mikasa began. "It's the reason why they are so interested in you, Rogue! The Scouts, Armin and I, and many more want you to join our team! Humanity needs someone like you! They need hope! So, will you please come with us?" His little one concluded strongly, eyes showing a flicker of despondency.

"You'll get to kill titans, but you get to be with us, Rogue." Armin smiled. "Not only that but you get to live with all of us, we can be an even bigger family if you want!"

The titan tilted his head, feet swaying a bit in consideration. The idea of being with his little ones every day and having a bigger family did sound enticing. Rogue found himself purring at the thought. Maybe they could all live here in his cove!

"I see you're interested!" His little one chuckled. "But of course, we can't stay here. You'll live with all of us at the Scout's castle."

Rogue tilted his head in the opposite direction, whining a bit in disappointment. This was his home. It had so many memories and he loved everything about it like his pond and deer.

"Oh Rogue, I think you would love it! It's a big castle that sits in the middle of countryside and is surrounded by a forest similar to yours. There is a lot to look at like the river and large pond! Plus the Scouts are building a nice nest for you! How does that sound?"

Rogue sat up from the roots and peered deeply at his little ones. They had been sincere. Their eyes were easy and their voices warm, just as they always were. It was clear to the titan that they were telling the truth. It felt good to know that he had not been stabbed in the back, but rather loved eternally. The beast let a pleased rumble slip from the gaps in his teeth before nuzzling his little ones gently with the side of his face. He could always rely on and trust them.

"So Rogue Jaeger is it?"

The titan turned to see the blonde leader smiling up at him, the whisker one and Messy Hair paralleling his refection – with the exception of the female's squawking and jumping and the Short One's permanently constipated expression. Rogue blinked, nodding in reply and waiting for what the man had to say.

"Since you now know why we did what we did, would you like to be a member of the Scouts?"

The titan looked back to his little ones, happiness swelling in his chest. He wanted this. We wanted to be with his little ones, babies again. He wanted to be part of a family again. He wanted to kill titans. He wanted to help. He WANTED this. All of it.

Rogue then emerged from the roots of his tree and stood tall and proud with every human gazing at his mammoth form. To express his agreement, Rogue decided to do what he had seen the uniformed men do to show their respect. With one hand behind his back and the other perfectly placed over his heart, Rogue performed a military salute.

(POV SWAP)

The sun had disappeared from its throne in the sky once again, the moon taking its place. Night had fallen over Maria, forcing nearly all the titans to enter their state of slumber and for the men and women to rest. After leaving the cove, it had been decided that it was time to move out, hurrying to make a schedule. They were now resting at the halfway point, a great feat that they had never thought possible in the time span of a day. With their massive bodyguard – things were more productive – and much more safe.

Armin then emptied a spoonful of soup from the giant boiling pot into a small chipped bowl – a celebratory stew that the chef had made in light of their recent accomplishment. The blonde then turned to scan the campsite. Unlike the tops of trees that the Scouts were known to camp in, the group had chosen to settle on the site of one of their safe houses. The establishment was in the middle of a field, likely were a farmer had raised cattle long ago. The wagons had been placed aside and most of the Scouts, including his friends of the 104th, Levi's squad, and his superiors, were seated in a circle at a bonfire just outside their tents. Armin then let his eyes wander to Rogue who was off to his left, watching as the titan was surrendering to curiosity while he examined the Scout's horses. A small grin came to the teen's face as the titan kindly rumbled, petting the horses along their spines as carefully as he could manage. It had been such a blessing that the beast was quick to forgive. At first, Rogue seemed less than happy and reluctant to go behind the wall with them, but Armin knew that his friend would jump at the chance to be with them – no matter the risks. Rogue loved them far too much to give them up.

Remembering his orders, Armin then began to stroll toward the large campfire where the others were seated. As he made his way across the field, Armin couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Their plan had worked, even with a few misfortunes and setbacks it had worked. With Rogue's own aid, fantasy became reality. For once in the world, things had gone right. The teen then took his place next to Mikasa, receiving a hello before taking another bite of soup. Armin then focused on taking a few bites while he could before being bombarded by the upcoming questions in an impending interview. His blue eyes then traveled to his superiors, observing as the four looked up from their bowls to focus on him and Mikasa. The Commander then glanced behind the two teens to observe Rogue as the titan continued in his task of petting each and every horse. Erwin then let an easy smile come to his face.

"Looks like he's taken a love to our horses." The man chuckled. "I guess he's managed to per sway them to like him now."

Mikasa dipped her head, smiling softly as she looked back at the titan. "Rogue can make friends pretty easily – especially with animals. One time he became friends with a bunch of little ducklings. We still have no idea to this day how Rogue accomplished that."

Armin observed as a few of the Scouts laughed, Hange herself looking more and more on the edge of her seat by the minute, grinning like a fool. Erwin then placed his bowl in his lap and interlaced his fingers before turning to Armin once again.

"So Arlert, could you inform us about how the two of you met Rogue? Please, give us every detail."

The blonde teen snuck another bite of soup before looking back at the titan who was still scrutinizing the horses before focusing again on his comrades. "I suppose it is best to start from the very beginning. Seventeen years ago, before Mikasa and I were born, Rogue was found by the Jaegers."

"Jaegers?" Erwin questioned, a brow rising.

"Yeah, Grisha and Carla Jaeger. Grisha was a doctor in Shiganshina and Carla was his wife. They were incredibly kind people and for years they were trying for a child, but they found that Carla was infertile. Because of that she became depressed and decided to go for a walk one day to clear her head. That was when she met Rogue."

"How did they meet?" Petra joined in, many of the others now leaning forward in incredible interest or hurriedly eating their food with little focus on their meal.

"Carla accidentally wandered into a wolves den. She was almost killed, but that was when Rogue showed up. His curiosity and hatred for wolves saved her you could say – he had never seen a human at that time before. Carla of course was terrified of him at first, but when Rogue let her go she wondered why. She told Grisha about the titan and they went to find him because they felt that Rogue had potential. Once they saw him as he was: a shy, gentle, and otherwise harmless unless provoked creature, the Jaegers adopted Rogue as their own child."

"So that's the answer as to why he has a last name." Hange finally cut in, voice shaky in excitement at the new information.

Armin nodded and sat his soup aside completely, conveniently placing it at his feet. "Since they made him a part of their family, the Jaegers taught Rogue the majority of the stuff he knows. Simple things like what objects were, what to do and what not to do, they also taught him more complex things as well such as basic vocabulary, shapes, human customs, and to always cover his nape if he ever encountered the military."

"Ah, so the Jaegers are the ones who taught him that." Erwin spoke thoughtfully. "So when do the two of you come in?"

"Well," Armin began only to be cut off by a series of loud thumps that vibrated his very bones. Alarmed, both the teen and the rest of the surrounding Scouts turned to see that Rogue had finally lost interest in the horses and was gradually making his way over to them – eyes glowing bright with warmth as he hummed happily. Armin let a smile come to his face as the titan began to get momentarily distracted by several bats swooping for insects, the beast's eyes following every movement. The sight nearly provoked a laugh from him, seeing the titan watching the airborne mammals like a feline observing flies in a room. However, his grin vanished as he recalled a damning fact about Rogue that he needed to share before they innocently asked the creature the questions. "He's coming over so I need to break this to you very quickly. Do not ask Rogue about the origins of the titans, why they eat humans, how they reproduce etc. Nor do you ask him where he came from. He doesn't react well at all. The Jaegers, Mikasa, and I tried before – but Rogue has some sort of amnesia and can't remember anything from before his time with the Jaegers. Although we do think that he's lived most of his life in Maria. In the light of recent events, we now think that he came from the outside at one point – but he somehow lost his memory in the process."

"Understood." Erwin acknowledged with a very disappointed Hange groaning in disappointment.

Armin gestured silently in thanks as Rogue left the bats and walked to the group, footsteps upsetting the fire's logs and making spoons rattle in dishes. The titan then paused just behind Armin and Mikasa, looking down at them with his ears wiggling visibly in the dark and a hopeful look on his face. Truthfully, he was a bit shocked that Rogue would involuntarily approach them so soon with all that happened with the Scouts. Armin had expected for the titan to take his time in warming up to them, but the creature was always full of surprises. Or it could have been that Rogue still felt the need to watch he and Mikasa like a hawk to ensure their safety. Then again, Rogue was incredibly good at reading emotions in people. Perhaps he had sensed the Scout's sincerity and shame. Rogue then made a small trill as he pointed down between them, asking permission to sit and join. With a dip of his head, Armin gave his approval. Every soul then watched as the titan carefully bent over and positioned himself judiciously, lying onto his abdomen. After shifting bit to ensure that he was comfortable, Rogue forced his head to rest between the two teens, purring loudly as he brushed his face over Armin and Mikasa. Again, the others were spellbound and Hange squealed a bit in excitement.

"AHHGH! He's cute! I've never seen anything like that!" The scientist cheered, but was immediately interrupted by Levi.

"Humph, Hange. That is a fifteen-meter titan. Far from adorable."

"Levi! Admit it! He's cute!"

The Corporal let out an aggravated breath, receiving an almost smug look from Rogue – the titan almost smirking. Armin held back a laugh. The beast most likely still held a sense of pride since he had outdone Levi. If he had to assume, it was likely that Rogue wasn't too fond of Levi, which could prove to be a problem since the Corporal had, been appointed as Rogue's superior. The titan then settled again, placing his chin onto the log that they sat upon while he waited for someone to continue.

"Okay, Mikasa and I were eight years old when we first met Rogue – and it wasn't necessarily a happy time either." Armin began with his friend pulling her red scarf over her mouth in protection. Hearing the impending subject, Rogue carefully leaned into Mikasa and gave a soft idle drone in an attempt to ease. Erwin looked to the two teens, letting a small frown come to his face.

"What happened?"

Armin sighed. "We encountered Rogue in a similar way that Carla did, but more tragic. Mikasa and her parents used to live just outside of Shiganshina in Maria. One evening I went to visit her, but when I got there…" The teen paused thinking back to the horrifying event years ago. "Mikasa's parents had been murdered by a trio of men, sex traffickers. Unfortunately, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and they took me too. They stowed us away in a bag as they walked through the forest. When Mikasa and I came to, we attempted to escape, but alas we didn't get far since we were tied together. When the men tried to get us once again, and one pulled a knife and began to press the blade to Mikasa's face – that was when Rogue showed up. At first, we just figured that our bad situation had gotten worse, but then we noticed how he ignored us and focused on the three men. His initial attempt was to just scare them by roaring, but when that didn't work – he got angry." Armin paused, taking a shaky breath as he thought about disclosing the one piece of news that may be difficult for the Scouts accept. "Rogue then killed the trio by crushing them."

Levi sat up slightly in realization. "So Nile was right after all about the three bastards being killed by the titan." The man spoke with little surprise. "Hell, they had what was coming to them. Fucking idiots got what they deserved."

"What happened next?" Hange eagerly urged, now out of her seat and kneeling on the ground, her excitement levels only escalating as the tale went on. "This is incredible."

"Okay, after Rogue killed the men, he came to us and freed Mikasa and I from our bonds. It was storming at the time and we were drenched and cold. Rogue then took us back to his cove and pressed us against him and slept with us in the tree." Armin hesitated, watching as the scientist's broad grin grew even broader. "The next morning Rogue took us to the tree line near Mikasa's house, remaining hidden as he had been told while he returned us. The Jaegers, my grandfather, and a few MP's were there, and it was in that moment that the Jaegers adopted Mikasa as well."

"For years, Armin and I kept quiet about Rogue as we returned to the cove nearly each day to spend time and play with him." Mikasa began as she joined in the reveal. "We taught him things that he didn't know and formed a great bond – all whilst keeping Rogue a big secret from the rest of the world, even from the Jaegers. Then three years after our first meeting, the Jaegers discovered our friendship. Much to our surprise they told us everything about knowing the titan as well and how Rogue was my big brother so to speak. Things were great between all of us as we continued to keep the secret, but then a year later the breach happened." Mikasa concluded softly.

"The breach?" Erwin queried, Armin hesitated, trying not to think about the traumatizing moment too much.

"Yeah." The blonde sighed.

Rogue suddenly released a long whine, his throat vibrating the log and gathering every Scout's attention. The titan's ears wilted and his eyes dimmed with sadness. The creature then leaned into Mikasa further, knowing all too well what the next part of the story was going to be. Rogue then brushed his nose against Mikasa's face, the girl touching the bridge of cartilage as an assurance of comfort. Armin felt his heart sink. The agony of loosing Carla and Grisha was deeply rooted within the titan and he knew that Rogue had always hated it when their deaths were mentioned.

"You know Rogue, you don't have to stay and listen to this. I know you don't like to hear it." Armin spoke compassionately, observing as Rogue turned to acknowledge him. To his surprise, instead of getting up for a temporary leave, the titan merely gave a few grunts and turned back to place himself against Mikasa, a sliver of pain present in his emerald orbs. Armin blinked in disbelief. Rogue seemed to be set on staying next to them rather than going away to ease any sort of suffering. "Alright then. I'll say it as quickly as I can." Armin assured the titan, watching him nod before turning back to the Scouts. "The day the breach occurred, we were planning for an overnight stay with Rogue. We noticed that earlier that day, he was acting a bit strange, kind of like how animals can sense a storm coming – but at the time Mikasa and I thought nothing of it."

"Hmmm, so like an advanced warning then?" Hange interrogated, now writing notes.

"Yeah. Now as I was saying, we forgot to pack a breakfast so the two of us started back to the Jaeger's, ignoring Rogue who was begging for us not to leave. Still, though we continued. Soon after we got to each other's homes in Shiganshina, the Colossal Titan appeared. The titans began to evade and devour everyone. That was when Rogue forced his way past the Garrison to find all of us. Unfortunately, things didn't go in our favor at all. My grandfather had been killed just before Rogue found me. We located Mikasa soon just before it happened." Armin paused for the umpteenth time.

"What occurred?" The Commander queried softly, looking from the silently mourning titan and then back to the blonde.

"It was the very event that we believe shaped Rogue's bloodlust for his own kind. A ten-meter titan – had captured Carla and Grisha. The doctor was eaten before we got there." He dithered, biting his tongue. "Mikasa and I closed our eyes as it happened, but apparently Rogue viewed the whole thing unfold. He watched Carla get eaten." Armin informed with the titan letting out another whine and nuzzling further into Mikasa for a bit of comfort. "Then – he went berserk."

"That's when he beat and tore the other titan to hell." Levi added, watching Rogue intently as the titan's frame tensed up a bit.

Armin let out a long sigh as he poured himself a cup of lukewarm water. "Yes. Even when we saw Rogue express his rage toward those three men, the rage he felt and brought forth on this titan was unimaginable." The teen swallowed roughly. "That day, we saw what Rogue was really capable of and how far he was willing to go, but again – we assumed that this was just an outburst. For years, we thought that the ten-meter was the only titan that Rogue had killed. But we wouldn't find out till much later how wrong we were." The teenager stalled, checking in on the titan who was looking deeply at the fire before him, mesmerized by the licking flames while his eyes remained unblinking.

"After that, did you two live in the cove with Rogue?" Petra questioned, her concerned gaze upon Rogue who seemed to have suddenly isolated himself.

"Yes." Mikasa informed as her hand continued to brush the creature's nose and cheek. "Right after the breach, we went with Rogue and began to live with him behind the cove's walls. He is the only titan capable of entering and exiting so we were safe. Our roles then became reversed. Instead of Armin and I caring for Rogue, Rogue was the one caring for us. He became our guardian, a bit of a paternal figure almost. He would go out and get us supplies – some of which was from the depots, bringing food, clothes, and other things back to us. We would bathe in the pond, plant a small garden of vegetables, and Rogue would bring us deer to eat. The spring and summers were easy. When fall and winter arrived, things would only get more challenging. We had to develop a technique to bathe without freezing, build fires when Rogue was gone, wrap ourselves in wolf pelts to prevent frostbite, and for the most part we would be nestled against Rogue to soak up his body heat. During this time, he was incredibly protective and watched everything we did, making sure we were secure and no harm would come to us." Mikasa stopped, taking the time to let out a slight snicker. "For a while Rogue didn't even like us using knives and was completely against it because he was afraid of us accidentally cutting ourselves."

"Of course, throughout that time was when Rogue was apparently hunting down his own kind to satisfy a taste for revenge and to protect us. Not to mention he was watching you. We were often suspicious of Rouge's activities, but when we asked, no matter what, Rogue would never tell us. He would hesitate and dance around every question. Now, after coming to the realization that we couldn't always survive out here, knowing that it was highly likely that we were doomed if we ever got sick, Mikasa and I asked Rogue to take us to the wall. At first, he refused and was upset until he understood what we were saying. We soon built a ladder out of your cables and Rogue helped us escape Wall Maria." Armin continued to inform, taking another sip of water. "We planned from the beginning to show you Rogue in a way that you would believe us without question. It wasn't until we saw Rogue in Trost that everything fell into place and the ball was rolling. And well, you know the rest from there." The teen finished, looking out at his completely captivated audience. For a long moment everything was silent, eyes looking from the titan to the teens in awe. Finally, as expected, the taciturnity was broken by Hange's squeal.

"THAT was…. AMAZING!" The woman said with great enthusiasm, voice loud enough to make Rogue flinch slightly. "Everything makes total sense now! And to think you two lived and was nurtured by a titan is like the bread and butter of a fairy tale! Ah! I wish I could have been in your shoes at points! Rogue is fucking amazing!" Hange cheered, watching as a small smile came to Rogue's face. If she were able to, Armin wouldn't doubt it that the woman would skip over to the titan and hug his face.

"That's incredible!" Connie exclaimed. "Rogue is like a giant guardian angel, a big, nasty, titan killing, yet loving guardian angel. A bit bloodthirsty, but still an angel."

"He's a miracle." Krista smiled to the titan who was looking at her in liking, most likely fond of her caring tone. "A big gentle giant." The small girl beamed, Rogue purring in pleasure at the praise.

"I never imagined that a titan like him would be possible, but it is" Petra smiled. "You're quite something aren't you, Rogue?" The redhead continued, making the creature produce a high-pitched chirp in acknowledgement. The titan began to purr louder, making Armin notice Rogue's kneading hands as well. In the past, he had only seen this action a few times, knowing very well that Rogue only did the odd act whenever he was equally excited and happy to a great amount. It was one of the strange things that always brought a smile to his face. Since it's long absence from the days before the breach, it felt good to see the titan do such a thing again.

"So now that we're square with everything else and we know what happened, could you perhaps tell us a little bit about Rogue's characteristics?" Erwin questioned politely, eyes watching the titan's odd quirk unfold.

"Certainly," Armin smiled while Rogue finally settled, looking to the teen in waiting. "Rogue is probably best described as a mix of a big kid and the harmonious balance of a puppy and kitten – when he's in a good mood of course. Despite his appearance, he's a very open and friendly individual. Rogue prefers company and loves to get involved in everything. He likes to play around, just like any human child would – the game of catch being his favorite. Among other things he's fond of or loves doing are: listening to stories, getting scratched behind the ears, learning about things and places, exploring, befriending animals like deer, human objects like pillows and mattresses – for some reason he likes the feathers and cotton inside of them."

"It's a good idea to probably hide those when we get back." Mikasa cut in with many of the others nodding in agreement at the advice.

"Yeah, that's not a mess I want to clean up." Levi grumbled, getting a glance from Rogue.

"Then it's probably best to also warn you that Rogue is an expert in finding things that you hide from him. If he feels like it, he'll go to great lengths to get them back." Mikasa returned, obviously giving Levi a silent warning.

"Anyways, I'm sure that you all will find out what else he does and likes when we spend more time together. As for his other traits referring to his protectiveness, Rogue is very judgmental of people around us. He's good at reading your emotions and the tone in your voices. If he likes you, he'll treat you as he treats us. And be cautious, sometimes when he's really happy to see us – he'll greet you by licking your face. It's an odd thing he does that Carla and Grisha were never able to suppress." Armin smiled sheepishly. "You do get used to it after a while."

"I guess that's the reason why you two smell like shi –

"Levi!" Hange scolded. "Come on! You don't want our new ally to not like you do you?"

The man only stirred his tea, scowl still on his face. "Fine." He spoke, emphasizing the syllable of the 'F' much more than necessary. "Still, they need to wash as soon as possible."

Several seconds passed before Armin began again, throat beginning to tire from talking. "If he isn't fond of you, he's going to be stubborn and willful. He's likely not going to listen, but it's something Mikasa and I don't really know for sure because Rogue has never really been introduced to anyone else. If you look like you're going to harm us, he gets extremely aggressive – kind of like a guard dog. He will try his utmost best to fend you off by trying to frighten you. As far as other protective aspects go, Rogue likes to help out with things, warm you if you're cold, and when titans encountered us on hunts or the trek to the wall – Rogue kept us extremely close while he scared them off much how he tried to frighten you earlier."

Hange grinned, glasses catching light from the burning fire. "Ah, a declaration of dominance! Very interesting!" She exclaimed as she scribed in her notebook, Rogue watching her eagerly.

"Rogue dislikes a number of things." Mikasa began with Armin secretly thanking her for the opportunity to rest his pipes. " This includes other titans, wolves, being lonely, insulted for being what he is, the smell of human blood, when we're stressed, and he's incredibly cautious of the Garrison and MP's. He usually announces his displeasure with things like fits of gibberish, pouting, and growling. But it's mostly just fits of gibberish that you have to decipher."

"Hmm, very interesting. Of course, I bet there's more that will emerge once he comes to live at headquarters." Erwin articulated. "Thank you for sharing that with us you two. I know that part of your story was a bit difficult to disclose to all of us sitting here. Although you did keep this information from us, I can understand why you chose to do so. In the report, I'll just note that you were unaware of Rogue's actions. "

Armin smiled. "No problem. Thanks Commander." He saluted.

"You're welcome. One more thing, we're all wondering where he learned the crude gesture of flipping the bird. Could you enlighten us, Armin?"

The blonde teen found himself chuckling. "Oh that. Mikasa and I got into an argument as kids. He kind of picked it up from Mikasa." Armin grinned with Mikasa trying her best not to titter. "We told him what it meant when he mirrored the gesticulation and not to do it, but he obviously didn't listen." The boy chortled with Rogue soon huffing in amusement and several of the Scouts joining in to the small patch of merriment. Armin smiled, so far things were going well.

Hange then stood and placed her hands upon her hips, making an excited notion once again. "I have an idea before we take the load off. Why don't we introduce ourselves? It would be good for Rogue to get to know us a bit before we get back to Katness and our home sweet home." The woman beamed broadly, barely keeping her excitement under wraps. Erwin dipped his head in approval.

"Sounds good. Best to get acquainted early. I'm Commander Erwin Smith, I'm in charge of the Scouts, but you may have noticed that long ago, Rogue."

The titan nodded, propping himself up to where his elbows supported his head. Rogue's ears faced forward in curiosity, looking like a child observing ants.

"I'm Section Commander Mike Zukarious." The taller man followed, igniting a counterclockwise pattern.

Levi sighed, bringing his teacup to his face nonchalantly. "Levi." The man spoke simply. "Corporal Levi. Second in command and in charge of –

"I'm Section Commander Hange Zoe!" The scientist interrupted, Levi merely rolling his eyes and continuing with his tea. "I'm the Scout's dedicated titan researcher and enthusiast! I'm very pleased to meet you and I'm excited to have you as the subject of my study!"

For a moment, Rogue blinked in surprise – eyes wide and a tapered ear twitching in thought. It was a brief second before Rogue nodded, Armin figuring the delay was because of both Hange's behavior and the titan trying to make sense of her speech.

"I'm Petra Ral!" The redhead spoke sweetly just as she always did. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Rogue."

The titan let a pleased gurgle slip between his teeth, eyes shutting tightly in pleasure before unveiling them again. To Armin, it was clear that Rogue was fond of Petra – something he had expected to occur. They were likely to get close in the future. Levi's squad then introduced themselves one by one with the titan nodding at each. Eld Jin then gave his name and passed the practice onto Connie.

"I never thought I'd be introducing myself to the badass that is The Rogue Titan. The name's Connie Springer!"

"I'm Sasha Blouse!" The brunette spoke through a bite of soup. "Maybe you could catch me some deer sometime!"

Connie then cackled at Sasha's request. "She likes food if you can't tell."

"Oh be quiet!"

"I'm Krista Lenz. It's a pleasure." The small teen smiled with the titan giving a slight purr in return. Krista was another person that Rogue was likely to form a bond with.

"Jean Kirstein." The tall teen spoke beneath his breath, forcing each and every word almost through his teeth like it was an absolute chore. At the standoffish teen's response, Rogue snorted and quickly adverted his eyes to the next person. Armin bit his lip, like Levi, he was certain that Rogue was going to butt heads with Jean. Their personalities clashed greatly.

One by one, every Scout in the circle introduced themselves to the titan. Finally, after several minutes of introductions and comments, the pattern was broken off at Armin and Mikasa – only including themselves for their friend's amusement.

"Well, I guess were done sharing our names and titles! It's too bad actually," Hange sighed. "I was looking so forward to naming you! I had so many picked –

"RROOOGUUEE!"

Armin's eyes grew wide at the titan's speech, looking out at his allies who had either stood from their seats, had their mouths agape, or had dropped their dish in shock. The teenager then looked to the titan to see the beast wearing a wide and awkward smile on his malformed face. Rogue's ears wiggled a bit, purring loudly at his own involvement. Armin was honestly surprised that the titan had decided to reveal another characteristic about himself so soon. Perhaps the reason was that Rogue had felt like joining in on the introductions even though everyone knew his name, thinking that it was a bit of fun. Hange stumbled over to the titan, walking clumsily with her eyes open fully and her mouth agape. Rogue tilted his head in delight as the woman's body trembled – raising a finger to point at the creature.

"You…he…he…CAN SPEAK!" Hange stuttered, nearly tripping over herself. "How? How…how is this… possible! He doesn't… even have… PLEASE! PLEASE SAY THAT AGAIN! PLEASE!" Hange begged, jumping up and down and behaving similar to someone in an asylum.

The titan's ears flickered a bit, emerald orbs wide at the display. Armin then watched as the creature swallowed, throat muscles flexing in preparation. "RROOOGGGUUEE. AAAEEEGGGRRR." Rogue informed. "TTTIIIITTTAANN." The beast included, giving his occupation of sorts like many of the others had done. Hange then released another squeal that was dangerously close to a screech.

"YOU ARE FUCKING AMAZING! HOLY SHIT! YOU CAN SPEAK! YOU CAN REALLY FUCKING SPEAK! I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE! YOU ARE THE MOST INCREDIBLE TITAN I'VE EVER SEEN! OH! I HAVE TO EXPERIMENT! I HAVE TO… HAVE TO… TO… TO …" Hange choked, eyes rolling into the back of her head. The woman then fell backwards into Molbit's waiting arms, having fainted from both shock and the lack of oxygen. A few exerts of mirth and merriment swept among the Scouts, Levi himself fighting a smirk at the state of the scientist. Armin watched as Rogue turned to face him, green eyes glancing back at Hange before returning to the boy. The titan then pointed to the unconscious woman.

"NNNOORRRRNNAALL?" Rogue asked, making the blonde let out a laugh.

"With Section Commander Hange – it's a common thing. Although I've never heard of her fainting because of a titan before."

The swaying movement was quite a bit of a difference from the motions he went through with his three dimensional gear. There was no change in altitude, and no constant shift in direction. Armin could compare the feeling to that of floating on a boat in water. It was a comfortable feeling – one that he would have to get used to again.

The day was warm and sunny unlike the previous day of travel that was hours of overcast. The teen repositioned himself once again on Rogue's shoulder as the titan followed the Scout's platoon. With the entrance to Katness district in sight, Armin began to feel a bit of anticipation. They had been walking for hours. Mikasa was seated next to him with Hange on his opposite side near Rogue's ear. Today had been the woman's first time perched atop the fifteen-meter titan's shoulder – and she was far too enthusiastic and annoying. For ages, the woman had been talking nearly nonstop. The two teens were quickly exhausted without having too move. Even Rogue seemed tired from Hange's chatter – wearing an almost annoyed look upon his face.

"I'd love to hear you talk some more, Rogue!" The scientist smiled gleefully. "You have such a lovely speaking voice! Can you say my name? Can you say 'Hange' Rogue?"

Armin watched as the titan snorted in annoyance, green eyes narrowing a bit as he turned his head to face the woman. "NNOO." Rogue denied, lifting his hand to gesture to his throat. "UURRRRSSTS."

Hange looked at the giant in question. "Excuse me? What do you mean?"

Mikasa sighed. "Unfortunately it hurts for Rogue to talk for long periods. Dr. Grisha said that it was because his vocal cords are only meant for certain functions – like roaring, growling, and in his case purring."

The scientist nodded in understanding as the regiment began to approach the gate. "I see." Hange began after a long moment. "So who taught Rogue how to speak? How does he even do it might I ask? His mouth structure is meant for ripping apart flesh not for pronouncing words."

"It was Mrs. Carla who taught Rogue how to speak. She said that it took a while to figure out a way he could do it successfully. He flexes his elongated tongue against his teeth and contorts a few muscles in his throat." Armin answered, rubbing the titan's brawny shoulder. "Rogue prefers to communicate mostly with grunts and grumbles, but he does talk when he wants to or when he has something important to ask or say."

"Ah. I see." Hange's voice drifted off as she watched the wall grow with every footstep. "It would be cool if we could teach him some sign language, but then again we would have to teach the rest of the squad so they and Rogue could understand each other."

"HALT!"

With the order ringing out across the landscape, the Scouts came to a standstill just before the entrance. For a moment, the titan kept on walking, tilting his head in curiosity at the other soldiers – most likely confused as to what was transpiring. Armin's suspicions were confirmed as Rogue turned to him, pointing down to the still Scouts and whining his query.

"Halt means to stop, Rogue." Armin informed with the titan nodding in realization, bringing himself to cease just like all the others.

The blonde teen then observed as a maintenance elevator, one of the many placed around the wall, slowly descended down the face of Rose – the iron carriage stopping just above the entrance. From the height of which they sat, Armin could see the elevator's occupants. One of them was easily recognizable, none other than Commander Pixis. He was another figure that he had learned about in his days as a trainee. The elderly man was the highest-ranking soldier in the southern territory and a close friend to the Scouts. Pixis was known to be a character and favored any type of alcohol, but the man was another one of the military's geniuses. Erwin then guided his horse up to the gate, Pixis letting out a laugh of amusement.

"Well Commander! I see you finally caught your fox! He's a good looking stud if I might add!" The man exclaimed, making Rogue raise a brow in question and a snicker nearly break from the teen's own lips. "I take it that the story my associate told you was true? Seeing that he's got some company with him?" Pixis claimed as he gestured to the scientist and teens upon the titan's shoulder.

"It's quite a long story, Pixis. We'll have to meet later so I can share it with you."

The older man chuckled. "I see! Over a bottle of brandy then! Now, we've warned and ordered the crowd to stand aside so that there is a clear path for you!" The Garrison Commander continued as he gestured to Rogue once again. "Is your new recruit ready then? I don't think it will be much of a culture shock to him since his little stroll in Trost!"

"He's prepared Pixis. Rogue will be no trouble." Erwin informed with older man nodding.

"Good! Congratulations Commander! I wish you smooth sailing!" Pixis concluded as the elevator was raised back up, it's slow movement making Armin suddenly nervous. Once they entered through the gate, they would be in Katness district with hundreds of people watching the titan make his way unchained through the city. Although Rogue had been through a district twice – he had never gone through without any chaos around him. As curious as their friend was, there was bound to be lots of distractions. As the massive gate began to steadily rise and the Scouts advanced, Armin turned to the titan, patting the beast's broad shoulder to gain his attention.

"Okay Rogue, you have to be really good when we walk through Katness okay? You have to follow Erwin and the other Scouts. There are lots to look at, but you can't wander off or stop. There is going to be a lot of people watching. Some will cheer you on, some will just whisper, and there may be a few that don't like you yet. If those people say any mean things, just ignore them because they are not worth it. You must also be very quiet, so don't talk until Mikasa and I say so, Rogue. Some people might get the wrong idea about you. Do you understand, Rogue? You have to listen to us. You have to be good, okay?" Armin articulated slowly and softly, making sure that the titan understood what he was being ordered to do. Sometimes Rogue, as smart as he was, wasn't the best with directions – simply because the titan wanted to do one thing instead of the other that someone was telling him to do.

Rogue blinked before he nodded in understanding, making a wave of relief sweep over Armin. Hopefully things would go as planned. Finally, the titan came to the open gate, his eyes studying the entrance that was several meters shorter that he was. At first, Armin figured that they would have to regroup and Rogue would have to climb the wall, but to the teen and the rest of the creature's occupants' surprise, the titan bent over and began to shimmy through the impossibly tight space – Armin, Mikasa, and Hange taking refuge behind Rogue's tapered ears.

"This is a tight fit isn't it!" Hange exclaimed as she griped the titan's ear while Rogue gave a cocky snort in reply as if he didn't want to be reminded of the small space. "Geez your ears are huge!" The woman cackled. "I'll have to measure them later!"

Armin watched as Rogue's green eyes rolled largely in annoyance before focusing on the bright light before him. Just beyond three meters of brick, the two teens could see the main street of Katness stretch before them. Just as Pixis had informed, the road was lined with the general public, all trying to peer in the tunnel to get an early glimpse. Suddenly, Rogue stalled in his advance, hues wide and nearly unblinking as he gazed out at what was ahead. Armin then felt it, though it may have been a small one for the titan, but the nervous tremble was a major one for the beast's cargo. The boy swallowed fretfully. Rogue had always been taught to be weary of humans. Was he getting second thoughts?

"Rogue?" Mikasa began softly, with the titan looking at her from the corner of his eye. " It's alright, these people won't hurt you. In fact they're excited to see you. It's okay to keep moving."

At her act of reassurance, Rogue gave a slight smile and nodded. The creature then navigated from the shadows and into the light. Armin took a moment to get adjusted to the change in height and sunlight as the titan returned to his natural stance. Slowly and carefully, Rogue braved forward. Below them was a vast collection of people of all sorts. Every type of person was there from the mothers with excited children to the supportive and the anxious men. Merchants, a few cadets, and a couple of Wallists were also amongst the many. Armin watched as Rogue continued to trail the Scouts, looking down in both curiosity and care of not treading on anyone, steps making the earth below them quake. So far, so good – the most Rogue was doing was emitting a continuous and characteristic rumble to announce his incredible interest. Armin and Mikasa sat quietly, listening closely to what the titan's audience was saying and whispering to one another.

"So that is the titan that saved Trost? The Rogue Titan?"

"Incredible."

"He's huge!" A small child exclaimed excitedly as they pointed to Rogue's massive bulk. "He looks so strong!"

"Looks like the Scouts finally came through." Another man began. "Just by looking at him it's obvious that he's capable of mowing down the enemy."

"Damn, with his ghoulish mug, I bet he makes most titans run in fear."

Armin continued to listen, hearing far more praise than negative accusations, as Rogue kept on moving- more interested in the sights rather than listening to the public's words. The titan's ears angled about, nose sniffing to indulge on the clear scents of baking bread, wine, and other obvious smells. The creature hummed a bit louder, his frame vibrating beneath Armin and the others.

"I've never seen a titan look like that before." An older man spoke to another as he gestured to Rogue's features. "And I've been through the events at Shiganshina and Trost."

"You're right. I've never heard of one having pointed ears or actually being physically fit. The Rogue must be exotic or something."

"Look at that! He's not even chained up!"

"On his shoulders! He has a lady and two kids on him!"

"All the papers were right then. He really doesn't eat humans."

Armin continued to remain vigilant as the conversations continued and Rogue began to turn his head to observe things. He swallowed; hopefully the titan wouldn't get too distracted. Hopefully.

"Can you believe this? The thing has the mind of an adolescent and they expect it to obey and memorize every order? Fucking morons."

Both Armin and Mikasa frowned at the merchant's words. The man's attitude was typical, as expected from a greedy merchant. They always seemed to find something to complain about. But the comment did make Armin worry.

"The thing's already wasted enough money. It may be somewhat smart, but watch. It will just be another titan. This time it's just one smart enough to play us."

Armin could hear Mikasa practically growl beneath her breath. God how Armin wished they could move faster before Rogue would catch on to their words, the giant far into whatever objects were around him. Without warning the titan came to a halt, nearly jolting the teens forward. His heart began to pound as he noticed that the Scouts hadn't stopped. Armin looked to see that Rogue was peering down at a small shop that sold wind chimes. The titan's ears pricked forward at the sound of their ringing in the gentle breeze, tilting his head in awe at the new object. Rogue then turned to the teens and scientist, giving a grunt and pointing down at the shop – startling a few people. The blonde felt himself sweat slightly. Of course the titan would get distracted. When Mikasa and Hange failed to respond, Rogue glanced to the chimes again before returning his questioning gaze back to the three of them, pupils wide and innocent.

"Rogue… those are chimes. But you cannot stop. You have to keep moving, Rogue." Armin put sternly, trying to make the creature recognize the aggravation laden in his voice. He then watched as Rogue's ears sank slightly before the titan focused back to the road outstretched before him and began to walk, leaving the stand and confused spectators behind. Rogue seemed a bit disenchanted, but he kept moving to Armin's relief.

"Look how big he is!"

"I guess humans really aren't on the menu for this guy after all."

"Another thing for the Scouts to use to suck the money from us."

"The Rogue Titan! Humanity is saved!"

Armin and Mikasa continued to listen to the crowd's comments, both good and bad as they passed the halfway point. Even as they went, residents of Katness were still lined up along the main road, pointing and gawking at the megalith. However, to the three Scout's dismay, Rogue came to a halt once again. This time however, the titan wasn't looking at people, buildings, or even wind chimes. The titan's green orbs were set on another shop, a toy store. Following the titan's direct gaze, Armin saw that Rogue was looking at a ball. A deep purr came from the pit of the titan's chest as the creature's ears flickered in excitement. The teen winced as Rogue turned to them, finger pointed at the object of his desire with eyes looking almost hopeful. 'Really Rogue? You choose to do this now?'

The titan grunted a few times to ask his question – the general 'can I have this' that Armin had heard from Rogue in the past. He sighed.

"No Rogue, not right now. We have to move so we can make it to headquarters before nightfall." Armin spoke, hand gesturing in the direction of the walking Scouts.

However, the titan only stood, finger still pointed at the ball. Rogue grunted again, tilting his head to the side to express his need once more.

"No." Mikasa began. "Not now."

To the three Scouts' dismay, Rogue only whined loudly, finger trembling a bit in desperation as he continued to point to the ball. Armin ran a hand through his golden hair. This was one of those instances where Rogue was a bit difficult to reason with, his reason replaced with the mind of a toddler. Unfortunately, in moments like this, Rogue's idea was usually something along the lines of 'I saw it and it's mine' or 'I saw it and I want it.' Right now, the drive was certainty that of wanting. Still, Armin could not help but to feel a bit of pity. For years, Rogue had not had any human contact nor any sort of merriment to keep his mood in a happy state. Perhaps this was how the titan was telling them how much he wanted to be with them. Of course, now was just not the time.

"Rogue." Armin began sternly, making himself sound aggravated again. "NOT now. You have to move forward. The Commander is going to be unhappy if you don't. Maybe later, but right now is not the time." The boy finished, begging for a miracle that Rogue would listen. Finally, after several tense seconds, the titan let his extended arm dangle to his side with an almost fussy grumble slipping from his clenched maw. But nonetheless, Rogue moved forward without another complaint.

Armin sighed in relief, but then the teen took notice that Hange had disappeared from her perch.

"I hope you're happy now, Rogue." Armin spoke as he let out an exasperated sigh, watching as the fifteen-meter titan contentedly pushed his new leather ball around between his knees. Hearing the blonde's statement, Rogue looked up from his current enjoyment to nod vigorously before returning his line of sight back to his object of amusement.

"I bet Hange is going to spoil the hell out of him." Mikasa articulated; referring as to how the titan enthusiast had left the titan's shoulder in Katness to buy what Rogue had wanted without any thought whatsoever. "Of course, from all that he's been through in the last three years, I guess he deserves to have a little bit of fun. Of course, killing titans might be fun for him. Who knows?"

Armin shook his head in denial. "Rogue doesn't do that for enjoyment. He does it for relief."

At his words, Mikasa was silent, shoulders sinking as remembered he was right. He too kept quiet, looking off to the landscape before him. Any minute now, the Scout's headquarters would come to view along with everything else the grounds had to offer. He, Mikasa, and Rogue were currently riding atop the massive wagon that had been designed to transport the titan when captured. Now, it was just a break from walking which Rogue seemed to find favorable.

"HHOOW OOONNNGGG SEEE UURRCCEENN?"

The two teens suddenly turned at Rogue's unexpected question, the titan looking at the ball cradled in his hand before placing his attention to both Armin and Mikasa. For a moment, Armin hesitated. Surely Rogue didn't think that they were planning on heading there straight away!

"Are – you asking how long it will take to see the ocean, Rogue?" The raven-haired teen replied with the titan giving a short nod in response. "Well, to be honest, we're not sure. It could be a long time or a short period. It depends on how long it takes us to kill off the titans and for humanity to win."

Rogue then gestured in understanding before returning to his ball, having simply asked the question to pass the time. Armin felt himself sighing in relief one anew. A loud bang suddenly echoed among the platoon, startling the three before they saw that it was just a signal flare fired off by Mike. It was violet, the color that the Scouts had decided to use to signal Rogue's arrival or appearance – this case being arrival. The teen then thought back to the agonizing month of when the Scouts would return from the capture missions only to fire a red flare to signal their failure. During those days, red was the only color Armin wanted to see. As the Scouts crested the curved hill, the massive castle came into view, standing tall and welcoming among the open clearing.

"Looks like we're here." Armin smiled as he turned to the titan who was suddenly locking eyes with the structure in great interest, leaning forward with ears erect. "See that? That's our new home Rogue." He continued as the creature's nose sniffed a bit. "Mikasa and I will show you around when –

Before Armin could finish, Rogue suddenly left the wagon without any indication and raced in the direction of headquarters. Armin blinked in sheer confusion as the titan thundered along past the returning Scouts, every superior and soldier becoming just as confused as he was.

"Well he's in a bit of a hurry isn't he?" Hange began as she guided her horse beside the teens. "Oh! He must be excited!"

"Yeah... perhaps." Armin muttered, scratching his head. Why did Rogue go ahead?

"What in the hell is that big brat doing?"

The three turned to see that Levi had fallen back a spot to ride with them. The Corporal began to eye the teens suspiciously, waiting for an accurate answer that the two couldn't possibly give.

"Er… we don't know, Sir." Armin replied, watching as Rogue traveled further and further away.

Levi folded his arms, a lip pulled up slightly in disgust. "That big idiot is going to have to learn some – wait." The man paused, hands suddenly gripping his reins and brows narrowing. "Hange."

The scientist raised a brow at Levi's tone. "Yeah?"

The Corporal scoffed. "Those two test titans, Sonny and Bean. Did you ever make the arrangements to relocate them to the regiment to the north?"

Armin's eyes grew wide in realization. The two other titans were still in the courtyard when they left! The blonde turned to break the news, now knowing the reason why Rogue had bolted, but Hange was already thrown into a state of panic.

"OH SHIT! I FORGOT! ROGUE IS GOING TO… SONNY! BEAN!" The woman screamed as she threw her horse into a full-scale sprint. Levi let out an aggravated breath as he observed Hange warn the others in complete hysteria.

"Urgh. Hange when will you learn to not leave your shit laying around?" The Corporal growled before turning to the two teens. "Arlert and Ackerman. Mount a horse and get your asses to the courtyard as fast as you can. Now!" Levi demanded as he threw his horse forward.

Without a second to waste, Armin and Mikasa grabbed the nearest set of horses and began to make their way back to the courtyard as fast as the mammals were able to gallop. The blonde urged his horse on, seeing that the fifteen-meter titan had a huge advantage over his pursuers. He found himself swearing beneath his breath. He had always heard how difficult it had been to chase Rogue on horseback, now it was very clear to the two teens that was true. Armin watched as the titan curved a bit to head in the direction of the courtyard, bursting into a line of trees that obscured the blonde's view. His heart began to pound. Rogue was either going to get in major trouble or some of the Scouts that were there would kill him thinking that the titan was attacking. Suddenly, several large quakes and a triumphant roar echoed across the clearing. Armin and Mikasa propelled their horses faster, finally reaching the cobblestone path circling the castle. Steam rose in thick clouds from behind the wall bordering the courtyard. Quickly, they dismounted their horses and rounded the wall cautiously. Several soldiers stood by and peered into the steam, standing ready with blades drawn if action was necessary – completely spooked. A cavernous and conversant growl rumbled from within the steam followed by a single loud vibration that nearly knocked Armin from his feet.

Then there was a bloodcurdling screech.

The teens held their breaths, lumps of anxiety heavily present in their throat as the sickening sound of tearing flesh announced from the courtyard. Slowly and agonizingly, the thick steam began to dissipate. Soon, the area was clear once again, revealing a scene that brought Hange to her knees and enter a state of shock.

In the center of the nearly unkempt landscape, sat Rogue. The titan was seated on the balls of his feet, towering over the now smoldering remains of both Sonny and Bean. Rogue was looking down at the two teenagers, green pools wide with pure expectancy and ears flickering in bliss. Rogue was smiling as much as he was able to, but his mouth held a gruesome display. Between the titan's large teeth, and encased in his jaws, was the severed head of Sonny – flesh, cartilage, and tissue torn and slashed to where the small monster was nearly unrecognizable. Rogue's jaw closed tighter upon the nape, lifting the head higher in a proud manner. It was obvious that Rogue was waiting to be praised for a job well done – completely unaware that what he had done was something that he was not supposed to do. When no act of tribute came, Rogue unceremoniously dropped the smaller titan's head and scooted it towards the teens, the Corporal, and a very upset Hange. The waiting titan then released a rumbling trill, still pleased with himself.

"S…S…SONNY! BBB…BEAN!" The devastated scientist screamed as her hands gripped her messy locks. Seeing the woman's reaction Rogue's smile left his face and he tilted his head in confusion, brows furrowing deeper as he watched Hange weep.

Levi exhaled, adjusting his cravat as he shifted his weight upon his foot. "Well as they say, out with the old and in with the new. Look at it like this Shitty Glasses; you got an upgrade from what you had." He put simply.

Hange slowly stood, legs shaky. "They were such valuable test subjects… but you're right." She sighed solemnly. "Sonny nearly bit my head off." The woman spoke, gradually calming from her outburst, taking careful consideration of the short man's words.

"Now as for you." Corporal Levi began sternly as he approached Rogue who shifted to sit on his rear and peered down at the man's approach. Armin swallowed as he noticed the look on Rogue's face, a glassy gaze and firm bowline that indicated his overall lack of interest – chin tilted up slightly in a boastful manner. "On our way here, I took the liberty to write down a few rules you are to follow without question just as every Scout does." Levi spoke bluntly as he pulled a piece of folded parchment from within his jacket. As the man unveiled what he had scribed, Rogue yawned and looked to the side in disinterest before placing his almost bored gaze back to the man. "Now, the most important rule is that you are NOT allowed to leave the area. That means no going past the perimeter fence just beyond the forest. We can't have the residents around us pissing themselves because your bare naked ass is out and about." Levi informed, paying no heed to the titan's look of dislike. "The second rule is that you have to obey everyone. This is not a big field trip for you. I am your superior. I am in charge of you and you must obey me." Levi paused as he looked down again at his notes. Suddenly, Rogue quickly reached out and carefully snagged the list from the Corporal's own hands, holding it between each of his large thumbs. "The FUCK do you think you're doing!" He scolded, eyes glaring daggers.

To both Mikasa and Armin's surprise, Rogue nonchalantly ripped the piece of parchment in half, smiling cunningly as he casually let the Corporal's notes float back to the ground. "NNNNOOOOO RRRUUUUEEESSS." The titan retorted, making Levi's face red as a beat.

"Listen you little shit!" The short man snarled as Rogue began to produce a strange noise that Armin had never heard from his giant friend, a long gurgle that sounded close to water draining through a pipe that made Rogue's throat muscles contract and his belly roll slightly. "You are to OBEY ME and not –

However, Levi's point was cut short as Rogue parted his teeth and spat a strong stream of saliva right at the frustrated Corporal much to Mikasa and Armin's horror. The titan then let out a huff as he observed Levi grimace and nearly gag from the thick spit that was nearly as dense as syrup. His heart was pounding! Why! Of all the people! Of all people for Rogue to piss off! Armin watched Levi seethe in anger, his body trembling while the others stiffed to hold back a laugh – Rogue in the meantime looked completely proud of himself. Before he could blink, the furious man angled his grappling hooks to the wall behind Rogue and launched himself to the creature's face – straddling the bridge of his nose with his eyes fixed in a deadly glare that seemed to drill into Rogue's soul. Stunned, the titan winced and pressed himself into the brick behind him in a useless attempt to retreat. Rogue's eyes were wide with instant regret or perhaps it was shock, nearly crossed as he peered at an angry Levi in uncertainty.

"YOU." The Corporal breathed harshly, ignoring his saliva drenched body. "YOU ARE AN INCOMPETENT PIECE OF SHIT." Levi spoke venomously with Mikasa nearly growling at the words. "JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST LETHAL MONSTERS ON THIS EARTH AND ARE FIFTEEN METERS TALL, DOES NOT MAKE YOU EXEMPT FROM OUR RULES. YOU HAVE BEEN PLACED UNDER MY SUPERVISION, MEANING THAT YOU HAVE TO OBEY ME WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT." The man continued, leaning closer to the titan's mug. "I'm going to train you like a dog – and treat you like one if need be. So you better remember what I'm saying. If you are a Scout, you have to follow orders." Levi muttered, wiping away more of the titan's spit from his brow. "Now. At sunrise, you are going to sit still as I scrub every crevice of your body to rid the disgusting filth that unfortunately came packaged with you. So keep that in mind brat. I'm not fucking around." Corporal Levi concluded as he lowered himself from the titan's face and walked from the courtyard without another word.

Armin then released is breath and looked to Rogue who had relaxed slightly, eyes still fixed in the direction that Levi left – one tapered ear higher than the other in question. Hange then laughed, having seemingly forgot all about the slaughter of her two test subjects.

"Well! How interesting! I guess we know now what Rogue does to someone he doesn't like! Like an alpaca, he spits on them!" She cackled. "Our first new discovery together! How exciting!"

"Yeah… thrilling." Armin swallowed. "What do you think Corporal Levi will do? He wouldn't – report this to the MP's would he? I mean, I know that they have to look at Rogue again in the future –

Hange only beamed at his otherwise serious query. She shook her head. "The only thing he is planning to do is shower. Forever."

(POV SWAP)

The courtyard had grown silent at the arrival of the night. The moonlight had cast what seemed to be a calming spell over the Scout's territory. It was quiet. Silent except for his deep breaths and gentle metronome of his heartbeat. Rogue shifted, groaning softly as he curled tighter upon the mixture of grass and stone beneath him. He then unshielded his eyes to look down at his pointed nails – a part of him that he deliberately sharpened upon rocks to make them more useful for climbing and ripping our the napes and throats of his prey. Sleep was not coming to him. Although fatigue was pulling at every fiber in his frame, his bustling mind prevented him from falling into repose.

Rogue let out a stressful puff of steam. So far, he had developed a liking to his new and larger family. Along with his little ones, he favored the kind redhead called Petra, Erwin, the tiny blonde female named Krista, a few of the other pack members about the size of Armin and Mikasa, and he even liked the loud woman Hange at points. However, there where two humans who every time he smelt them, a vile taste seemed to come to his mouth. There was the long faced boy that looked somewhat like a horse. The arrogant human didn't seem interested in him and had an attitude that clashed with his own. In all honesty, he didn't care for him at all. But only one human managed to receive more of his dislike than any other member of the flying human pack. Levi. The short leader was what his little ones called 'rude' and had the temperament of a serpent. Rogue wrinkled his nose a bit as he thought about that had occurred hours earlier. The titan wasn't for sure if the little human felt humiliated at the loss of their previous match in his territory. Although his win was pure luck, he still could not help but to feel incredibly proud at the accomplishment. Yes, the man had to still feel the humbleness of the loss. Maybe that was why he was expressing his dominance like never before against him. Rogue swallowed, timidly pushing his ball with his index finger before his face. Truthfully, he was almost scared of the tiny human. Levi was agile and skilled. He could kill him so easily if he wanted. As much as he hated the man and wanted to spit on him again, he would have to tolerate him. Still, it was so amusing to see his face tint red. Almost rewarding. No. The short leader couldn't kill him. According to the big leader, he himself was something they had called 'valuable' – a good thing. Hopefully he could contain his frustrations with the man. Hopefully.

Damn he was so conflicted on how he should treat Levi. A part of him wanted to listen and a part wanted to ignore.

The titan snorted and decided to put away his thoughts. Rogue lay still for several more quiet minutes, lazily toying with his ball. With another soft moan, Rogue sat upright. His smoldering greens glanced over at the unfinished den that the Scouts were making him. He was so uncomfortable, but it wasn't due to the lack of a leafy bed or a covering over his head. Ever since they had reunited, Rogue had spent each night with his little ones pressed against him – the best feeling in the world. Now, ever since they had disappeared into the castle and he had lain upon the earth, he felt so alone. He had been by himself for far too long. Years. Rogue then looked to the giant human structure, eyes traveling from window to window. He didn't want to spend another night without his babies. Not at all. He wanted them. It didn't matter if it was the middle of the night.

He wanted them.

(POV SWAP)

Levi shifted in his sheets, rolling over to find tranquility upon his cot in his quarters. The day had been exhausting. From their long trek to his unfortunate incident with their new resident, he was worn. The Corporal sat up to flip his pillow over with the dry side facing upwards, the opposite wet from his still damp hair. After his walk of pure embarrassment inside the castle to his room, Levi immediately stripped down to shower and bathe. He had lost count on how many hours he had spent in his washroom trying to rid the massive amount of titan saliva from his body – the translucent slime smelling rancid. Tomorrow, he would take care of that whether Rogue liked it or not. He was going to scrub the beast's oily hair, rid the dirt from his nails, and perform an all out oral cleansing. If the titan was living with them, he was going to be clean.

The short man heaved a sigh. He knew Rogue was going to be stubborn when they had first encountered the titan in his territory. That was an understatement. The unruly creature didn't seem to listen to anyone but Arlert and Ackerman for the most part. That was a problem. Rogue wouldn't be able to do as he pleased on missions. He would have to follow commands. Levi pulled the thin sheet over his face, shutting his eyes to begin the pursuit of sleep. Truthfully, he had no idea how his task of training the titan was to go. Rogue was difficult. One minute, he was a gentle giant, the next minute he was willful and would do everything in his power to get his way, and other times the titan was a colossal and unstoppable force from hell – lusting for the death of his own species. It would take a great amount of effort to get the titan in a suitable and capable position for the government to approve the permission for Rogue to go on expeditions. Damn he wished he had more than two months to do so before Zackley's inspection on their progress with the titan and the 57th expedition following soon after.

Levi sighed quietly, placing his thoughts aside for his well being as sleep began to creep over him like an arachnid. Slowly, he began to dose off and sink into the plush surface of his mattress, drifting away into an unsteady peace.

Before he could truly descend into a dream, a loud and sorrowful whine sounded from the night. Levi's brow creased as the sound passed and it grew quiet again. The Corporal rolled over to bury his nose into the fresh linen, trying to jog himself to fall into repose. However, to his misfortune, another whine echoed among the castle walls. Levi groaned. He didn't need this. Not now.

'Fucking stray dogs.' He thought as he tried to return to sleep, but then a third cry rang out – this time vibrating the window frames. Levi then tossed onto his back, staring angrily at the ceiling. He frowned, digging his fingers into his hair knowing the real source to his discomfort. 'Damn it. Damn it all.'

For the next several minutes, Levi lay face up in his cot with his pillow over his face – almost hoping that it would suffocate him as the titan continued to whine. Each plead was steadily growing louder and sounding more fervent and upset as the time ticked by. He never seemed to catch a break. Never.

"It's one in the morning Rogue!" Levi yelled into his pillow before sitting up in his sheets. The corporal let out an exasperated breath as he stormed to his feet and dawned his robe. Another whine echoed down the hall while Levi left his room, ignoring a few looks from tired soldiers peeking outside their cracked doors. The Corporal then made his way to the castle's broad balcony that overlooked the courtyard. He then flung open the entrance and entered the crisp night air. Levi then stopped at the edge of the balcony and peered down.

Below, the titan was seated upon his knees and facing the balcony with green eyes glowing in neediness. Rogue looked pitiful, ears drooped and shoulders hunched over as he peered up at Levi – eyes reflecting that of a sad puppy's. The titan's frame shivered slightly before he rose up on his knees and gently laid a hand onto the balcony's guardrail. Rogue moaned softly before he lowered himself to sit upon his thighs again, gaze still hooked on Levi and his aggravated face.

"What the fuck do you want at this hour?" The Corporal nearly hissed through his teeth.

Rogue whined yet again, looking to the stone and grassy ground beneath him. "IIIITTTLLEE OONNNSS." The titan muttered, turning a hopeful eye up at the less than happy Levi.

He scoffed, listening as several other Scouts joined him upon the balcony.

"What's the situation?" Erwin yawned, looking down at the distressed Rogue.

Levi groaned. "The brat is whining like a little bitch. I have no idea what he's doing." He informed as Rogue began to shift uncomfortably on his knees again, complaining once more.

"Well he can speak." Mike began as he brushed a few strands from his eyes. "Did you ask him what's wrong?"

He nearly growled. "I did. I got a mixture of words and groaning."

Hange then appeared next to the trio of higher ups, looking down at the titan in what Levi could only discern as love. "Aw, what do you think he wants Levi?"

The Corporal rolled his eyes. "I don't fucking know, why don't you get your ass down there and read him a bedtime story to see if he feels better." Levi suggested sarcastically.

Hange merely chuckled. "You never know. Did he say anything?"

"Nothing clear enough for me to understand." Levi grumbled as more soldiers looked out their windows to view the unveiling scene.

Rogue then whined again, this time running his nails across the brick laden path of the courtyard in desperation. "AAANNT IIIITTTLE ONNNSS." The titan spoke once again, looking as if he was on the verge of tears.

"Hmmm." The scientist scratched her chin. "I think he's saying 'little ones' and he wants them."

"Little ones." Levi spoke flatly. "I bet he means them then."

Erwin nodded. "It makes sense. Arlert and Ackerman – we need to wake them up now to confirm all of this."

At the Commander's request, Mike left to retrieve the two teens. Levi continued to frown down at Rogue who was now sitting in the courtyard patiently, eyes still hooked on his captive audience. "This thing has been nothing but a big baby all day. He seems to think he can do whatever the fuck he wants around here." He sneered. "I'm going to break him of that."

Erwin sighed, looking at Levi before turning back to Mike's arrival with the two young Scouts in tow. Ackerman and Arlert looked ruffled and exhausted as they brushed through the small crowd that had gathered to see Rogue. Instantly, the titan perked up – smiling slightly and grunting what Levi assumed to be a greeting.

"Really Rogue?" Armin uttered as he yawned. "You really have to do this now?"

Levi crossed his arms. "Explain. Now. What is he doing?"

The dark haired teen sighed. "Back when we lived with Rogue, we slept with him every evening. When we left he was alone for three years. Now in the past few nights, we've been with him every moment. He knows we're here and he wants to be with us. There is no other way to put it. Rogue just wants us to sleep with him."

Corporal Levi then put his face into his palm. Yup, the titan was a fifteen-meter tall child.

Minutes later Levi found himself with both Hange and Erwin in the courtyard watching as the two teenagers appeared before the titan with blankets in tow. He watched as the beast rumbled elatedly, the titan lowering himself to lie in a curled position. Hange nearly squealed as Rogue placed his two adopted children into the fold of his arm with as much of a loving look as the titan could manage. Levi winced as Rogue then gave his two 'little ones' as he had called them, a small lick upon their heads before nuzzling his face next to them – reminding Levi of many mammalian mothers.

"How interesting!" Hange whispered excitedly as she pulled out her notepad. "I think all those years of Rogue protecting the two of them in Wall Maria has made him develop a series of paternalistic traits! I bet he thinks he's their mother or something. Ah! It's like a lion with two little lambs! How incredible!" Hange paused. "As for his overall behavior in the last few days, he's finally getting to experience things he's missed in the past years – so our titan is soaking up all he can."

Levi only groaned. "This is ridiculous."

"Well look at it this way Levi," Hange smiled as the titan began to purr with the two teens now asleep against him. "At least he isn't chowing down on them or us."

He sighed, yeah there was that.

"You know, there is something bothering me about Rogue." Erwin began, both Levi and Hange turning to see the taller man rub his chin and continue to stare at the sleeping titan.

"What?"

"I've been thinking about it since Ackerman and Arlert told us his story. The titan's amnesia, it really raises the query if he came from outside the walls long ago. It would be certain that he scaled over Maria if that was the case. The real question is why. It makes me wonder. Was he running in retreat from someone… or perhaps something?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: So I hope you enjoyed Chapter 10 - even though it was a bit ridiculous at times XD Chapter 11, and I think about two chapters after that will be all about Rogue and bonding with the Scouts, training him for preparation, and discovering a few things that hint at Rogue's mysterious past. Yup, character developing. Hmm... I wonder how well Rogue and Levi will get along? XD After a few chapters we'll get to the 57th expedition! Stay tuned :)
> 
> Also, lots of you asked on both FF.net and Ao3 if I have any more writings. I do have an original work that's a bit more polished that you can find out more details about it on my tumblr (miranda-leek) or on my Da account (railrunnermiranda) But yeah, if you like monsters and amusement parks you may enjoy it :)
> 
> You can also see some of my AOT/SNK fan arts on both those sites as well, including an illustration of Rogue's cove I finished recently.
> 
> Anyways, stay tuned for Chapter 11! I'm in the process of planning it!


	11. Limits and Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Rogue's first day living at the Scout's headquarters... and it's not what he thought it would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Hello everyone! First off, I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I took a family vacation and went to see my grandmother. I had a signing as well. The month of May was chaotic! Hence the reason why I'm a bit late with this upload. (But hey, in April there were two BIG uploads so I hope that helped) To make up for the wait, this chapter is a whopping approx: 40,000 words. Also, if you follow this story on Ao3 as well... it has pictures. Including some sketches of Rogue! I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan. I'm not a perfect person (a good majority of this was written at 3am) so there are probably some grammar issues I missed. If you find any errors or inconsistencies, please tell me so I can make corrections. I'd appreciate it. Hope you enjoy.
> 
> Also, I'm going to start giving progress updates on this fic on my tumblr : miranda-leek.

**Chapter 11**

**Limits and Lessons**

Sunlight graced his face, warming his gaunt cheeks, brow, and the tip of his nose. It was a warm, almost heavenly feeling that made the skin at the corners of his mouth pull up in satisfaction. The beast let his body loosen further, ear flickering at the songs of frolicking birds. Rogue kept himself in his state of repose despite the sun's commanding presence. He was having another fine and pleasant dream once again – still rare experiences for the titan. This time he was running along a grassy field, lacking flowers and trees with his little ones bouncing and laughing upon his shoulders. With each bound, the grass beneath his toes and heels slowly went from the touch of the organic green to the feeling of almost a rocky powder. It wasn't dirt, the structure being that of a morphing surface that formed to round and fit his feet. What was this type of earth? It was hard yet it was soft. The easy earth was warm from the heaven's rays, accompanied by a sound that he couldn't quite place. Was it rolling water?

However, his incredible and intriguing vision was cut short when a small, but very blunt force assaulted the tip of his nose. Rogue grunted in annoyance, wondering what had dared to disturb his dream. Slowly, the titan forced his eyes to unveil, blackness peeling away to see the form of the short leader before his face.

"Get up brat. Time to wash up."

Instantly, Rogue snorted in defiance. Why? He was having such a good dream. The titan let his eyes roll and close once again, nestling his chin into his arm. Hopefully he could chase the same dream again. Of course, he had attempted the same technique to regain where he left off in a previous good vision in the past before with no success, but he could still try. Unfortunately, his plan was brought to a halt yet again when Levi violated his space once more – kicking his nose for the second time. Agitated, Rogue removed his chin from his flesh and hissed at the short human, warning him to back off, but to his unfortunate displeasure Levi remained emotionally unchanged and stagnant – face still reflecting the look of constipation as usual.

"Are you done with your pathetic attempts, Rogue? Quit fucking around. Remember you are to obey requests and orders. So get your big ass up and follow me to the river. We'll be waiting. Don't make me come after you." The man concluded as he simply rounded his bulk and exited the courtyard.

Rogue's eyes narrowed in distaste. He strongly disliked the man. First off, why had Levi even woken him up? They had just gotten back to their home and he was admittedly exhausted from the long journey. He would have loved to rest for a few more hours, lying in the nearby field to bask in the sun while enjoying some quality time with his little ones – general exchanges of catching up as they had called it. But no. Levi wanted him up and moving already! Why? And what did the human term 'washing up' mean? Why was he subject to it? Whatever it was, Rogue knew if he had to compare, he would rather be nestled with his precious babies and sleeping peacefully.

The titan then let his eyes wander down to the crook of his elbow where he had placed Armin and Mikasa the night before – only to see that they were missing. Instantly, alarm ran through Rogue's mind. The creature then elevated himself slightly to check between and under his arms, whining in worry. " **AARRRNNIN! NNIKKASA!"** Rogue called desperately. Surely he hadn't flattened them! The titan sat upright and looked beneath him, running his hands across the stone and fingering through nearby bushes. He couldn't have rolled over them with the lack of blood and bone. His babies had vanished! Why would they run off! " **NNIKKASA! ARRNIN!"**

**"** Relax Rogue," A friendly voice informed. "Armin and Mikasa are waiting for you."

Hearing the facts upon his ears, Rogue looked down to see the sweet redhead, the female called Petra, before him with a tender smile on her face. The titan calmed instantly, tilting his head to establish his silent query with ears forward in curiosity. Petra beamed and gently placed a hand to his knee, patting it in a tender gesture.

"The both of them are with the others at the river. The Corporal went ahead, so I can lead you there if you like." She smiled, making all the previous tension flow from his body.

At her invitation, Rogue immediately nodded and lowered his hand. He wasn't exactly well immersed in the flying human's territory so a guide was something desirable. Although he could have searched for his little ones by smelling them out, someone informing him about his surroundings along the way seemed like a great opportunity to learn about his new home away from home in the process. For a moment, Petra hesitated before carefully scaling into his palm. Rogue gave his best gentle smile he could muster as he lifted the human to his shoulder. The titan waited patiently as she got settled, watching her eagerly as she gripped his locks.

"You know, I can now say that I've ridden on a titan before." Petra smiled as he huffed and stood up to wait for direction. "Thank you for the lift, Rogue! Now Armin and Mikasa are in that direction." She pointed into a thicket of trees.

Nodding in thanks, the creature turned and headed in the route of her pointed finger. Within a few steps, Rogue entered the flying humans' forest – one that was very different from his own. The first differentiation was the tallness of the trees. They were roughly about a third of the stature of his trees – at their highest, his head nearly peeking out of the canopy. The titan frowned slightly; he had always liked the atmospheric feeling the towering trees gave in his forest. It felt almost as if he were exposed in this particular wood. The second difference was the appearance of the thicket's floor. Unlike his territory, this one was well kept, no it was manicured. There was a clear dirt path beneath his feet, the edges trimmed evenly along the sides. Lastly, he couldn't sense that many of the furry creatures around. There were a few of the hopping creatures and fluffy tailed creatures, but other than that there were no deer to be seen. He could defiantly smell their scent, but perhaps with the presence of humans here the deer kept within the safety of the deep underbrush. Perhaps he would find out later.

"So Rogue, I heard what you said last night. Are Armin and Mikasa who you call your little ones?"

Hearing her intrigue and interest in his two small acquaintances, Rogue released a purr as he turned to the woman and nodded proudly. " **AAIIBBEESS TOOOO**." He articulated, his eyes lighting up even further as she chuckled merrily at his report.

"I see. Armin and Mikasa are your babies as well, huh?" Petra inquired pleasantly.

Again, Rogue answered with a define nod. " **AAAMMILLEEE**." He smiled at the idea. " **NNII AAMMILLEEE**."

"Ah, so those two are your family." Petra smiled softly. "You raised your little ones well, Rogue." The flying human praised as she turned her attention ahead. "I apologize about Levi earlier. He's strict and a bit of a clean freak, but you get used to it."

Rogue grunted in acknowledgement at Petra's apology, but turning his head forward again to roll his eyes in annoyance away from her view. He really disliked the little man. The fact that he had disturbed his rest just minutes ago, made Rogue want to do something to get Levi back. Yes, the man was strict and smelled almost sterile. The short leader really hated it when he had 'generously' bestowed his saliva onto him. Sure, it was satisfying, but the punishment was damning. He would make good on his promise to get him back – somehow.

For several more minutes, Rogue continued to attend to Petra's words, listening to her spoken bio with each step until the sound of gentle rolling water filled his ears. The scents of the young flying humans presented themselves to him, along with the ever-familiar musk of his little ones that urged a pleased rumble from the depths of his throat. Maybe they were gathering to spend some quality time with him; maybe they would play with him like they had years ago! Finally! After so long, he was going to have some actual fun.

Petra then left his shoulder and sailed down to earth before he parted the limbs of the trees to reveal a large clearing that overlooked a vast field. The grass was covered in tiny white flowers and a wide but gentle river cut across the glade. There was a small human structure similar to some that he had seen in the quarry. It was a human residence with a big wooden circle on the side that moved in the water. The titan wasn't particularly sure what the odd buildings were used for, but it had to have some importance. Rogue's eyes then traveled to the grassy banks of the river to see Armin and Mikasa standing with the group of young humans. Spying their grinning faces, the titan knelt to his knees and greeted both his little ones with a rumbling purr – wiggling his ears as he bent over and nuzzled his face into their small bodies. It was his usual good morning greeting, although he wanted to question as to why they had left without a word, he let it slide.

"Well, good morning to you too, Rogue." His little one, Mikasa, greeted as she rested her head on the bridge of his nose.

"Did you sleep well?" Armin asked with Rogue releasing a tweet in response. He was going to deny the fact that he was restless and calling for them half the night, but like their sudden departure, he was going to push that aside.

Noticing the others approaching his little ones, Rogue lifted his head to look upon the other Scout's faces. There was the small blonde girl, Krista whom he liked when he had first met her – the small female's demeanor being kind and sweet. There was the nearly bald human, Connie, which he found offbeat and odd as well as the other female called Sasha that liked food. Although they were peculiar, they were amusing. He could safely say that he liked the two as well. Standing a few steps away from the group of small flying humans was the boy who had a face that he had determined was the mug of a horse - the creatures that the humans rode around on. Rogue felt his nose wrinkle slightly at the look of this _Jean's_ face, arrogant looking just as he was when they first crossed paths. Although he didn't favor the boy, the titan put his dislike aside and greeted the others with a cheerful rumble, his skin around his maw pulled back in a smile and eyes closing tightly in a pleased fashion.

"Hello Rogue!" The small blond female addressed, voice like the melody of charming bells. "It's nice to see you again."

The titan nodded in reply, but then taking notice that the group of Scouts were wearing something quite different than before. Although they still had the straps that wrapped around their bodies, they lacked the brown winged coats and white pants. In fact, they all wore what looked to be old and worn out human clothing covered in splotches and stains. In their hands, they held things that the titan recognized as buckets, things his little ones had called sponges, brushes, and a few toothed brooms that he had seen humans run through dirt in the past. Rogue's smile slowly dissipated from his face as the realization quickly came to him. The human objects that the small humans and his little ones held – they were used in the act of…

"Alright, let's cut the bullshit. Greetings and good mornings are over with."

Rogue felt his shoulders tense at the familiar voice. He then turned to see the short leader, Levi, emerge from the strange human residence. Like the others, he wasn't wearing his tan garment, but most of his uniform was still covering his small frame. It was neat, tidy, void of spots, and it smelled just as sterile as the small man did. Rogue watched as Levi pulled a small white cloth that covered his face down to reveal his lips that were fixed in a firm line – reflecting no hint of whimsy. The titan felt his heart sink, he had been wrong.

"Okay big brat, time for your bath to clean your filthy ass."

The titan blinked in confusion. So the act of bathing was what Levi had meant when he said to 'wash up.' Rogue tilted his head in puzzlement. Wasn't the act of bathing just a human thing? His own Carla and Grisha had never done anything of the sort to him. The only times he had ever felt any sort of cleansing was when rain met his scalp or when he had splashed or let his feet rest in the river. He never once had his little ones or his humans scrub him down. Never. Rogue's brows sank in disappointment and aggravation. He didn't need a bath as far as he was concerned. He wasn't covered in dirt or mud and his scent still smelt like the forest and his natural musk that came with being a titan. Rogue saw no reason for such sterilization, so why should he need to participate in the humanly act of bathing? One thing was for certain. He didn't want to. For all he knew, the suds created by the white rocks that the humans used could be harmful to him.

"Now as far as what your assignments are," Levi began as he turned to the younger collection of Scouts. "Myself, Ackerman, and Arlert will be scrubbing his scalp. As we are doing that, the four of you are to work on the lower parts of his hair, which includes scrubbing and ridding tangles. After that we'll move onto the rest of his body. Now," Levi pressed on sternly as he faced the now anxious titan again. "Rogue, get in the river."

" **NNNOOO."** Rogue denied stubbornly as he heard the short man's instructions. " **NNOO NNNEEEDD KKEEEEEAANN."** The titan informed as he planted himself on his rear, arms crossed in defiance and emerald pools glowing in childish resentment.

Levi's hands trembled slightly, brow furrowing in revulsion. "Yes Rogue. You need a damn good and thorough scrubbing. Contrary to what you may think, you smell like a molding shower and your putrid breath smells like a cow died, rotted in the sun with vultures feasting on its rotten flesh – with the vulture dying on top of all that. Death basically." The stout man spoke malevolently. "To be in the Scouts, especially in my squad, you HAVE to be clean. No exceptions. Now get in the fucking river."

Rogue shook his head, denying Levi's request in a low growl, ears planting themselves downward and against his skull. The titan unfolded his arms to place his palms upon the earth, locking his arms at their joints in a fashion similar to a threatened animal. Rogue gave a low hiss, telling the man 'no' in a wordless bout. However, Levi only seemed to grow more upset.

"Do you not remember what I told you about listening?" The short leader began, voice even more venomous than before. "I said that you WILL listen or I will punish you like a dog. Remember that?"

Aggravated, Rogue lifted himself to his feet with the sort one shouting in protest. Knowing he couldn't exactly run away, Rogue paused in his retreat to bend over and take refuge behind a miniscule tree, a pitiful attempt to conceal himself and put a barrier between them. Levi merely folded his arms.

"I think that may be your most pathetic attempt to hide yet, Rogue. I was expecting something much more dazzling from you to be honest." The man mocked, producing a half roar from his throat at the insult. "Enough with your fucking around brat. Get in the water."

Frustrated, Rogue parted his teeth, clacking them as he gave his argument in several deep grunts before hissing once again, his tangled hair standing up on his scalp. God, how he just wanted to run off! The titan then rotated on his knees and sat with his back turned to the group of humans. So far, this day was less than enjoyable.

"Rogue! I order you to turn the FUCK around and get your smelly ass into the river!"

The creature let loose another low moan; raising his hand to express his displeasure with a middle finger without batting an eye. He could feel a smirk wanting to spread across his face, Rogue could practically sense the animosity coming from the short man. No. He was not going to partake in the act of bathing. Not even if he was threatened to do so.

"Rogue! I will fucking slice off your middle fingers over and over as they grow back if you do that again!" Levi yelled angrily but only making Rogue huff in amusement. "My god you're a big baby. I can hardly believe that you are the ferocious Rogue Titan."

Hearing the insult, the titan turned his head and delivered a snarl over his shoulder. Feeling the need to put his wants before him once again and firmly, Rogue braced his palms against the earth and prepared to turn around – however a soft touch to his wrist demanded his attention. Knowing just who it was, Rogue peered down to lay eyes on his concerned little one, Mikasa. She was smiling softly at him, giving him the very look that always broke his core.

"Hey Rogue?" She asked softly. "Will you listen to us? To live here, it shows a bit of decency if you're clean. Although you may feel unsoiled, you really aren't. You may smell like the forest to Armin and I, but to others you don't smell like a fresh field of flowers if you know what I mean Rogue. Your hair is so oily that it looks like glass. "

He frowned a bit at her statement. He did want to stay here, very much so. It was just the uncertainty of scrubbing. Rogue then nervously tried to get his point across in his own wordless language of grunts and grumbles – not caring if he appeared pathetic. Mikasa shook her head and leaned into his flesh, eyes gazing up at him in warmth.

"Oh come on now! She smiled. "Getting a bath isn't so bad! In fact, it feels great after you're done! Every living thing gets washed off, Armin and I do it all the time! Nothing hurts!"

Rogue raised a brow in question. Nothing hurt? Not even the small white stones? To ask, the titan performed several notions, picking up a small rock that fit comfortably in his palm and mimicked his little ones' scrubbing notions when they performed the act of bathing. Setting the stone aside and making a few more pained grunts in concern, Rogue then waited for her explanation.

"No Rogue, the soap doesn't hurt, burn your skin, or anything like that. The soap is what makes the whole idea of 'getting clean' work. You'll feel great afterwards. And don't worry, Armin and I are right there in the water with you." Mikasa smiled. "Now come on and get in the river."

The titan turned to watch the water, light reflecting off its moving surface like glittering gems. If his little one said it was safe, then it had to be. The suds created by the thing called soap weren't acid or anything that would cause any agony. And if his 'filth' was making his babies and the others uncomfortable then the act of bathing was necessary. Plus, he didn't want to leave his little ones. Giving in, Rogue let out a long steamy sigh and got to his feet. The titan then gradually waltzed to the river, each step weary until he paused at the water's edge. Rogue turned to gaze down at his little ones as if he needed permission – maybe a bit more reassurance. Emerald pools watched as his little ones waved him forward. Rogue snorted, he could not believe he had stooped down low again. For some reason, he always became putty in their hands.

Rogue then took a cautious step into the river and seated himself on his rear, the river's water swelling up onto the banks from the added weight. The water was lukewarm, almost cool to his toasty flesh. Unlike his little ones, he preferred icy water over everything. Rogue felt himself let out a slight rumble of likeness. The cool water felt like a silk sheet, incredibly comfortable and a relief from the humidity – if only the river could come up past his pelvis. Truthfully, he did enjoy indulging from the liquid resource, but he was quite sure that what was coming would be far less than relaxing.

"Now that you're in the water, lean back and get your head wet, brat." Levi demanded. "I'm pretty sure you want to get this over with."

Rogue let his eyes reel in his sockets, as much as he wanted to not listen to the stout man, he did want to get through the act of bathing quickly. With care, the titan leaned back slowly, every muscle in his torso stretching and pulling profoundly as he got into position. Water surrounded his back and soaked through his hair as he lay fully onto the riverbed. Rogue then looked over for any further instructions to find that Levi was wading into the water with a bucket and brush. Growing confused as to why Armin and Mikasa weren't following the man as of yet, Rogue watched fretfully as the short leader rounded to the back of his head. Not entirely sure what Levi was planning, Rogue let a small growl peek from his maw – a warning. However, the man simply ignored his gesture and began whatever work he was doing. The titan then listened intently to the gurgling sound of water being sucked into a bucket. Suddenly, a large amount of water was thrown onto his head, making him twitch and nearly turn to scold the man – only stopping to see his little ones wade into the river and prepare their buckets. Rogue remained quiet as he observed his two little ones continue to build up suds in their buckets and Levi proceed with dampening his scalp.

Without warning, he felt a few tugs on his locks. Rogue turned his gaze to his brow to see that the short leader had climbed upon his head – coming to rest where his hair sprouted from his temple in a widow's peak. What the hell was Levi doing! Both agitated and leery, Rogue growled again, louder than the last with the water rippling from his vibrating frame. To his dismay, the short man merely looked at him unemotionally and almost unimpressed.

"Oi quit your complaining." Levi spoke in disinterest. "Relax. If you fling me off I'm going to be sure I make this more unenjoyable than it already is. Now be still."

Before Rogue could growl a negative response, Levi began to run a soap-covered brush along his scalp, lathering up his hair as he scrubbed. The titan froze, eyes wide at the sky in shock – inner focus only transfixed on the scrubbing of his scalp. Back and forth, the feeling was so foreign. Rogue blinked; letting his tense muscles slack slightly. The sensation was unlike anything he had felt before. Although it was unfamiliar to his body – it felt good. More than good. Amazing even. The circular movements of the brush against his scalp and the scent of fresh human cloth made is eyelids flutter, sinking sleepily. So this was what the act of bathing felt like? Unexpectedly on instinct, Rogue let a loud purr escape from his chest, closing his eyes in utter bliss.

"Humph, all that whining and you actually like getting a bath. Not as bad as you thought was it?"

Hearing Levi's words, Rogue immediately ceased his signs of enjoyment and began to growl low in his throat to give off the impression of his displeasure. He would not purr for this man. He would only purr for people he liked.

Levi only scoffed. "Really, Rogue? Another sad attempt? You're a piece of work." He spoke with the titan hissing at his words. "Alright, Ackerman, Arlert, and the rest of you start working with me on his head. We need to get his scalp done before we move on to the rest of his hair." The man ordered sternly.

Rogue watched from the corner of his eye to see his little ones carry their buckets to his scalp and the other small humans join them. At once, the massaging sensation returned to his skin, easing every amount of stress within his veins and tendons. The titan instantly let himself sink into a sea of comfort. Yes, the act of bathing wasn't too bad, in fact it was heavenly. Again, he couldn't stop himself from emitting a series of repetitive purrs, sounding deep and cavernous. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. As he decided, he would only purr for his babies and his new found little humans. Not for Levi or Jean. As for the short leader, he would get what was coming for him. He just had to figure how.

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin found himself laughing for the umpteenth time in the hour that had passed, amused like his friends around him at the titan's loud and continuous purring. The boy was incredibly relieved and thankful for Rogue's reaction to bathing. He had been worried that the towering and somewhat temperamental creature would have had one of his 'episodes' of a hissy fit, but things had gone in their favor much to their surprise. As far as Armin knew, Rogue had never had any sort of bath at all. Truthfully, he barely noticed any sort of odor coming from the titan. The beast didn't sweat, just steamed. The only areas that Armin found to be an unpleasant experience for his nose was the titan's oily head if he was on top of it and certainly Rogue's breath. It was indeed foul, smelling strongly of carrion from slain titans. Thankfully, that problem would be taken care of. He just hoped that Rogue would tolerate Levi's prodding. Ever since Rogue was constantly around the Corporal, as he had noticed, Rogue was displaying a kind of behavior that he had never seen from the gentle titan. The willfulness yes, but Rogue made damn sure that Levi knew that he didn't like him. Rogue's actions had put him on edge, spitting on Levi the previous day made him especially vigilant. It worried the teen greatly. It was almost as if Rogue was pissing the man off on purpose. The thought made Armin swallow nervously. In the near future, Rogue would have to listen to the man whether he wanted to or not. No exceptions.

The blonde teen readjusted himself in his straps again, dipping his sponge into the bucket strapped to his belts before pressing it to the titan's scalp again. In the time that had passed, Rogue had since been instructed to sit up so that they could reach the other sections of his head properly. Armin, Mikasa, and the others were suspended by their cables that were imbedded into the barks of nearby trees – allowing the group of teenage recruits to reach every part of the titan's head. Levi had since graduated from scrubbing Rogue's scalp to sitting on the riverbank to enjoy a bit of tea and observe their work, pointing out missed spots – having been forced to leave since the titan began to not cooperate by hissing and swatting the man with his ears. Hange had since joined the teens, not in cleaning but to sit upon Rogue's shoulder and observe.

Armin focused once more in his task of lathering the soap and running his coarse brush through Rogue's damp hair. The blonde sighed as he pulled the tool from the titan's wild locks; seeing that the tan bristles were tinting black from the amount of dirt. Quickly, he dipped the brush into his pail and began to scrub Rogue's head a bit harder than before. He wasn't so surprised at how dirty the beast's hair was. Besides the oil, there was a layer of dirt and even a few spots of bird shit. Armin had also expected for Rogue's locks to be infested with insects like ants and ticks, but there were none to be found. Likely because of the titan's hot skin. Rogue's hair was the equivalent of a homeless man's head. Of course, washing the creature's locks was proving to be no simple task. Compared too most titans he had seen, Rogue had a ton of hair that was incredibly thick. Thus, it made it hard for Armin and the others to get all the way down to the titan's scalp. Not to mention, when wet, Rogue's hair was incredibly heavy to lift and move to get to other parts. It was a nightmare to some of the others that kept joking that they should just shave the titan's hair off and let it all regenerate back. As practical as it sounded, there was no way that Rogue would ever allow such a thing.

"So Armin, how do you and Mikasa understand Rogue when he doesn't speak words?" Connie asked as he struggled with a piece of the titan's hair that was in a large knot. "I mean, you guys seem to understand him perfectly no mater what."

Hange snapped her fingers and pressed her pin to her paper. "Oh yes! Please do tell us! I'd love to know!"

Armin bit his lip, unsure of where exactly to start. "Well, Rogue makes a number of different sounds. It took a while for Mikasa and I to learn all of his vocals. There is so many." He replied as Rogue let out a deep and rumbling purr and leaned into him, begging to be scrubbed more. "Well for one, his purring means he's very happy or pleased."

"And I guess hissing means to back off!" Connie chuckled.

"Yeah." Armin laughed reticently.

"So what does he do to get your attention?" Krista questioned, getting involved.

Armin rubbed his chin. "That's a simple one. Rogue makes two short grunts when he wants to ask a question."

"What about the chirping?" Sasha asked as she began to help Connie with untangling the titan's locks.

"That's just a way he says hello to you after it's been a while. Rogue does it when he's happy too. When he squeals, that means that he's ecstatic to see you or he's pleased with something. Rogue has a lot of different vocals he makes when he's happy. He can laugh too, actually."

Hange smiled. "Rogue can laugh?"

"Laugh?" Sasha questioned. "How can he?"

The blonde teen found himself smiling despite the fact that he was currently struggling with untangling an unruly knot. "Yeah. It's an odd sound actually. When Mikasa and I first heard it, we weren't entirety sure what it was at first. It's a huffing sound he makes."

The scientist chuckled madly for the umpteenth time. "Ah! I will have to hear that soon!" She beamed as she reached up and began to scratch behind Rogue's ear, the titan letting out a soft squeal in pleasure. "So, I assume he likes his ears scratched?"

Armin nodded. "Of course." He began as Rogue suddenly leaned forward and started to run his hands through the river, splashing a bit as he tried to catch several silver fish swimming before him. "Rogue really likes it for some reason. Even though he's more than capable of scratching his own ears, he really loves it when other people do. I guess it's just the attention." Armin chuckled, but then hearing a groan from Jean. He turned his gaze to look down at the boy who was trying to untangle his own brush from Rogue's locks.

"If he's capable of scratching his own ears, then why doesn't he scrub his own rat's nest of a head." Jean grumbled. "Of all the titans, we get the one with a mop of hair. Damn it. It's taking forever to do this." The arrogant teen complained, receiving a hiss from Rogue who had paused in his current activity of toying with fish before returning to his merriment. Armin watched Rogue as he continued, noticing how the titan would glance every so often at Levi before returning to his current task.

"He does have a lot of hair." Krista agreed, giggling a bit. "There is so much you could almost tie it back in a ponytail or put it in pigtails."

"We braided it before." Mikasa added nonchalantly.

"He allows you do that?" Sasha queried. "A titan actually lets you braid his hair?"

Mikasa smiled. "Rogue will let you do anything if he's in the mood."

"We need to focus more on getting the big brat clean rather than what style of hair you plan to give him."

Armin turned to see Levi sitting up and pouring himself another glass of tea. "Do you brats have his scalp done?"

"Yes."

"How about the rest of his hair?" Levi quizzed as he watched Rogue in almost a look of disgust, the titan making a variety of short grunts and trills as he managed to pluck a fish from the water only for it to flop back into the translucent cover of the river – whining in disappointment at the loss of his catch. Rogue then took a brief moment to look at Levi before returning to his play. Armin blinked, the titan was definitely still hooked on a blissful high he was experiencing ever since their reunion. It pleased the two teens to see their friend who had been through hell, happy. Still, it felt as if Rogue was currently putting on a show. Why was he breaking his focus every few minutes to look at the Corporal?

"Everything is lathered, Sir!" Mikasa ensured. Levi took another sip of tea, his own form of acknowledgement at times.

"Right. Time to rinse." Levi continued with the teen's signal to remove himself or herself from the titan's scalp so Rogue could be doused.

Armin nodded as he stowed sponges and began to pull himself away, noticing a sudden smirk appear on Rogue's face. Instantly, his heart began to pound as the realization struck him. As Levi began to instruct the titan to lean back again, Armin observed and listened as Rogue released a loud squeal of false pleasure. To his horror, the titan swatted at the river's surface, producing a wall of liquid that quickly raced for the short man – hitting Levi with a massive swell of water. Armin's breath hitched as his eyes absorbed the sight of the temporarily stunned Levi and Rogue huffing in laughter. His eyes opened wider. Rogue had gotten creative. The titan had only pretended to be playing, in reality, he using his personality to fool his victim. It was a bizarre strategy, but one that Rogue wasn't shy about implementing. The Corporal had been caught off guard.

Levi's eyes narrowed as he slowly turned his furious gaze to the snickering giant who wasn't aware of the man's dead stare. The corporal's now wet body was seething, nearly trembling all over in rage as he marched up to the river's edge. If he would have had been wearing his maneuver gear, Armin was certain that Levi would have rocketed up into Rogue's face. The titan then placed his gaze onto the soaked second in command, putting on another act of an accident by trying to appear completely surprised – ears wilting with his eyes and maw open wide in shock. However, Levi wasn't buying the display.

"Quit acting like that was a damn fluke!" He hissed through his teeth. "Your fucking laughter gave you away you big brat!" Levi argued on the titan's seemingly deaf ears, the beast simply snorting and leaning back into the water. "You're unbelievably lucky I'm unable to come up there and that I'm already damp!" Corporal Levi continued as Rogue leaned further to get the top of his head wet before rising, hair plastered upon his face like a veil. "Did all of what I said to you yesterday –

However, Levi was cut short again when Rogue began to shake his head, wringing the water from his locks like a shaggy dog. Water rained in all directions, soaking trough Levi, Hange, and the group of recruits' clothes. Finally, after the translucent liquid had bled through the cloth to grace Armin's skin, Rogue finished his act of ridding himself of the unneeded water. The titan released a low hum, one of likeness as the corners of his mouth formed into a lazy smile with eyes half-lidded in bliss. The sound of a growl, not mistakenly from Levi, captured the titan's interest – the beast giving another played look in surprise.

"Rogue!" The short man grimaced, raising an unstable finger to the titan's mug. "I don't want to be fighting another war." Levi spoke heatedly. "Remember, brat. You are to obey me. Now, rest your head against the bank so we can take care of the rest of your filth. And don't you worry, I'll be chiming in later." Levi finished darkly as he began to head in the direction of the castle, making Hange's brows rise in question.

"Levi?" She called. "Where are you –

"Tea. To get more tea since 'Big Ears' here decided to ruin my cup."

Soon, the bickering from the chaos has quieted. Rogue had since retired to laying back down into the river's waters, the titan's head resting in the grass and daisies. The great beast was in a state of utter paradise. The titan was purring both continuously and loudly as several of Armin and Mikasa's comrades scrubbed his skin and other extremities. Cleaning the titan's backside had surprisingly went well, all except for Jean's chiding as a result for being ordered to scrub down Rogue's rump due to a few of his snark comments about Levi's misfortune and his own. Now on his back, the titan was indulging on the attention as the others continued with their orders. Armin and Mikasa were steadily running rakes through the titan's now pristine locks to rid the tangles. The blonde teen had to admit; he was amazed at the difference the soap and labor had brought. Rogue's hair had been coated in oil, dusted with dirt, and decorated with leaves and twigs from his nest. Now the titan's locks were free of debris, smelled like fresh linens, and were softer than a horse's mane. Krista and Petra, who had volunteered to join the demanding task, mopped the titan's broad chest. Sasha and Connie were scrubbing Rogue's belly, rising up and down with every rumbling purr. Oluo and the rest of Levi's squad were in charge of washing the titan's legs or tending to the titan's dirty toenails – a more repulsive task that even Jean had been ordered to do, picking the dirt out from Rogue's sharp fingernails. Hange herself was seated nest to Rogue, resting upon a blanket beneath the shade – still taking notes and excusing herself from Levi's orders on her own accord.

Armin then moved on to cleansing Rogue's tapered ear, rag sweeping through and along every nook and cranny with the titan rumbling in pleasure – near ecstasy it seemed. The blonde then chuckled a bit as Rogue craned his neck to lean further into the teen, crooning as the creature begged for more. The titan's ear flickered, nearly tipping Armin's soapy bucket onto the bank, a small disaster that was avoided by the boy's quick reaction. The blonde took a breath in relief, thankful that the lathered soap had not been spilled.

"I think you sometimes forget how big you are, Rogue." Armin spoke as he patted the creature's ear. "Let's just stick to purring during this to show how happy you are. Sound good?"

The titan huffed in reply, finding humor in his error before grunting in understanding – eyes still closed as he indulged from the constant scrubbing.

"So!" Hange began as she crossed her legs over one another. "Before we got a bit side tracked, could you two share some more intellect on Rogue's vocal vocabulary? Or perhaps some of his gestures?" The scientist alliterated, eyes wide in interest as she stared at the two teens expectedly. "You mentioned something about him licking and I saw him do it to the two of you last night. Could you start with that?"

Armin brushed his chin across his sleeve. "Like the chirping sounds he makes and his grunts, his licks can mean a few different things. Of course they are all out of affection and are his version of a kiss. When Rogue is really, and I mean really, excited to see you he'll lick – in fact when he first saw us in the cove after three years of our absence, he did it so much that we were drenched in less than a minute. Rogue will also lick you as a comforting gesture when you're upset or on the occasion to say 'good night.' It's not a common gesture and some will probably find it a bit repulsive, even Dr. Jaeger tried to break Rogue from it at one point in time. But of course, it was a bit of a packaged deal with him." Armin smiled with the titan wiggling his ears a little, obviously listening in on the current conversation.

"Very interesting! I'll have to look at his elongated tongue in a bit during my experimentation session with him after he's clean!" Hange smiled as she wrote furiously in her notebook.

Armin blinked, his breath hitched in slight horror. From his time living among the Scouts and observing Hange's experiments with Sonny and Bean, Armin knew they were considered torture. The scientist going to incredible extremes such as slicing flesh for tissue samples and spearing her 'children' through the heart. Would Hange do that to Rogue? The boy's eyes narrowed in suspicion as well as Mikasa's who had been listening in.

"Hange," She began. "When you say experiment, you better not do what you did to Rogue as you did Sonny and Bean." Mikasa informed sternly. "Like we said before, he's judgmental and sensitive. One wrong move and he might distrust you completely."

At her statement, Hange quickly shook her head in denial. "Oh no! I would never! I don't want my new darling mad at me! I'm just going to do an overlook which includes a close up examination of his ears, tongue, and his eyes. I want to do a few intelligence tests as well. The only thing you could deem harmful that I want to do is just a simple blood test."

"Blood test?"

Hange nodded. "Just a small one. Enough to fill a syringe. I want to look at his DNA and compare it to other previous samples I've taken to see just how special he is paralleled to other titans. Also, in comparing DNA samples, I'll be able to tell a few things about Rogue's origins."

Armin's brows rose a bit. Did he just hear her right? Hange could tell where Rogue had come from? Seriously? "You can – tell where he came from?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Well… it's an experimental thing. New. It's something I've been looking at recently. I can explain more later if you like."

"Wait." Mikasa asked. "How are you able to look at his blood when everything from a titan evaporates?"

"Ah! I'm glad you asked! I found out that you could keep titan blood as a physical form for about two weeks if you contain it or freeze it. Of course as you know it doesn't last long once it's exposed to oxygen! Now! His ears, what do their movements mean?" Hange went on as she observed as Rogue wiggled his ears teasingly at their mention, nearly knocking over Armin's bucket once again.

For a moment, Armin found himself hesitating, still hooked on Hange's previous words before he found his voice. "Rogue's ears are probably among the most expressive parts of his body. Wiggling obviously means he's joyful, as you may have figured. When they prick forward that means he's alert or interested. If his ears are down that means he's upset and if they are planted flat against his skull, in some cases folded over marginally, which means Rogue is angry. When one flickers, he's amused. Of course, they are almost always moving around!" Armin informed as Rogue continued to move his ears a bit as if he was putting them on display, knocking over his bucket and spilling the less than clean sudsy water onto the grassy bank. In alarm, Rogue lifted his head slightly to look at his undoing. The titan swallowed as he saw the water quickly escape its container, ears wilting slightly with his green eyes adverting to the blonde, giving an apologetic grin in light of his mistake.

" **OORRRREE."** Rogue spoke almost sheepishly, shoulders naturally rising a little.

Armin only gave a soft smile in forgiveness. "It's okay. The water was dirty anyway." He educated as he stood and retrieved more water and returned to his seat. "Just be careful not to knock this one over."

At his words, Rogue nodded and laid his head back to the grass, closing his eyes again and soon purring. Hange then cleared her throat.

"Alright, now how about the kneading he was doing the other night when we all united? It's so bizarre. I've only see cats do it. Explain it to me!"

The blonde watched as Mikasa bit her tongue. "To be honest with you Section Commander, we don't truly know much about it. In the eight years we've known him, in the five that we've been with him, Armin and I have only seen him do it about five or six times – two in the last few days. In all those instances, he did it when he was –

"Exultant?" Hange beamed as she looked up from her notebook. Mikasa nodded.

"Yes."

"I see! Rogue, you're a very happy titan aren't you?" The woman asked the lounging giant, the beast giving a short nod and rumble in reply.

"Yeah, for the most part he is." Armin added.

Hange chuckled. "Ah! Alright now how abut his –

"Uggh! This is disgusting!"

Armin looked up to see Jean digging a clump of dried mud from beneath Rogue's fingernail. The teen's face was twisted up in a grimace as he pulled out more dirt. "First his ass and now I'm stuck giving him a damn pedicure." Jean mumbled. "Damn it. There is even moss growing on this dirt."

Hearing Jean's insult, Rogue gave a low but warning growl, eyeing the teen before relaxing once again. As Armin predicted, Jean couldn't keep quiet.

"Why am I the one stuck doing this? I can't believe I'm shoveling horseshit and now pampering a titan. He's just going to get dirty again anyway. Humph. Fucking life in the Scouts."

At Jean's monologue, Rogue opened his eyes yet again to deliver a dead stare to the arrogant teen. Without warning, the titan pulled his hand and fingers away from Jean's current workstation, surprising the upfront teen.

"The hell! What are you doing you big dumb –

Armin, Mikasa, and Hange observed as Rogue pushed Jean firmly with a single finger – knocking the older boy down to the bank, mud gracing his face. Jean groaned and angrily scrambled to his feet, provoking the titan to huff steam in laughter. Armin bit his lip at Rogue's behavior, keeping quiet as Jean finally managed to get his footing – facing the lounging titan with fury painted onto his face.

"WHAT THE FUCK! I have mud all over me now! What was that for asshole!" Jean yelled heatedly. Rogue tilted his head characteristically at the words, looking apologetic. The titan whined softly as his fingers cradled the teen's body in an almost nurturing way – patting Jean on his head with his index finger. Rogue smiled a bit, green eyes absorbing an emerging look of forgiveness on the male's face. Jean's brow relaxed, the teenager letting out a sigh. "You feel bad or something?" He spoke with a straight face, watching, as Rogue shook his head 'no' – forcing Jean's face to fall. Before Jean could react, the fifteen –meter titan shoved the troublesome soldier to the mud again with a single finger. As Jean impacted the earth, Rogue roared in laughter – tilting his head back and huffing madly.

Armin felt himself wanting to give into the urge to chuckle at the titan's amusement. Amazingly, the titan still had a sense of humor even after their years apart. If at all. Mikasa and Armin also found it incredible that Rogue was capable of pulling jokes or pranks – some even borderline offensive. There were instances in the past where Rogue would hide their belongings so that they would have to stress over finding them, move objects a few inches away at a time when they weren't looking, and try to mimic knock-knock or guess who jokes from the two teen's childhood – their content usually not making any bit of sense. Armin continued to observe Jean's sad attempts in brushing off the mud. He found himself slightly in shock. He had never seen Rogue express this type of displeasure with the Corporal – with Jean it was more in the form of mean pranks or perhaps bulling. With Levi, Rogue seemed to do the opposite of what he was told on purpose or use the man's cleanliness addiction to execute ways to break trough that particular barrier – the example being Rogue's spitting. The titan's behavior worried the creature's longtime companion greatly. Misconduct was prohibited strongly.

The rustle of the brambles' leaves commanded Armin's attention. Levi then appeared from the underbrush wearing fresh new garments and carrying several floor scrubbing tools in tow - face still molded in a look of disgust.

"Kirstein! Quit fucking around." Corporal Levi began as his steel eyes scanned Jean's filthy clothes. "Now go back and change your clothes. Since you've been goofing off obviously, I think it's necessary for you to run fifty laps around the castle." The stout man spoke sternly, face unchanging as Jean's mouth fell agape.

"What! Sir! I was cleaning! It was that big idiot who shoved me down!" Jean voiced sharply as he gestured to Rogue who was playing the innocent card by nuzzling into Mikasa. Levi merely shifted his weight on the balls of his feet as he continued to watch the titan before him.

"Jean, I'm not your damn mother so your bullshit is not for me. Now I believe I gave you an order." The Corporal spoke in a severe tone.

Jean hung his shoulders in annoyance before he began a slow waltz back to headquarters in view of Levi's gaze. When the teen vanished, Levi made his way to the three Scouts and a still innocently behaving Rogue.

"Hange, why are you not working? Like Jean, you're not helping whatsoever. Quit goofing off. You can run your tests and shit later." Levi scolded nonchalantly with Hange only laughing and continuing to ignore Levi's request to her own delight.

Levi swore beneath his breath. "If you are going to be here, you need to clean. I don't care if your questions are for science, you must work. Now as for you big brat," Levi directed to the titan who was watching and listening to the man's words and body language. "It's time for me to wipe your ugly mug and do some dental work." Levi put sternly as he sat down the tools he had and began to slip on a pair of gloves.

Armin witnessed as Rogue continued to stare at the man as he prepared himself, tying a crisp white bandana over his nose and mouth in a level that was tighter than he usual did when cleaning something foul. The titan blinked, head rising slightly as his eyes narrowed in suspicion. The blonde teen found himself swallowing nervously for the umpteenth time, knowing very well that Rogue was not going to be fond of what was coming. Seeing and soon anticipating the Corporal's intentions – and perhaps an impending negative reaction from Rogue, members of both Levi's squad and the new recruits, calmly evacuated from Rogue's form. Emerald orbs followed them in high alert before returning to the heavily prepared Corporal, the titan raising a brow in concern.

"Now I'm going to wash your filthy face and teeth, Rogue." Levi put as bluntly as possible, the creature's eyes widening at the news. "You are NOT going to give me any trouble or bullshit. Or else, Rogue." The man continued, frowning a bit. "Now get up and lay on your stomach with your head lowered so I can clean."

To Mikasa and Armin's surprise, the titan did indeed get up from his relaxed position and crouched in preparation to reposition himself – but that was where the beast stopped. Still hunkered, but with shoulders rising and head low in rebellion, Rogue growled with sheer dislike at Levi – ears plastered to his head and nose wrinkled in a menacing snarl. Armin gulped yet again; Rogue was going for round two of resisting.

"Don't give me that look." Levi spoke coldly with his brows sinking further. "Lay down. NOW."

Rogue answered with a hiss, shoulders rising higher like a giant cat about to pounce. Levi sighed.

"I can do this all day. So I suggest you hurry the fuck up and lay down."

The titan hesitated for a moment, face and frame relaxing slightly as if he was considering. Rogue's ears shifted a bit as his eyes glanced to the wet grass before looking up at the Corporal. Amazingly, the titan snorted and moved to lie upon his abdomen, lowering his head to where his entire jaw and chin rested upon the earth- Rogue still angrily staring at Levi. Armin's palms began to sweat. It was a relief that the titan had listened, but by the look upon the creature's face, he could tell that Rogue was unquestionably planning something.

"Good. Now Hange," Levi directed at the woman. "Make yourself useful and hold up Rogue's hair out of his face along with Petra and Oluo. We do not need it wet again."

"With pleasure, Levi!" Hange nearly cheered as she quickly scaled up the titan's head and gathered hair with the others assigned to the task. "OH MY! Rogue your hair! It's so soft now!" The scientist beamed as she began to snuggle her face against several of the locks held in her arms. "I just want to wrap myself up in it like a blanket!"

Corporal Levi rolled his eyes at the comment. "As I was saying, Rogue shut your eyes and keep them shut until I tell you. I'm pretty sure this isn't exactly tear free. After that, keep still until I give you my next order. Understood, brat?"

Rogue growled softly in annoyance before shutting his eyes. Armin was sure, since the beast was being cooperative; Rogue had to be lying in wait. Satisfied with the titan's actions, Levi then dipped a long scrubbing broom that was used for cleaning the floors, into his bucket before retrieving it to pour a bit of what Armin recognized as dish detergent onto the worn bristles. After letting the soap settle, Levi lifted the broom to Rogue's face and began to scrub. At first, the titan flinched as the bristles grazed the nook between his eye and beneath his brow, until he went rigid in static displeasure. Rogue grinded his teeth and continued to growl deeply in his chest as Levi proceeded to run the broom over the creature's eyelid. The titan's brow wrinkled several times before relaxing, over and over in a pattern as the corporal scrubbed. Rogue grumbled again, before releasing a jet of steam through his nostrils. The titan emitted a whine in frustration, clacking his teeth angrily as Levi went along without a thought.

" Quit complaining. Knowing just how you enjoyed the bit of body worship earlier, I'd say what you are doing now is all put on." Levi spoke with little emotion. "Besides, your face and teeth are probably the dirtiest areas on your body. Tearing into napes with your incisors and coating your face in blood, mud, and not to mention rubbing it into every tree like I've seen you do are some big reasons why." The short man continued as he attempted to get the broom into the folds of skin on Rogue's wrinkled nose. "Relax your face, brat. You're not helping."

With another cloud of steam coming through the titan's nose and corners of his mouth, Armin continued to scrutinize. The titan was aggravated no doubt, most likely unable to put up with Levi's harsh scrubbing for long due to his strong will. As the Corporal scrubbed, the teen took it upon himself to look upon the difference the washing of Rogue's eyes brought. The dark shade of skin around Rogue's eyes had grown even darker with the cleaning. Now that there wasn't a thin layer of dirt over them, the shade of skin was almost completely black – in fact it could have been classified as such. It looked as someone had almost taken a giant vat of black paint and brushed it over and around Rogue's eyes. The trait was incredible. No doubt would the deep coloration bring out the titan's green eyes even further. Armin then noticed that he was not the only one who was looking at the bizarre but natural markings.

"You know, I just thought he had two black eyes when I first saw him in Trost." Sasha examined. "But they're markings!" The teen continued as she angled herself to examine Rogue further. "It makes him look a bit like a bandit."

"You're right. It kind of looks like someone put makeup on him." Krista smiled as she joined Sasha in her examination.

Hearing their interest, Rogue hummed at the attention before registering his current displeasure. The titan snorted another cloud of harsh steam and began to growl louder as Levi moved on to pilot the broom across Rogue's brow. The titan hissed, jerking slightly to butt the Corporal in the chest with his nose. With the impact, Levi fell from his feet and nearly knocked his bucket over. Armin held his breath as Levi disinterestedly got to his feet and brushed himself off. To the group's surprise, the man only pressed the broom to the titan's nose and continued to scrub.

"The more you bitch and squirm, the longer this is going to take." Levi continued as he moved from Rogue's nose to the titan's chin and jawline.

For several more minutes, Corporal Levi proceeded to lather the suds upon Rogue's skin, with the titan throwing a grumbling fit that Armin could classify as a mix of feline and toddler. The titan jerked again, eyes nearly opening as Levi narrowly managed to avoid Rogue's nose for the third time. To the blonde teen, shoving the Corporal down repeatedly wasn't the creature's plan of harmless revenge. No, Rogue couldn't have been settling on the same punishment as Jean. He had to have been planning something bigger. The short second in command then grabbed another pail and dipped it into the river to harvest its bounty.

"Ackerman and Arlert." Levi began as he raised the bucket of new water to Rogue's face. "Empty your pails and fill them with fresh water. Use them to rinse these suds off." He ordered as he threw the water as high as he was able upon Rogue's face.

Doing just as they had been demanded, the two new Scouts joined Levi in ridding the soap from Rogue's façade. Within several minutes, the titan's face was cleared of all suds. Feeling the lack of bubbles and foam, Rogue gradually opened his eyes to reveal his paralyzing and astonishing greens. Against the titan's unique black rings, Rogue's eyes stood out brilliantly, fire filled emeralds against onyx skin. Now like the rest of the beast's body, his face was as fresh as a newborn's. Rogue adverted his eyes to both Mikasa and Armin, crooning a bit at their presence. However the titan's face changed and nose wrinkled in disgust at the odor of the liquid that Levi was pouring into a new bucket – the mysterious fluid obviously the strong scent of bleach.

"Now." Levi initiated with his voice carrying no nonsense. "I have something special for those yellow teeth of yours. It's strong and pungent, and it gets the job done. I can tell you now; you will not be fond of this. However, if you feel the urge to fling me to the ground, spit on, or even eat me I will make sure you receive a severe punishment." The man muttered darkly as he lifted his sponge. "Hold still and don't make a fuss." Levi concluded as he set to work upon the titan's filthy teeth.

To say that the bleach was working was an understatement. Within just a few strokes of the Corporal's hand, the powerful cleaner was eating away the discolored film upon Rogue's incisors. As Armin expected, Rogue was much less than pleased. In fact, the titan was much more angry and boisterous than before. The creature hissed, growled, and snarled through his clenched jaw, bright eyes watching Levi in hatred. For some time, the man continued his cleansing duty, or perhaps perform his pastime in the presence of the recruits and his squad. Levi appeared focused, barely blinking as he ran the sponge through each and every groove while vastly ignoring Rogue's loud complaints. The titan released a wave of steam through his teeth, making Levi wince from the uncomfortable heat.

"You do that again and I'll put in the extra effort to lob off your nose." The man warned while he wiped away a bead of sweat and moved on to scrubbing down Rogue's bottom row of teeth.

The titan grumbled, growling so deeply that the vibrating earth rattled the buckets and reverberated through Armin's body. Soon, the hard scrubbing was nearly finished, and the effort was clearly displayed by Rogue's nearly white teeth. Levi then proceeded to rinse away the bleach, making good on the task to ensure that not a drop was left. The corporal then took a few steps back to examine his work before nodding to himself and retrieving his broom for a second time to submerge it into the soapy foam.

"Now, I'm going to take care of your shitty breath, Rogue. Like I told you, I will go out of my way to teach you a lesson if you try anything. Keep that in mind. Alright, open your mouth and stick out your disgusting tongue."

For a moment, Rogue hesitantly looked off to the side before slowly opening his mouth and allowed his long tongue to slide out. As the titan exhaled, Armin's hand instantly snaked up to his nose. Rogue's breath was truly foul – smelling of death and rot. He was amazed that he didn't notice it in the chaos of their reunion. If put to the test, it would make milk curdle.

"Fucking disgusting. Remember brat, no nonsense." Levi put into place as he began to push the broom across Rogue's tongue. At the touch, the giant being instantly released his displeasure with a howl of irritation. Rogue's then placed his gaze onto Levi who was brushing the soap all along the creature's taste buds. The beast's eyes narrowed even further, irises nearly smoldering. Armin watched, as a flash of what he knew as ingenuity flickered in Rogue's intense eyes. While Levi scrubbed, the titan began to do something strange, inhale and swallow air. The blonde blinked in confusion, he had never seen Rogue do such a thing. What on earth was the titan planning? "This is a disgrace. Your breath is absolutely putrid. Can you smell it?" Levi mocked as he proceeded to edge closer into the titan's maw – a place where no man wanted to find themselves when they were interrupted by a normal titan.

Rogue however, did not respond as he continued to suck and swallow air as if he was dehydrated from it. Levi paused, sighing in aggravation as he looked up to the unhappy creature.

"You know you're acting just like a damn ch – what are you even doing? Why are you –

The cavernous sounds of a massive gurgling stomach, no doubt Rogue's, silenced Levi and every Scout around them. Armin's heart skipped a beat. Had the titan purposely made himself sick so he could vomit all over Levi? It was likely. Rogue had seen how the Corporal hated to be dirty. Taking a few steps back in horror at what was coming, Armin watched with eyes blown wide as the muscles in Rogue's throat expanded and contracted with the gurgling rising higher into the titan's esophagus. Suddenly, before Levi could take a step in retreat, Rogue released a low, loud, and long burp – right into his superior's face. The stench of weakened carrion and a large amount of hot steam hit the man full force. Armin remained still, frozen in place until the ugly belch ceased. Levi remained stagnant, eyes slightly wider than their usual appearance as Rogue began to huff in laughter. He should have known what the titan was doing ever since the creature began to intake an unnecessary amount of air. Armin had seen Connie do the same thing in their days as trainees in order to burp his ABC's.

The blonde continued to watch in silence with the crowd of Scouts awaiting Levi's reaction. Armin swallowed, Rogue was in big trouble and Levi was most likely not going to show mercy. All eyes watched as Levi slowly stood and dropped his broom roughly into his bucket, the pail falling over to give way to its soapy contents.

"Arlert." He began roughly as he removed his gloves and bandanna.

"Y…yes?" Armin asked warily, feeling his palms sweat even more at the Corporal's horrid grimace and tone.

"Finish the job."

"Sir?" He queried, but receiving no reply as Levi angrily brushed passed him, heading in the direction of the castle. The group of teens and the Corporal's squad remained speechless as the man vanished from sight, completely shocked that the man had turned on his heel and quit. Armin turned his attention to Rogue, who upon making eye contact, began to coo loudly – shutting his eyes tightly in bliss with the tip of his long tongue sticking out from his now white teeth and ears fluttering like the wings of a butterfly. Armin sighed as he picked up the broom and prepared a new pail with Rogue purring behind him. Once he was ready, he turned to the titan who had voluntarily opened his maw with his tongue out and ready. Armin then began to scrub, the titan making no fuss at all. "You know that's going to come back and haunt you right?"

**(POV SWAP)**

His ears wiggled continuously as he, his little ones, his new little humans, Hange, and Petra walked back to the great castle. He felt so good! Rogue smiled, rumbling in pleasure as his fingers streaked through his now incredibly clean hair. The titan was amazed at how soft it was, feeling like the hair of the hooved creatures – free of twigs and any foreign object. Now he knew why his little ones loved the act of bathing. The polished feeling after the foam was freed from his skin was heavenly, even more so when the humans had massaged the thing they called 'soap' in. Being clean for the first time in his life made him realize just how dirty he had been. Although his flesh could make the average blade shatter, it felt so – smooth and forgiving. His skin wasn't carrying a layer of translucent earth anymore and he was in awe at its surface, constantly reaching up to feel the flesh on his chest or face. Yes, the bath was well worth it, the titan figured. Although he would get dirty yet again, he was all for the attention and clean feeling that had come with the washing's aftermath.

Granted, the only part of the activity that he found uncomfortable and less than pleasing was the act of bathing his teeth. Of course, he didn't feel a lot of discomfort; it was just the smelly water that Levi had used on them. It burned the inside of his nose with its strong odor and it made his head feel a bit light and fuzzy. True, the liquid had gotten his bloodstained teeth to be as white as a winter's snow, but it smelt fucking terrible! Levi had to have used it to get back at him for splashing the man for his own amusement! However, his heinous belch did just the trick in showing his disgust. Although it was uncomfortable to make, it did the job flawlessly – sending the clear message that he did not wish to cleaned by the man. Rogue's ears pressed against his skull briefly in slight aggravation. Yes, Levi was obviously trying to put him in his place. It was clear. Rogue found himself smirking. True, he was as 'asset' – very valuable. Levi could not harm him no matter what it seemed. Yes, he would make sure the man knew that he hated him.

Finally, after the several minutes of walking along the forest path, the titan and the humans had made it back to what he was going to call his nesting area for now until he found a suitable place to make a nest similar to his tree back in his cove. It was an odd area, looking like it had once been a pretty garden like those he had seen around some residences in the past, but now it was only a shell of what it formally had been. The flowers and landscape had simply been stripped away or some had died off. Stray pieces of grass grew from the cracks in the bricks that covered the ground. As to what the flying humans used this area for he wasn't completely sure. In the previous day, there had been two small titans sitting in his area bound by ropes. If he had to guess why they were there, he would say that they were presents – offerings. Perhaps they were stray titans leftover from when they passed through the wall that the flying humans felt that he should have the privilege to kill. Whatever it was used for, he found it a bit odd but at least he could call the place his.

"Well my dear titan, why don't you take a seat and get comfortable!" Hange beamed as she scrambled to retrieve several books and other odds and ends.

At the woman's words, Rogue grunted in reply and began to maneuver himself, crouching down and then seating himself onto his rump. The titan then crossed his legs neatly to give his little ones and the other Scouts more room. Rogue then let his hands rest into his lap, watching as another man joined Hange. He had seen the human before upon the flying humans' hunts. The soldier had dirty blond hair and always looked on edge. The man seemed to always be with the woman, scribing her words furiously. The human was trembling a bit, obviously nervous. Rogue blinked, he couldn't understand why. If he was scared of him, then why was he bothering to stay anyway? He liked his new humans. Didn't this one know that he meant no harm? The titan tilted his head, placing his gaze onto the unkempt woman. He wanted to know who the man was.

" **HHAAANNGGEEE?"** Rogue queried, the woman turning with her face coated in elation. As he expected, the woman squealed and began to jump up and down.

"OH MY! You said my name!" Hange cheered. "I was waiting for you to do that! You pronounced it pretty good too!"

Rogue simply nodded at her show of expression and pointed at the man, grunting twice to ask his query. Hopefully she would understand him just as well as his little ones did.

"Oh him?" Hange asked, brows rising. "Do you – want to know who he is?"

Rogue nodded, grunting again. Thankfully she had understood him.

"Ah! He's my assistant! He helps me! His name is Molbit! He's going to aid me in my examination and sketch you!"

The titan tilted his head. " **SEEECCHH?"** He questioned not knowing what the word meant.

"Yes, sketch means to draw! It's like making pictures with your hand, Rogue. Do you know what drawing is?"

The titan nodded, smiling a bit. Perhaps he could show his little ones and his new friends that he could draw as well when the time was right. Hange then smiled.

"Ah! Well, it will take Molbit and me a few minutes to gather some things before we are ready. So just sit tight!"

Rogue dipped his head in acknowledgement and reached for his ball to pass the time. The titan then began to indulge in a bit of merriment, pushing the ball across the brick earth with his finger. After a few moments of shuffling the ball around, Rogue began to bounce the ball with repetitive taps of his finger until it was high enough to where he could catch it with his other hand that rested atop his knee. The titan then began to toss the ball from one hand to the other, rumbling in pleasure. Rogue then looked up to his little ones and to check on Hange, still tossing the ball – used to the rhythm. A few months after his little ones had ventured behind the wall, he had found his old ball during one of his hunts. In some of his spare time, Rogue would throw the ball from each hand like he was currently doing. It was another stress reliever.

"You've gotten really good at that, Rogue."

The titan turned to see Armin grinning up at him. The creature smiled and thanked him with a bow of his head. Hange then looked up from her gathering and placing, eyes growing wide as they followed the ball in his hands.

"Holy shit! You're catching that thing without even looking at it! Your – hey toss the ball to me, Rogue!"

He found himself hesitating a little, the way the female spoke seemed almost suspicious. The titan stopped the object's constantly changing of hands, emerald eyes looking down at it in worry. He didn't want to lose his ball already. However, knowing that Hange was a friend, Rogue gently rolled the ball to the woman, watching warily as she picked it up and began to rotate it in her arms as if she had never seen it before. Hange then smiled cunningly as she held the ball straight out in front of her like she was in possession of something unpleasant.

"You're pretty good at catching this thing. Alright Rogue, let me see if you can get this!"

No sooner than she spoke her final syllable, to Rogue's surprise, Hange dropped his ball and punted it with her foot as hard as she was able to. Analyzing the ball's speed as quickly as he could, Rogue reached up and caught the ball in his open palm. In awe, the titan looked in his hand at the blue sphere. Sure, he could snag a flying human's wires easily, but he had never reacted so quickly before. The corners of his mouth elevated slightly, his little ones had been right, practice made perfect.

"Holy crap!" Hange squealed as she began to frantically gesture to Molbit to take something called notes. "Your reflexes are amazing! No wonder you're able to snag our wires!" The female exclaimed as she picked up a strange translucent circle on a stick. "Let's begin our examination! For things to be more effective and for a better flow, I'm going to scrutinize you assets and features, Rogue! I'll be taking measurements and looking closely at the things that make you unique. After that, me and your little ones here are going to do some simple intelligence tests to see what all you know! Now! Since we're talking about your reflexes, we'll cover that first!" Hange addressed as she came close to the titan's leg with Molbit fretfully following her with his writing stick and paper ready. "Armin and Mikasa! How long has Rogue been playing ball?"

Mikasa brushed a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "Well, it was about a year since we met, so seven years ago. We got a ball for him as a gift. When we showed him what to do with it, he loved it immediately." The teen smiled. "In fact, Rogue was so fond of the game of catch that he constantly wanted to play it."

"Ah! Just what I thought!" Hange went on, making him raise a brow in question. He wasn't sure what this 'examination' was, but he decided to just watch and listen. The messy-haired woman then ran her hand cross the flesh of his thigh, fingers feeling the firm muscle beneath his skin. "Believe it or not, the simple pleasure of tossing a ball definitely strengthened Rogue's amazing reflexes. His body is big, powerful, and proportional. It's no joke that he has the capability for quick and swift actions, but I believe that those simple exercises with the ball only improved his abilities. Interacting with the two of you and the Jaegers also helped the great control over his motor skills. I imagine that maneuvering a massive fifteen-meter frame is quite difficult to do – especially making sure to not accidentally crush or destroy things. Besides knowing how to deal with objects his own size, due to his interactions with the downsized things, he has incredible hand and eye coordination and control. In other words, Rogue was originally, like other titans, made to interact with the word with the same proportions as himself. However, regular titans, aside from the fact that humans are their diet, are unable to interact with things much smaller than themselves. When they pick up a soldier – their bones are usually crushed instantly. Rogue is different. His intelligence allows him to adapt. He's able to be incredibly gentle enough to where he can safely interrelate with us or in recent cases snag us in midair. Of course, you two may have known that already!"

Rogue watched as Armin nodded vigorously at her words. "Yeah. We noticed the same thing. When Rogue first met Carla, he nearly cracked her bones as he picked her up. Since he started to interact with them, the Jaegers did say that he began to grow very gentle over time."

"See?" Hange smiled as she patted his leg. "And getting close with your little ones also made you develop or brought out some existing paternal instincts didn't they, Rogue!" She chortled, a waiting smile upon her face.

The titan tilted his head in question, confused as to what Hange meant by having these 'paternal' instincts. He had heard her mention the term before, but never questioned her about them. However, they had to be a good aspect about him if Armin and Mikasa were said following the words.

"Um, Squad Leader." The blonde began. "You might have to put that in simpler terms form for him. Rogue's vocabulary isn't that advanced."

Hange giggled. "Oh alright. Paternal instincts, Rogue, are the instincts that every Human or animal mommy and daddy have. They are instincts that tell you to nurture and protect your loved ones. And you, my titanic friend, certainly have them!"

Rogue felt himself rumbling in favor of the news. Petra, who was sitting with his two young humans, let out a tender laugh.

"He definitely does. When I asked him about his little ones this morning," The redhead explained as she looked from the titan to Armin and Mikasa who were completely indulged. "Rogue told me that the two of you were his babies."

The titan instantly felt his face and ears heating up in what his humans called embarrassment. He had never really told his two young humans that he considered them as his own. Rogue was well aware that his kind didn't reproduce, but he definitely understood what the term 'babies' meant. He had always watched his deer have them and humans walk with them from a distance. Although his humans, Carla and Grisha, were unable to have babies – they made Mikasa their baby after her parents were killed. So, when his little ones lost their and his humans, they had no one except for him. With no known law saying that a titan couldn't take care of them, he had decided on the night of the breach that Armin and Mikasa would be _HIS_ babies to love and care for. Rogue let his ears droop sheepishly, knowing that his face was likely red. The titan then looked to his own, seeing that the two of them were smiling thoughtfully – not showing any ounce of suggestion that the fact was ludicrous.

"Babies?" Armin and Mikasa asked, looking to the blushing Rogue.

"Yes. He said it quite proudly too." Petra beamed. "He's the lion and you two are the lambs."

Hange laughed, looking at him in amazement. "So! You're their designated titan daddy!"

Rogue nodded, his face tinting a little redder.

"I think he acts more like a mom." Mikasa added, smirking slightly at the tease.

The titan huffed, only growing more crimson.

"Aw! Don't be embarrassed big guy!" Hange spoke before turning to Molbit to tell him to write that he showed the emotion. "It's absolutely adorable! Who knew that a titan was capable of such a feat! Admittedly, when I first laid eyes on you my friend, I didn't see you as the parenting type." The woman laughed, nearly snorting, as her levels of excitement only grew higher. "Now of course our main mission in this examination is to determine if you Rogue, are indeed a new breed of titan! I've made several theories since the beginning. You're the most different specimen that I've ever beheld! So the fact that you are a totally different type of titan is highly likely!" Hange began as she climbed onto his knee and turned to address the others seated in his area. "Although we've been watching our friend here for years, there is still so much we don't know about him! So far, Rogue's characteristics of intelligence, his mannerisms, physical features, and the fact that he doesn't eat humans points to the idea that he is a new species. We ourselves don't exactly know just how old Rogue really is. He could very well be a hundred years old, or be very young! He could be a part of a species that arose with the dawn of the titans themselves or he's the very first of his kind – or last! Maybe his species evolved from regular titans or the standard titan is a devolution of his breed! We don't know yet! But one thing that's very clear even now is the fact that his species is MADE for hunting other titans! A species that's on the top of the pyramid! Whether it's as a food source or for sport – he's a hunter! A predator to be reckoned with!" Hange giggled excitedly.

"Another theory, a less likely one, is that perhaps Rogue is the result of a genetic mutation in the standard titan – but with the evidence that's presented I think that the probability of the theory is highly untrue. Mostly because we have no idea how titans reproduce if not at all." Hange paused as she turned to Rogue again. "With that in mind, let's begin! First, I want to check out my favorite aspect about you! Your beautiful eyes! If you please Rogue, could you lift me up to your face?"

The titan found himself lost in thought before he compiled to her request. As he waited for her to board his palm, Rogue could not help but to think further. He could understand part of what she had said, but her words made him wonder. It was always a thought that pulled at the back of his mind every so often. Where _did_ he come from? How old was he anyway? Was he the only one like himself? Maybe in time Hange could help him find out. For now, it was best to put the thoughts aside.

Once Hange was seated into his hand, Rogue gradually began to lift her with care – keeping her close. As the titan's hand came close to his chest, he observed as she began to grow even more excited as she bobbed up and down in his hand.

"Hold on, Rogue! Bring me a little closer to right there!" The woman pointed to his left breast.

Doing as he was told, the titan brought the woman to his skin. It didn't take him long to figure out what had piqued her interest once Hange flung herself onto him – pressing the side of her face into the firm muscle and hugging what she could. Rogue felt himself purr a bit, knowing very well that she was interested in one of the most special things he had. A wide smile spread appeared across her face as she sighed in bliss, each beat rocking her head.

"Oh! Oh my! You have a lovely and powerful heartbeat! And it sounds like you know it!" Hange teased with he himself giving a chirp and nod in reply. "Since I'm here," The female continued as she pulled out an item called a 'watch' of some sort from her garments. "I want to see how many times your heart beats a minute! Now hold still and just relax." Hange instructed. For a long moment, Rogue remained still as she had said – keeping quiet so Hange could listen. She then pulled away from his chest and looked at the watch in hand, smile still on her face. "Ah! Rogue's heart beats about fifty times a minute! It's a little slower than an average human heart beat, but the number makes sense due to his massive frame." Hange informed as Molbit scribed the information. "Alright, let's get back on track! Let's see those pretty eyes of yours!"

Rogue then lifted Hange to his emerald pools, the woman's face almost filling up his view. He watched as she wielded her strange clear tool and held it near his iris, looking at the details of the titan's eyes through it. "Very interesting." Hange grinned deviously. "Your eyes are indeed, truly the shade of green but with added hues of teal and gold. There are lots of human qualities here as well as some traits I've seen in other animals. Unlike other titans, your eyes actually dilate often. The dilation present resembles that of feline species. Your pupils adjust to the changes in light and to your mood. However, unlike a cat's they only seem to become slits when you're angry or presented with something you don't like. Otherwise, the pupils look very much human – except they get even bigger when you're excited like a cat following a string. Also," Hange continued as she began to move her tool back and forth with Rogue watching its every move. "A standard titan's eyes don't follow or move to see moving objects. They have to turn their entire head. Rogue's eyes are capable of movement – perfect for observing and hunting. His eyes also show vast amounts of expression. He is able to move his brows together or independently to portray most human like expressions. The pupil does the same. For example, when I saw Rogue frightened, the pupil shrinks substantially. As far as the iris goes, the coloration is just gorgeous. The extra layer of tissue behind Rogue's retina, called tapetum lucidum, literally makes those greens glow at night!"

"So that's why his eyes glow at night." Armin spoke as he rubbed his chin. "What about the glowing when he's extremely angry or berserk? Is it the same thing?"

"Good question. I'm not allowed to take samples of him but if I had to guess, I'd say it's the same thing. Otherwise there could be something there that generates the light we see, triggered by emotion perhaps. It's one of those things that we don't know for sure and may never truly find out since I'm sure nobody wants to purposely make him angry to see." Hange chuckled as she returned to her prodding. "Now Rogue, I would really like to see that other thing that makes your eyes so special. Could you possibly show me your third eyelid? I have to see it up close!"

Rogue watched as both his little ones looked at one another in question. The titan swallowed, recalling that the aspect he found about himself was one he had never revealed to them since it contributed to his once major secret that he had kept. If he had lips, he would be biting them guiltily. "Third eyelid?" They asked with Hange tilting her head in a similar fashion, facial features suddenly mirroring the deformation of theirs.

"Do you two – not know about this?"

Rogue's ears fell slightly as they shook their heads, eyes hooked to his in puzzlement. "We thought we saw something in Trost… but we were not sure." Mikasa began.

Hange nodded. "Ah well. It will be proof then! Now, if you would Rogue! Let's let them see!"

For a moment, he found himself still ashamed of his negligence before he decided to just put the concern aside and show off the feature proudly. Rogue then let the clear membranes slide over his naked eyes from their hiding place, making his sparling eyes have a matte finish. The titan then blinked the secret eyelid a few times before letting it cover his eyes yet again, looking down at his babies and Hange awaiting their reaction – unsure if they would be mad at him. Finally, it was Armin who spoke.

"That's bizarre. I can't believe he has it…" Armin stopped, the cause of his cease being elbowed by Mikasa. "It's actually pretty intriguing." The boy smiled feebly.

"It's a little creepy if you ask me." Molbit mumbled, visibly wincing a little. Hange laughed.

"True! It may be strange, but it's one of the main reasons why I think this feature of Rogue's is proof that's he is a different breed! Of all my years in experimenting on titans, I've never seen this in ANY of them! The only creatures that I know that have this trait are birds, reptiles, and amphibians. In Rogue's case, I believe it serves several purposes that I think he can confirm for me! Like most of his other physical features, it's a perfect accessory for hunting! Blinking is a real hindrance for a person or organism when in battle, but blinking is a necessity for the eye to not dry out. So that's where Rogue's third eyelid comes in! He can still blink and fight without losing track of his foe's movements. I also believe he uses it to see clearly through steam and fog. Since he lacks eyelashes, the membrane also protects the eyes as well. Is that right, Rogue?"

Astounded by her intellect, he grunted his reply as he dipped his head. Oh yes, he had full confidence in the messy-haired human finding more about him. If she had discovered all of the facts without him telling her, then he had faith in the female's abilities.

"Ah! Wonderful then!" Hange exclaimed as he let the clear coverings recede back into their hiding places while the flying human began to run her fingers along the dark skin around his eyes. "How intriguing! The black pigmentation around your eyes is just as your friends said, markings. Bruises look entirely different and titan flesh isn't capable of producing them! Cells multiply so fast for the titans to heal completely - never even having time to display a bruise." Hange explained as she continued to look closely with her circular instrument. "It reminds me of a tattoo actually. There is no difference in the skin's texture at all. I don't believe it serves any purpose, but I think it could be a skin pattern that could be relative to his species if he is indeed a new breed! Alright, Rogue! Open your mouth and stick out your tongue so I can look at that!" Hange ordered in her upbeat tone. Just as she asked, the titan complied and lowered her to the long muscle. Before he could even wonder what she had planned, the female jumped from his palm and onto his moist tongue, kneeling down on her knees and looking at it through her instrument. A muffled squeak of surprise came from his throat while his shoulders tensed. What on earth was she doing? "Compared to other titan tongues that I've cut – er retrieved, Rogue's tongue only has one type of taste bud much like his more hostile kind. The type that registers blood. Yet he has no desire to eat humans." Hange snickered. "Maybe you fancy the bounty of titans Rogue?" She teased.

Unable to shake his head, Rogue mimicked a 'nuh uh' sound that his little ones had done countless times before, a sound of denial. He hated titans, even the taste of their flesh and blood.

"The length of Rogue's tongue is something that intrigues me as well." She pressed on as she took a long string like thing and laid it along his tongue before shouting down a high number of sorts to her assistant. "I wonder what it's intended for. It can't be for speaking since Rogue's lack of lips even though he has mastered being able to use it to make words. Maybe, maybe it's for grooming!" Hange said excitedly, making Rogue mutter a groan of confusion and raise a brow. Perhaps he was wrong about her.

"Hange, in all the years that we've known Rogue, the two of us have never seen him lick himself. Ever." Mikasa put bluntly, Armin holding back a laugh.

The older flying human still upon his tongue sighed in slight disappointment. "Oh well, it was a fun theory though! I guess he only uses it to kiss the two of you!" She laughed. "Although I would like for Rogue to at least try it. Just to see if it feels natural to him." Hange beamed, but sounding as if she was hiding something beneath the words she spoke. Before he could even deny her request, she then began to climb further into his mouth, hands running along his teeth. "The shape of his mouth is just as foreign as his other features. Like we've addressed, his mouth isn't made for pronouncing words. It is absolutely made for ripping apart other titans! Peeling flesh from prey! Things like lips would only get in the way. Rogue's teeth mat be blunt like ours, but don't let the feature fool you. Now, if you look at the shape of a wolf's and bear's canines, they are curved so that their kill cannot escape. Rogue lack of canines is made up with that elevated row of teeth! They serve the same purpose. The skin of a titan's nape gets caught there! How astounding!" Hange finished as she emerged from his mouth and reseated herself onto his palm. "I'd never thought I could climb around in a titan's mouth and live to tell the tale! Thanks! Now, could you lift me to your ear?"

Letting out a previously constrained breath of steam, Rogue closed his maw and lifted Hange to his elfish extremity. Out of the corner of his eye, the titan observed as the female eagerly leaped to his shoulder and made her way to his ear. The titan remained patient as Hange pulled out her string once again and held it to the tip of his ear. "My god your ears are big! They are almost five and a half feet in length! You just keep getting more wonderful, Rogue!" She laughed. "Now, we actually do know a lot about your ears! They move to express your feelings, they move to follow sound, and you have incredible hearing – one of your keenest senses! Your hearing is a lot more advanced that a standard titan's. We've seen you locate the enemy in the past from at least five miles away and hear our whispering up in the treetops." Hange informed as she angled her head to peer far into his ear. The titan let out a grunt of surprise as the messy-haired woman then tried to force her head into his ear canal. Rogue immediately let out an aggravated growl to indicate his displeasure with Hange thankfully listening. "I'm sorry! I guess you're only fond of people scratching your ears instead of looking down them. As I was saying, Rogue's ears are further evidence of the different breed theory! Now, if you please Rogue, could you sit me back down to the ground?"

The titan nodded and quickly aided to her request, but deep in his mind he wondered how much longer he would have to wait before he could have some quality time with his little ones. He had a small list of plans he wanted to carry out with the two of them, and he wanted to act on those quickly. Rogue then watched as Hange nodded to Molbit – the male handing her a wooden brick and holding a metal brick filled with bits of frozen water. The titan tilted his head, wondering what the woman had devised. Rogue then turned to Armin and Mikasa to ask a silent query, but only receiving looks that showed a sense of being on edge. Just as the titan was about to ask verbally, Hange cleared her throat.

"Of course, the only way to truly tell if you are absolutely unique is by looking at what's inside!" She worded with enthusiasm, opening the brick and pulling out what looked like a glass tube with a stinger on the end.

Rogue instantly felt a bit of panic swell up in his chest. He recognized the device from Grisha's visits to human residents. Hiding within the trees, he would watch the doctor use the device to either put something into human skin or draw blood out. His human had called the object a shot, the titan knowing the fact from Grisha explaining the device to a young child upon one of his visits. Judging by the fact that there was a lack of fluids in the shot, Rogue knew that Hange was speaking about extracting the only other thing.

"Now I don't want to alarm you or anything, but I need to get a sample of your blood –

Acting on instinct, Rogue let out a short hiss and backed against the side of the castle. The titan hunkered down, his head low, and eyes hooked onto Hange and the syringe as he gave a further warning in a low growl. His little ones became alert at his sudden state, approaching his bulk warily and rubbing the back of his hand.

"Rogue! It's okay! She's just going to take a sample!"

" **NNOO!"** The titan hastily denied. " **NNOOTT AANNTT!"**

"Rogue!" Mikasa pleaded. "It's not going to hurt!"

"She's right my dear, you won't feel a thing! Come on! I've seen you tear apart titans with your bare hands and you've lost a few limbs yourself without a screech! You can do this little thing! Hange ensured as she edged closer with the shot ready and prepared.

" **IIILLL UURRRT!** " Rogue insured, remembering the distressed sounds of smaller humans when the needles pierced their skin. The titan hissed, the day was turning sour yet again. All he wanted to do was have a bit of leisure with his babies. That was all he wanted to do.

"Rogue, it's nothing really." Mikasa smiled kindly at him. "Armin and I have had them before. We were little then. So trust us when we say that it's not going to hurt in any way."

The titan remained still, heartbeat slowing. It didn't hurt? It really didn't? Rogue tilted his head, rumbling his inquiry and receiving a nod from his little one in reassurance. If his two longtime friends had them before, and they were standing before him with smiles, then their words were truthful. He could do this. Rogue then settled and offered his wrist to Hange, gritting his teeth in a sad attempt to tame lingering nerves.

"Atta boy!" Hange squealed as she lowered the long needle. "After this we'll do something fun!"

Instantly, the beast perked up, ears pricking forward and wiggling. Finally! He could have some merriment! His green eyes watched as the woman shoved the needle past his skin with a bit of force. As they had said, the pain was minimal – the equivalent of the titan stepping on a bee. Rogue watched as the deep crimson, his precious life juices, filled the glass container summoned by Hange's hand. When the device was full, the female pulled the needle free – the minuscule hole closing with a small puff of steam. Hange then quickly capped the syringe and placed it into the metal brick and onto the blocks of ice, her entire body bopping up and down in enthusiasm.

"Yes! Oh my! This is incredible! Look how beautiful your blood is Rogue! Marvelous!" The female explained. The creature simply nodded, playing along just to hurry to the impending fun that Hange spoke of. "This is exciting! There are so many stories your blood could possibly tell!" The flying human alliterated as she told Molbit to take his body's bounty away.

Seeing that she was finished, Rogue scooted further toward Hange, giving several hopeful grunts. He wanted her to hurry, his eagerness evoking a laugh from the unkempt female.

"Ah yes! You were expecting something weren't you?" Hange began as she pulled out several large pieces of paper. "Now lets do some more exciting things to peek your enthusiasm! I have some cards here that I want you recognize and share with me what you see! I as well as everyone here would like to see how far your knowledge spans!"

Rogue's attempt at a smile faded, brows sinking, and ears wilting. Tests, the idea that the activity that Hange considered fun was just another assessment it seemed. But could there be something new and exciting added to the things humans called flashcards?

"I have three sets of cards here! One is all about shapes, the other is color, one deals with counting, and the final set is objects. There is another, but we'll see how well you do with these before we attempt them. When I hold one up, just tell me what it is! Armin and Mikasa are going to tally your score while Molbit does a sketch of you!" Hange continued as she pulled up the chair to seat herself and prepared her cards. "Let's start with simple shapes Rogue! Can you tell me what this is?"

The titan blinked at the card before him. Carla had taught him shapes and colors in the same way just after he started to get the hang of speaking simple words. He remembered how long it took him at first to memorize the simplest of things – a month or two just to learn five shapes and a few colors. Over the years, he was proud to say that he knew all of the basic forms. Now however, flash cards were not the thing he wanted to do now, but he wanted to get them over with. " **UURRRCCLE."** Rogue spoke, turning his desperate stare to his little ones so that they would take the hint that he wanted to leave, but they only acknowledged him with a weak smile and writing down something on their papers.

"Very good!" Hange exclaimed. "How about this one?" She began as she held up a new card.

" **SSSQQAAAARRRREE."** He answered quickly, wanting to move along.

"Awesome! This one?"

Rogue sighed, transferring his attention to his toes as he put his fingers between them in disinterest. " **TTRRRRAANNGGLE."** The titan replied roughly, he had always had trouble pronouncing the particular pointy shape.

"My god! You're good at this, Rogue!" Hange cheered. "How about this one then?"

" **RRRRREECCTAANNGGEE."**

**"** Good! This one?"

" **OOOOVVVAAA**."

"How about this shape then?"

The titan sighed, looking up from his feet to see a bizarre shape that he had never seen before. Rogue hesitated. The odd form on the card looked like some unworldly hybrid of a circle and square. The beast groaned a bit, trying to resist digging his nails into the dirt due to the flying humans' previous and tedious work. " **UURRRCLE SQQAARRRE?"**

The woman chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "No, it's actually called a hexagon. Don't worry though; I didn't expect you to know it! Would you like to move onto colors?"

As much as Rogue wanted to deny her request and say that he wanted to run along, he decided that it was best that he just get through with it. He damn sure didn't want to go through this later. Finally, he nodded.

"Alright then!" Hange initiated as she held up a new set of cards. "Can you tell me what color this is, Rogue?"

The titan shifted to sit on his hip, trying to show that he was antsy. Rogue then looked to the card, keeping his expression as bored looking as he could manage. " **UUUUEEE."**

Hange nodded, her enthusiasm was still present despite his actions that his little ones were clearly reading. "That's correct! It's blue!" The female pressed onward as she showed another card. "Now tell me what this one is."

Rogue nearly let his eyes roll. " **GEEEEEENNN."**

**"** Good, this one?"

" **EEELOOOO."**

The female nodded, showing another card.

" **AAAACCCKK."**

**"** Nice!" She continued, holding up yet another card.

" **IINNNNKK."**

**"** How about this one?"

The titan gritted his teeth. " **UUURRRTTLLLEE.** "

Hange raised a brow. "Purple?" She asked with him nodding. "Great! I think you know more colors than shapes. How about this next one?"

Rogue moved yet again to sit on the balls of his feet. " **IIIITTTEEE."**

The woman then tossed the card into the pile and pulled up a new one, a color that he was the most familiar with. It was the hue wrapped around his little one's neck, the sky when the sun sank low in the sky, and the vital fluids necessary for life that spilled from his enemy. It was, in his own opinion, the most beautiful color of them all. He relished and loved it when it coated his arms. It was a powerful color, a color that meant life – death at points when it decorated the earth. It was his favorite color.

" **RRRRREEEEEEDDD."**

"Ah! Brilliant my friend! Let's go ahead and move on with counting. We can go through more colors in the future!" Hange smiled as she excitedly held up a new card, one that showed a collection of small circles. "These might be a little more challenging, but it's great to exercise the brain! Now how many dots do you see?"

Rogue groaned and roughly flopped onto his belly, making the nearby windows tremble and stones quake. The titan then pulled his ball to be between his fingers, dribbling and pushing it back and forth softly.

Hange sighed. "Come on Rogue!" She encouraged. "How many dots can you count?"

The titan moaned in a mild fit before finally turning to the card. His emerald pools swept in the information he could see. " **TTHRREEE."**

**"** Stupendous! Now how many dots are on this card?"

" **SSSSIIICCCSS."**

**"** Right! How many this time?"

Growing more and more objective, Rogue rolled onto his side and purposely pushed the leather ball to Mikasa, the toy hitting her dangling feet. The titan flicked his ears, eyes hopeful as he waited for her to give the ball back. To his dismay, his little one only shook her head, smiled softly, and sat his ball between her and Armin. Aggravated, Rogue gave a questionable whine, brows furrowing slightly. Why weren't they giving the ball back? Why were they not telling Hange that he wanted to quit!

Armin sighed. Using his writing stick to scratch his head. "Rogue we can't do that right now. You need to complete Hange's thing first." The boy insured.

The titan snorted, watching as the female held up another card. " **TTTEEENN.** "

"Wow! You can count pretty high! Do you happen to know this one?"

Rogue yawned, intentionally stretching and placing his fingers onto Mikasa's shoes. The titan looked to her, silently pleading. But again, his little one denied his request with a soft and forgiving smile – simply shaking her head and mouthing that he was close to being done. Rogue released a snort and reluctantly turned to the card. At the sight of the scribed circles, his brow instantly tensed with confusion. The highest number that he could count to was twelve, a dozen. Looking at the card, it was obvious that there was way more than twelve. The titan looked closer, counting up to twelve dots, noticing that there were three extra. Unwilling to stall any longer, he would just have to take his best guess. " **TEEELVVVE THRRRREEEE.** " Rogue eventually answered, hoping that he was at least close or by some miracle that he was right.

Hange only laughed. "Well, not exactly! But I'd say you were headed in the right direction! There are actually fifteen dots here. Twelve plus three is fifteen. Of course that is some pretty advanced stuff, something we call math – in particular addition. We'll get to that once you're ready! All right, let's move onto objects!

Rogue nearly rose to shout his unwillingness to go further, but he remained calm – moving to sit upright again. Yes, he just wanted to get things over with.

"What kind of animal is this?"

Resting his elbows against his knees, Rogue scrutinized the card. " **KKKATT."**

"Great! What about this? What do you think this is?"

" **OOOUSSSEE**."

"Yes! It's a house! Now this!"

" **DDOOOOGG."**

"Perfect! You're doing wonderful! How about this animal?"

Rogue absorbed the animal on the card, suddenly getting an idea. The small animal was the tiny thing that his Carla called a mouse, but he had another answer for Hange's query that seemed to be just as acceptable. " **EEEEEEVVIII."**

His little one's faces froze at his response, stiff as stone. Molbit only looked nervous, Petra was holding back a snicker, and Hange had burst out laughing – nearly falling out of her chair. Rogue grinned, holding his head up and crossing his arms smugly.

"HA! Holy shit you're awesome! Who knew that a titan could have a sense of humor!" The woman cackled, laughing harder. "I guess you know the answer since you compared the Corporal to it!" Hange continued to giggle, taking a few minutes to catch her breath. "Okay, moving on now! What's this animal?"

Rogue huffed at the image on the card. He knew just who resembled the hoofed creatures. " **SSSGGGEEEAAAANNN.** "

This time, Mikasa turned a bright red and buried her mouth beneath her scarf, obviously laughing. Armin too, was sniggering. Hange of course, was sent into a laughing fit once again with Petra tittering.

"You know," Armin began. "Rogue's kind of right! Jean does look a little like an equine."

"With his long face, certainly." Mikasa agreed. "He's full of horseshit as well."

"Now that you mention it, Kirstein does resemble a horse quite a bit." Hange noted. "We should just room him in the stables. I'm sure no one would be able to tell the difference!" She established with another series of laughs that were borderline annoying.

"What's going on here?"

Silence swept across his area at the sound of the cold voice. Rogue followed the source to see Levi leaning against the wall of the castle, arms folded in disapproval and mouth pulled into a tight grimace. The man's eyes were narrowed, clearly seen from his thin black bangs that hung over his face.

"We were just discussing Kirstein's close resemblance to a horse." Hange informed, smile still on her face.

Rogue could not help but huff at her forwardness. If he had learned anything from the past few days, he knew that the woman didn't seen to care about the short leader's strict rules and disposition. At all. He actually admired her for her attitude. The titan watched in satisfaction as Levi began to glare at both Hange and himself.

"Hange, you're only aiding to the current problem here. Were you actually doing anything fucking productive at all besides make fun of Kirstein's face, which I do have to agree with you, and myself?"

Rogue watched as the flying human bit her lip. "How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough. I got here right when the giant brat decided to make his little comment about my size."

"Oh." Hange replied quietly, but then perking up and running over to the man who instantly backed away from her as he covered his nose with his sleeve. "As far as productivity, Levi he's amazing! I was able to examine him without any risk, get measurements, take notes, and even take a blood sample comfortably! I'm going to gather my records and test the sample to give you results later! Levi! Like when you were brushing his teeth, he even let me climb around in his mouth!"

"Disgusting."

"It was awesome! We did some intelligence tests! Corporal, he knows shapes, colors, how to count, and what a dog and cat is!"

The man only blinked and placed his weight onto his other foot. "Great. He knows his shapes and shit. Riveting. But your session is over." Corporal Levi spoke bluntly as he turned to his little ones. "Ackerman and Arlert. Report to the training facility for 3D gear practice and laps with Mike."

"Yes, Sir!" His little ones saluted as they rose to their feet and began to fasten what the flying humans referred to as 'gear' to their waists and began to make their way out of the disheveled garden. Rogue arched his neck slightly in puzzlement. Where were they going? What did Levi mean by training? The sight of the two with the gear, meant that they would be flying, something that he was still uncomfortable with despite already seeing them perform the task. Rogue then slowly rose to his feet and began to trail them. Although he had confidence in them, there was still a chance that Armin and Mikasa could fall if bad luck would come. He wanted to be there to catch them if that happened. In the past, he had seen a lot of the flying human's gears stop working. To ensure their safety, he wanted to be with his babies to monitor them.

"Where do you think you're going, Rogue?"

Knowing the voice was obviously Levi's, the titan turned to plead his case – gesturing to himself and little ones to get his plan across, but the man's eyes only narrowed further.

"No. You are not going with them. You have shit to do, Rogue."

An angry heat began to form within the titan's chest. His ears pinned themselves against his locks. What the hell was this man implying? The titan grumbled, muscles tensing up. Rogue grunted and growled, pointing down at his little ones again. The titan swallowed to salivate his pipes, his throat tired from Hange's session. " **EEII AATTCCH.** " He spoke harshly. " **NNUUSST SSTTTEEEYY IITTH… NNYY AAAIIIBBEEES!** " Rogue forced, his throat like sandpaper.

The man remained stagnant. "NO."

Rogue snarled, pointing desperately at Armin and Mikasa below him.

"Rogue Jaeger, last time I checked, Ackerman and Arlert don't call you Momma. I ordered you to follow every demand that comes from my mouth. You are NOT going with them. Right now, you are going to join –

The titan quickly knelt down to stare at the short leader face to face, green pools lit in irritation as he prepared to gather his saliva and give it to Levi as an ungrateful gift. However, the revolting production was halted yet again by Mikasa's gentle tough against his hand.

"Rogue, you need to do as Corporal Levi says. If you're worried about our safety, it's all right. Armin and I have been doing this for years. We're prepared for everything. So relax, Rogue. We'll meet up with you later, okay?"

The creature was at a standstill, still wanting to deny his little ones' request.

"You're lucky I'm going to be generous." Levi continued. "Rogue you are to join Petra. She's going to give you a tour of the grounds. After that, the two of you will join my squad with exercises."

The beast was torn, looking down at his little ones in concern. Rogue gave a soft drone, eyes tender as he asked the wordless query.

"It's okay!" Armin smiled. "We will be careful."

After a moment of contemplation, Rogue finally nodded to give permission. The two teens returned the gesture and then waved a temporary farewell. Still crippled with a sense of unease, the titan watched as Armin and Mikasa made their way around the castle and vanished into the thick but tamed grounds. Rogue let his shoulders sink a bit. He had a bad feeling that it would be a while until he saw them again. Suddenly, a small weight landed onto his right shoulder. Rogue turned to see Petra getting settled and gripping onto his now well groomed locks. She wore an understanding smile, face tender as it usually was. At least he was going to go with her for a bit.

"Petra, have Rogue over in our usual training field in two hours. Perhaps you can teach him some manners on your excursion."

"Yes, Sir!" She replied with a small notion with her head.

"Good. As for you Hange, I don't want you following them." Levi continued with a firm tone. The messy-haired female only laughed at his request.

"Don't worry Levi! I'm too excited about looking at the information I was able to get! I'm going to run some tests on Rogue's blood, so like I said, stop by later this evening so I can share my findings!"

The Corporal only sighed at her enthusiasm, giving a short and quick nod before walking casually in the other direction. Hange then waved a farewell before returning to her makeshift station that she had worked at moments earlier, excitedly gathering her supplies and the metal box – her trembling hands nearly dropping everything. Rogue sighed, releasing a jet of steam in irascibility at the recent encounter. As he had heard Carla use the term before, he would say that Levi was keeping him on one hell of a tight leash – to the point of choking him.

"Don't worry, Rogue." Petra spoke kindly as her small fingers traced the skin of his neck. "I know you wanted to go with them to make sure that Armin and Mikasa will be alright, but the two are fully capable in their abilities. In fact, Mikasa was first in her graduating class and is one of the best soldiers we have. Armin is one of our brightest recruits, not to mention their survival skills are second to none! So have faith in them, Rogue." The redhead exclaimed.

Rogue's brows rose at the news. A sense of pride fell over him. His little ones were among the best. He had raised them well despite the circumstances. The thought made him purr, provoking Petra to laugh and pat his neck.

"See? You made a good choice. The three of you are back together despite the odds. Now lets start by heading in that direction." The flying human finished as she guided him in the aim of her extended finger – pointing in the opposite way that Levi had gone. As they began their small trek, Petra began to narrate and describe the flying human territory. "The castle here has about two hundred rooms, but we only use about half of them. The Scouts live, eat, strategize, and sleep there, but I don't think it's necessary to disclose to you all the details since you can't exactly walk through the front door. So I'll just be informing where things are on the grounds for your convenience. Where you were this morning was the river where we wash our clothing. The mill, the building with the giant wheel on it, is where we actually do the washing. The river powers some of the devices inside so cleaning our clothes is possible. Of course, now it's also where we are going to bath you since that is where the river is the deepest."

Rogue simply nodded in acknowledgement. For several minutes, he followed Petra's finger as she showed him the lay of the landscape. They then began to round another part of the castle, Rogue unable to determine if it was the rear or front of the building. The aroma of the hooved creatures, hay, and manure filled his nostrils. The scents reminded him of the human lands called 'farms' – places that humans grew plants, made animals had babies, cared for them, or raised them to be food for their consumption. He had always found farms to be strange, but interesting to watch. Humans put in a lot of labor in order to produce their needs, and his own little ones exhibited some of the farm practices during their years in the wild living with him. However, the area below him did not resemble a farm with fields or tall grass and spotted creatures. It was just what was called a 'stable' – shelter for horses from the elements. Along the sides of the wide stone path, were two long human structures with open fronts and sectioned into different spaces. Each one held a hooved creature, heads peering out over a small gate that prevented them from leaving their pen. To his right there was a spacious fenced in enclosure that was nestled along the road and sheltered by a few large trees on the flying human property. A few horses were within the fence, a tiny wall, grazing peacefully and flicking away the buzzing insects. Near the stables, tending to the nourishing needs of a brown horse was a man wearing a white cloth upon his head. The human was doing something that the titan had never seen before, taking a tool and chipping away at the horse's hooves. Rogue blinked in alarm, didn't that hurt the creature?

"This is the horse stable, Rogue." Petra informed. "The Scouts store, raise, and breed our horses here. Our horses are bred to not be so skittish compared to others. They are made to not be scared of titans which you may have figured out already, Rogue!" She giggled. "You may also notice that this is actually the front of the castle. We used to store our horses in the back, but ever since the breach five years ago, it was necessary that we rehouse them in the front. That way we can respond quickly if there is an emergency."

The titan loosely absorbed the information, worried about the well-being of the hoofed creature below him. Rogue grave a worried grunt and pointed to the horse in hopes that the animal's abuse would be clear to the soldier, Petra nodded.

"Oh that's Ness! He's not only a skilled soldier but also our caretaker for our horses." Petra exclaimed, missing the argument that that the titan was trying to point out.

In light of her reaction, Rogue pointed again, moaning softly as he gestured to the horse in the man's clutches. The redhead looked to him upon hearing his concern – the man pausing in his task to follow her gaze as well. Again, he grunted and gestured to the horse with the woman finally following his finger just as he did with hers moments before.

"Are you – wondering what Ness is doing to the horse?" She asked only to receive an urgent nod from the titan. "I see. You think he's hurting the horse?" Petra inquired and receiving another nod and whine from Rogue – he liked the horses, he didn't want harm to come to them. "It's alright! You see Rogue, horses are not like deer. You have to trim their hooves or they will grow too long and become incredibly painful and make it impossible for the horse to walk. It's the same for humans actually. I don't know about a titan's nails, but humans have to cut theirs if they grow too lengthy as well. Understand? The process doesn't hurt the horse either."

Rogue tilted his head in surprise. Her fact was valid now that he recalled. His little ones would do the same thing every once in a while by biting or picking their nails. The creature then found himself glancing down at his own, scrutinizing their sharp points. He had never noticed any sort of growth from his barbed nails, and if there had been any added inches he would have never detected any for he always sharpened them against bark and stone. It was the same with his toes; he could not detect any development at all. Petra then retrieved him from his contemplating as she softly tapped his neck and pointed to the east.

"Let's head in that direction Rogue. I'll show you what the edge of the property looks like so you can be aware. I would take you in the direction we entered the day before, but you've seen that already." She smiled as he answered with a dip of his head and motioned into a grassy clearing next to the castle. "This area here serves as a number of things. In the mornings, it's used as a place for the Scouts to exercise. In the afternoon it's used mostly as a place of leisure. Now though, I was also informed that it would also serve as a place for Hange to experiment with you – doing things like tasks."

" **AASSSSSKKSS?"** He questioned, confused. What else did Hange wish to do with him?

The woman rubbed her chin. "Probably the more fun things, like maybe to see if you can build or make anything if I had to take a wild guess. Since you're a genius among titans, she's going to want to do things she never could with her past subjects. Of course, I'm not an expert so you'll see what she has in store in time."

Rogue sighed, reluctantly nodding. If these 'tasks' were as fun as the cards – then Hange had a weird definition to the word meant to mean merriment. For several minutes, both the titan and Petra casually made their way through another forest area. Unlike the thicket near the spot at the river, this part seemed that it was less lived in. Weeds and grass were overgrown and the trees were slightly taller and wider – a few of the giant variety like those in his home were scattered here and there. The wood had more of a dense canopy and sunlight didn't bean down harshly onto his scalp. However, the animal population still wasn't at the magnitude of his forest. The small creatures were definitely there: the fuzzy tailed creatures, singing birds, hopping creatures, and many others. There was the scent of deer, but it seemed stale – hours old. The lack of deer was a little bit of a disappointment, but Rogue remained optimistic. With the need of a new nest pulling at him, the titan kept his observation focused on the surrounding trees, looking at the selection of giant timbers to determine if any would fair for a suitable candidate. So far, none were naturally hollowed like his tree had been, but with his strength, he certainly had no problem hollowing one out himself either. He liked the privacy of the area, so the section of wood had great potential.

The titan's foot then broke the barrier of the thicket as he stepped from the tree line. Stretched among the vast landscape before him was field upon field with patches of trees. There were a few human residences perched upon the hills. Animals grazed and crops grew among the clear patches of earth. Rogue squinted; he could barely make out the shape of the mighty wall on the horizon – the vast structure merely a thin and hazy line. The rolling hills were alluring, but he knew that there was no place for him among them. The titan then turned his attention to his feet, seeing a low wire fence that stretched among the barrier of the Scout's territory. He found it strange the way humans marked what was theirs. They had already barricaded themselves behind the massive stone blockades. So why did they build other even smaller walls like the one below him to mark their lands from others? Weren't humans sick of walls themselves? Why didn't they mark their territory with scent as he did? The titan couldn't make sense of it, but he could do nothing. It wasn't his place to change their code of conduct.

"This is where the castle's grounds end, Rogue. We live on about a hundred acres of land here. But yes, don't ever go beyond this fence. It goes all around the grounds and serves as a guideline as to what's the local farmers' – and ours, plus it's here to keep others away from military property. There are a lot of thieves out there who would like to steal our gear. We've even had some try to in the past, but with you around Rogue," Petra teased as she playfully punched his neck. "They won't dare come close. Perhaps that could be a job that Erwin gives you in the future." She tittered with the creature grinning in return. "Now how about we go –

However, as Petra began to give new instructions about the next destination, the familiar scents of his little ones filled his nose. Their scent, like attractive nectar, forced Rogue to turn and breath in Armin and Mikasa's musk. The beast found himself purring a bit and looking to the direction of the source. Sure, they were safe and skilled as Petra had informed him, but he was curious. Rogue had never truly seen them in action. During their journey back to the wall, his babies had rode upon his shoulders instead of riding horses or flying like the others. Knowing that they were flying in the forest now, peeked his interest. Perhaps he could go watch them from a distance for a few minutes. There was no harm in that right? He could check on them and see just how skilled they were. Levi wasn't with them, so the timing was perfect!

With his mind made up, Rogue turned in the opposite direction of Petra's guidance and began to jog lightly through the forest in the direction of his little ones. The redhead perched upon his broad shoulder gasped at the sudden jolt and quickly grasped onto his locks, face lit up in shock and confusion.

"Rogue! What are you – where are you going!"

Knowing that he was currently doing his own thing, the titan didn't answer and continued on, nose being led by his little ones' scent.

"Rogue! If you're going where I think you're going, I can tell you that if Levi finds out you disobeyed him yet again he's going to put you to –

The titan interrupted the woman with a cunning snort of steam as he kept moving. **'** _ **FUCK…LEVI**_ **.'** Rogue thought defiantly. He was going to see his little ones. Levi was not going to stop him. No matter what. He was going to do what he wanted for once.

With the scent of his own growing stronger, Rogue slowed his thundering pace and began to step lightly among the foliage. The sounds of invisible wings echoed among the trees followed by several series of voices. Pausing in his waltz, Rogue took refuge behind the biggest tree he could find in the area and after making sure he was hidden as best as he could behind the narrow trunk, Rogue peeled away a few branches to look at the sight before him. The titan's ears motioned forward with incredible interest at the scene. A soft rumble vibrated through his throat as his glittering greens observed the smaller flying humans soar through the trees, following the orders of the whiskered man. Rogue adjusted himself to see through the obscuring limbs, brows naturally rising as the landscape pronounced itself further. The smaller recruits were diving and swooping like hawks after their prey, wooden shapes that resembled titans. Rogue blinked, finding the contraptions peculiar. They moved but lacked legs, simply spinning in place like things his little ones had said were tops. Rogue watched as the smaller recruits, the little humans like Connie, Jean, and Sasha swoop down from the treetops and zero in on a soft patch upon the wooden titan's nape with their blades. Turning his attention away from the three, Rogue sniffed again to locate his little ones. He quickly spotted Armin who stood upon the branch next to Mike. The titan watched as the blonde received an order from the man in stride. At his words, Armin then launched from the tree and began to make his way to the larger wooden cutout. Rogue released another rumble as the small human carefully navigated his way around obstacles to his target, the boy was focused, more alert than he was used to seeing him as he angled his blades and flew toward the soft spot he was to puncture. In the next second, the boy cut away the wooden titan's nape. Rogue smiled at the boy's personal celebration. Compared to the others, Armin wasn't as fast when in flight, but he was calculative – judging the spin of the titan so he could attack at the perfect angle.

"See Rogue? Like I said earlier, they're all right. Armin may not be the fastest, but he has the best judgment I think out of all the new recruits. Armin is a very valuable soldier. In time, I think he would make a great commander." Petra smiled.

Rogue purred and nuzzled slightly into Petra at the meaning of her words. Deep down, he always knew that the small male was a weaker human – judging by how many times he came to his cove wearing a bruise made by another human. Many times did the titan wish to go after Armin's bullies, but of course he couldn't. The fact always pained him, but hearing that his little one's smarts could make him leader of the flying human pack one day – made his chest swell proudly. The titan then took a step forward, snapping a few tree branches as he searched for Mikasa. He soon spotted her, or at least the blur of her. Rogue grunted in excitement. He was in awe. The dark haired female was fast, nearly as quick as Levi. His eyes grew as he watched her acrobatics that were both beautiful and deadly. Rogue let a trill slip from his maw as well as a few eager piggish grunts and gurgles. The titan's ears wiggled as he trembled in excitement. Rogue edged further forward, balancing himself as he watched his little one in admiration. Mikasa then swooped low to the ground, inches from the grass before sailing skyward again. The teen then turned and sliced the nape of the wooden titan before repeating her process with another one of the timber beasts. Rogue purred in delight, just as Petra had said as well, Mikasa was talented – she always was. They were perfectly capable of surviving with the pack. The creature beamed, they were certified titan killers just like him. His little ones were strong and getting stronger with a way to fight back in the cruel world.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Rogue?"

The titan nearly jumped at the familiar tone and words, eyes shifting to the branch on his left to see Levi in a stony stance, arms crossed, and brows furrowed in both aggravation and disappointment. The Corporal then glanced to Petra before reverting his gaze back to his smoldering greens. A muted growl of warning reverberated through his vocal cords, a slight threat – but the man didn't seem to show any trepidation about his cautioning.

"Why did you disobey me again? You were ordered to stay away from this area, Rogue." Levi spoke harshly. "Unlucky for you, I just happened to come here and check on progress. I suggest you start listening titan. I think a good punishment that will keep you busy would be –

"Corporal, it's not his fault." Petra interrupted; silencing Rogue and making him hold his breath.

What was she doing?

"What do you mean?"

"I… just thought he would like a glance at what Armin and Mikasa do. He's been acting a bit nervous since I've been with him. I just figured it might soothe Rogue for a bit." Petra continued as she bit her lip.

Rogue blinked in astonishment; did she just lie to get him out of trouble? The titan slowly placed his gaze back to Levi whose face unexpectedly eased in the slightest. The man characteristically shifted his weight before letting out a goaded sigh.

"Tch, fine. But your time ogling is up. Petra, take him else ware and continue as you where. As for you Rogue, grow the fuck up and follow orders. My orders in particular. Now get out of here and don't let me catch you fucking around again." Levi concluded as he quickly left the branch to perch with the whiskered man.

The titan was then graced with Petra's touch upon his neck. Rogue rotated his head to see the young woman giving a tender grin. "You're welcome." She spoke softly before pointing in a new direction. "Let's head back to the castle, Rogue. I actually need to prepare a bite to eat for lunch later."

Taking one look back at his soaring little ones, Rogue nodded before he made his way from the trees. He walked further from the training place and out of the tree line several minutes later. The green grass of the clearing that Petra had informed him earlier snaked between his toes. Rogue motioned to the side of the castle glancing to Petra to see if she was preparing to give orders. But the female gave no order to halt.

"So, what do you think of the grounds so far? Do you like it here?" She asked.

Rogue hesitated; softly letting his fingers glide across the surface of the stone castle walls. He wasn't exactly sure as to how he could answer her query. It was fairly nice, although the setting wasn't nearly as magical as his cove or forest, but he liked the flying human territory. He liked most of the humans and he loved being with his little ones. The only damper was Levi and his damn rules. He disliked the man greatly. Sure, he was amused by his anger against him, but it seemed like the man was putting him in a pen and barely letting him out. True, he wanted to slaughter titans with them, but he wanted to spend quality time with his little ones after all the years of being alone. Realizing that he was taking too long in his thoughts, Rogue finally answered with the only way he could – a simple nod.

"Well that's great! You know I never thought I would be giving a titan a grand tour of our headquarters. I can also say that I'm thoroughly enjoying it."

Rogue gave a grunt in acknowledgement, but then his eyes caught sight of something that yet again peeked his interest. It was a large window upon the side of the castle, one of many. Normally, Rogue didn't think much of the windows that were mostly covered in rich cloth, but this window was different. This one was larger – and it was open. Curiosity overcame his state of mind as he took a step closer. In the past filled with looting human residences. Most in his territory were either very plain and dusty or just empty. This room though, was far from that. Rogue bent over to stare directly into the space, discovering something that was a feast for his eyes.

"Rogue? What are you doing?" Petra asked in confusion with the titan disregarding her, ears wiggling and a trill seeping from his lipless jaws.

The room was incredible, filled with human objects from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. Unlike the dusty buildings, this room was clean and smelled fresh with no speck of dirt or grime in sight. The walls were lined with neatly stacked books on wooden supports and human drawings sheltered by glass and frames. The stone floor was covered in a large rectangular object that looked as if it was a piece of recently cut grass except for it lacked the familiar green pigment. It was an array of colors like reds, blues, browns, and whites with patterns like flowers and swirls. Rogue tilted his head, eyes wide in awe as they angled around the room. There were other small human structures placed throughout the decorated den such as a tall wooded chest with secret little doors, a few small tables, and a long surface with a chair nestled into it – one that was bestowed with a few books, writing sticks, and other odds and ends. The titan let out another tweet, spotting something in the room that he desired.

"Oh, this is what one of the rooms in the castle looks like, it's quite a bit different from the abandoned houses in Maria isn't it?"

Rogue however, paid little head to her words. The creature's lustrous greens were hooked on two things in the rear of the room. Upon a wooden frame were both a fluffy brick and a larger fluffy brick. The titan's skin at the corners of his mouth pulled up in excitement. He could use a bit of stress relief from the day's frustrations. The titan then removed his head from the opening and raised his hand – the window was big enough.

"Hey what are you –

The titan then thrust his hand inside the open room as skillfully as he could. Rogue struggled a bit, large hand barely fitting and blind without his guiding eyes. A fit of rattling and clanging sounded throughout the room as the titan's fingers searched and reached, knocking over a horde of objects. Petra continued to protest in his ear, but he pain no heed. Rogue's fingers then pinched the cloth of the pillow, the titan pulling the object free from the room – looking at the object in wide and enthused eyes and rumbling in likeness.

"Rogue!" The redhead whispered hastily. "Put that back! It's –

Still, he refused to listen, raising the fluffy brick to his teeth before tearing off the corner. With a sound that could have resembled a cheer, Rogue then squeezed the pillow, feathers erupting from the cloth and flying like large flurries. The titan blew a breath of steam, upsetting the feathers more, making them rise and fall. Rogue looked to Petra, wearing an awkward grin as he spied the look of astonishment on her face as well as the tiny feathers sprinkled upon her hair. Before she could protest again, Rogue reached into the room once again to fish.

"Rogue! You need to stop! You don't understand! Those are –

The titan grunted repeatedly as he pulled the mattress free from the window frame, taking a few of the now displaced items from the room with it. Giving in to more natural adolescence and inquisitiveness, Rogue quickly dropped to his rump and began to marvel at the large fluffy brick, making a variety of noises as he quickly tore off one of the mattress's edges. A mixture of cotton and down spilled onto the titan's lap and escaped the gaps of his teeth to rest on his tongue. Rogue spit the cotton remains into the pile before scooping it up into his hands, tossing it into the air to watch gravity's work with interest. It felt so good to give into this side of him again, one that he had locked away for nearly three years. With another trill, the titan tossed a wad of cotton to the redhead, noticing her look of complete horror. Rogue tilted his head, why did she look so scared? Shouldn't she be having fun? Again, the creature tossed her another handful of cotton to see if he could shake a laugh from her frame. However, the female remained as she was.

"Rogue." Petra muttered. You are going to be in a lot of trouble."

The titan raised a brow. " **EEEEIIIYYY?"**

Petra swallowed. "That pillow and mattress – those were the Corporal's. That room is Levi's Rogue."

Rogue remained still at the news. So he had just destroyed a bit of the short leader's property? Really? The room lacked the man's scent. Was it really Levi's? Confused, the titan then turned to double check Petra's statement, looking for proof that the den really belonged to the man. But before he could take a whiff, Rogue's emerald orbs caught sight of the man himself standing upon the rooftop. His face was twisted into a mixture of rage and angst. His thin eyebrows were nearly meeting at the bridge of his nose that was wrinkled like the muzzle of an aggressive hound. His lips were peeled back with teeth grinding against one another and hair ruffled. Levi's hands trembled, dangerously hovering close to the hilts of his swords. The titan's eyes glanced down at the mess he had made before looking back at the man. Petra had been right.

"WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE? I told you to follow orders and stay our of trouble!" Levi chided intensely. "You stupid titan! Do you fucking like getting in trouble? Why can't you listen!"

Rogue simply snorted. How was he supposed to know that the room was Levi's? The man's love of cleaning had wiped away his scent! The titan folded his arms, eyes narrowing in resentment. Rogue grunted and grumbled a wordless argument, giving his pipes a rest. Levi simply rolled his eyes.

"In case you forgot Rogue, I don't speak titan. Because of you, I'm going to have to get an entirely new mattress, which is expensive and hard to come by mind you, and a new pillow. Looks like I'm also going to be sleeping in my chair for a while which is something I try to avoid." Levi spoke darkly. "Did my stuff have your name on it anywhere? No it did not. I don't believe you were ever taught manners whatsoever by your two companions and the Jaegers. You're worse than owning an untrained puppy! And they shit everywhere!"

Upon hearing the insult unto his babies and his late humans, Rogue quickly rose to his feet and snarled, clacking his teeth. How he wished that he could just swat the rude little man away!

"Petra?"

She bit her lip. "Yes Corporal?"

"I assume that Rogue didn't listen to you?"

Out of the corner of his eye, the titan observed as Petra shrugged. "Yes. But Levi I think instinct just took the reigns. He didn't know that this was your room either."

The Corporal discharged a harsh breath. "Damn it. You act like a toddler, Rogue. GROW UP. MENTALLY. If it's not yours, don't tear it up. Now, your leisurely tour is over. You and Petra follow me. It's time to start your training.

Bone grinded against bone as Rogue gritted his teeth in aggravation for the umpteenth time since the sun had risen. Currently, he was reluctantly following both Levi and Petra who had converted to horseback and had begun to gallop through the woods. The titan roughly exhaled a jet of steam, he wasn't happy in the slightest and desperately wanted to both run along and reunite with his little ones and rake his nails across the stonewalls of the castle in frustration. He could feel his hands twitching at the thought of his restriction – itching to tear apart a titan to calm himself and take out his hate. God, how he wished he could slaughter a thirteen or fourteen-meter monster, teeth tearing at the nape and greedy fingers ripping out whatever internal organs his kind possessed – all in the name of feeling better.

The hoofed creatures carried their riders from the bush and into another clearing. The circumference was surrounded by thick trees except for one side where the wood thinned and opened into a wide field. It was a quiet area, a good distance from the castle but with little wildlife. The grass was green as his irises, freshly cut, and a few patches of earth littered here and there. In the vast clearing's center, a group of flying humans sat near their horses that were gazing lazily without a care in the world. Hearing his footsteps, the three male soldiers looked up to meet him eye to eye. Rogue recognized them from the other day during introductions. There was the longer blond Eld and the short haired brunette, Gunter. As far as familiarity, Rogue wasn't too knowledgeable of the males. They were strong, having witnessed their potential and strength during the years and the Scout's first hunt for him. They seemed quieter than the others, but nice enough. The other man sitting next to the two men was whom Rogue considered as a poor copy of Levi. The man who was called Oluo, was sitting in what the titan could discern as an arrogant manner – leaned back casually with legs propped and crossed before him. True, the man acted closely to Levi, but he gave him no orders and his acts of interpretation were laughable. As far as Rogue was concerned, Oluo was no threat – just a sad sap like Jean.

The titan then watched as Petra and Levi dismounted their horses with the short leader taking the two animals by the reins away to be with the others. Rogue observed as the redhead took her seat next to Eld, looking up into his eyes and waving in invitation.

"Come take a seat, Rogue." She smiled.

Perfectly fine with listening to the woman's requests, Rogue delicately began to lower himself onto his abdomen and adjust to view the group of flying humans comfortably without having to strain to squint. Once settled onto his abdomen, Rogue folded his arms neatly and rested his chin on both of his hands. Piercing green eyes looked to each soul in the small gathering, waiting on the borderline of patience. Hopefully this 'session' would be quick.

"Good! You remember Gunter, Oluo, and Eld right?" Petra asked, receiving a nod from the titan. "Good. They are part of our squad that will be with us on missions. Every elite squad here has a certain amount of team members that cover special operations on treks into titan territory. We're the best group of soldiers out of all the elite squads. The most capable of success in other words. Understand, Rogue?

The titan dipped his head, registering that he was a part of a tiny pack in the big pack – a talented pack. With the information presented, a thought came to Rogue. Were his little ones part of this tiny pack as well?

"That's great! As you may know but also to remind you how skilled we are, Squad Levi is responsible for the most titan kills compared to any other team or soldier. For example, with each of us four combined, we have over seventy titan kills. As far as Levi though, we don't know for sure, but we think it's over a hundred – if we had to agree on some sort of number."

"As far as Rogue goes though," Eld smirked with cunning. "It'd hard telling how many of his kind he's slaughtered. If I had to estimate at all I'd guess the number could very well be a thousand or more."

"Yeah," Gunter agreed. "Just watching him brawl with his kind in his territory, seeing how he mows them down with ease, it's possible. He's probably killed more than every Scout combined."

At the unexpected praise, Rogue grunted in thanks and held his head a little higher despite being in a somewhat foul mood. Deep down, he did sometimes question himself about his total count of how many titans he had sent back to hell. In all of his years hunting, he was never able to keep track. Even in his first day, hyped on both rage and adrenaline, he knew he had slaughtered more than a mere dozen. In truth, he didn't think that numbers mattered. Killing a titan successfully was what did. Hearing their pitiful wails of agony and watching their blood spill onto his hands was the reward.

"Pshh! The Corporal has been killing titans long before he has." Oluo chuckled sarcastically, receiving a glare from the titan at the insult, the man flinching immediately.

"Oluo, you don't know that." Petra sighed, looking back to the titan tenderly and shaking her head at the ridiculous accusation.

Rogue huffed in return, but still in question. Why were they just sitting here? Why weren't the humans flying? What was he supposed to do? Were his little babies going to join him soon? " **EETTRAA?"** He asked gruffly, receiving more than just the redhead's attention.

"Yes, Rogue?"

" **AAATTT DOOOEENNGG?"** Rogue spoke with difficulty, reaching to rub his throat a little.

"You're going to be learning the technical basics of how our missions work and behaving as you do so."

The titan looked from Petra to see that Levi had finally joined the small group, holding a large roll of parchment in hand. His frustrations immediately fired up again as his livid greens watched the man pull out a silk cloth and sat upon it neatly, blocking him from the dirty earth. At Levi's action, Rogue took his hands from his jaw line and placed them against the grass with his head and brow low as he initiated a stern glare at the man with the others taking notice, nervously biting at their lips. The titan was on the verge of growling; he was in no mood to be given any gifts of bullshit.

"Lunch is scheduled soon, twenty minutes to be exact so we have time to start." Levi began with no change in expression while he looked deeply at the titan. "Now Rogue," The stout man pressed on as he began to unroll the parchment before his eyes. "This is the Commander's fine work and best strategic plan for when we go through the hell hole that is now Wall Maria. "This is the Long Range Scouting Formation."

Rogue angled his head as his eyes scanned the paper before him. He could not have been more confused as to what this thing was. The shape was unlike any that Hange or his humans had ever shown him. It looked to be a half circle but with several odd shapes nestled into it, a cylinder, triangles, and little squares. What? How ornate could shapes be?

"Rogue, you are to memorize this through and through." Levi sustained, voice retaining its unyielding tone. "As I said, we use this on every mission – including the one coming up in two months that your ass better be ready for. So I suggest you pay attention. Now," The man pointed to the inner area of the strange shape. "Our squad is located at the center rank. It's the safest position in the entire formation. We are on standby for the most part until we're given orders." Levi paused as his steel eyes took the time to peer into the depths of his green orbs. "In other words, we WAIT until we're told to attack."

When the words fell upon his ears, Rogue immediately sat up in disgust. His nose wrinkled as he attempted to grimace. What! Why was he there! He was the strongest and could take the most damage! He should be in the front paving the way! It didn't make any sense! Why! Were his little ones there too? Rogue dithered, quickly placing his pointer finger onto the spot that Levi had indicated. He swallowed, the group of soldiers looking at him in question. " **AARRNNIINN NNIKKAASA TTOOO?"** Rogue demanded, glaring heatedly at the little man.

Levi's eyes only narrowed, but falling into a split second delay. He then watched as the man continued to stare. "Erwin has not assigned them a position yet, and I honestly don't know if I should even tell you when I find out since you tend to wander." He scoffed, a single brow rising in a mocking manner.

A sliver of anger ran down the titan's spine, making him give a sharp and abrupt growl in return. He despised the man more and more with each passing minute. He had good reason for his previous actions!

"Now, the outside here is where the majority of our regiment is located. They are called spotters." Levi articulated. "They watch for approaching titans and fire off signals to ward us away from them. They only engage a titan if need be. The colors they fire off are yellow, blue, green, and black. Hange said that you could recognize color, so now I'm going to inform you of what they mean to us. So pay attention. I do not like repeating things over and over to dumbasses. Yellow means…"

As Levi continued to explain, Rogue found himself falling into a state of unwillingness. He didn't need to learn what the damn colors meant! He knew them all too well. The titan groaned; shoulders sinking as he let an impartial yawn come into play. He didn't care if Levi got mad at him. He wanted to move on. He wanted this to get over with so he could go off on his own and fulfill his desires of whimsy with his two children.

"Rogue!" The small leader barked. "Pay attention! As I was saying, the supply wagons are stationed…"

The titan only became more detached. From his years of watching the flying humans, he knew that the wheeled rectangles carried human things, stayed behind when the flying humans began to sail and hunt in the forest, and stayed near the rear of the pack when running. Not willing to hear any more or be keen to participate in the learning of the formation thing, Rogue casually flopped onto his back with his view inclined to the sky and legs awkwardly arched over the small group of humans. The titan gurgled in favor of his own joke. Rogue arched his head to the side, hair draped like a dark curtain over his face as he looked through the gaps to discover that the five humans had stood from their spots. Eld and Petra were speechless, Gunter was holding back a snicker, and Oluo mirrored Levi's furious façade. Rogue opened his mouth and allowed his long tongue to slide out – giving his best version of blowing a raspberry as he could. To his amusement, Levi's face tinted red.

"That's a new way to show your ass." Gunter muttered, hardly able to keep his composure.

"It's a new level of disrespect." Oluo corrected. "Right, Sir?"

Levi inhaled deeply, hand shaking as he reached up to adjust his cravat. "Right." He spoke coldly. "Rogue Jaeger. You have tested my patience! Now sit your fucking ass up and pay the fuck attention to what your superior officer is informing –

Not wishing to hear anymore about things he was certain he knew, Rogue quickly got to his feet and began to walk across the clearing similar to the way a high strung man walked into a tavern as if he owned the place. The titan rumbled with utter enjoyment as he made his way to the largest tree he could find in the area, ears filling with the angry bouts of Levi. Rogue then paused, looking over his shoulder to the group of flying humans that were trailing his heels. His eyes sank lazily as a smirk came to his deformed face, he would make the short leader see how much he hated him – by doing the exact opposite the man anticipated.

"ROGUE! Sit back down! You have to memorize what I told you!" Levi yelled as he came closer.

The titan snorted and placed a hand onto the tree, daring the man to continue.

"Don't you fucking –

With a cheerful grunt, Rogue began to scale the tree- only that it was much smaller that those in his forest, let alone wasn't the biggest in the Scout's territory. The titan climbed the limbs carefully, slower than before with the tree's creaking stress meeting his ears. Now with his limbs awkwardly wrapping around the trunk that was even thinner than his own ribcage, Rogue peeked around the tree to grin down at his temperamental pursuers – ears wiggling at the crimson flesh of Levi's cheeks.

"How immature, but very intuitive." The Corporal sighed face softening and the red transforming into a warm cream, his tone surprising the titan. "Climbing a tree to escape a lesson. It's brilliant." Levi continued. "I have no gear on and you're way up in that tree. What a shame. I can't do a thing."

Rogue grinned and rumbled loudly in triumph, jaw forming into a smirk. He had outsmarted Levi just as he had done before, the incredible feeling just as amazing as it was at that time. Now Levi had to give in! He had to let him see his little ones! Rogue adjusted himself again to stare at the man with expectancy, ignoring the opposing tree as he waited. Rogue continued to observe as Levi unexpectedly turned on his heel and began to walk away with the others following close behind. Unhappy with the lack of response and the fact that he was being ignored, Rogue shifted to receive his audience with a roar, but making a crucial error. Before the creature could emit his cry, the old bark of the tree snapped like brittle bone. Startled, Rogue's nails dug into the aged pine and his eyes grew wide as the trunk split and rotated. The earth's invisible strength then pulled the great pine to the ground. The titan let out a shriek as the tree crashed to the floor of the grassy clearing with Rogue still frozen upon it. Loose leaves and wood sprinkled across the grass like confetti. The titan moaned as he laid against the fallen trunk, opening his eyes to see Levi standing just a few feet before him, arms crossed and a single thin brow raised.

"Karma. It's a bitch isn't it? If you weren't so stubborn, you probably would have realized that tree was far too small for you to climb upon. See what happens when you don't listen?"

A heavy blow of mortification seemed to smack across the titan's face. He was such a fool! Too ignorant to notice the oak's size and how his weight would affect it. Rogue then began to produce a few short whines as he struggled to get to his feet, embarrassed to the point that he wasn't focused fully on getting up, falling onto his rump in the grass. Rogue then snarled at his stupidity and source of his troubles. Fuck the tree! Fuck whatever the hell karma was! Fuck the formation shapes! Most of all, FUCK Levi! The titan then finally managed to get to his feet, ignorance still strongly coursing through his mind as he plopped himself in the shade of another pine, arms crossed as he turned his gaze to the ground – staring with great intensity at an anthill between his thighs.

"Since you wasted quite a bit of time, I and my squad are going to have our lunch. You can join us as long as you grow up and behave." Levi concluded as he and the other flying humans walked out into the field where a wooden table sat several meters away from what looked to be a human residence. Rogue watched as the five seated themselves and began to take out human food and liquids, soon indulging on them in near silence. The titan remained beneath the shelter of the pine's needles, contemplating. Although he was invited, he really didn't want to join – not with Levi seated among them. However, he felt sorry for Petra who would find herself glancing over her shoulder to check up on him. Yet he felt so stupid, but if he was good could he make the session pass quicker so he could see his little ones? It was noon and he barely had the chance to really spend some quality time with them. If he could behave, then maybe – just maybe he could quit and be with them. With his mind made up, the titan prepared to stand, but a soft conversation fell onto his ears. Rogue paused, hearing his name being mentioned in a quiet and secretive manner, he waited with ears angling to decipher words.

"His attitude is a disgrace. Rogue has to be whipped into shape. He's not going to walk all over me." Levi grumbled as he sipped from the lip of his tea. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with his attitude."

"I don't think he's used to this kind of setting if you ask me, Corporal." Petra objected. "He's never had to be under such restraining restrictions before."

"She has a point, Levi." Eld added as he shoved a piece of bread into his mouth. "He may have been under some form of rules before, but this setting and everything is –

"I don't care." Levi cut in. "He has to be able to obey."

"Corporal, like Hange said, he has the mind of a child plus some instincts and characteristics that are so different and far from human." Gunter began. "He's sensitive, you have to go about it a little differently than you would."

The short leader glanced over to the brunette, lifting his tea to savor it before turning away, eyes seemingly focused on the horizon.

"Not to mention it Levi," Petra spoke so softly that it was barely audible to the titan's ears. "Rogue REALLY does think that Ackerman and Arlert are his babies. He said it to me this morning and it was brought up again with Hange. He's really protective of them so it's natural that he wants to see them and make sure they're okay."

The man sighed, turning to glance at her before looking into the wood grain onto the table. "He needs to be controlled and watched, Petra. Zackley made that my job. Rogue is my responsibility."

The titan grumbled softly to himself at the man's words. He really disliked him. The rest of his squad though, except for Oluo, seemed to be the opposite especially Petra. The fact that she knew his wants and needs told the titan that she understood him completely. With that in mind, Rogue arose from his patch of grass and began to make his way to the rest of the group. Upon hearing his thundering footsteps, the others looked up from their rattling dishes as Rogue approached. The titan then seated himself at the end of the tiny table as close to the redhead as he was physically able. He watched as she smiled up at him, returning the kindhearted gesture.

"So did you decide to behave?" Levi spoke from the rim of his glass, steel eyes looking from the white porcelain to the titan.

Rogue responded by looking back at Petra and giving the man the cold shoulder. But upon doing so, the creature's gaze came across something that yet again intrigued him. He had seen similar objects before, ones with one sharp point and one with several sharp points on the ends. The titan knew that humans used them when they ate or stirred their dark liquid. He had seen his humans use one similar to what he was looking at now, round and blunt at the tip. This one though, was made from a material as shiny as a fish's scales and a pair of blades. The stick connected the round part was carved with shapes that made up a bird. The object was also smaller than the ones he had seen his little ones, Carla, or Dr. Jaeger use. With pupils growing in innocence, Rogue lightly tapped Petra with the woman abandoning her next bite to answer his asking touch.

"What is it, Rogue?"

The titan let out a few friendly grunts as he pointed to the object. Following Rogue's finger, Petra raised her brows and gestured to the article.

"That?" She asked with Rogue nodding excitedly. "That's a spoon."

The titan parted his teeth. " **SSSSTTOOOONNN?"** He tested, unable to pronounce the letter 'p.'

Petra smiled. "Yes. Actually it's a tea spoon to be exact. It's used to stir tea."

Rogue blinked, in awe at the craftsmanship on such a miniscule thing. Sure, he had seen Carla stir her tea with a spoon, but the spoon was bigger. Perhaps it was because she had once said that they 'didn't have too many utensils.' However the size of the item was what mystified Rogue. He wasn't aware that humans could make something so small. " **TTEEIINNYY."** Rogue assessed. " **EEEETTTYYY**."

She chuckled. "Yeah, it's a small spoon, pretty too. My father had two of these made for me when I joined the Scouts. Hence the reason why it has a bird on it to represent the Wings of Freedom crest we wear on our backs in a different way. You can take a closer look if you want to, Rogue." Petra informed as she scooted the spoon close to the edge of the table.

The titan nodded excitedly as he bent over as best as he could to examine the object with incredulity. As careful as one could not think possible for a titan, Rogue lifted a finger to the silver utensil and lightly tapped it. With great care, Rogue then reached his finger over and attempted to scoop the small spoon into his hand, not noticing how his large digit was disrupting the human meal. Levi hastily removed his tea from his lips at the sight, setting his cup down so roughly that it was a shock that it didn't crack.

"Rogue, get your damn fingers off the table." Levi hissed. "It's rude and not to mention you're contaminating everyone's food. Plus you can see that just fine from where you're sitting."

"It's okay, Corporal. He's never seen one like this before."

"He can see it just fine where he is." Levi reminded as he lifted his teacup, looking closely at the bottom for cracks before raising it to his lips once again.

Rogue droned quietly as he looked back down at the small spoon, more focused upon the small object than the Corporal's body language that reflected a man that was at his wits end – eyes constantly glancing at the behemoth and fingers fretfully pulling at his pant leg beneath the table. The titan continued to stare down at the little spoon on the oak surface of the table, ears angling as forward as they could possibly be as his green eyes scanned every detail and groove. Of course, his height didn't help much with the engaging of the finer things, and he was unable to lie on his belly to have a closer look for his long hair would taint the food. Rogue groaned slightly as he tried to bend down further, arching his back so uncomfortably that he had to return to his upright position. The titan then began to weigh his options. He didn't want to disturb Petra while she was consuming her meal to ask if she could put the spoon into his hand. He blinked; the only way he could get a closer look was to quickly push to spoon into his hand. If he moved swiftly enough with great precision, then perhaps he could retrieve what he wanted with no disturbance. Rogue hesitated, looking at the others who had started a conversation about a coming mission. Yes, he was certain he could succeed. The titan looked down at his hands, unaware of the hard stare upon him as he prepared himself. As quickly as he could, Rogue held one of his hands at the edge of the table and hurriedly reached up to brush the spoon into his possession. The action however, was one of error. The titan did indeed successfully retrieve the small utensil, but the weight of his pointer finger upon the table's edge forced the platform to tilt – food sliding onto the ground and into the wrong hands.

Rogue winced at his error, sensing the amount of upset from his new allies. Knowing that it was only right to apologize, the titan gave a meaningful grunt before looking into his palm at the spoon with a pleased rumble – unaware that most of his accidental victims would not be so forgiving.

"ROGUE!"

The jarring voice was so sudden that the titan jumped, spoon leaving the safety of his palm and landing in the grass. Rogue turned to hiss at the short leader who had risen from his seat before attempting to retrieve the spoon for a surprised Petra – the titan's digits too big to pick the small thing up. Without warning there was a blunt hit to his smallest toe. The titan snarled, leaving his failed attempts and turning to his attacker who had dared to hit him. Levi stood, an arm tight to his side with the other pointing directly to him – the man trembling, noticeably now, in rage.

"YOU BIG FUCKING IDIOT! I TOLD YOU TO OBEY MY ORDERS!"

Rogue's face twisted into a dark glare that was close to appearing completely dangerous. The titan's hands twitched and steam steamed from his pores. His nails began to seep into the dry earth, a sad attempt in trying to keep a lid on himself. It had been so long since he actually felt like harming a human. So long. He was at his breaking point with the man, blood boiling as he thought about throwing a punch into the man's face. Rogue growled deeply, ears flat against his head. The titan then began to itch for revenge. A harmless, but effective revenge.

"I'VE BEEN FAR TOO GENEROUS WITH YOU. IT'S TIME THAT YOU LEARN YOUR –

Rogue roared and pounded his fist into the earth, wishing that he could rip apart something suitable. The titan's eyes then caught sight of the maneuver gear that dawned every flying human. A smirk nearly came to his face as he figured up an execution. Rogue sniffed, selecting the Corporal's gear among the others. Perfect!

"ROGUE! YOU BETTER –

Levi was unable to finish his words as the titan suddenly got to his feet and raced for his target. He then kneeled down and plucked the man's gear from its spot on the low incomplete fence surrounding the small human structure. Rogue then pulled the cables from their hiding spots on the device before dangling it in the air in a taunt, taking pride in the man's reddening cheeks.

"DON'T FUCKING –

Rogue merely snarled and fed the cables of the device into his mouth, seemingly turning the usually reserved Levi into a banshee. The corporal's cries of vulgar vocabulary only provoked Rogue further – the titan taking the cables in hand and threading them through his teeth and managing them like floss. In and out between his giant teeth, the titan didn't care. Revenge was so sweet. When Rogue completed his so called dental work, the titan took the cables from his teeth only to place the strong steel between his incisors once again, biting down with little force to snap the cables in half. Then, like an angry ape, Rogue expressed his loathing with another resounding bellow and threw the set of maneuver gear nearly fifty meters straight to the ground. Eyes watched as the equipment rolled and tumbled violently against the earth before coming to rest just before a tree in nearly a thousand pieces. Rogue hissed, sitting on his heels in an aggressive position – hands and feet planted firmly to the ground, joints tight, back arched, ears folded over, hair standing on end, and face in a manic snarl. Levi would NEVER lay a hand on him. EVER.

Breathing hard, Rogue observed the scene before him, a few of the squad members had risen from their seats in alarm at what had transpired and Levi himself was standing still, face red as a beat as his cold eyes gave the titan a deadly glare. Rogue nearly grunted in satisfaction, he could practically smell the man's fury. The Corporal had taken him away from his little ones for the day, so he took away his wings. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.

"Rogue." Levi began, voice soaked in poison. "As I said, I've been too generous and too easy on you. Purposely breaking a piece of expensive equipment was the last straw. It's time that you receive the same punishment that all Scouts endure. And trust me, you're not going to find this fun."

" **STUPID… THIS IS… STUPID."** Rogue thought as he observed Levi fill a large wooden tub and begin to pour the foul smelling liquid into the water. The man spoke no words as he stirred the concoction, leaving Rogue to ponder as to what exactly the man was doing and his own thoughts. The titan looked at the cloth tarp in his hand, angrily trying to count the stitches of the repair patches decorating it. Why was this man not letting him see Armin and Mikasa? Why was he so against their visitation? It didn't make any sense! They were all Scouts! So why weren't they together? They were a pack weren't they? Why was Levi telling him to grow up? He was big enough! What the hell was going on!

Levi's clearing throat captured his attention away from the loose stitches. "This is what you're going to do every time you disobey me, Rogue. Cleaning. Since your bath this morning, I'm confident that you know what such a thing is. Now. You are to clean every one of the high windows and the roof on this side of the castle. No broken windows and no missing tiles. I want no speck of dirt left untouched. Dip your rag into the barrel; and if you get water on me, I'm making you clean the entire castle. Do it now."

The titan frowned at the man's order before growling and dipping his makeshift rag into the barrel. Rogue then retrieved the dripping cloth, hesitating and debating if he should just sling the profane smelling water onto the man or dump the barrel entirely.

"Now, put the rag on the roof and start scrubbing."

Rogue gritted his teeth, deciding that he just wanted to get it over with – the titan obeyed Levi's command and unwillingly slapped the drenched cloth to the shingles with the sound resembling a step in wet shoes. The titan moved the rag back and forth, eyes still narrowed and hooked on the stout leader.

"Good." Levi began simply. "Now keep that up. I'll be back in an hour." The man concluded as he walked off towards his previous post.

For nearly a minute, Rogue kept up his lazy scrubbing before turning to glace in the direction that Levi had gone. The beast's greens watched as the Corporal ventured past the far tree line. Once he vanished, Rogue snorted and snarled, releasing a hard jet of steam in frustration. The titan then angrily picked up the barrel with ease and slung all its liquid contents across the face of the castle and smashed the wooden barrel beneath his foot with a weighty stomp, not giving a damn about the splinters that pierced his flesh. Rogue clenched his fist, having the desire to cause more destruction to ease his suffering. Much to his own surprise however, the titan returned to the rag and began to cleanse the roof, mentally cursing Levi once again.

He hated that man. He really did.

Noon had come and gone, the day crawling towards the afternoon with the sun beginning to sink ever so slightly. The sky was still a brilliant blue with not a cloud tainting its beautiful hue. Rogue grunted in annoyance, his mind barely settling from the recent events and their outcomes. The titan groaned as he continued to guide the cloth in a smooth, lethargic, but repetitive circle in the very same spot he started on. The creature could not understand why Levi seemed to favor the particular activity of cleansing things. Since he began, the titan constantly found himself straying from the task he had been ensured with due to boredom. At first, he had become distracted by several air circles, 'bubbles' as his humans had told him, which had formed in the smeared liquid and on his rag. Easily entertained, he had proceeded to pop them by tapping them as quickly as he could with his fingers before the bubbles combusted themselves. Rogue had also gotten preoccupied by several birds nesting nearby that had begun to swoop at him. The titan had swatted and hunted them with the skill of a domestic house-cat until he had a few feathers under his nails and between his teeth before the annoying creatures left to select another tree. He had also detected a few interesting scents nearby that he had followed to discover a half eaten piece of stacked human food on a windowsill, an odd liquid from a strange bottle, and an insignificant pile of dust on an old window.

A small flare of testiness flashed through Rogue, making the creature push the rag from the roof in frustration. The titan ran a hand over his face, trying to keep any nerves he had left. The need to settle down for a moment to gather his thoughts was tugging at the strings of his marionette. Rogue wanted to go find his little ones and cradle them in his embrace, but with the chance of Levi being with them, the titan resisted. He was in no mood for the man. Just as he was about to sink to the ground, a whinny and two young voices graced his ears. The titan tilted his head in consideration. He had always felt comfort with his animals and he liked the Scout's horses. Plus the two young humans there could possibly keep him company until he would have to go back to work. With the goal in mind, Rogue turned and began to motion toward the stables that he had seen before the sun was at its highest.

The titan stepped lightly as the two voices steadily grew louder and the scent of manure grew stronger. Slowly and with great care, Rogue rounded to the castle's front where he found the horse stables that he and Petra had visited earlier. The man known as Ness was gone, replaced by the oddball named Connie and unfortunately Jean. Of course, at the moment, the beast didn't care about the arrogant boy's presence, he was desperate for the comfort of an animal and nothing was going to keep him from carrying out his wishes. The two males were doing what he had seen horse owners do in Maria, using a giant spoon like object to pick up and remove dung from the stables. He found the practice odd, but he supposed that it was necessary. Several horses were out of their pens and tied to wooden beams nearby as their spaces were refreshed. The titan then stepped from behind his hiding place behind the corner and gradually navigated to where the tied equines were feeding. The two teens looked up from their crude labor and watched as Rogue judiciously took a seat. The behemoth then lifted a finger to pet the spine of a mare, the small animal paying no mind as the titan purred and stoked her gently. Connie then scratched his temple.

"Hey Rogue, you uh… how's it going?"

The titan glanced up from his fine handling to meet eyes with the boy before giving into a nod; he wasn't in the mood to explain everything. Then a thought crossed his mind, why were the two humans here and not with the others? " **AAATT DOOIINNG?"** He asked, trying to find an answer.

Connie's cheeks tinted slightly pink. "Ah well, Levi caught Jean and I slacking off –

"Well it was actually you." Jean corrected as he threw a pile of feces into a bucket.

The shorter boy laughed anxiously. "Well anyways, he made us come here and shovel some horse crap out of the stables as punishment. He's a clean freak if you haven't figured it out yet. It's what you're ordered to do if you fuck up one way or the other."

Rogue nodded. " **ARRRNIN NIKKASSA NNOOT TTRROODDLE?"**

Connie dipped his head. "Nope, they're pretty focused on things so they are still back in the woods training. They probably won't be done for a while." The teen informed as he shoveled another pile, suddenly perking up. "I thought you were supposed to be with Levi and his squad today?"

The titan halted his show of affection to the gentle mare, hesitating for a moment before letting out a small cloud of steam. " **EENNN TOODDLE."**

**"** Wait, you got punished, too?"

The titan nodded. " **EEVVII NNADE CLEENN."**

Connie's brows rose. "So – he made you clean? Are you done?"

Rogue hesitated, stopping once again mid stroke before resuming. " **NNNAATT CLEEEN.** **NNOO IKKE EEVVII."** The creature spoke simply as he observed the two humans' faces drop slightly. Why were they so shocked? Were they amazed that he had dared to disobey the man?

"What were you told to clean?" Connie continued to quiz.

Rogue pointed to the roof of the castle and gestured to the windows before returning to the horse, wishing that the conversation would change.

"The roof?"

He nodded, releasing a slightly rough breath for the two males to get the message, to his dismay – Jean turned in his direction.

"So you just decided that you'd rather look at horses?" The long faced teen spoke in a revolted tone, eyebrows drawing together.

Rogue nodded clearly. He was past the point of caring.

Jean folded his arms. "Well then, it would be a lot better for us if you went back to your post, Rogue. If Levi finds you here he'll assume we're all in the same bolt and give us even more of a workload."

The titan sat back, offended by the human's words. **"NNOO!"** The giant being retorted gruffly. **"EEIII SSTTEEYY EERREE."**

The young Scout frowned. "F.Y.I Rogue, you can't do whatever the fuck you want around here."

The titan hissed and planted a palm firmly before him as he bent lower to give a menacing glare at Jean, making a bead of sweat appear onto Connie's brow. " **EESSSS! EEII TTOO AATTT EEEII AAAUUNNTT!"** Rogue argued, words borderline gibberish. " **OOOTTT KKEEEENN!"**

Jean frowned. "Your English is terrible. I can barely understand you."

The titan gritted his teeth at the insult. His human tongue was fine! It was the best he could do without lips! As far as he knew, no other titan could talk! " **EEEIII TTAAKK GOOOD!"**

The teen laughed smugly. "Your grammar sucks, too. I feel like I'm arguing with a two year old for crying out loud! It's hard to believe that you're The Rogue Titan that slaughters his own kind mercilessly."

Rogue flinched, temperature rising as his frustration was put up front once again. The titan desperately searched for something he could point out, trying the biggest negatives in the list. " **OOUUU AAAADD AAT EEVVVRREEETHIINNNGG!"**

**"** Yeah." Jean shoved aside carelessly. "Right. You suck at insults too apparently."

The titan's pupils fixated into slits, digging deep into the foul words of his head to use them as weapons. It was true, insults were never his forte, beating the daylights out of his foes was. But he had to try anyway. " **NNOOTHERR UUUCCKKERR**." Rogue snarled, using one of the first sets of foul words he had ever heard, hoping that it would make an impact. To his amazement, the two teen's eyes widened again.

"I thought he just knew how to flip someone off." Connie muttered with Jean's eyes narrowing further, throwing his shovel to the ground.

"Fuck you too you big angry elf!"

Rogue roared. " **AAAASSSSS!"**

"Dickless!"

" **HH…HHHOORRRRSSEACEE!"**

The titan breathed, silence briefly coating the stables with a thin blanket before Connie snickered.

"You know, that was actually a good one."

Jean, now red-faced turned to the other teen. "Shut up Springer!"

Rogue remained livid, ears cocked against his head. He had come here for just a bit of peace and quiet, but no! He couldn't even have that! He was so sick, so sick of everything…

"Damn it! Fucking hard ass!" Jean began again and quickly following up his words with more insults, calling him a 'big baby' or idiot.

Steam seeped from the corners of the creature's mouth. Not wishing to hear any more, Rogue initiated production on a disgusting revolt. Saliva formed in his mouth, slivers seeping past the gaps in his teeth, but his target took no notice. The titan's stomach rolled and gurgled as he aimed and prepared to unleash his vexations upon the arrogant male. Jean however was still trapped in his conjuring of curses while Connie had nervously taken a few steps back.

"Er… Rogue? Are you sick or…

However, the titan answered the boy's query before he could finish, sending a hard stream of saliva onto an unsuspecting Jean – soaking the new recruit in a thick translucent paste. Rogue roared in insolence, windows trembling and nearly cracking as his victim struggled to wipe the vast amount of spit from his face. The titan then backed away, shoulders hunched as he growled, preparing to repeat his foul action if needed. He was _pissed_. Nothing had gone right! Living with his little ones was supposed to be great! No! It was not! It was horrible!

"ROGUE! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE! WHY ARE YOU NOT AT YOUR POST!"

At the all too familiar voice, Rogue turned to glower daggers at Levi who stood upon the rooftop with a new set of gear and an uncompromising face. He had enough. The titan stood and stomped his foot, shaking the foundation and making Connie and Jean as well as a few equines fall to the stone path. He was going to lie out his demands. " **EEEIIII SEEE AARRNNNIN ANND NNIKKASA! I SEEE AIIIBIIEESS!"**

"NO!" Levi put coarsely. "I told you to clean the roof and windows! You did nothing! So you can't see them until…

The titan howled in rage, mind compromised so much by his intense need that rational thought wasn't entirely holding his leash. Rogue then spit again, hitting Levi the same way he had hit Jean just a moment ago. While the man began to recuperate and gag, the titan screeched, caught in a paroxysm of epic proportions. He was full of anguish and now regrets.

**(POV SWAP)**

Levi's breath shuttered like a dead leaf, anger coursing throughout his frame as he marched through the stony corridor. The man's footsteps echoed among the surface of the walls, signaling a warning to nearby soldiers to retreat to their quarters. His wet bangs dangled over his eyes, still soaked from the cleansing shower – the third that he had taken in forty-eight hours. Now dawned in his third uniform he had changed into since the day began and motivated by resentment, Levi was heading into a difficult conversation.

He then came before his destination, a large wooden door upon the high floor of the castle that served as a barrier between chaotic affairs and Erwin's office. Without bothering to knock, Levi let himself into the large room. The Commander's quarters had nearly the same identical floor plan as his own, a bathroom in the back, bedroom off to the side, and a desk facing away from a large stained glass window. As Levi stormed to the desk, Erwin looked up from a pile of paperwork and notes, large brows knitted together in confusion as the Corporal began to pace to and fro several times before placing himself in his signature stance. He swallowed, trying to keep his nerve –what little he had left at least.

The Commander leaned back in his seat, face still questioning. "Your new recruit; how is he?" The man asked deeply, picking up his wooden pen and tilting it in his hands, eyes barely blinking as he waited for an answer.

Levi exhaled a rugged breath, scowl deepening. "I'm trying my absolute best not to kill him."

Erwin nodded. "I trust that something happened, I heard a commotion earlier from the front of the castle."

"You don't know the half of it. That titan has literally done everything in his power to agitate me. This is my third uniform today and I just had another fucking shower to get the saliva off of me! Erwin, that THING is like trying to tame a monkey!"

Commander Erwin sighed. "I see. Take a seat, Levi."

The Corporal found himself biting the inside of his cheek in irritation. "I'll stand, thank you. Last time I checked, this wasn't a shrink's office." Levi denied, ignoring the fact that he really did want to sit, kick back for just one moment, and have a cup of hot tea to wind down. As far as he was concerned, the titan was the main priority. Even if he was on the inch of death, the problem was so severe that it was first on his agenda. "Erwin, Rogue is completely out of hand. His demeanor is… the furthest thing from what could be called domestication. It's been hell ever since this morning."

Erwin leaned forward. "How so?"

He took another great breath, tugging at his fresh cravat. "Sir, he doesn't listen to a single order no mater how much I threaten him!" Levi began, his volume rising. "During his bath, he purposely splashed me with water, and the fucker even _pretended_ that he had done it on accident! He would hiss and snarl so I couldn't touch him. Then when I began to clean his teeth and take care of his putrid breath – he purposely belched in my face. After that, I found him fucking around during Hange's session. I was watching from inside and I saw him restless and making jokes. He threw a fit when Ackerman and Arlert had to train and he wasn't allowed. Later I found that he had gone to see them even after my commands. Petra told me that it was her fault, but I know that titan dragged her there and she took up for him."

"Hmm, that is an issue." Erwin scratched his chin after returning the pen to his desk, but Levi wasn't finished.

"After that I caught Rogue red handed destroying my room and bedding while reaching in to retrieve my pillow and mattress – which are history now. During our session with him, he refused to listen to my justification of the formation and the upcoming mission to the point where he retreated up a tree – his weight making it snap and add to more property damage. During lunch he was fussing over looking at a damn teaspoon, like going to visit Arlert and Ackerman, he picked it up anyway after I repudiated him permission. When I confronted him about it, he threw a fucking tantrum and destroyed my maneuver gear to the point where its only use is scrap metal. Not long after I set him to clean, I found him arguing with Kirstein before he proceeded to spit on the two of us and have another outburst – wrecking part of the stable in the process. Sir, I fear that we need more time. There is no way in hell that Rogue will be civilized enough for Zackley's inspection soon!" Levi included, nearly out of breath. He then tugged once again on his cravat and reluctantly pulled up a neighboring chair. The Corporal roughly took his seat, legs overlapping with one hand gripping the arm rail in a stronghold. "We may need more time, at the rate things are going –

"I can't extend our time, Levi." Erwin interrupted, glancing off to the side. "The government was generous and gave us the max amount of time allotted. We spent most of that trying to capture Rogue." The man suddenly paused, turning his gaze back to Levi, softening in the slightest. "I believe however, that it's possible."

The Corporal nearly let himself give in to his desires brought on by irritation. "After all that, you think we can get that damn thing controlled in two months? Erwin, it's going to be extensive. Tsk, this particular titan just seems like he would rather chase fucking butterflies with a few kids and hunt on his own rather than listen to any order given to him. Rogue is a big piece of work! What makes you think we can fix this?"

Erwin remained silent for a moment, face impassive and hard to read. The man then swiveled lightly in his chair, side facing the Corporal as he peered at the pieces of colored glass. "Because I have figured out the reason why there is a vast change in his demeanor, Levi. Firstly, do you remember when Arlert debriefed us on Rogue's behavior, particularly the part about the titan's keen judgment of people? Tell me, has Rogue only expressed this behavior with you and Kirstein?"

Levi crossed his arms tightly once again. "Yes and yes."

"Alright then. The reason for this is because, that night around the campfire, the two of you introduced yourselves with a crude and rude tone. Nonetheless, he's been watching you for years, Levi. When you and Jean began to interact with him as if he was an ornery animal, Rogue immediately decided then and there, or even before, that he was not fond of you."

He began to grind his teeth. "Erwin, Rogue is a fifteen meter TITAN – a beast. Animals have to be put in line in order for them to obey."

"Levi, Rogue is an intelligent titan – having the mental capacity of a young human being. Ackerman and Arlert, they treat him as such. Petra, Hange, and a few of the other new recruits have picked up on the fact that kindness goes a long way."

"Erwin," Levi uttered beneath his breath, unaddmitedly-having trouble grasping the obvious truth. "He's been established as a Scout. I'm not going to baby him into doing what I want."

The commander exhaled a heavy breath and reached over to pour himself and the Corporal a cup of tea, making Levi wish that it was alcohol. "Levi, you know very well that might be the case. Like what's been determined, Rogue's mind has the intelligence of a five to seven year old. Like all children, he responds positively with tenderness and encouragement. Ackerman and Arlert are the best evidence of this. Treating him like a person will get you results."

Levi's shoulders relaxed in the slightest. "Let me guess. Arlert told you all of this?"

A small smile came to the taller man's face. "Most of it – right after yesterday's episode, but some was observation." He paused sipping his tea. "If you really think about it Levi, the two of you are alike in a lot of ways."

The Corporal immediately placed his cup to the Commander's desk, suddenly not at all in the mood. "Alike? You – think I have something in common with a titan?" He demanded; Erwin had to be joking.

"It may sound a bit unorthodox, but it's true. I undoubtedly don't need to say no offence since you're probably well aware. The two of you are both stubborn, strong willed, have a strong dislike of titans, and you protect your own. Not to mention Levi, you both have suffered great losses that shaped you into who you are today."

Levi remained in his own cone of thought, trying not to remember his first mission as a Scout or any time before that. Erwin was one of the only people he had opened up to about his past – mostly because he was there for an important and crucial chunk of it. If it were up to him, he would have just been silent about it. Erwin then poured himself more tea before picking up his pen to return to his work.

"Just take what I told you into consideration Levi. Rogue is indeed a Scout, a supersized soldier for humanity. But unlike our other men and women, he has very specific and special needs. I hope that terms get better between the two of you. Soon I want the new recruits to train among your squad. There is an issue that Rogue himself brought to our attention that he could be the perfect teacher for."

Corporal Levi gave a sigh and retrieved his tea, sitting back in his chair. As stupid as it sounded, he would have to try something far from his comfort zone. Very far. The man then took a sip before removing his cup to pour more tea. "So, how much time left do we have before Zackley and Nile's ass comes? What exactly will they be looking at?"

"We have a little less than two months. They will come on the first day of the third month in the morning. As far as what they are looking for, Pixis is going to debrief –

However, a barrage of footsteps in the hall captured Erwin's attention and brought a sense of dread to Levi for he knew what was coming. The door to the commander's office then swung open to reveal Hange, but her body language brought forth alarm. Her hair was more chaotic than usual, eyes wide, mouth agape, sweaty and completely out of breath. Levi exhaled; the woman was probably excited about something she had found in her experiment. Despite knowing this, Levi couldn't help but feel a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Commander! Levi! It's Rogue! He's gone!"

Upon the news, both of the men stood. "What do you mean gone?" Levi pressed, watching intensely as Hange made her way to the two of them.

"I mean we can't find him!"

"How the fuck do you loose a fifteen-meter titan, Hange!"

"I don't know! He was here one minute and then… he just disappeared!" Hange explained frantically.

Erwin rounded his desk, strapping his gear to his waist. "Where are Ackerman and Arlert? Are they missing as well?"

The scientist shook her head. "No. They are downstairs trying to see if anyone else has seen him."

Levi heaved a breath. "Damn thing probably got pissed and wandered off." He suggested, but then receiving an alarming signal. "Do you think he could have decided that he wanted to go back to the cove in Wall Maria?"

Hange shrugged. "It's a good theory, but it doesn't make sense. Why would Rogue leave without Armin and Mikasa? He cares so much about them."

The Commander began to tighten his belts. "I know it doesn't, but remember, for their safety, Rogue was the one who brought them here in the first place. If that is the case, then he's going for the wall."

"Shit. You wouldn't think that bastard would go through Katness district to do so would he?" Levi continued with Hange gasping.

"Oh my! He can't! The Military Police, the Garrison, they could kill him if he strays into town! They will think something's wrong and he's attacking!"

"If that's the case, then we better hurry." Erwin spoke sternly. "There is still a chance that he hasn't left the border yet. Gather everyone and put them into groups. We have to find Rogue quickly or the consequences could be great."

**(POV SWAP)**

The sky was bathed in orange and red, signaling yet again another afternoon and a coming nightfall. It was quiet, no soul around except for grasshoppers that sang an annoying tune. Rogue sat in a reserved state before the very gate to the Scout's territory, right at the edge with his knees against the barbed wired fence. The titan sighed, sinking further into his thoughts. After being blinded by his own obstructions and destroying something that he was too far gone to remember correctly, he had abandoned the idea of cooling off with creatures who couldn't chide. Instead, he had decided that he needed to be alone, far from civilization, far from Horseface, and far from Levi. It was one such time where Rogue actually wanted to be alone, one of the few.

The titan looked up from his current task of studying the pebbles and earth of the dirt path and to the road that stretched to the horizon beyond. Rogue squinted, noticing the human city beyond. For the past few hours, he had been roaming among considerations and ideas. The rules made the flying human territory nearly unlivable. He wanted to go back to his forest and his beautiful cove. Yes, he wanted to just grab his little ones and vanish. There was the matter of his kind however, monsters that would snare his own within stonewalls even smaller than where they resided now. Sure, he could climb the wall if they needed anything – the soldiers wouldn't attack him, none that he knew of at least. But the idea of confining Armin and Mikasa once again in an even harder life disturbed him. They were trapped no matter what choice he made.

Rogue let out a soft whine, his hand snaking up to his scalp and coursing through his soft hair. Yet, he hated to return. He hated Levi. He hated him with a burning passion. Sure, he had lived under rules before. His humans had a few: do not go past the tree line towards the gate, do not kill humans, and stay away from people – all of which he had to break. Levi however, had far too many rules and regulations that seemed both important but mostly unnecessary. There was the fact that he couldn't see his little ones whenever he wanted, he had to listen to unnecessary statements, he couldn't make any little jokes, he had to learn the meaning of a strange shape, and more. The short and seemingly insignificant man was far too – controlling. Rogue sighed, steam billowing from his maw and onto his crossed feet. Living with the Scouts was supposed to be great! He would be with his babies and actually be a little – happy. But no, nothing was right. Being with the Scouts and being an honorary member of the pack was not what he thought it would be at all.

He just wanted to scream.

"Rogue?"

The familiar voice brought him back from his mind's domain, making him almost cringe. The titan hung his head in shame as his ears picked up a few sets of equine hooves and muffled voices, knowing very well that he was caught and going to be punished yet again in some way. Still, he did not turn to face them, ears sinking and back hunched. He had been backed into a corner despite the open road before him.

"Rogue?"

Troubled emeralds shifted to see that Mikasa had climbed over his knee to place herself before him. Her face was coated in worry, eyes shiny with surfacing tears – ones that she had obviously held in. He whined softly, guilt flowing through him. The titan gradually lifted his hand in a way that looked as if the appendage was difficult to even elevate and gently pressed his knuckles against the dark-haired teen – wanting any ounce of forgiveness he could get.

"Rogue? What are you doing?" Mikasa asked, voice muffled with her grey eyes looking up to his sheltered face. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

The titan dithered, finally turning his head to peer over his shoulder. To his surprise, Levi was nowhere to be seen among the small group of humans. Instead, there was Armin, Hange, and Petra – a great relief. Rogue then returned his attention to Mikasa once again, giving a low drone and grunt – vocal cords exhausted from the day's encumbrances.

"If you're hiding, it's not the best idea to sit out in the open, Rogue." Mikasa beamed tenderly, brushing away her emotions and lifting herself up to sit upon his foot. "What's troubling you? I can tell you're rather upset."

Rogue hesitated, knowing that if he had a lip he would be biting it. " **AAASSS UUSST… TTIIINNNKINNNG.** " He swallowed, trying to salivate his tired pipes and rid the lump forming in his throat. " **EEEVVIII NNEEEN."**

To his surprise, Mikasa chuckled softly. "Yeah, he's a short little bastard isn't he?" She commented, making him huff slightly. "However Rogue, you have to listen to what he says."

The titan sat up with a snort. " **NNO."**

"He may be rude, but trust me he means well."

Rogue turned to see Petra and the others rounding his frame to seat themselves upon his folded leg. " **OOWW?"**

Petra rubbed his skin. "It's because he's looking out for you, Rogue. It may not seem like it, but he's protecting you."

The titan huffed once again, looking away at the trees. There was no way Levi was defending him. He was more than capable of taking care of himself. As far as he was concerned, the little man was just torturing him.

"Rogue do you remember back when we lived with you in the cove?" Armin began, making the creature turn back to the group. "Do you recall how dead serious you were about us not leaving the cove, using knives, and wrapping up in the winter?" Armin continued, bringing memories of his own constant bickering and orders during that time to Rogue. The titan nodded.

"Well, it is a bit hard to believe, even after you saw all the support from people in Katness, but there are still government officials that want to get rid of you. Levi, Erwin, and a lot of us are trying to prevent that. The Corporal is just – very dedicated to his assignment." Petra clarified. "He's just like you and your relation to Armin and Mikasa's safety."

Rogue growled in the slightest. It was bullshit. The resemblance to his own actions was far strung. He had been on his little ones in the past, but he never made them clean!

Petra rubbed her neck. "It may not make any sense to you now Rogue, but I can share with you something that will help you understand why he is the way he is if you like."

Rogue snorted, he didn't want to hear it at the moment. There was a long pause before Hange cleared her throat.

"How about we all head back now. There are a lot of people worried about you, Rogue! Some of us were scared pretty shitless!" She laughed. "Myself majorly! We were absolutely frantic! Yes we where!"

Rogue whined, on edge. He didn't know what to do.

"Please come back with us Rogue." Mikasa smiled. "We have a big surprise for you that we've been working on for quite some time. Won't you please?"

The titan blinked, looking from the two seasoned Scouts to the soft and understanding faces of his little ones, feeling needed. Rogue exhaled, letting himself calm further. The more he pondered, the more he realized that he really didn't have a choice and he was being selfish. He was thinking more about himself rather than the fact that Armin and Mikasa were happy where they were. Rogue breathed a breath of steam, finally nodding in agreement. He didn't want to disappoint.

"I think you're really going to like your surprise, Rogue!" Armin encouraged upon his shoulder as they neared the castle. "The Scouts have been working on it for quite a while."

The titan simply grunted in reply, rubbing his face slightly into his little one. For the past thirty minutes, words of thankfulness and encouragement were all that met Rogue's ears. The long walk back to the castle had aided him, lifting his spirits with the company of his tiny family. The rage that had boiled and burned in his mind had ceased for now – leaving neutral thoughts. Whether he liked the circumstances or not, he would stay. All those lonely years were another factor that pushed him to his ultimate decision. That, and his heart ached for tender love. He couldn't leave, even if the short leader's guidelines were incommodious. As they had made their way back home, Petra's words had begun to echo in his mind. What did she know about the man that could help him understand?

Rogue was too transfixed in his own reflections to notice the large number of seasoned Scouts peering at him in both worry and relief as he rounded the side of the castle and entered his area. Upon reaching where he had unceremoniously made his resting place, the titan slowly descended to position himself. However, a firm tug on his earlobe forced him pause and look to Hange, who was seated on his opposite shoulder in question. What did she want?

"Oh you're not going to sleep there on the hard ground anymore Rogue!" Hange exclaimed with enthusiasm before she launched herself from his shoulder – his other small riders soon following her action. "We have something better for you! Just follow us and we'll show you your surprise!" The woman concluded as she began to lead the group proudly.

Rogue tilted his head in wonder as he watched his new humans and little ones make their way towards the big red human structure, a 'barn' as humans called it. Confused, the titan got back to his feet and followed the small party into a trifling thicket of tall trees to the door of the large building. Wondering why they had wanted him to gander at the structure, Rogue placed himself onto his knees and gave a common grunt in question – receiving eager smiles and a laugh from Hange as she placed herself before the sliding door.

"Alright my titanic friend! Here is our little welcome gift to you! We hope you like it!" The messy-haired woman concluded as she heaved on a thick rope connected to the door, peeling the barn open. "Here's your new nest!"

The titan's brows rose at what the wooden door had reviled. The interior of the barn was spacious and open. The floor was lined in a thick layer of fresh hay, light, airy, and the scent was strong – one that was interesting but would go away in time. Rogue smiled, rumbling in likeness. He had forgotten that the flying humans were making him a nest, having been far too focused in making his new residence just like it had been at his cove. The titan turned and gave a grunt in thanks, jaw forced into a crooked grin and eyes shut tight as he continued to show his gratitude.

"Why don't you go check it out?" Armin suggested.

Rogue nodded at the teen's proposal and proceeded to crawl into the wide opening in the barn, one big enough for him to fit through comfortably. The titan purred, the hay feathery beneath his weight. Green eyes then traveled around the large barn, taking in the sights of the nest's features. An opening covered by glass was crafted into the center of the vaulted roof, allowing sunlight to pour into the spacious area. There was what looked to be a small room in the far left corner and at the far end of the barn there was a lone desk where Hange had obviously been working. Rogue then sat up on his knees in the spacious barn, looking in favor of every detail. There was definitely lots of room to spare, the nest slightly bigger than his old one. Rogue purred; it would certainly suit him and his little ones.

"So how do you like it?" Hange asked with the others meeting the titan in the center of the room. "I hope you don't mind that I set up my workstation here, Rogue. There is also an empty bedroom that Armin, Mikasa, or myself could rest in if needed. And there's a little housewarming gift for you there in the corner as well." She smiled as she waved a hand to the opposite corner of the room.

Following her direction, Rogue discovered that the opposite corner held a pile of used fluffy bricks. Immediately, childish instinct flowed through his veins, the titan let out a cheerful sound resembling a squeal as he flopped onto his side. Curling up with his head at the back of the barn, Rogue pulled a pillow from the pile and began to spill its feathery insides with his ears wiggling in content. As silly as the act was, it did ease any amount of stress. The creature grunted repetitively, blowing into the air and tearing more pillows to pieces, the effect of the cause being laughter.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Hange beamed with the titan pausing in his merriment to nod.

Rogue then halted his act of enjoyment and settled lazily into his new nest, purring loudly. Yes, he would be staying – no matter what. The titan then outstretched his arm, rumbling an invite to his little ones to come and join in his rest. Knowing just what he wanted, both Armin and Mikasa came to his side. Rogue watched as the two teens laid into his open palm against his chest. Once settled, the titan rested his head on his right arm, green eyes peering down at his two babies in nothing but love.

Sunlight soon ceased, the luminous rays from the skylight replaced with a clear view of the black night. All was peaceful and just in his new nest. Hange was engrossed in her work at the desk, constantly taking notes while Petra was seated against the opposing wall reading over a book. His little ones were still in his hands, having been lulled to sleep by the constant and gentle stroke of his thumb. The skin at the corners of Rogue's mouth pulled into a soft smile as he continued to stare with half lidded eyes at the two young recruits. Admittedly, the titan himself was on the verge of sleep. His body was tired, his limbs feeling as if they weighed thousands of pounds more than usual. A puff of steam seeped from between Rogue's teeth as he nestled further into the straw. After all the chaos, he was feeling at peace.

Hearing the crisp sound of a turning page, Rogue looked from his little ones to Petra. Her words then came to him again, making curiosity swell in his chest. As much as he didn't like Levi, he did want to know what information the redhead knew about the man. Was there really some bit of reasoning behind Levi and his behavior? With her statement reeling his interest in like a fish, he decided to take the leap. Voice still somewhat restrained, Rogue gave two easy grunts as he lifted his head. Upon hearing his wordless query, Petra looked up from her reading.

"Hey Rogue. Do you want something?" She acknowledged, taking a moment to stretch.

The titan swallowed, thinking of how to word his inquiry. " **EETRA?** "

"Yes?"

Rogue dithered. " **AAAAANNNT SSTTTOORREEE AADDOOUUTT EEVVIii?"** He spoke, voice beginning to strain.

Petra became silent for a moment, leaning forward at his words. "You want to know the story I mentioned about Levi?"

He nodded, waiting.

"Well," Petra began. "It's quite a long tale but I'll shorten it as best as I can. When I first met him, I used to not like him as well, Rogue. Shortly after joining the Scouts, I came out and questioned Erwin about Levi in a private conversation. What he told me was tragic – a sad story like yours. In the innermost wall, called Wall Sina, is where most of the rich live – including the king. Beneath the city of Stohess, lies what's called The Underground. It's a horrid and dreary place, where the poor live without the presence of sunlight. Most that are born there die there for it's too much money to go to the surface. A lot of people fight for survival since goods like decent food are scarce and the people are not the kindest. Corporal Levi was born in The Underground. I don't know anything about his childhood, but I do know that he came from horrible conditions and transformed into a thug to survive. As far as the crimes he committed, the subject was foggy except that he was a great thief."

The titan raised a brow, perking up in the slightest at the news. " **EEiiiiff?** "

She nodded. "Yes. Levi lived with two other people that had been abandoned or cast aside, their names were Furlan and Isabel – the three of them were both the most notorious gang of the Underground and the only people who had maneuver gear. They were like family. Although it may not seem like it but they cared for one another like you do for your little ones, Rogue." Petra paused, tying to grin, but then reverting back to a neutral look. "As I was saying, one day Levi received an odd assignment – one that was an order to steal some mysterious documents and kill Commander Erwin."

Rogue blinked in disbelief. Erwin? The short man had been told to kill him? They seemed to be such great allies. If they were enemies, how did they become friends?

"However, before Levi could make his move Erwin, Mike, and a few other Scouts ambushed him and his gang and made them join the Scouts for their skill with the gear was exceptional – especially Levi's. Living among the Scouts, Levi strategized and planed of how to exactly carry out his assignment and get the secret documents." Petra then paused, swallowing hard. "Disaster struck upon Levi's first mission outside the walls."

The titan edged his chin a little closer, vastly interested. " **AaaatttT AAPPeeeN?"**

Petra hesitated, spending what seemed like an eternity in silence before letting out a sigh. "It was storming, there was fog and titans were everywhere. Levi, Furlan, and Isabel were in a squad that had been separated when the formation had broken. Unable to see where they were going, Levi was told to go ahead to survey. That was the last time he ever saw Isabel and Furlan. A mile ahead, Levi had found what had been a bloodbath – a squad wiped out by a titan. While he was there, he made the alarming discovery that the titan, a large one, was heading right for his squad. Knowing this, he raced back as fast as he could – but he was too late. An abnormal fifteen-meter had ambushed the squad from the side; the massacre left no member alive. By the time Levi arrived, he witnessed the consumption of Isabel and Furlan – just like you with Carla and Grisha. And even more like you, he defeated the titan that killed them in an assault fueled by angst and rage. Levi was the soul survivor." Petra continued, taking a much-needed breath. "Somehow, Levi abandoned his assignment to kill Erwin or steal the documents. Instead he wanted to keep fighting for Isabel and Furlan – just like how you continue to fight for your loved ones, too." She smiled widely, emitting a quiet laugh. "You see Rogue? You and Levi have a lot in common. So give him a chance because you never know if you'll become friends." Petra concluded as she stood to her feet and stretched, giving way to a yawn. "I'm going to head in, but remember what I told you Rogue. Like I said, think about it."

The titan watched as Petra discreetly exited the barn, making sure to not wake the sleeping teens. Rogue remained stagnant and silent. The creature returned his gaunt cheek to his firm elbow, eyes wide as he fell in deep thought. The development was almost troubling but nonetheless surprising. Levi, the man that he had determined that he thoroughly hated, really _was_ like him. Alarmingly so. Nearly everything was identical, except for the before. Before the breach, his life with his humans was happy and when his little ones came it was wonderful. Complete. Rogue yawned, fatigue pulling him towards repose. Gradually, his dark eyelids fell lower over his dimming greens, but he still wondered. What was his life like even before the before? Did he just appear in Maria out of thin air? Did he come down from the heavens? Emeralds slowly concealed, blackness obscuring his vision. Where had he come from if everyone and everything had a beginning? Maybe – perhaps one day that question would be answered. As for Levi, there were possibilities.

Feeling a wave of sleep wash over him, Rogue nuzzled further into his little ones – his precious babies, and succumbed to his dreams.

**(POV SWAP)**

His hands slithered up to the fastener upon his cloak, shifting the fabric before letting his arm fall unceremoniously to his side. The courtyard was quiet, covered in feeble moonlight. Levi sighed; the day had been absolute hell due to Rogue's attitude. The titan was difficult, having a demeanor unlike any that Levi had ever encountered. From a distance, sure. However, he had never lived with anyone let alone a titan with the mindset of a child. When Rogue had thrown his appropriately named tantrum and had run off, he had nearly performed a fit of rage himself. He was in charge, and it was very clear to him that Rogue needed quite a large amount of work – a lot of work.

Almost reluctantly, Levi began to make his way across the courtyard to the large barn. Despite being occupied by reading detailed reports and future planning, as much as he hated to do so, he had to follow up on Hange's request. It had been a relief that he had avoided her for the majority of the day, but now it was his duty to check in on the titan crazed woman and her research. Perhaps she had found something of value. Secretly, deep down, Levi was curious as to where in the hell Rogue had come from and how he ended up in Maria.

With a forceful tug, the Corporal slid the weighty door open to unveil the barn's fresh interior. The room was dimly lit by a few lanterns and candles, making the titan's new lair feel almost tranquil and warm. A low but gentle snore echoed among the wooden walls. On his right, Rogue lay in a deep sleep, loosely curled up in the crisp hay. Levi closed the door and ventured further into the nest. Passing the titan's knee, he noticed that the great beast held the two titan adopted teenagers resting in Rogue's palm. The creature's unsightly face was affectionately nestled against their scalps, breath rustling a few strands of straw and a great amount of small white feathers scattered all around the floor. Levi raised a brow at the sight; never in his lifetime did he think that he would see such a sight.

The short man then adverted his gaze to Hange's desk, seeing the scientist hard at work looking through a microscope and recording things in a notebook. Strangely though, the woman was quiet – a sharp contrast from looking at data and results from other titan experiments. As long as he had known Hange, he had never seen her as quiet as what she was before him. The view made a small spark of worry form within him. Taking one look back at the titan and the two recruits before turning forward, Levi then placed himself on Hange's left side. For several pensive minutes, he continued to observe her, bags forming under her eyes and strands of oily hair falling from her ponytail, until he announced himself with the clearing of his throat.

"So how is the brat and work?" He asked bluntly, making the woman jump. As quickly as she was frightened, Hange settled. Levi waited somewhat impatiently as she adjusted her glasses and turned her attention to the slumbering giant.

"Humph," She grinned slightly. "Our titan daddy has calmed quite a bit, he's been sleeping with Armin and Mikasa for the past few hours. Work itself has been… revealing." Hange answered at a whisper as she turned in her seat to face the man.

"Revealing as in how?"

The woman quickly gathered her notes. "Well, it's been quite telling. I was able to confirm one of our big questions about Rogue." Hange informed, oddly remaining civilized and controlled.

Levi naturally shifted his weight, trying to resist leaning onto Hange's unkempt workspace. "What?"

"After looking over all of the physical things I was able to gather, it's very clear. Rogue is indeed a different species of titan. Looking at everything, even some previous samples I salvaged from Sonny and Bean, I can safely say that the cause of Rogue's uniqueness isn't a mutant gene tracing to a common titan. Everything about Rogue, including his blood, is significantly different."

Levi sighed, containing any positive reaction. He was going to be in for a long speech from Hange Zoe. "As tired as I am, tell me everything."

She nodded. "I'll start with my observations during our session. Rogue's breed is practically made to hunt and fight. He's perfectly equipped to do so. His frame is built for speed, strength, and endurance. Of course the best physical evidence is his nails and facial features. Rogue's nails grow in a point for tearing flesh, gripping the ground to gain good traction when running at full speed, and to grasp and scale objects. His sense of smell is much sharper than a standard titan, and his big jaws with exposed teeth are absolutely perfect for tearing off huge chunks of flesh and ripping out napes. The third eyelids in his eyes allows him to still be able to see when engaged in combat when he has to blink as well as helping him retain his sight in steam. Rogue's ears are a thing of beauty." Hange continued as Levi watched the titan's freakish features flutter in his sleep. "They are able to pick up practically any sound – even those that we humans can't hear. The fact that they move independently means that he can monitor everything in his surroundings and use them to track prey. Rogue lacks any taste buds that lust for human blood and his overall demeanor rivals a dog or cat. His affection for humans is incredible." Hange sighed, forcing a weak smile. "Rogue has incredible nurturing instincts and his intelligence with the ability to name colors and shapes is second to none. But I guess you may already know most of what I'm telling you."

Levi quickly nodded. "I do. What did you find out that's new and going to slap me in the face as a wake up call."

The man observed as Hange quieted down even further, the muscles in her face going lax. She then turned and glanced at the iced syringe, letting out a distressed sigh. "The real – strange stuff began when I studied Rogue's blood. What I found is troubling."

Levi's thin brows elevated slightly, glancing back at the titan to see his ears flicker again. "What do you mean troubling?" He demanded, voice barely above a pin drop.

"Well, firstly I found an odd substance in Rogue's blood that isn't in any other titan's and it looks like it's – flammable. I tried boiling it at the temperature of Rogue's body, but I didn't get a single spark. I'm suspecting that whatever it is must ignite at an incredibly high temperature. The second thing I found is what really made me begin to question and theorize. Levi, I think I may know how old Rogue is – or his species at least."

More interest suddenly began to grow within him. "Let me guess. Rogue really is an overgrown baby and his breed is as new as they come."

Hange gulped. "No. It's not. I was running some DNA comparisons between Rogue and a few other past titan experiments like I said and – well… Rogue's breed is ancient."

The Corporal blinked in disbelief. "Wait so you're saying Rogue is most likely a hundred years old?"

Time ticked by painfully as Hange stared at the resting beast. "It's very possible. Levi, I also found components that suggest that Rogue could be from another region rather than the area outside of Maria – like incredibly far. Those two finds in particular just gave us more unanswerable questions. Rogue's species is old, he himself may be close, is, or over a hundred years old. Since he's the only titan of his kind we've ever seen, it leads me to two theories. One being that Rogue was somehow separated from the rest of his kind and somehow ended up in Maria – or was walled in. The other theory is that Rogue's species is almost extinct and Rogue is the last of his kind."

Levi's face tensed at the news, crossing his arms as he thought. His icy eyes then caught Hange's throat bobbing nervously. An idea then came to mind. "The two skinless titans that we've seen, do you think they're intelligent?"

His words pulled Hange from her observation of the titan before them. "I've been thinking about that as well since the attack on Trost. I highly believe that both the Colossal and Armored Titan have a degree of intelligence like Rogue – except they are hostile. If I could ever get a sample I would know for sure. It does make since though."

Levi's brows furrowed. "Is it possible that the skinless titans came from the same region as Rogue's species?"

Hange was still. "I don't know. We may never know. But as far as Rogue goes, he's still a big mystery for the most part. His memories from before he got into Maria are lost and he'll likely never recollect them. It's so sad." She concluded as she rested her gaze onto the gentle titan. "But at least he's happy."

Levi remained speechless as he joined Hange in watching the slumbering behemoth. Rogue shifted slightly, purring quietly as he nuzzled further into his 'self per claimed' babies. The titan exhaled deeply, rustling the straw and blowing a few feathers to his boots. In light of everything, a questioning thought came to the Corporal's mind.

' _What the hell happened to you?'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: And that was chapter 11! Stay tuned for chapter 12! Rogue is getting to know the Scouts and will soon face you know who in the future! Hopefully things get better between our titan and the Corporal!
> 
> Also, lots of you asked on both here and Ao3 if I have any more writings. I do have an original work that's a bit more polished that you can find out more details about it on my tumblr (miranda-leek) or on my Da account (railrunnermiranda) But yeah, if you like monsters and amusement parks you may enjoy it :) GIVE IT SOME LOVE IF YOU HAVE THE CHANCE!


	12. Open Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rogue tries to keep an open mind with his new life in the Scouts while a few disturbing facts begin to surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Hello all! Here is chapter 12 of Rogue! I actually had this finished in the third, but with 4th of July weekend and me being out of town with family it took a little longer to go through (especially since it is almost the same size with the last chapter) Since it was a bit of a chaotic environment that I was attempting to edit in, let me know if I missed anything or if there is anything odd.I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan.
> 
> Also, I'm going to start giving progress updates on this fic on my tumblr : miranda-leek.

Chapter 12

Open Mind

The strong and crisp scent of hay flooded his nostrils, reminding him of his days observing cattle in their domain. His body loosened further, toes sprawling apart slightly as the titan gave way to a small stretch. The creature's chin dipped into his collarbone as his arms extended before him, spine curving slightly inwards as every ounce of tension escaped his frame. Rogue's ear and nose twitched before onyx lids lifted slowly to reveal his drowsy emeralds. Routinely, the beast yawned, tongue curling as he rose to sit upon his elbow. For a moment, Rogue found himself staring out into the spacious barn, noting the silence. The titan then turned his attention to his side to check on the status of his little ones only to discover their absence. Instinctively, Rogue sat up further, and ran his fingers gently through the fluffy sea of hay as he rumbled in worry. Unsuccessful, the titan sat up fully and scanned the barn, noticing how it was void of any soul except for his – the reason for silence.

"AAARRNNIN? NNIIKKAASSSA?" Rogue called, no witness to answer. "AAARRRNIIN! NNNIIIKK –

However, he his halted his pleas.

Rogue dipped his head, peering down at his hands draped in his lap. The previous day's events and teachings began to replay in his head, allowing him to recall the storm of emotions and constant limits and truths. Rogue then lifted his head and sniffed, detecting the scent of fresh bread and other human foods coming from the castle that served as the flying humans' hive, indicating that his little ones were likely indulging on a meal that they had called 'breakfast.' The titan remained seated, staring off at the cracked door that revealed the early morning light of twilight. Rogue sighed, steam flowing from his maw as he returned his attention to the strips of hay. As much he wanted things to be as they were, he couldn't have his wish. He couldn't keep his little ones from doing what they wanted, that would be cruel. Even some of the animal babies in his forest left the nest every once in a while. Of course, he could still have some alone time and fun with his two adopted babies, but he didn't want to get them in any trouble with the pack's laws. At first, he had been alarmed that his little ones had run off again without him and had not bothered to come sit with him for their meal, but then he realized that both Armin and Mikasa were merely just being considerate to his own natural schedule with the sun. Ever since they had reunited with one another, he had been naturally watchful and concerned nearly every second. He did not want to lose them again, but he couldn't deny them any freedom. He could still be protective, nurturing, funny, and even playful just as long if he wasn't overly possessive to the point where he would snarl if anyone he hated got close to his babies. If that were the case, then he would be just as bad as –

Rogue stopped, brows sinking as he thought further. Levi. Was the story that Petra had told him true? Could she possibly be right? If the tale was, it explained much of the Corporal's behavior – perhaps including the man's dry personality. It was alarming to think that Levi was like him as far as a state of mind and their background. The only thing that was different was his personality, breed, and the vast difference in height. To think that Levi was protective of him was dumbfounding. The titan tilted his head and gripped his thigh in one hand, considering. Perhaps it would be wise to question the man to know if Petra's story was indeed the truth. The man was emotionally scarred just as he was. Maybe, just maybe, he could attempt to patch things up with Levi and get something in return – perhaps more time of merriment with his little ones and newfound family. Still, he could not help but to actually feel sorry for Levi. He would be doing him a kindness if he gave the man a chance as Petra had said. As much as he was anxious to do so, he would take the step.

The titan then yawned a second time, bending over on his knees and stretching his arms across the interior of his nest. He dipped his head between his shoulders, exposing his naked nape as he arched his back to pop every joint and muscle on his posterior. Rogue then returned to his seated position to continue his watchful observation. The titan glanced back to the door, ears pricking forward in wonder. All of the flying humans, except for a select few of the unfamiliar variety, were away in the castle – leaving him to his own devices. He blinked, although he was unsure about what the schedule for the Scouts was, he knew that he wasn't given a single order as of yet. Rogue sniffed again, still registering that the pack was inside. As he sat, a familiar feeling of boredom washed over him – itching for something to do. Rogue's greens then landed upon the opposite corner of his nest – a vacant spot. The titan then carefully maneuvered himself across the barn to crouch before the little corner. Naturally, Rogue quickly dug a basin in the hay until he reached the dirt floor in the barn. Now that he was in a new home, he felt the need to explore on his own and begin a collection. In the Scout's territory, there was bound to be lots of things worth a closer look and to stow away for safekeeping. Rogue nodded, yes if he found anything to treasure he would put them here and bury them as his own secret stash.

Slowly, the titan then began to maneuver his way outside the barn, careful not to bump his shoulders against the wooden opening. The cool morning air brushed his face and hot flesh, feeling great as he exited completely and stood outside his nest. Rogue then began to make his way into the nearby courtyard; eyes scanning his previous resting place for anything he deemed of value. The titan's feet then met the bricks of the messy so-called garden. Rogue bent over, fingers running through the tall grass and weeds. He sniffed, searching the air once again for signs or life before returning to his rooting. The titan's nails then began to brush the surface of the earth; to his surprise the sharp edges caught hold of something blunt. Rogue hummed in amusement and wonder as he pulled the object free. Instantly, the titan's green eyes widened in amazement like a child given a gift. In his presence looked to be a tiny, even smaller than the size his little ones once were, human made of stone. Rogue blinked in absolute disbelief, he had never seen anything like it. What was this little rock human doing in the dirt? Was it alive? Curious, the titan delicately picked it up to place it in his palm. No. It wasn't alive and never was – just dead stone with the figure's face just as frozen as most titans' faces. Rogue then raised the stone child to his maw and let his tongue carefully clean the small specimen. Once the earth was rid from the miniscule form, the titan examined the object again. It was indeed, a stone child – a plaster child that was naked with a smiling face, holding a thing called a basket, and had the weird fleshy bit that Armin had between his legs. Rogue produced a small trill as he stood with the stone child in hand and made his way for his nest. Humans were such strange, adroit, and wonderful creatures – making things that were always questioning and interesting. The titan then discreetly entered the barn and lowered the figure with utmost care into the hole. Rogue beamed, if things like this could be found in the grass of the flying human territory then there was bound to be other amazing things waiting for him to find them!

Rogue then exited the barn once again and ventured back into the courtyard. He skipped digging among the weeds, wanting to cover as much area as he could before someone came to give him an order. He then lowered himself to initiate an inspection once again, looking at a wooden object that humans made to sit themselves in. The titan gradually picked up the long wooden human seat, wondering why the smaller species had to do such a thing whereas he just plopped himself anywhere on the earth as he pleased. Rogue rotated and turned the object in his hands, looking in awe at the old and dried wood. A general rule that he had set himself was that he would only take objects that weren't being used, otherwise if the object was being used by the humans he would ignore it completely. Rogue tilted his head, humans used the sitting objects quite often, but the wooden seat appeared to have been vacant for a while. Not willing to miss future observations for his new collection, the titan safely closed his palm and continued to search.

Soon, Rogue found himself among the edges of the forest at the rear of the castle, exploring what appeared to be where the flying humans kept their wheeled rectangles called wagons and other odds and ends. The area was lonely, melancholy almost with weeds and vines weaving through the structure of another barn – a smaller one than his own and patched in metal. Rogue crouched down to level himself with his target once again before bending over to peer into the structure with an eye nearly as big as the opening. To Rogue, the inside was a treasure trove and not where things were stored for quick use. To his surprise, the structure looked to be where the flying humans stored their favorite possessions. The titan hesitated before turning his attention to the grounds outside the small barn. If the barn was where the humans had their collection, then he wasn't to touch it – outside though was fair game as far as he was concerned. At the side of the structure was what looked to be the remains of a wagon – twisted, blown apart, and inner workings cracked and strewn. Rogue kneeled to the maim object and plucked a large wooden wheel from the wreckage. Intrigued, he temporarily placed his other object to the ground before lifting his now free hand to his new find. The titan's ears characteristically twitched in amusement as he turned the wheel in his palms. He found it incredible that humans could actually bend a substance like wood, without breaking it, into a circular shape for use. Rogue's nail ran along the spokes, listening to the hollow sound it made with further interest. How in the world did humans manage to squeeze the tiny sticks into the circle? Thinking further, Rogue then placed the wheel to the earth and pushed, eyes watching like a hawk as it rolled freely a few feet before toppling over. It didn't roll as well as his ball, but it was still incredible that it could. Pleased with his find, Rogue retrieved both the wheel and bench before turning to investigate the premise further.

As a precaution, before he stood, Rogue sniffed to ensure that he was truly alone. Sensing that the coast was clear, the titan stood and began to make his way back to his nest to deposit his new findings – but not without spying another object that had peeked his interest. Near a shadowed door of the castle's rear, setting upon more bricked earth, was three items he recognized as barrels. Again, the titan lowered himself to proceed to examine. The barrels were quite small compared to the ones that the Scouts had shot back on their hunt. Rogue tilted his head, nose suddenly sniffing like a hound – picking up a less than pleasant odor coming from the source of his current amusement. With nothing but curiosity guiding him, the titan warily pushed the barrels over onto the stone piazza, their lids separating and contents spilling out in his view. Rogue grunted in surprise. The contents of the barrels wasn't rotting animals or the smell of sick like he had previously thought, but was rather old or half eaten human food. Puzzled, Rogue maneuvered a finger through the barrel's contents, searching for anything that didn't quite belong, but finding nothing of worth. Rogue rumbled a wordless query. Why did the flying humans throw out food? Why was some of it uneaten? Even though he himself didn't eat, his kind ate every bit of their meal. When they had resided with him in his cove, his little ones even ate everything they were given. Granted, there wasn't much more than a few scraps in the barrels, but perhaps this was a tradition of sorts for the flying humans. Either way, although he only took things that no one seemed to use, the smelly ruminants were not worth his time so he stood and continued on his way.

After a few more stops to retrieve a selected couple of items such as bottles, more cables, and a few other things that he couldn't find a name to, Rogue secretly entered his nest again. The titan looked over his shoulder once to ensure his current status before crawling his way over to his newly initiated stash. Rumbling and gurgling in pleasure, Rogue then carefully placed his new belongings in the shallow hole, careful not to damage the stone child or anything else he deemed fragile. The titan smiled. Although his new collection wasn't as big as his old one, it definitely had some things his other did not. Instinctively, the titan brushed a wad of hay over the items to hide them from any set of eyes for safekeeping. Rogue then sat back to admire his work, the collection was covered in a messy way but good enough, yet it looked so – small. The titan then sniffed, the scent of bread was still ongoing and the humans remained inside their shelter. There was definitely time for him to explore further. Perhaps he could find a few things to share with his little ones or give to them as gifts.

With the decision in mind, Rogue exited his nest for the third time and into the crisp early air. The atmosphere was still peaceful with the songs of awakening birds and the sun was beginning to climb higher towards its perch. Rogue then began to search near the castle walls, leery to stray far from the Scout's headquarters for he didn't want to throw the pack into panic like the previous day. Wanting to search from the ground up, the titan bent over and began to carefully move along on his hands and feet, awkward to some but normal for Rogue. The titan peered and sniffed along the stone edge of the castle where it met the earth, but quickly finding nothing of interest. With his natural sense of inquisitiveness guiding him, Rogue quickly found himself looking into the windows of the headquarters. Viewing from room to room, he quickly discovered that they were vacant and void of life. Unlike the Corporal's room, the quarters visible were almost naked as he was and plain as an empty field. Their lack of occupants reminded him that the flying humans and his little ones were still feasting. Quickly getting bored by the lack of exquisite decoration, Rogue moved from window to window. Just as he was about to give in to his desire to look for things else ware, the titan stumbled upon a large window to a room on the first level of the massive structure. With his green eye nearly pressed to the glass as he studied the space's contents, Rogue released a trill in excitement at the sight.

In the room, huddled upon wooden shelves like birds in their nests, were hundreds of books – the most that the titan had ever seen. Rogue grinned blissfully, chirping in enthusiasm as he scanned the room. There were books of all sizes, colors, and every front of the texts had a different picture! The titan's ears perked up, twitching as the cogs in his brain began to turn. He hadn't come across such objects in the flying human territory as of yet and none of the bounded texts had been offered to him. It didn't seem like his little ones had books either, perhaps it would make the perfect thank you gift for his babies! Rogue affirmed his plan to himself with a greatly satisfied rumble from his core. The books were not being used as far as he could tell, so he had the right to retrieve them.

Of course, he was only following his logic.

Rogue then repositioned himself to lie on his abdomen to look straight on into the room. The titan lifted a finger to the closed translucent barriers, having seen how a human opened such a window in the previous day, and began to feel for the thing that provoked the barriers to give way to access. However, the titan had misjudged his strength and easily snapped the glass and frame, showering the room in shards. Rogue froze in light of his mistake, heart thumbing abnormally for a moment as he listened for an intruder that had been alerted by his work. When the silence only continued, Rogue emitted a soft squeal and reached into the room. The titan's needy hand abruptly knocked away and over shelves, spilling books onto the floor and causing a ruckus – the creature taking no notice as he enthusiastically pulled several old books from the room and sat them in the grass. Rogue continued his unknowing act of mischief as he constructed an indoor disaster. The titan purred a bit as he pulled his hand free from the small opening to examine the room further, his enlarged pupil catching something that had never graced his vision before. On a far table was a book that looked nothing like the others that he had ever touched, read, or seen. It was a thick book with an aged cover, but it was graced in gold! Intricate metallic lines weaved on the front and the profile of the stacked pages was soaked in the beautiful element. Rogue could not believe the sheer beauty of the reflected light off the book, making it look like it had been bathed in the sun's light itself. He had to have it!

The titan quickly plunged his hand into the room again, fingers targeting his prize upon the table – but he could barely reach if not at all. Rogue grumbled in aggravation and pushed his arm in as far as it would go, nails only brushing the table. He sorted, his instinct of wanting overpowering as he adjusted himself further. Now lying on his side, Rogue began to attempt struggling swipes to get the object of desire closer. The titan produced a high pitched and long growl of irritation as he continued to reach pleadingly, looking like a dog or cat trying to retrieve something from beneath a piece of furniture. Rogue droned louder as he attempted to stick his free hand into the window, but quickly finding that the tactic was useless. The creature growled, amazingly vocal as he pressed on with his small mission of retrieving the perfect gift for his babies.

"What are you doing, brat?"

At the voice, Rogue froze; spine shivering as he slowly turned his gaze from his task and onto Levi who stood with his arms overlapping one another and just a few feet from him. Traditionally, he retained his signature constipated look with gaze deadpanning at the titan. Rogue swallowed, silently cursing himself for already screwing up his own patching plans. Slowly, the titan pulled his arm from the book filled room, cringing slightly as a few shelves toppled over in the tedious process. Rogue's ears lowered in shame as he sat upright, fingers reaching nervously to lace between his toes – waiting for Levi to begin his scolding and an opportunity to speak.

The man sighed, breath extended. "I told you yesterday to not take things if they didn't have your name on them or if they were in the castle, Rogue." Levi began, but with an apparent difference in his tone. It wasn't pumping with venom or resembling the hiss of a snake, but rather a calm one that sounded almost flat and bored. Rogue blinked in disbelief, his voice – it almost had a flavor that he could register as placid. If he had messed up the room of books the day before, he was sure that he would have been showered upon with Levi's unbridled rage. Why – was the man suddenly so calm? "You're like this mythical creature I saw in a book once – a dragon. They hoard jewels and gold, but you Rogue only hoard junk. Humph, I found your little stash in your nest, Rogue."

The titan's eyes widened. Levi had found his things? Even after he had buried them? Surely the Corporal wouldn't take his newfound treasures from him!

"You did a piss poor job in burying our things as well, the flagpole was sticking right out." Levi paused, face still fixed as he shifted his heels. "I assume that's why the bench outside is gone, why you were tearing through the library, and why the week's trash is scattered everywhere out back. Care to explain?"

Rogue naturally hesitated at Levi's query, unsure of how to explain himself. "UUSSS IIINNNDINGG SSTUFF." The titan mumbled, words nearly running together like oil and tar. "AAANNTTED OOOOKK GGIIIFFF AAAIIBBIIEEESS." Rogue explained sheepishly, thinking about the mess he had made when searching through the human scraps. "SSSOOOORRREEE OOUUT TRRAAASSSS. EEEEII KEEEEN." Rogue apologized, volunteering with big and innocuous eyes and hoping that the Corporal was willing to forgive his ignorance. For several tense seconds of the encounter, the two continued to stare. Eventually, Levi sighed.

"Just save your disgustingly cute and innocent expression for Hange, I'm sure she would go absolutely crazy for -

However, to Rogue's surprise, Levi halted his words. The titan's tapered ears pricked forward, one higher than the other in question. Why was Levi stopping himself? Was there something holding him back? The corporal then shifted again, exhaling a long breath before purposely clearing his throat.

"Anyways, if it's not yours, leave it. By lunch, I'll be expecting the things you stole, like the bench, wheel, and flagpole back where you found them and for the trash to be back in its barrels. Got it?"

Rogue nodded. "EEESSS… OORRRTTTRRAAALL EEEEVVIII."

A thin brow rose upon the short man's façade. "Levi. It's just Levi for you."

The titanic beast remained still, in a thin haze as he observed the Corporal turn and adjust the gear hanging from his waist. Levi – was actually somewhat kind to him? Why? Why was the short leader not yelling insults and orders at him? Rogue sat up straight as thoughts continued to run through him. There had to be a reason why Levi's demeanor had changed. Was it because of his previous mischief? Or maybe the man sensed something in his own change of attitude. Either way, the titan wanted to know and he wanted to ask the Corporal a few questions. With the man in a fairly good mood, the time would be perfect. Rogue's gaze then refocused as Levi launched himself to the nearby rooftop of the third floor. With the window of opportunity open, the titan quickly stood and gently pulled Levi's cloak before he could fly to the next rooftop. Rogue watched as the small human stopped in his retreat and slowly turned to stare up at him with a questioning but nearly emotionless face. Again, the Corporal raised a brow.

"Why the sudden change in your behavior, Rogue? Yesterday you were more than willing and eager to annoy or spit on me, today – you're different. Why? What do you even want?"

The titan let a puff of steam seep from the corners of his mouth while his green orbs peered down at his feet – trying to figure out how to word his question in human tongue. "EEEEIII… AANNT AAALLK. AALLLKKK AAAAALOOONNN." Rogue answered as best as he could.

Levi folded his arms once again. "You – want to explain a few things to me? A private conversation?" The man asked, watching as the titan dipped his head rapidly. "Alright then, go ahead."

Rogue hung his head slightly, fretfully running his nails among the castle's rough roof. The titan's ears sunk once again, knowing that the subject of Levi's past was one he had to disclose of carefully. "EEEETTTTRRAA… OOLLLDDD NNEE."

The Corporal shifted his weight yet another time, face still difficult to read but he was clearly listening. "Petra. She told you something? What did she tell you?"

The titan dithered before deciding that it was likely best to just spit it out. "EEETTRRAA OOLLLDD NNNEEE OOUUUTTT YOUUUU." Rogue informed, watching the creases in the man's brow dissipate.

"What did she say to you about me?" Levi questioned, voice barely above the wing beat of a bird.

For a moment, the titan continued to hesitate on his answer as he picked at the shingles – having an odd feeling that Levi already knew what he was going to say. "OOUUTT AAAHHHT APPPEEENND TOOO YUUU."

Once more, an awkward feeling settled into the pit of Rogue's stomach as he watched the glorified man take a rough seat on the castle's granular and dated top. It was a long obstinate moment of listening to chirping birds before Levi spoke.

"I see. I guess that explains your attitude then. There's no need to feel fucking sorry for me though."

Rogue tilted his head, having expected more from the reserved man. "OOOUUUURRREEE UUUSST – EEEE AAHHLIIIKKE." The titan put forth, trying to see what the Corporal would say.

At the beast's words, Levi threw his head up quickly, nearly making Rogue take a step back in fear that he had said something wrong. To his relief, the short human instantly calmed.

"It's alarmingly so isn't it?" Levi replied; eyes now hooked onto the toes of his worn boots. "It's funny, after what happened to Isabel and Furlan beyond the wall – I despised the titans far more, but now here I am having a conversation with one. It's so ironic. We both got shit on when things were at their best. Life has a fucking funny way of working." The corporal continued, obviously disturbed by his own speech.

Rogue dipped his head in slight cowardice, wondering what to do and how to answer. Saying 'sorry' didn't really make any sort of cut. As he pondered at a breakneck speed, his little ones' speech they had given him before their departure came to mind. True, it didn't necessarily work for him, but perhaps the tactic worked on Levi. "EEVVII?" Rogue began as he raised a hand to his own breast – palm feeling the smooth and thundering heartbeat beneath it. The titan waited until Levi directed his gaze to him before beginning with is explanation. "IIIITTTTLLLLEEE OOONNNEESS TOOLLD… TOOO EEEEPPP EEEIIIRRR LOOOOVVVVEEE EEEAARRR." Rogue gestured to his heart. "RRRR… RRREEENNNBBERR EEEEAAAARRRR." The titan lectured, trying to justify what Armin and Mikasa had told him to the best of his ability. To his amazement, Levi seemed to understand him completely as he opened a small pocket on the breast of his jacket.

" I carry their memories as well." Levi alliterated, still impassive as he retrieved two very small wing patches from the pocket. Rogue instantly felt a sense of dread drop into his stomach like a ton of rocks. The patches were nearly soaked in old blood, frayed at the edges, but the alarming thing to the titan was that he could still smell the sent of death after so long upon them. Rogue bowed his head, trying to hold is breath, now almost wishing that he had never mentioned his little ones' teachings. Levi then quickly stowed the winged patches away and stood.

"Well, that's enough of that." He declared calmly, looking off into the distance, the light showing the slight bags beneath the man's eyes. "Anyway, I need to also disclose to you that after your – episodes yesterday, Erwin felt sorry for your… felt sorry for you." Levi instantly corrected himself. "He thinks that you need some time to adjust here, so he was incredibly generous and gave everyone a three hour break aside from the time devoted to lunch and dinner. You might want to thank him later when you have the chance."

Instantly, Rogue smiled elatedly, purring vastly to himself. He would get to see his little ones during the day after all! The corporal let out another almost bored sigh and began to adjust the workings of his gear.

"However, most importantly, I've decided that you and I will have some private sessions to train. I'm going to teach the cogs and gears of the formation as well as give you a bit of aid in your sloppy areas." Levi continued, barely glancing at Rogue from the corner of his eye. "Also, Erwin wants your aid later this afternoon for an exercise with all of the Scouts, and before you ask – your little ones are included."

The titan perked up even further at the news. He would also get to actually train with Armin and Mikasa for once! Rogue's throat vibrated with a sound of excitement, ears wiggling. The day was on the road to greatness for sure!

"Just behave yourself until I come for you. Oh, and don't you fucking tell everyone the story that Petra shared with you. Got it?"

Rogue nodded vigorously, green irises watching as the Corporal swiftly scaled from one rooftop to the other. Alone, the titan couldn't help but let a small smile pull at the corners of his face. For once, he had a bit of optimism about what was in store for him.

(POV SWAP)

Armin apprehensively stirred his lukewarm oats, eyes away from the half eaten bowl and gazing out across the room. The banquet hall was just as it was every morning, easygoing and a feast for the senses. Soldiers around them engaged in both fully integrated conversations as well as small talk about recent events or something that had happened. The massive room smelled of freshly brewed tea and baked bread with a hint of ham as a small token. The teenagers of the 104th sat together at their self-designated table, one that was both in the far corner and side of the hall. Like most, the party was wrapped in a colloquy – their main subject being Rogue as it was with several other tables nearby. Armin continued to stir his meal, for the most part, Mikasa was doing all of the answering whereas he was caught deep in his thoughts. He was worried. The titan's attitude toward the Corporal and Jean was something that he had the misfortune to witness. Rogue had made it very clear in the previous day that he was not overly fond of the two. In the Scouts, Rogue would have to follow orders even if he liked to or not. Inattentiveness could cost soldiers their lives. The other thing that had him on edge was Hange's previous findings and results of the tests she had done on Rogue. The mere thought of answers, made the blonde almost too jumpy to sit idle by. Good, bad, or just plain weird – Armin wanted to know those results.

"Yeah! He really did call Jean Horseface yesterday!" Connie laughed with the other teens at the table following suit – all except for the long-faced victim of Rogue's words who simply sat with his hand on his cheek and gaze to the table.

"He did it with Hange as well." Mikasa added in, making Armin swear that her eyes were lighting up in pride. "She was showing him flashcards and he compared Jean to a horse."

The teens at the table began to snicker, making Jean's face only tint redder.

"Do we really have to keep dwelling on that?" The older teen interrupted. "I'd like to point out that he used a verbal version of 'mother fucker' as well as 'ass' there, too. Does he have any manners at all?"

For a moment, Armin detected a twinge of disgust running across his friend's vision. He held his breath, hoping that an argument wouldn't start.

"He's pretty well behaved – but only if he likes you." Mikasa calmly argued. "Otherwise he, as you may have seen and witnessed, will taunt and express his dislike – and I don't mean the harmless act of taking your belongings and hiding them."

Jean grumbled and pushed his plate aside, losing his appetite.

Connie cleared his throat. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but did any of you have to fight to keep from laughing when Rogue kept on pissing Levi off?" The teen hushed beneath his breath, nervously glancing around for the Corporal to only find the man absent. "I nearly lost it when he belched in Levi's face!"

"Me too!" Sasha agreed as she struggled to get every last morsel of oats from her nearly empty bowl. "I actually heard that Rogue got so mad that he broke the Corporal's gear."

Connie's eyes widened and pupils shank further. "Really?"

The brunet nodded. "Yeah I overheard Eld talking with Gunter about it!"

"That's pretty, intense." Krista began, expression worried and in awe. The small blonde then turned to Mikasa. "Did he ever do stuff like that around you and Armin?"

Mikasa hesitated, taking a bite off her plate, her body language reflecting the look of mental exhaustion and irritation. "Rogue does have a short temper sometimes, but we've never seen him do anything as drastic as what he's done to Levi and Jean. All he's even done when's he's displeased is lots of grumbling and gestures his displeasure. He did find our supply of knives once and tried to hide them by burying them and putting them in the pond. Other than that, I can't really think of any time he's ever done anything drastic."

"Well that's a shocker." Jean grumbled as he toyed with his food. "I'll also add that it took me nearly an hour to get his saliva off of me."

Armin gulped harshly at the impending and imminent argument brewing between Mikasa and the arrogant male, but before crude words could be exchanged, his eyes caught an enthused Hange approaching their table. She was as she usually was with an extra spring in her step, except for her eyes had slight bags beneath them and her hair was more frizzled than usual. Had Hange – stayed up all night?

"Good morning my little Titan Children!" She cheered as she leaned excitedly into the table. "You two sleep well?"

Putting his nerves aside, Armin exchanged a smile. "Yeah, it's a little different sleeping with Rogue again – but it's a nice change."

"Ah! I see! While I was working I actually laid with Rogue for about and hour before getting back to my studies. Ha! I must say; he'll be rather popular in the winter!" Hange exclaimed before snapping her fingers in realization. "Oh yes, I need to borrow you and Mikasa, Armin. The Commander, Corporal, and I want to discuss some things with you! Follow me please!" The scientist requested as she quickly turned and began to march her way from the banquet hall.

Both of the titan's longtime companions stood without another word. As they began to follow the enthusiastic woman up the floors of the castle, Armin could feel a few beads of sweat form on his neck, a product of worry. The time for the scientist's results had come and he truly wasn't sure why he was nervous. There was nothing wrong with Rogue at all so why was he? Perhaps it was not nerves like he thought, but rather anticipation – the idea of finally learning answers. Yet, were they going to be good ones?

The two teens were then quietly led through a large set of double doors neighboring the Commander's quarters. It was the conference room of the Scout's headquarters, a place that neither Armin or Mikasa had ever stepped foot in. It was a long and wide room, spotless due to Levi's handy work with a lengthy cedar table stretching nearly the entire space. A chandelier hung over them, candles not lit due to the natural sunlight from the large window looking out at the training fields. Armin could not help but to feel slightly confused, why were they meeting here? Usually when the commander or anyone of authority wanted to speak with them, they would traditionally be summoned to their office. As far as he was concerned, the conference room was only used when other military officials came to review business and tactics. He gulped, despite Hange's obvious attitude, could she have found something serious with their titanic friend?

Seeing both Commander Erwin and Corporal Levi sitting across from one another, the two recruits saluted and took their seats next to one another at the polished table's edge. Armin and Mikasa waited in silence as Hange gathered a pile of notes and plopped herself next to an annoyed looking Levi who scooted as far as he could away from the woman in his chair as she began to 'organize' her belongings. The blonde teen then let out a sigh, giving into both impatience and worry. There had to be a reason for meeting in the very room they were sitting.

"Um – Commander Erwin?" Armin began, trying to hide the perplexity in his voice. "If I may, why are we here? I'm sure this is about Rogue, but –

"Sorry for the confusion." The older man interrupted kindly. "If you're wondering why we're not in my office, it's because Squad Leader Hange has a lot to cover and it just seemed more practical to discuss maters here. More seating." He explained with a small smile as he reached for a steamy pot of tea between them. "Drink?"

Having not even touched their own beverages at breakfast, the two nodded and accepted their cups gratefully. Parched, Armin quickly took a sip with his manners in check – quick to find that the tea was definitely of the greater quality that was enjoyed by the higher ranking officials. He was slow to swallow, trying to enjoy the succulent taste of added ingredients while he could. Erwin then cleared his throat.

"Levi has already been debriefed by Hange about her discoveries. I'm here to learn the same as you and go over some things after she's finished." The man informed as Hange completed organizing her papers. The scientist then hastily reached for her own cup of hot tea, swallowing a large cup in a rush, the steamy brown liquid dripping from the corners of her mouth onto the clean table before Hange placed the porcelain aside. She then took a moment to recover from swallowing the piping liquid before turning to face the teens.

"Let's begin shall we?" Hange smiled broadly. "I was up all night going over the results of our tests and research. I'm going to start with the easiest answer to our easiest question." She continued, but pausing suddenly with her brows creasing slightly and lips traveling into a slight and barely detectable frown. "Then I'll move on to the more – complicated things."

Armin and Mikasa found themselves blinking in concern. Why did Hange's demeanor suddenly shift? Had she found something troubling?

The woman then continued, turning to prop her feet upon the chair next to her, ignoring a stern direction from Levi. "First off, we had the question if Rogue was just a mutation from the common gene pool of titans or a new species. After doing some comparisons in his DNA to that of Sonny and Bean, I found that he is indeed a new species of titan!"

"So, he's not a fluke?" Mikasa asked. Hange nodded.

"He's not! Rogue is different in every way! Special nonetheless! Going by his features, our titan was practically made to hunt! His build is made for strength, speed, and stamina! He can probably run approximately sixty miles per hour for up to four hours at a time! That's insanely impressive! The fastest abnormal and mindless titans have been clocked at half that speed! His amazing nose of his can smell blood or a familiar scent for miles! Rogue's ears move independently to pick up every available sound in his surroundings and his jaws have several tons of crushing power! His clawed nails are meant to slice and gain traction when running and his eyes are those present with tapetum lucidum which is a perfect adaptation to see in the dark! Rogue's third eyelid allows him to safely blink in heated combat and the rings around his eyes are a feature that both reduces glare from the sun and perhaps is an intimidation tactic." Hange paused, nearly out of breath as she drank more tea. "There is also a strange trait in Rogue's blood that is actually flammable. And of course, there is his caring demeanor and intelligence. He is such a wonderful specimen! I'm probably going on too much with this part of our discussion since, like I stated, it was kind of an obvious answer."

Armin nodded in acknowledgment, noticing that Hange's neck muscles tensed with her face and lip, fingers gripping her notes a little tighter. Even though the signs were slight, it was obvious to Armin that Hange was, for the first time ever, uncomfortable about sharing news about her subjects.

"That was expected, but as you said Hange, he's perfect for a predator."

The woman nodded in agreement, but suddenly dipping her head to stare long and hard at her notes. Within seconds, Hange's excited body language dissipated, replacing with one that was actually normal as she rested her elbows on the table before relaxing her chin onto her clenched fists – looking as if she was in a very serious prayer. Armin felt his trachea tense and tighten with her words. Mikasa too, seemed alerted as well – hands itching to harvest her own fingernails.

"So what else did you find?" Mikasa queried, her tone close to shaky. "Is there something wrong?"

Hearing her desperation in her sentence, Hange perked up and gave a small smile. "Oh no my dearies! It's nothing bad or harmless at all. It just broadens the mysteries." She paused, calmly taking another sip of tea. "Let me ask you two this before I go on, the Jaegers – how long did they know Rogue before their death?"

Armin dithered as he thought and calculated. Why was Hange asking him this particular question? "Well Dr. Jaeger and Mrs. Carla raised Rogue as their son for fourteen years before they were killed. Miss Hange, why do you ask this?"

The Squad leader bit her lip. "Well, what I'm about to tell you and Mikasa may be a bit of a shock to the two of you. When I found out yesterday evening I nearly fell out of my chair and when I told Levi even he seemed surprised." Hange alliterated as her eyes bore into the two teens, looking almost owlish. For the first time, the blonde teen had never seen the upbeat and loony superior so dead serious.

"What… what did you find out?" Mikasa asked, her eyes wide in unease just as his own were.

Hange let out a long sigh. "It's a big one, it's lead me down many new paths of theories and possibilities. By looking at Rogue's blood, I found out just how old Rogue is."

Armin sat up straighter at her words. Hange was able to decode that mystery? "How old is he? He – has to be about The Jaegers age right?"

"No Armin. In truth, Rogue is actually over a hundred years old."

The blonde teen felt his heart jump, the cup of tea nearly slipping from his grasp. His blue eyes glanced at Mikasa to see her in a similar state of shock. Had they heard her right? "So..so… he's… no way."

Erwin rubbed his chin. "So he's ancient?"

"Hange that has to be a mistake. I mean; that's so hard to believe." Mikasa denied, watching Levi nonchalantly shake his head.

"It's true. Like Erwin and you two brats I couldn't believe it either since Rogue acts much like a five or six year old." The corporal added. "Hange, explain." The man ordered as he insouciantly lifted his cup of tea in his unique way to his slim lips.

She sighed, taking a taste from her cup before looking down at her notes. "At first, when I told Levi, I was making an assumption. Then when I compared Rogue's blood to several of the other past specimen's I kept, it was tricky to decipher but quickly clear that Rogue predated all of my other test subjects."

"So you're saying that Rogue is one of the first titans?" Mikasa asked, her voice sounding small and constrained.

Hange nodded. "Yes. Rogue's breed is one of the first that had dawned in the Age of Titans. Looking back at Rogue's genetics for a moment, his species isn't from our region, but rather from another place in the world entirely. As to where, I have no clue. But it's clear that his breed is nonviolent towards humans and have no interest in our consumption."

"So – how did he get behind Wall Maria?" Armin questioned mind buzzing with racing thoughts.

The woman's small audience observed patiently as she removed her glasses, wiping them before replacing the lenses over her eyes. "That in itself draws up many other theories. Rogue could have been walled in without human knowledge or was separated from his kind and ended up in Maria. I can also put the theory into play that Rogue is the last of his kind."

"What makes you think he's the last of his kind?" He asked, skeptical.

"Ah, well it's been a hundred years of titans scratching at our walls, breaking into them, and coming from miles to feast at the buffet. Rogue's species is one that hunts our enemy, and judging by the fact that his tongue can taste titan blood and not human blood, tells me that perhaps Rogue's breed consumed them as well besides sport. With all the titans gathering around the walls, it would be likely that predatory titans would stalk them and chase them down. In the past century, there have been no reports of any pointy-eared titans similar to our specimen. So, for now at least, I'm saying that Rogue is all that's left."

Armin simply could not believe the new information about his giant companion. Rogue was just over a century old, was perhaps the only known titan of his kind, and his breed were hunters. It was distressing, but to Armin and Mikasa the most frightening thing about the news was the relation to Rogue's age and his lack of memories. How could the titan have lost decades of his life?

"Armin, you did say that Rogue has no knowledge of the outside world right?" Hange continued, voice still vastly quiet.

"Yeah." He replied in a daze. "My god, how on earth did Rogue – how did he lose so much?"

"Hange," Erwin began as he put his tea to the side. "Did you find anything to suggest how Rogue could have lost his memories?"

"He was probably doing something idiotic and knocked his head clean off his shoulders." Levi hinted crudely from the lip of his cup, getting a glare from Mikasa.

The scientist only folded her arms and let her gaze drift to her reflection upon the polished table. "No, unfortunately. With his regenerative abilities, there is no way to extract any sort of clues as to what could have happened. Levi could very well be right about Rogue losing his head. But then again we don't know what happens to a titan's brain tissue when it grows back."

An awkward silence then fell over the five, each dwindling into their own thoughts. Armin interlaced his fingers. He felt almost sick to his stomach knowing that his best friend had been through some sort incident that rendered him lost and clueless. He felt so sorry for Rogue. Did the titan just wander around confused and perhaps scared after he lost his memories before finding the Jaegers? Did he really do something to his head? Armin sank further in his chair, pushing his tea away from him and his feet feeling a faint vibration through the floor. The blonde continued to think, suddenly grasping the knowledge of Grisha's final words – the unsettling feeling growing larger. "Hey Mikasa?"

The dark haired female looked to him at the sound of his voice. "Yes?"

Armin bit his lip. "Do you remember when Dr. Jaeger said that Rogue was the key before he was killed?"

Mikasa sat up, likely recognizing that her friend was onto something. "Yes I do. He said that Rogue was the key to everything."

"Do you think – that given Rogue's age, he could actually have the memories of his past life and the knowledge of the titans somewhere deep in his mind? I mean, it's just a possible theory, he could have not been decapitated and just hit his head or something."

Mikasa's eyes widened. "That's a good point. Maybe given Rogue's intelligence, Grisha suspected that the knowledge could possibly be there. He and Carla didn't know his age so perhaps that was Grisha's assumption."

"This is interesting indeed." Erwin pondered aloud. Hange then sighed, long and strained enough to where every soul's attention was thrown to her.

"Even if that's true, it's highly likely that Rogue will never regain his memories. Ever. The facts may be there, but there is no way to reach them."

Again, a ghostly silence fell over the room. The teens could feel a wave of uncertainty washing over them. The likelihood of finding out just what happened to Rogue and the titans was completely diminished. Unless a miracle was to happen, they would never know. A series of vibrations rattled the room, table creaking and chandelier trembling. A large shadow was cast across the five, making the group turn to the window to see Rogue curiously looking in with his emerald greens wide and innocent. The titan grunted, hot breath fogging up the glass and ears wiggling in greeting. Armin stifled a laugh as Rogue purposely licked the glass, teasing the room's occupants but likely eager for them to join him.

"Well, that window has to be cleaned now." Levi grumbled as he stood from his seat, turning to the two teens. "Before you train today, I'm giving you another assignment in light of what I caught Rogue doing this morning."

Pushing his concerns aside, Armin looked to Rogue in suspicion. What had the titan done now? "What happened?"

"I caught him stealing Scout property, even going far enough to break into the library and wreck the place trying to get books and burying everything in the barn."

"Oh, he's collecting things." Mikasa spoke up. "It's something that Rogue likes to do." She explained as she glanced at the titan outside the window who was grunting in invitation. "He keeps a stash of things he finds interesting and hides them away. Of course, since he was in the library, he was probably intending on giving Armin and I the books as presents." Mikasa concluded with Hange giggling.

"Looks like he's also a hoarder!"

Levi sighed. "Anyway, I don't need Rogue destroying things to add to his stash. I want the two of you to take this." The corporal spoke as he slid a velvet bag over to the two teenagers.

Puzzled, Armin opened the bag to reveal a considerable amount of gold coins, more than he had ever seen in his lifetime.

"Now, I want you to also take Petra and Hange to the markets of Katness and get some things that Rogue can call his so he can stay out of trouble and so the MP's stay off my ass. I don't care what you get him, just get him something."

Armin blinked at Levi's request. The way the man said his instructions was far more mild than his usual ones to most of the recruits. It sounded almost –

"Also, you must wear plain clothes." Erwin added. "Hange, you and Petra as well. The reason is that the news published the fact that Rogue cared for the two of you in titan territory. It will be released this afternoon."

"Wait, what?" The blonde teen said in disbelief. "The government, the Military Police –

"Don't worry. The story was crafted a little bit. We kept the two of you anonymous and said that we found you with Rogue. We also stated that you two survived by stealing maneuver gear and supplies from our depots with the titan. And since you were his adopted children and had knowledge of how to use the gear, we took you in as Scouts. We are the only ones who know the real truth." Erwin quickly reassured. "The plain clothes are so no one questions you the names of, your names in other words, the titan's children."

"Alright then." Armin replied as he looked to the window again to see that Rogue was still peering at them in longing and wiggling his ears. The titan let out a high-pitched sound resembling a squealing grunt – wanting them to join him. "When do we leave?"

"Now. Just meet up with training later – which will be something different. Give whatever the hell you buy to Rogue right before the end of the day when everything is finished." Levi explained, looking once at Rogue before turning to the teens again. "And call Kirstein to my quarters. That titan slobber has to be cleaned from the glass." The man concluded with a close look of disgust as Rogue proceeded to lap the translucent barrier again.

The two teens nodded and gave their salutes before turning to make their way down the corridor, ignoring Hange's cheers that they were 'going shopping for their new child.' Armin's mind was still swarming with thoughts of the incriminating evidence. Could he possibly be right? Still, he had a feeling. Something somewhere – wasn't adding up.

(POV SWAP)

"No, you cannot come with us Rogue."

The titan tilted his head in question, dropping onto his rump with a heavy pout. He grunted, unable to understand the reason behind his little one's words. They had come out of the castle with Hange and Petra and held baskets while clothed in standard garments – not in their usual fancy getups. He had seen them carry similar baskets in the past when his humans and little ones went on eating outings with him knows as 'picnics.' Were his babies and newfound friends going on one such picnic without him?

"AAANNTTT GGO."

Mikasa sighed. "No Rogue, not this time. You can't come with us."

The creature grumbled slightly in aggravation. Why was he not allowed? "AAANNNTT GGO IICCCNNIICC." He demanded, watching as Armin's brows rose at his words.

"Oh, we're not going on a picnic Rogue!" He chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "We're going to Katness district to get a few things for you. Katness is the city you walked through a few days ago, remember?"

The titan perked up. The human city? They were going there? Rogue smiled. The place was full of interesting things to look at! Not to mention it was bursting with incredible scents and things he could do. "EETTTTEER! EEEII CCOONNNE IITTHH!"

"No Rogue." Armin spoke up before he could get back to his feet. "You can't come with us to Katness. No offense, but you're not really allowed to. You're a bit too big and you could accidentally do something to hurt someone. The streets are too narrow where we're going anyway."

The titan tilted his head, unable to understand the harm in him going. From what he saw, the streets were damn sure big enough for him to walk safely. Rogue snorted, asking again if he could join them, prepared pull an ace in the hole – one that his little one's occupants, especially Hange, would give into.

Armin sighed in exasperation. "Rogue, it's not safe for you. We'll be back right as – oh no. No Rogue. No."

But the titan didn't listen, instead playing his best innocent card that he had seen countless dogs do to coax their owners to give in. Seeing how much it worked, he adapted the look himself to use when he felt that it was needed. Rogue let his ears drop even further to compliment his heavy dilated eyes and arched brows. The titan slumped over in the slightest, staring at the group with the saddest look he could expertly craft. As he figured, his expression had infected the messy haired Hange who was now squealing like a swine again.

"Aw! I didn't know he could do that! Looks like Rogue is a specialist at puppy dog eyes!" Hange laughed. "But it's not going to work this time I'm afraid, Rogue! You have to stay here! Besides, this is a surprise!"

The titan instantly abandoned his pleading look and took on one of confusion once again. So, this was a surprise? Still, he wanted to join them. He honestly failed to see how his tiny companions leaving in front of him was a surprise. Rogue opened his mouth to object once again, but was cut off when his opposing greens caught sight of the Corporal rounding his knee – wearing his usual garments and bored expression.

"Time for training Rogue." The man said simply, adjusting his white cloth.

The titan remained still, hanging his head. The beast forgot about his promise that he had made himself just a short time earlier. He had to not be so overbearing and let his little ones do what they needed to do and try to follow Levi's orders no matter how dull or pointless he thought they were. Good things would come, maybe.

The others watched in awe as the titan dipped his massive head in agreement. "OOOHHKKAAYY." Rogue complied as he turned to his two little ones once again, pointing to Levi. "EEIII AAVVVEE GGOO." He informed as he quickly nuzzled himself into his two tiny companions in farewell before lifting himself upright. The titan gave a slight wave to the four before turning to await further instruction from the short human that looked up at him with a slight hint of surprise. Levi then motioned to follow toward the green clearing nestled against the castle. As Rogue began to tail the Corporal, he took the opportunity to look back to see that his little ones were shadowing the two older humans, mirroring his actions.

Rogue kept to himself as he sat in the lush field, nails picking at his toes. The landscape was empty, quiet except for the melodies of birds. The other members of the flying human pack were deep in the surrounding forest and his little ones and close friends were in the city. He had done what Levi had instructed him, sit and wait for his return from the castle's innards. True, the titan wasn't fond of the situation, but he had to at least give things a chance. Sometimes waiting was a good thing. Waiting for his humans, he found his little ones. He waited after the second breach and he was reunited with his small and broken family. Then again, sometimes waiting wasn't pleasant – like the time he had waited for his little ones to return from where his humans had lives – only to receive memories that would forever haunt him and the loss of his sweet Carla and Dr. Grisha. Rogue sighed, shoulders hunching as he plucked a few imperfect daisies from the grass. Hopefully his plan of patience this time would be beneficial.

Hearing the unmistakable sound of crunching grass, Rogue looked up to see Levi approach his form carrying a big piece of rolled up parchment and one of the fluffy bricks. For a moment, the titan felt a little excited at the sight of the pillow – seeing that it was a different color, hue the juice of plums. Perhaps the innards of the object of amusement were different as well. However, before he could even gesture his wanting of observation, Levi placed the pillow upon the earth and seated himself upon it. Rogue tilted his head in confusion as the short human folded his legs similar to the style of his own and laid the piece of parchment between them. The Corporal's hands then unveiled the papers contents, making the titan's brows sink in dislike. It was the same thing that Levi had forcefully tried to teach him the day before. Rogue felt himself frown. Why did he have to learn this thing again?

"Alright, I don't know how much you were able to absorb yesterday when you were slacking off, so I better go over the basics with you once more. What you see before you is the Long Rage Scouting formation. It's the arrangement we go in when we perform our missions outside the wall. Got it?"

Rogue let a soft growl slip from his maw, clarifying his irritation. "NEEII EEEIII EEEAARRRNNN THISSSS?" The titan queried, waiting for the explanation. Why stick to this when they could just follow his lead? That was what the furry animal's leaders did with their pack.

Levi blinked, keeping still and impassive. "Rogue, the reason why the particular formation was created was because it was the best and safest way for the Scouts to use when moving through Wall Maria and what used to be outside the walls. If we just charged forward, we'd lose more men. Now, do you remember where you were told to be?"

Rogue's frown deepened, what Levi spoke of was one fact that he remembered perfectly. The titan pointed to the center of the drawing, unable to understand why he had been placed there of all things. He was the strongest soul here. As far as the titan was concerned, he was the most reliable bodyguard.

"Good, you're in the center rank."

"NNEEII EEIII EEERRREE?" Rogue illustrated as he tapped his position before pointing at the outside edge of the shape. "NNNEEEII EEEIII NNOOTT EERREE?"

Levi sighed heavily, straining from slight aggravation at the creature's ignorance. "That is because we're expendable soldiers were as you are not."

Rogue grunted in confusion fingers reaching up to scratch his head, unable to understand the meaning behind the corporal's words. "AAAHHTT TTTAAT NNNEEAANN?"

For a moment, Levi hesitated, the titan watching as the man's pale flesh flexed with the fretful bob of his throat. "That's because we are willing to lay everything out on the line for you. This is the hard truth. We can be replaced. You are the only titan that we know of that's against his own kind and smart enough to understand us and whatever the hell is going on around you. The Scout's can't replace you, Rogue. You are humanity's hope and we are willing to die on the front-lines for you. Your job is to only intervene when we are overwhelmed or if there is any substantial threat that we are unable to handle. Do you understand?"

Rogue was speechless, feeling conflicted about the way things were established. These humans, they wanted to die protecting something that was much stronger than they were? It still didn't make much sense. The titan hung his head, mind struggling to comprehend the concept itself. Yes, there was only one of him that he knew of – he was the only titan that didn't see humans as a food source but rather as interesting creatures and friends. That was a good reason to do things as described. In addition, from what he saw, a good majority of the Scouts were very skilled, but still losses as expected – mostly being taken out by surprise. Still, he did have faith in them, and now that he was part of their pack – they were likely to get even more skilled. Rogue finally nodded in return, accepting that was just the way things were. Then a thought crossed the beast's mind, where were his little ones to be located? Had the big leader chosen yet?

"Now," Levi continued as he gestured to the outermost shape again. "The outer ring is very vital. Without them we would have no warning about an attack. They are called Spotters. The Spotters look for titans near the formation. When we are in a mode to pursuit, they warn the rest of the formation with smoke rounds to signal the type of titan and they are usually the first to engage. When we are just traveling to a certain destination or camp, they warn us and Erwin judges the direction we should go in to avoid the enemy for the time being. Got it, Rogue?"

The titan clenched his jaw a bit at the recent teachings. The outer shape wasn't the safest at all with his kin waiting to come across them or ambush his new pack. It ESPECIALLY wasn't the best place for his little ones either considering the risks. He couldn't lose them again. "EEERRREEE AAAAIIIBBIIESSS?" Rogue maturely demanded, gesturing to the formation's illustration. In light of trying to keep well behaved, he remained stable despite his nervousness.

Levi sighed, brow creasing a bit as he adjusted his cloth again. "Commander Erwin has placed them here." The man spoke as he gestured to the second shape between the center and the first. They don't see as much action, but they continue to relay the smoke rounds to the center rank. They only enter combat if they have too."

Rogue crouched lower to meet Levi's face, pointing back at the center. "AAAANNTT IIITTTLLLEE ONNNS EERRE! AAAIIBBIIEESSS SSAAFEEE IIITTTHH NNNEE." He disagreed, trying to be firm but still restrained. The Corporal only placed his hands to his knees.

"I understand you're not fond of the idea, but it is what it is. We need their talents if the time arises. Petra did inform you of how skilled they are, especially Mikasa. Just to get things into further perspective, during the battle of Trost, Mikasa killed a total of seven titans – including an abnormal. That's just as much as some of the veterans here. Armin devised a plan to execute a group of four and five-meter titans that had gotten into Trost's military supply at their headquarters. As a compliment – they are good soldiers that I may someday add to our squad when they have proven themselves over our missions."

Rogue remained stunned. Levi – had actually complemented his little ones and would want them to soon be on their team? Really? The titan's ear flickered, head tilting at the short human that looked at him expectedly with cold silver eyes. If the strongest human here had admitted such a thing – then they would be fine in such a position. According to Levi, it had low activity. If they ever needed to take one of his kind out – he had confidence in them. If they were outnumbered or in peril, he would damn sure be there to help. Rogue felt his chest grow warm in delight, softly smiling to himself. His little ones had grown strong.

"I take it that you are fine with this by the look on your foul mug." Corporal Levi began once again as he then pointed to the center of the formation. "If you may remember, the center rank is not only the safest rank but the standby and directional rank. Commander Erwin's squads as well as my squads are here with the supply wagons. Like I said, Erwin is the one who reads the smoke signals and gives the signal that tells the other ranks what to do. Also, since the two of you seem close, Petra will be riding on your shoulder to relay my orders to you as well as keeping you in check. Clear?"

Rogue rubbed his chin, confused by some of the more complicate material before nodding. "EEERRREEE HHHAANNGE AATT?" The titan innocently asked, concerned for one of the people that he had bonded closely with.

"She's with Erwin's group."

He nodded, glad that she wasn't in the front of the pack as well.

"Good. During your sessions with me, we'll go over the formation first thing because it is incredibly crucial that you memorize it before our 57th expedition – which involves us traveling to Shiganshina to begin work on sealing the holes in the wall. You're going to play a big part in this since you're the only one with the means and strength to do so. That mission will take place in two months – and you must know the material as well as prove just how much of a valuable asset you are to us, to the MP's, and Zackley. The Military Police will try everything to eliminate you so I suggest you put great effort into our sessions. I hate to be the fucking barer of bad news, but it is a life or death situation depending on your performance."

The titan swallowed, nodding quickly in understanding. He would have to follow orders no matter what. He couldn't let his unwillingness kill him! Rogue's green eyes then watched as Levi stood and pushed the pillow aside, making the creature wonder if the man was preparing to give it to him as a reward. However, Levi only directed the titan to get to his feet.

"Now, for the rest of our private session, I want to show you something that you need to learn. When I observed you in the forest, it was clear that you're more comfortable fighting with your upper body. Your kicks are a bit mediocre – which doesn't mean the best, and they could use some work. Erwin strongly advised me to train you over this as well. It's useful in case you ever find your arms amputated you could say. Now, let's begin."

(POV SWAP)

"So what do you think Armin? Mikasa? He was really interested in mine yesterday."

Armin peered into Petra's basket, spying a large spoon nestled in the wicker enclosure. He instantly found himself chuckling, having been told of Rogue's previous overwhelming interest in a tiny tea spoon of all things. "I think he'll like it."

"Good." She smiled tenderly. "I thought that since he was interested in the small spoon that he would probably flip over a big soup or punch bowl spoon."

Mikasa followed the redhead's smile, adjusting the scarf a bit from her neck. "I don't think he's ever seen one that big before. Rogue has only ever looked upon Carla's silverware that we would sometimes bring to the cove when we had picnics. Of course, there is the blessing that he's easy to please."

The group of three chuckled a bit knowing that the fact was incredibly true. Armin then took the opportunity to stretch and absorb the activity around him. The sun was high in the sky that was free of obstructions, allowing every ray of light to brighten the shopping district of Katness in a bright shade. Due to the decency of the day, most of the people had emerged from their dwellings and into the hustle. To say that the market was a colorful place was an understatement. Goods of all kinds, shapes, and sizes sat under a rainbow of awnings that lined nearly seven streets. The trio sat upon the sides of a large fountain in the heart of the district. They had been in Katness for all but one hour and they had already lost Hange somewhere in the chaos. The moment they had entered through the gate, the woman was overwhelmed with excitement, claiming that she was shopping for her 'new baby' she had run off with a portion of the funds that they had been given. Now, the trio was patiently waiting for Hange's return where she had stated that they meet.

"What on earth is Hange doing?" Mikasa sighed as she gave in to drinking water from her canteen. Petra tittered.

"Now, that she has Rogue to give all her attention to, she's probably going nuts. Let's just hope she doesn't spend her whole half of the money straight away – and doesn't beg for more." The seasoned Scout snickered. "Rogue is going to be so spoiled."

Armin found himself laughing a bit, knowing very well that the fact was going to turn true. Suddenly a clamor of hollow sounds met his ears along with a familiar laugh. The three then met eyes with Hange that was running towards them in excitement – carrying a set of wind chimes that was over half the length of her body. Needless to say, the scientist's enthusiasm was capturing the stares of onlookers for a brief moment before returning to their shopping with added whispers of crudeness. But of course, Hange took no notice and only remained just as upbeat as usual. She then stopped before them, breathing harshly before capturing her breath with illuminated eyes.

"Look what I got!" Hange spoke excitedly as she sat down her basket and waved the chime back and forth, the wind powered instrument clanging loudly and unnaturally. "He's going to love it!"

The redhead sat up from her seat, tilting her head in astonishment. "A wind chime?"

"Yup! On the day we brought him through Katness, they intrigued him! I didn't have enough money to get him both his ball and the chimes so today I spent my time trying to locate the stand that sold these." Hange gestured to her purchase. "Rogue is a big boy so I bought the largest one they carried! I figured we could hang them in the barn or right outside – probably in so they don't get on Levi's nerves." Hange exclaimed as she attempted to pack the chime in her basket – unsuccessful with most of the end sticking out awkwardly.

"Is that all?" Armin asked, fearing that Hange had gone over her limit, but he did have to admit, the idea of the chimes was a perfect one.

"Nope! Sure, there was a bunch of things I had my eye on, but I decided that it was best to wait and consult the two of you about what our 'birthday boy's' perspectives are!"

The blonde's brows rose in suspicion at Hange's absurd statement "Wait – birthday boy? Hange that's –

"Oh I know!" She squealed. "I know he really doesn't have one to our knowledge, but since we're getting him all this stuff it seems like it!"

Petra tittered shyly. "I think it's more classified as 'welcome gifts' to be correct."

Hange continued her chuckling before taking a deep breath and turning to the two teens expectedly, eyes wide and waiting in both intrigue and excitement. "So! Armin, Mikasa, what did you two get?"

"Nothing really." Armin admitted. "We were waiting to see what was in the section that sells toys and such. If anything, that's what Rogue is mostly interested in. Besides pillows, that's our best bet." He explained, signaling Petra to get to her feet.

"That sounds good. The area that sells toys, reading material, and other entertainment is this way." She pointed into a narrow area off to their left that was heavily congested with children and families. As the group walked side by side in the direction of purchasable merriment, Hange turned to the teenagers once more, a wide smile pulling at her cheeks.

"Tell me, why does Rogue prefer things like toys to ordinary objects! Why does he like our pillows and mattresses so much!" Hange began, obviously preparing to take mental notes.

Armin bit the inside of his check, trying to figure how to put forth the titan's odd characteristic. "Well it's something Mikasa and I don't fully understand to tell you the truth. However, if I had to make an assumption, I'd say that it has to do with a toy's whimsy and Rogue's personality in general. Back when we were first getting to know him, Mikasa and I brought a bunch of our own toys just to see how Rogue would react – which was priceless. Compared to giving him simple things like blankets and pans, Rogue was much more entertained by toys. Before we got him a ball, we brought him this wooden dog on wheels that you pull by string – Rogue literally played with that for hours until he broke it. He also enjoys books, but like objects he likes things that are fanciful. Rogue loves looking at children's books but even more so someone reading him one." Armin paused, swallowing to salivate his throat. "As for the pillows, it may be something instinct driven and part of that same reason."

"Armin and I first saw his odd fascination when we were living with him. A pillow was in the mass of objects he always brought back. The two of us were exhausted from planting and harvest so we took a nap. We woke up when we heard a series of scuffling and several odd vocals. At the time, a sound that was loud enough to put us on full alert. We watched from the tree to find Rogue in the middle of the cove that was littered in white feathers. He was squealing, trilling, and chirping as he rolled in the hundreds of feathers and threw them up in the air." Mikasa paused, dipping her head with her chin resting into her scarf and displaying an easy smile. "At the time, that moment was one of the rare few that we saw Rogue completely free of all his inner troubles. True, he tried to be happy when he was with us, and yes, sometimes he definitely was, but we could always tell what happened to the Jaegers and our current position always haunted him deep down. For the first few days after the breach, Rogue was at his worst. He was completely emotionless except for moments when we caught him weeping or having an anger filled fit which involved him screeching and rampaging just outside the cove – before vanishing into the forest to most likely kill titans." The dark-haired teen described with a frown. "Of course, now that he is here and has all of us – he's much happier." Mikasa concluded.

"That's so sad." Petra replied solemnly, but then perking up. "At least Rogue is much more comfortable now and that's incredibly funny about his fascination with toys." The veteran continued as the small party entered the busy alley. "So what kinds of things do you suggest we give him as far as toys go?"

Armin rubbed his chin, knowing just how easily the titan would be to buy for. "Well, Rogue is someone that's, like we said, rather easy to entertain. You could crinkle a piece of parchment and throw it before him and he has loads of fun with it. Books are a definite. Children's books are a must – except The Ugly Duckling. He doesn't like that one very much. Balls are always good –

Hange snickered, nearly snorting. "You might want to watch your words!" The scientist laughed, receiving an eye roll from Mikasa and Petra with Armin feeling a slight sense of ignorance. He only shook his head at the humor before continuing.

"Anyways, simple is better as far as toys go. Also, they have to be fairly large for obvious reasons."

"Sounds good. We'll shop together this time so Hange and I can learn from the two of you. So lead the way!" Petra grinned as she gestured to the busy landscape.

With her conclusion, the group ceased their talk about the titan and began to scan their surroundings. The area was just as packed as it seemed before entering, there were the casual shoppers, those looking for something to resell, the well behaved children with equally behaved parents, and the occasional brat that wanted everything in sight. The alley was crammed with the most colorful of objects and booths, and if Rogue was able to come with them it was likely that the titan would have wanted everything – even parts of the booths themselves. Of course, the thing that Armin found to be the most interesting wasn't even their surroundings but rather the lack of people looking upon them. True, ever since they had entered the shopping district, not a soul batted an eye like they normally would to a soldier in the Scouts. Usually, when the Survey Corps went through a city or any district, due to their previous reputation, there was talk of their repeated failures or the consumption of tax money and how it was wasted. Of course, the allegations had skyrocketed with the Scout's failures to capture Rogue, but now things were changing since their success. He could only imagine the uproar once the news of the truth was announced, a time that was close.

"We have everything! Toys made in Wall Rose and even imports from Wall Sina! Come get them!"

Armin followed the voice to its source with the others in the group doing the same to see an obese man with a neatly trimmed beard but looked to be a jolly merchant – a rarity among the many. Most merchants that Armin knew of from the markets in Shiganshina were greedy and rude. However, usually toy merchants faired better – most of them having kids of their own. The jovial man's stand was a large one compared to the many, colorful and littered with countless toys in an array of colors. Some of which he had never seen before and looked of great quality – crafted by skilled hands.

"That booth looks promising." Petra smiled to the two teens. "What do you think?"

"It has some really exotic stuff! I've seen a couple of those things owned by children in Sina when I went along with Erwin and Levi a few times." Hange smiled widely. "Do you think he'd be interested?" The antsy woman queried, referring to the titan by something other than his name for their sake.

Mikasa nodded. " It's a good place to start. The more unique the better."

The party of undercover soldiers then brushed their way through the crowd to the booth's counter, neighboring eager children looking at the delightful goods and capturing the merchant's attention.

"Hello!" The man beamed as he twisted the hair on his mustache, the act obviously a strange habit of his. "Can I interest you in anything?"

Armin looked at the counter that was decorated in things from wooden dolls to wind up objects. He did not know where to start.

"Well," The scientist suddenly began. "It's my son's birthday and he's a special boy who is a bit rambunctious and sometimes likes to play rough. It doesn't take much to amuse him. What do you recommend?"

Armin found himself in awe once again by Hange's answer, but over the short time that he had known her – nothing was that shocking anymore. But of course, his eyes didn't fail to notice that both Mikasa and Petra were stifling laughs. Thankfully, the merchant didn't catch on and took her words as the truth.

"Rowdy eh? My kids were the same. How old is he?"

"Five." Hange smiled.

Wow, way off. Armin thought with a slight shake of his head at the humor involved. The man nodded.

"Ah! Same age, as my sister's youngest! Alright, follow me!" He motioned for Hange to trail him – the excited woman going just a few short feet away and leaving the three to gander at the items. Petra then gave in and let a giggle slip from her security.

"Sometimes Hange kills me. Our friend thinks he's your daddy and Hange, without consent, makes him her son."

The two teens chortled at her comment. "Let's just hope that Hange doesn't go overboard with things." Armin alliterated as he observed the woman pointing to several of the toys and speaking too fast for the merchant to comprehend.

"Yeah, let's hope." Mikasa agreed with a small sigh as she began to look at the merchant's goods.

The blonde nodded and began his search for anything that Rogue would be attracted to. There was so much on the surface that he didn't know where to begin. It was a difficult decision to say the least, knowing very well that the titan was interested in anything made by human hands in general.

"Oh I used to have one of these as a kid!"

Armin turned to see Petra holding a toy mouse, one that would wind up and roll across a floor in several different directions. He had to admit; he found them quite fun as a child – pranking his grandfather with one on occasion. The toy was a small one of course and there was no way that Rogue would be able to turn the key to wind it up, but the novelty was worth presentation to the beast.

"Have you ever shown him one of these?" The redhead asked, displaying the mouse to Armin – one that was actually the size of a rat more so. "Does this look promising?"

"I had one as a kid too, but I lost it long before I met him. I'm certain he would get a kick out of it."

"Is that a yes?"

Armin dipped his head in reply, noticing a toy that he had missed earlier. Below him were several shelves filled with other options – one in which was a stuffed fawn. With his interest piqued, Armin pulled the cotton filled toy from the nearly hidden compartment. As he held the fawn, it was obvious that it had been crafted by an adroit toymaker, most likely from the riches of Sina. Instead of burlap or cloth like most stuffed toys were made of, the tiny deer was made from real fur - most likely from a cow that had been butchered for meat. The fawn's spotted markings were painted on and its hooves were created from carved wood. The deer's eyes were two black buttons complimented by a small painted nose. The toy was well sewn and stuffed overall. Armin beamed. There weren't too many deer around the Scout's headquarters and the toy would be a lovely reminder of Rogue's animal companions back home – some that he and Mikasa had enjoyed as well. Like the titan, the deer that lived in the cove had gotten used to the two's presence over time. So much so that they could even pet them or let them eat out of their hands. He truly appreciated the serene animals, watching them birth new life every spring even in the bleakest of days. The teen understood why Rogue favored their company.

"Hey Mikasa?" Armin asked as he held the fawn for her to see. "I think this is a good one."

The dark-haired girl looked up from her examination of something before her, seemingly snapping from some sort of dazed trance. She then smiled softly. "It's perfect Armin. Finding deer around the castle is like trying to find the last bit of scum that Levi says that we missed in the room. It's like the cove so of course he's going to like it."

"Wait, since it's stuffed, wouldn't he just rip it open like he does to the pillows?" Petra questioned with a puzzled gaze.

"He won't. It just applies to pillows and mattresses. He found a stuffed bear once in one of his raids and didn't consider it as something to dissect but rather to treasure. So the deer is a good choice considering how much he loved his own herd of them that resided in the cove." Armin explained carefully as he looked back to Mikasa; seeing that she had returned to her own cone of silence as she continued to stare at what was a small but beautiful wooden box. "Did – you find something?" He spoke up, grabbing her attention again – noticing another small smile upon her face, one that radiated with tender warmth.

There was a slight moment before his friend waved him over to her side. "I found what I want to get him Armin." Mikasa spoke softly as he and Petra placed themselves next to her.

Armin blinked in slight confusion, the small chest looked like a jewelry box with brass accenting the ends and wood stained to follow a swirling and ornate pattern of decoration. "What is it?" He inquired, trying to hide his bewilderment. Why did Mikasa want to get Rogue a small wooden box?

"Have you ever seen one of these Armin?" The teen replied, ignoring his question. Still confused, he simply shook his head. "Well," Mikasa continued as she opened the box – revealing a velvet-lined interior and a small marble ballerina that slowly spun to a light melodic tune that would put a baby to sleep. It was then that Armin realized that the miniscule chest was actually a music box – something that he had only ever heard of. Only the well privileged owned one.

"A music box?" Petra cut in, breaking the small amount of silence. Mikasa nodded, dark hair falling gracefully around her shoulders.

"My mother once got me one of these when she was in Sina on one occasion. She spent almost all her money on it and gave it to me as a birthday gift when I was five. I loved it, but when I was six some people broke into our house while we were in Shiganshina and it was one of the things stolen. I never saw it again. This one reminds me of it." She paused once more, closing the lid. "Let's get it for him. He's never heard music before and I think he'll be astounded by it."

"But Mikasa," Armin bit his lip. "If yours was taken, why don't you just get it for yourself?"

To his surprise, she quickly shook her head. "No. I have no use for it. He'll enjoy it more."

Armin remained still at her denial before registering her point and giving in. "You're right. I bet he'll love music. New sounds always intrigue him."

"You look like you've found something of interest!"

The group returned from their sensitive conversation to see that the merchant and Hange had returned, both smiling widely. The older man then leaned towards the group, elbows resting on the rough wood of the counter. "You three shopping for the birthday boy as well?"

Armin nearly laughed at the man's error, but quickly gathered himself. "Yes, how much are these?" The blonde teen asked as he gestured to their selection. The merchant nodded.

"The mouse and the deer I can give you for two silver pieces and the music box is a bit more expensive in comparison. It's an antique from Sina that is as old as the city itself. To get back what I paid for it, I'll need four gold pieces. And I'm assuming it's for you dear?" The man turned to Mikasa, who silently confirmed his question with a nod.

"Good." Petra announced. "We'll take them." She began as she pulled the velvet bag from her basket. As she began to open the sack, she paused – expression changing to a look of pure confusion before she seemed to remember her current task. With a smile, she pulled exactly what the man asked for from the small bag and gifted it to the man who greatly thanked them with a toothy grin and even wished the 'birthday boy' a great day before moving on to another customer.

"So! What did you guys get?" Hange initiated as they began to walk away in search of another potential buy.

"I got him a stuffed deer that resembles those back in the cove, Petra bought a wind up mouse, and since he's never heard music Mikasa picked up a music box." Armin answered while Hange excitedly pulled her purchase from her lopsided basket. The two teens felt themselves giving into a laugh as the woman revealed a wooden dog similar to the one that they had told her about just minutes before. If Hange was one thing, a surprising thing despite her outlandish nature, she was a good listener and skilled at observation. As Mikasa began to congratulate the Squad Leader for her find, he noticed Petra had been silent. Concerned, Armin looked over to see the redhead staring long and hard at the small bag with furrowed brows – face painted in stupefaction. What was she looking at? "Petra?" He queried, guiding the others to direct their attention to the seasoned Scout, faces lighting up in worry at her own bafflement.

"This money isn't from the Scout's funding." Petra spoke in surprise.

"Huh?" Hange gaped. "If it's not ours, then whose is it?"

"It's – Levi's. Look." The redhead announced softly as she turned the bag for the others to see the interior lining. The trio's brows rose as a white label inside stitched with the Corporal's name presented itself. Shock then descended upon the teens, confusion settling in soon after.

"So, this money is from Levi's pocket?" Hange obviously asked. "Why wouldn't he just give us military funds to get things for our friend? It doesn't make sense."

Armin dithered, recalling the previous day's chaos and then the morning's oddity. "I don't know what happened, but did you guys notice how easily Rogue listened to Levi this morning?"

Mikasa quickly gestured her agreement. "Yeah. If that had happened yesterday, he would have flown off the handle and had an episode. I wonder why he listened." She trailed off.

Petra looked down at the bag once more. "I wonder if what I said could have changed something in him." She muttered as she delicately placed her fingers against her chin. Armin swallowed.

"What did you tell him?" He inquired with the young woman snapping out of her self-containment and turning to face the group.

"I can't really say much here, but I told him a little about the Corporal's past and how much they were alike. I understand if it was what made his viewpoint of Levi change, but I wonder made the man give in."

"Levi's past?" How do you –

"I'll tell you about it later." Petra kindly interrupted. "On the way back to the castle. It's a bit too sensitive to say here." She concluded as she pointed to a booth full of books. "How about we look here?"

Slightly disappointed that she wouldn't get the answer that they wished for, Armin gave in and expressed his interest in the new booth. Of course, his mind was beginning to roam other places. What had happened to Levi to make Rogue so keen to try and patch things up? And, was it possible that his talk with Erwin about the titan's judgment of Levi had been relayed? The boy continued to ponder about possibilities, barely noticing that he and his allies were already at the next merchant's stand and gazing at titles and covers. Easily, the four were attracted to several works. There was an old copy of Goldilocks and The Three Bears, Jack and Jill, and Little Red Riding Hood – books that were both simple to understand and had color filled illustrations that Rogue was sure to admire.

"Has he heard any of these before?" Hange asked as she sifted through a few books. "Wait, I never asked, but can he read?"

"He can't read yet. Sure, he can speak but his vocabulary is a bit limited. We taught him words so he could understand what we were saying quickly. Mikasa and I haven't really gone over the alphabet with him yet – we, including the Jaegers, were more focused on teaching him more about everyday things and what to do and not to do rather than how to read. I suppose we could start teaching him soon though." The boy explained. "And yes, we haven't read these to him before." Armin concluded as he spied a book that looked to have been hidden from the rest of the titles. Curious, he pulled his object of desire from the mass of books to see that it was a hardback containing nothing but fairy tales and folklore. The book was ornate enough, chocolate leather with engraved patterns filled with gold leaf and pages lined in the mineral to match. Aside from his lost book about the world outside, this book was the most beautiful he had seen. With the others watching, Armin peeled open the cover to witness the elegant illustrations to match, nestled within the text forming hundreds of stories. Some complex and some simple nursery rhymes.

"Let's get that one." Mikasa smiled. "It's eye catching plus there is enough stories to last him quite a while."

The three quickly agreed and paid the merchant who almost looked reluctant to sell the ornate title. The group of guised Scouts then began to make their way into a small square that was full of playing children and resting adults indulging on food from a small bakery. As hungry as they were, the four gave in to their pleading stomachs and purchased bread. However, before they could find a place that was quiet enough to relax, a loud call rang across the clearing – making most of its occupants drop what they were doing.

"Read it now! The truth about The Rogue Titan and how it raised two kids in Wall Maria!"

At the words, many of the square's inhabitants instantly rose from their seats and reported to the newly opened newspaper cart. The four hovered nearby for a moment, nervously chewing their bread as they listed to the barrage of shock and awe. From all around the open area, people rushed to buy a copy, merchants even abandoning their stands to get a piece of the historic information. Despite the fact that the article was slightly scripted, Armin could feel his palms sweat. For those who held their newly published papers, their eyes hungrily scanned the print.

"So…The Rogue Titan raised two children in Wall Maria?"

"How is that possible? It's… It's amazing!"

"A titan of all things nurtured two orphan children?"

They remained quiet near the edge of the square, simply listening to the bombardment of words from the general public.

"How did it happen!"

"Apparently, when the Survey Corps cornered the beast, they found it caring for a teenage boy and girl in a secret cove in Wall Maria and that was why it was evading them!"

"Wait a minute! The titan was secretly living in Maria before the wall was breached without anyone knowing it existed?"

"More than a decade ago, a couple who couldn't have children found The Rogue and discovered that he was friendly. They even took the privilege to adopt the titan as their own son and 'raised' him in secret!"

"That's insane!"

"The two children were rescued by The Rogue Titan when they were eight from sex traffickers trying to kidnap them. After they spent the night with the titan, the beast took them to the couple who adopted the girl who's parents were killed by the traffickers before hand." Another man read loudly.

"How the hell?"

"The children played with the titan for years until the breach. Knowing that they were there, the titan broke through the Garrison's blockade to rescue them. However The Rogue was only able to save the two kids. The boy's grandfather was killed and unfortunately the couple was eaten by a ten-meter just before The Rogue could retrieve them."

"I bet this is why The Rogue Titan kills his own kind!" Another woman speculated.

"After the breach the titan took the two children to the safety of the cove and adopted them, treating them as if they were his own offspring."

"No fucking way."

"They survived by The Rogue guarding them and retrieving food and materials from the Scout's depots."

"Were the kids feral?"

"When they found the titan and kids, the children were adapt at using the gear so they were sworn into the Scouts just as quickly as the titan was."

"That's just so bizarre!"

"It's a miracle!"

"Does it say what the teens' names are?"

"What are their names?"

"Damn! The Scouts kept them anonymous! Maybe future papers with tell us."

"I would love to know their names!"

"That's an incredible story!"

"Is this really true?"

"This is unbelievable! It has to be some sort of lie!"

"It all just seems like a wise tail."

"It's magical! Humanity finally has a savior!"

Hearing enough of the conjecture, theories, and few crude comments, the group then turned to exit the square in silence. Although they blended into the crowd, they still felt exposed knowing that they knew the real ending of the story and the true facts. However, before they rounded the corner to exit the square, a small girl in a long pink dress charged right into Hange's shins – smiling and giving a tug on her blouse with the scientist's eyes wide in surprise.

"I know you! You're the nice Scout lady! Your name's Hannn…Hann… Hange!"

Armin, Mikasa, Petra, and Hange could feel themselves petrify at the girl's innocent observation and announcement. The blonde swallowed fretfully as he began to instinctively examine the small child that could have not been older than four. Armin felt his face drop as he spied a peculiar object in her hand – a doll that he remembered Petra speaking of almost a week earlier. A waiting smile wanted to pull at his lips, but he kept it hidden. The doll was Rogue, a handmade one crafted from burlap, horsehair, paint, and buttons. He knew seldom if nothing about her, but it was obvious that the child was fond of their titan companion.

"Hi Ellie." Hange grinned nervously with Armin catching a bead of sweat form on her brow.

"So is it true? The Rogue took care of two kids like me?"

"Um, let's go around the corner!" Hange quickly spit from her mouth as she guided the child around to a relatively quiet little alley that overlooked the square. They were still in plain view, but the area was definitely more private. Armin swallowed, would Hange really reveal a secret to a little girl who could potentially tell others? The blonde and dark-haired teens held their breaths as they braced for what was to come into play.

"So! Is it true! Is it really true!" Ellie demanded with child like excitement.

Hange dithered, but then put on a practiced smile that soon spread to the others with both Armin and Mikasa dawning the expression in caution. "Yes my dear! It's a hundred percent true! The Rogue Titan and the two kids are Scouts now."

Ellie's toothy smile grew wide enough to reveal a missing incisor. The young girl's arms embraced the Rogue doll even closer. "Cool!" She replied, greatly exaggerating her syllables. "My mommy and daddy told me that they read it in the paper this morning."

Hange smiled. "Did they now?"

"Yeah! So… the kids, were they my age Miss Hange?" Ellie spoke with eyes lit in expectancy – only making the two teens even more nervous.

"Oh no, they're much older than you!"

"Really? What are their names?"

Armin and Mikasa froze further, hoping that the child's parents hadn't put the innocent girl up to asking for their gain.

"Oh we're not supposed to tell anybody." Petra quickly chimed in. "It's a secret!"

For a moment, the young girl looked incredibly disappointed, but as quickly as she did, a smile returned to her face. "Does The Rogue Titan have a name you call him?"

"Well, his name is not much different that what everybody calls him. It's Rogue. But you have to promise not to tell anyone!" Petra kindly informed, the child's eyes growing larger in awe.

Armin instinctively bit his lip, surprised that Petra had slipped up, but then the teen realized that it was perfectly fine with no risk involved whatsoever with telling the child the titan's name. After all, it was the same as his alias that most would just pass the fact by.

"So his name is Rogue?" Ellie clarified with the scientist nodding. "Miss Hange? Do you think that I could… see Rogue sometime?"

At her query the scientist let out a content sigh, reaching up and patting the child's head. "Well Ellie, first you must promise me that you didn't see us and you can't tell anybody about us! You're good at keeping secret aren't you?"

The girl nodded quickly, hugging her doll closer.

"Good! If you promise that you can keep that secret then maybe someday you can see Rogue up close!"

"YAY!" Ellie squealed softly, spinning around once on her tiptoes before facing the square. "Thank you Miss Hange! I won't tell anybody I promise! Bye-bye!" Ellie waved as she happily skipped off, clutching her doll of Rogue in hand as she ran to play with several more children.

"You don't think she'll spill the beans will she?" Mikasa asked softly, obviously not wanting to attract attention while Hange lifted herself from her crouching position.

"No. When you promise a child something great if they give you something in return – they'll listen." The scientist chuckled with Mikasa dipping her head in understanding.

"What should we do now? How much money do we have left?"

Petra took a bite of her bread with the others following soon after in realization that they had forgotten about their morsels. "Well, we have just enough to get a carriage ride towards the castle. We should probably head there now since it's just after noon and The Corporal is expecting us for a training session."

"Good idea." Armin agreed as they began to discreetly make their way from the square. Deep in his mind, Armin began to wonder. Hours earlier, he had heard Corporal Levi announce the days schedule, outlining a new, unique, and grueling way to train. He swallowed. The way Levi spoke sounded like it was an exercise to test their limits. And with the fact that nearly everyone was ordered to attend, Armin was sure he knew what the session was. If it was true, then why were they being ordered to engage?

Minutes later, the small group approached the section of Katness that was home to the transportation services. It was where the long ferryboats were located to carry both goods and passengers to and from the walls. Despite the area being more 'industry' focuses, it was just as clean and warm looking as the rest of Katness unlike the one that had been in Shiganshina that wasn't exactly 'public orientated.' To the left of the ferries were several businesses, including those dedicated to carriage rides through the city and into the country. Normally, the Scouts always rode into any town on their own horses, but since this was a more secretive mission, the four went by foot until they found the carriage stop located just five miles up the road from the Scout's headquarters. The carriage transport business were a handy and popular one to those that didn't have any means to travel to the surrounding areas. For the soldiers, especially now, it was great to keep a low profile.

The two teens and veteran Scouts then approached a lone carriage waiting just outside a small and narrow building that served as the business's office – one only need if a customer was to buy passes in advance and to post the schedule of the carriage's arrive and departure times for the city. The single wagon was not a covered one and wasn't fortified with advanced equipment like those owned by the Scouts in order to cross rough and ragged terrain. It was as plain as a grassy field and drawn by a common Dunn mare. A skinny man with worn clothes, scruffy brows and whiskers, and an old hat sat in the carriage lazily – eyes hooked on the day's newspaper. Armin found himself nervously pulling at the collar of his shirt. The idea that he and Mikasa were the now infamous 'Titan Children' made him feel like a convict trying to hide in plain sight.

"Excuse us sir?" Mikasa began calmly, gaining the man's attention with Armin noticing the faint smell of alcohol on the man's garments.

"Yes Miss?" He replied, reluctantly setting aside his paper.

"We need to get a ride to the vineyard west of here."

The man slowly raised a brow. "The one in the countryside about five miles from here?"

"Yes, could you please take us there?" Mikasa continued as Petra pulled the velvet bag of coins from the depths of her basket.

However, the carriage man remained unspoken, only staring at the small party in disbelief and abjuration. The man's eyes remained hard and unblinking, giving the four a heavy stare. "I'm sorry but I cannot do that." He denied, going back to his paper. Armin watched as Mikasa as well as the other's faces twisted up in surprise. The dark-haired teen's brows sank in suspicion.

"Why not? We have money for all of us." Mikasa demanded, voice laced with confusion. The man breathed an aggravated sigh.

"Because that area is now titan territory."

Armin watched spellbound by both the man's answer and Mikasa's face hat instantly darkened with anger. This was not going to end well. Mikasa and Rogue's bond was incredibly strong. The girl was always on the extreme defensive if anyone talked about the titan in a negative way. He swallowed, fearing that Mikasa wouldn't go too far.

"What?" The teen retorted, grey eyes looking almost onyx.

"The Scouts have The Rogue Titan in custody there, and I don't trust the thing. A titan is a titan and I think that since it's intelligent, it just took care of those kids and saved Trost so it could get inside and then make us its lunch."

Mikasa's face then tinted red, cheeks a violent blush. Armin held his breath. The carriage man was pissing off the wrong person.

The teen exhaled harshly. "Never mind then." Mikasa gritted her teeth, taking a few steps away in what Armin assumed his friend did to cool off.

"Excuse me? Why not?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Because unlike you, I believe in hope." Mikasa concluded, and without another word, she raised her hand and slapped the mare's rear – hard. To their shock, the horse reared, rocking the wagon and nearly throwing the man from his seat. With a loud cry, the equine charged forward with the carriage driver desperately gripping the reins and hollering to the mare in a frantic plea to stop.

The four remained still, eyes hooked to Mikasa who said nothing as she motioned to take a seat on a nearby bench. The teen was obviously distraught; suddenly looking like she was when she was a child and had just lost her parents. Mikasa's face was stiff, the corners of her lips sunk and eyes completely dim. Seeing her discomfort, Petra quickly took her seat next to her and placed a hand to her knee in concern. Knowing his friend's pain, Armin quickly placed himself next to her – almost feeling the frustration seeping from her seemingly unbreakable wall of emotion.

"Mikasa?"

"I'm sorry." She abruptly interrupted. "I just – couldn't ride with him." The teen explained with an exasperated breath, hands balling up into fists. "It's unfortunate. Even after all the good Rogue's done, some still treat him like a monster. It's sickening. He's saved lives and still there are those that treat him like any other titan. I – hate it. Why can't people have an open mind?"

It was quiet after the reveal of her feelings. A sickening sensation settled into Armin's gut, knowing very well that Mikasa was right.

"Maybe our further reveals will help, and hopefully the 57th expedition – if Rogue passes the MP's examination and performs well on the mission, perhaps it will help with some people's judgment." Petra beamed softly, trying to sooth the massive amount of tension. The blonde sighed solemnly.

"Thing is, I don't know how much more Rogue needs to do in order to be accepted by everyone. Optimistically though, it won't be much more. He's won most of the public over, so hopefully soon everyone will trust him." Armin informed, but hiding the fact that he wasn't sure from his friend. With the titan species' reputation deeply seeded into the minds of humanity for over a hundred years, it was unlikely that Rogue could ever be truly accepted by everyone.

(POV SWAP)

A pained and goaded whine roared from his throat as the blood curdling feeling of splitting bone coursed up his now broken leg. With his shin splintering into his muscle, Rogue stumbled into the large tree, leaning into the battered and cracked trunk with cavernous breaths rattling his chest. The titan grunted at his failure, trying to stand but quickly finding that he was unable to put his weight upon his own two feet.

"Your aim is a bit too low, Rogue." Levi sighed, face as impassive as ever.

Mad and upset, the titan hissed and tried once again to stand independently with no success. He had been doing the same thing for hours with little triumph. The corporal had instructed him to work on his kicks, which translated into him aiming his massive feet onto a painted target upon the many trees in the surrounding forest. At first, the task had been rather easy. The trees varied in size, representing seven to twelve meter titans. Rogue didn't have too much of a problem kicking low, although he had been slightly off target, his aim was still great – but only on that aspect. The titan quickly found that he wasn't so gifted when it came to high kicking. When Rogue lifted his leg to initiate a devastating blow at a target, he felt much like a teetering intoxicated human – at least in the balance part. With his massive form and weight, to quickly shift a limb meant to be supporting him over his head threw him slightly off – forcing his body to struggle staying upright as he thrust his shin and foot into the trunks of the trees. His lack of balance made him always miss – only happening with targets over thirteen-meters tall. During the time that had passed, Rogue's attitude had gone from good to bad and barely able to stick with his plan of great behavior. With every failure, he was nearly falling or actually falling to the ground in an irritated heap. He had watched Levi demonstrate dozens of times, but it seemed that his body wanted to do one thing and his head another. The result was the titan possessing a messy form that led to Rogue's embarrassment.

"You're not leaning back far enough to throw your leg up high enough. It's a sloppy stance that's making you so unstable that you're falling on your ass almost every attempt to attack."

Rogue sank to his knees, letting bone and muscle heal. He narrowed his eyes in a mixture of exacerbation and pain. "EEEVVVII. EEEIII IIIGGG. AARRRDD OO SAANNNDD AAAATTEERR KKIICCCC." The titan tried to explain to the man. Compared to Levi, his mass made it hard to do certain tasks that would otherwise be simple for some. "IIITT EEEESSSYYY OORRR EEEVVVII."

The man exhaled through his nose, nostrils flaring in the slightest. "When your leg heals, get up and try again, and this time – lean back and try to distribute your weight as you swing your foot."

The titan snorted in abrogation. As much as he was fighting the urge to expel his frustrations, he would have to keep sane in sake of getting whatever could be rewarded. Rogue remembered very clearly that his little ones and friends had said that they were going to get gifts for him – or at least that was how he understood it. So losing his temper with Levi was not an option. He had to listen. He had to be good.

Feeling the finishing touches mend themselves back together, Rogue carefully rose to his feet. His green eyes observed as the short leader quickly jerked his head in the direction of the great cedar that he had been using as a target before. It was a big tree, trunk wide enough to where even he couldn't wrap his arms around it. With a breath of pensive steam, Rogue got into position. His eyes scanned the tree in concentration while muscles flexed in preparation. Then, with a roar of defiance, Rogue lifted his leg and swung. Wind rippled across the low vegetation violently, nearly knocking the stone still Corporal from his stance. The titan lifted his leg higher, straining his thigh while he lowered in the slightest – reacting out of instinctive reflex. Bark and wood gave a loud protest to the impact of the blow, the sound reverberating among the empty forest and warding off birds. Rogue winced as his leg felt the abuse of the assault of pulling muscles. A loud crack from the trunk of the tree echoed among the wood along with the sickening sound of Rogue's shattering ankle. The titan released another angry mix of agony as his unbalanced body swayed. With no time to recover, Rogue's supporting leg slipped from beneath him and sent the beast crashing to the earth. His impart caused a massive vibration and the earth to till up in a crater with narrow avoidance of hitting Levi. Self-loathing and pity hit him as he lay still on his side like a helpless child. Disappointed at another failed attempt to hit the fourteen-meter mark, Rogue slowly rolled over to prop himself upon his elbows, staring hard at the disheveled ground as he waited for his limb to heal so he could stand again. The titan exhaled a heavy cloud of steam before turning his gaze to Levi who seemed almost unfazed despite he had almost been crushed.

He watched closely as the short man pulled out a silver pocket watch from the inner pocket of his jacket and took a few gratified moments to examine its face before turning to him. "Your form is still terrible, but it should improve with much work. The reason I had you do this shit was to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses to see what we can improve on."

Rogue's gaze softened at Levi's statement. He made him do all of this as both practice and as a diagnosis? Although the miniscule man was still blunt, he was better than he was before.

"Well, you did manage to put a slight crack in the tree." Levi paused, brow relaxing as he gestured to the titan's ankle. "Is it healed yet?"

The creature looked to his wound and proceeded to test its movements and pain level, rotating his ankle and flexing his toes. "IITT GGOOOD."

The Corporal nodded. "Alright. We need to head back to the clearing because it's time for the session we spoke of earlier. Listen well to Erwin's instructions, Rogue. We're trying to make the simulation as realistic as possible for the Scouts to learn, so act like you did when we were after you in Wall Maria without hurting anyone. Understand?"

Rogue blinked at Levi's explanation. Simulation? What did that mean? Why was The Corporal telling him to act like he did when the flying humans hunted him? Perhaps Erwin would have a more in depth explanation. The titan watched as Levi adjusted his neck cloth and turned to make his way toward the castle. As quickly as he could, Rogue stood and began to trail Levi without another question. The titan watched the man intently as he shadowed the man. He moved a bit awkwardly with their vast difference in gates. With every one hundred steps that Levi took, he took one and paused so the man could lead. Truthfully, he half expected for the Corporal to demand a ride on his shoulder to make good time. But if he had to guess, it was the man's pride that restricted him.

After some time of awkwardly walking, the two broke free into the clearing. Rogue tilted his head in suspicion at the sight. The entire flying human pack was waiting on the lush green with the gear fully intact minus their blades. There were the experienced humans of his small pack like Petra, Eld, Gunter, and Oluo as well as his new little humans like Connie, Krista, Sasha, and unfortunately Jean. Beside them were his little ones that he instantly greeted with a cheerful bleep, the two smiling in return. There were others as well, organized in a straight line by the big leader, Erwin. Rogue kneeled before the crowd with Levi standing at his foot, waiting for instruction to whatever the task was at hand.

"Remember." Levi whispered. "Just like you did before, make it realistic."

The titan rumbled a silent question but received no answer from Levi at least. The clearing of the Commander's throat then gathered every soul's attention.

"Good afternoon everyone. Let me explain our new training exercise that we are implementing. In light of recent discoveries and our previous attempts with the capture of Rogue, it has come to my attention that we are mostly inexperienced. Many soldiers have been lost in the field due to titans snagging wires and rendering them helpless. Before, there was no way to prevent this, but now we have a method to practice evasion. That is where Rogue comes in." Erwin gestured to the titan who was fully intrigued. "His job for this exercise is to run through the forest and snag your wires. If you are caught, Rogue when then render you immobile by either of the following methods: hanging you in a tree, biting your cables in half, or pulling them so much that they are rendered useless. He will not go easy on you, but he won't gravely injure you. Your job is to figure a way to make Rogue 'immobile' – meaning you must trip him harmlessly and incase him in a rope net. You will be split up into four teams that include a balanced mix of recruits and experienced Scouts. Corporal Levi and I will be watching the match and assessing your performances. Hange's team will consist of Petra, Armin, Mikasa, and Molbit. Mike's team will be Connie, Sasha, Jean, and Krista. Eld's team will be Gunter –

Rogue sat quietly as he continued to listen to Erwin divide the flying humans. He understood what they wanted him to do perfectly. The Scouts were to do a false hunt in order for their skills to strengthen for future titan encounters. With his help they could achieve that. The pack would be stronger. Although he wasn't exactly keen on the idea that he could accidentally hurt them, he knew he was good at being careful. Sure, the object was to trap him, but it was in a painless fashion. In a way, the activity was like one big game of tag and he was it. His evading had turned into a useful activity.

"Now," Erwin continued. "This experience will be similar if not identical to our previous encounters with Rogue. Do be very aware of him and your surroundings. You are working to claim an intelligent titan. Rogue has used excessive amounts of steam as cover in the past as well as techniques such as trickery and even camouflage. The exercise is over once all of you are immobile or Rogue is captured. However, also remember that we had previously deemed that The Rogue Titan was the unobtainable titan or the one that always got away. Let's see if we can turn the tables here." The Commander finished with a smirk.

Rogue slowly stood as Levi gave some final rules to the Scouts, patiently waiting for his cue. The short leader then turned to the titan with a stony face.

"Alright do what I said. Play hard as hell to get."

The creature nodded quickly in excitement. Finally, it was time to have his first training with his new allies and little ones! Overjoyed to some extent, Rogue threw his head back and released a triumphant roar to the heavens, catching everyone by surprise and startling some – the sound carrying for miles throughout the flying human territory. With a determined look, Rogue spun around and thundered into the woods with the humans herding themselves into their small packs close behind as the chase began. The titan bounded through the thicket, taking a deep breath and releasing a heavy fog of steam to cover his tracks so he could strategize. Quickly, he changed directions repeatedly, throwing himself in an unpredictable pattern to gain distance. Rogue then began to think of how to achieve victory in the game, quickly realizing that he was at a major disadvantage. He knew every tree in his forest as if they were his own family. His time in the flying human territory was limited, meaning that he wasn't very familiar with the surrounding woods. Every oak, pine, and cedar was a stranger – every rock and crevice as well. His little ones and the humans knew this wood like their own thumbprints. There was also the fact that he had never seen Armin, Mikasa, or any of the others work in a hunt and how good they would be at tracking him. There was also the man with whiskers, Mike, with the nose of an animal. His scent would be more distinct here, and he didn't exactly know where the river ran to help guise him. There were seldom trees that matched the height of those in his territory as well, most just rising a few meters above his head. On top of everything there was also the fact that the flying human territory was restricted by a fence he could not pass, so the perimeter was greatly restricted. Rogue narrowed his shadowed eyes, his chances at winning were slim, but he was determined to show his worth. He was competitive. He wanted to win.

Suddenly, the titan's keen hearing caught the sound of invisible wings trailing behind him like a swarm of furious hornets. Rogue turned his head in the slightest to spy two of the small flying human packs closing in behind him. The teams were not that of his little ones or the whiskered man, but rather Eld and Nanaba's groups. The titan examined them further, for the most part; the packs were mainly consisted of new recruits that had never faced his evasions. Of course, there were the few veterans, but he had already faced them before. Truthfully, the only opponents he found that could be a bit more challenging were Levi and Erwin who were sitting out, any of his own small pack, and finally his little ones. Armin was smart and could plan better than he could and Mikasa was almost as skilled and nimble as the Corporal himself. He couldn't worry about that now though. He would just tackle the hurdle when he got to it.

The good thing about this match was that he didn't have to constantly cover his nape. He had both of his hands free.

"Alright! Let's get him quickly! Do just as we described. Remember! He's fast and cunning!" Eld announced over the sound of his thundering feet.

"Yes sir!"

Rogue picked up his pace, shifting his course. He knew that the flying humans were not using their honeycomb and barrel cannons this time. Their logical action was to aim low at his ankles and feet in order to trip him. However, they knew he was smart. They would distract him first.

He was correct.

As he expected two pairs of cables shot just feet away from his waist. Rogue chuffed and quickly grabbed the sets, surprising the two Scouts as he swung them around and underhandedly launched them up into the canopy – rendering them trapped in their own man made vines. Knowing just what was next, Rogue quickly jumped and snagged the wires of three Scouts that were closing in on wrapping his ankles like snakes to prey. He then gathered the trio's cables into one hand and threw the three forward around an overhanging limb – tied together like thieves and dangling over the forest floor like an animal roasting on a spit.

"Shit! He just took out nearly all of our two teams!" A new recruit exclaimed in shock as the titan still charged forward.

"Now you see why Rogue was such a pain in the ass to catch!"

The titan hummed a bit in pride as he prepared to make another move – one that would throw them off guard and one that he had never tried before. With as much of a smirk as he could manage, Rogue suddenly halted in his tracks and turned to the flying humans who were sailing so fast that there was so way they could escape. Their faces lit up in complete disbelief, too frozen from his sudden action to move.

He had them right where he wanted them.

Rogue then swiped his hand, catching every cord and successfully capturing his targets in his embrace.

"WHAT THE H –

The titan then slowed his speed and wrapped the group's cables around the limb of a sturdy tree with care, hanging them up like hunted game in a fashion similar to how he had defeated Levi some time ago. Eld, Nanaba, and the other flying humans watched in awe as he tied a messy knot, still obviously spellbound by their motionless faces.

"Did the Corporal tell you to do that Rogue?" Eld chuckled in the slightest, grunting from being kicked in the shin by a flaying soldier. "That's a new one from you."

The creature smiled down at the group as he completed his task, ears characteristically wiggling. "NNOO. EEEII DDID."

Nanaba, a woman that Rogue knew to be another kind veteran, raised her brows in question. "When did you learn to do that then?"

Rogue huffed once again. "NNOOOWW." He answered, not using the correct grammar, but clearly getting his point across by the astonished looks upon his allies' faces. The titan then proceeded to give a slight wave before bounding off into the thicket again. Two packs down. Two to go.

For a few minutes, Rogue focused on getting as far away from Eld and Nanaba's groups as possible before halting in the center of a large clearing that contained the wooden titans, the very ones that he had seen the flying humans use to practice the day before. The titan sniffed, ears searching for indications of incoming packs. Sure enough, his sense of smell detected the pack of Mike not to far off. Rogue began to brainstorm once again. He would have to be incredibly tactical against the man with the nose of a hound. The titan sniffed viciously, searching for the familiar scent of water only to find that it was much too far. By the time he would reach the river both Mike and perhaps Hange's groups would be on him. Rogue looked off into the direction of the deepest part of the vegetation. With the man knowing his scent and the fact that there were no other titans to mimic, or water to soak his flesh, he would have to try another new tactic. He dipped his head, suddenly recalling the traps that the flying humans would lead him into. Rogue's eyes widened in realization as a plan began to play out in his mind. A small smile came to his deformed maw. The man would be easy to deceive. He grunted in satisfaction at the base of his plan. It was his time to turn the tables a bit.

Rogue then took off into the dense fauna, keeping his eyes peeled for any sort of ambush. He carried himself further in search of any massive tree that would serve his need. The titan then stumbled into a nest of trees that were blanketed in weeds and moss. Saplings sprouted among the ground in the shadow of adult timbers that stood at his own height to nearly forty meters. The titan looked up at the thick leafed branches of one of the few giant trees. Seeing that it concealed enough cover, Rogue nodded to himself in satisfaction and approached a large oak nearby. Like he had purposely done in his forest, the titan began to rub against the rough bark with his cheek and shoulder. The creature rumbled low in his chest as he continued his act of marking. Rogue brushed the tree further, nearly looking like a desperate animal scratching an itch. The titan paused, listening for the sound of translucent wings before proceeding to leak a slight amount of saliva onto the bark to ensure that the tree was overpowered with his scent. Pleased with his work, Rogue moved on to another tree close by to deliver the same exact treatment. After the organic object was tainted, the titan then moved on to spread his scent around the parameter – marking bark by his smell, grooves by his nails, and spit. He then halted his treatment, testing the sent of the area to see if it met his demands. Pleased, Rogue then scaled up the forty-meter tree and into the profuse mass of leaves. The titan took a moment to settle himself in a cluster of brawny branches, using them as both a cradle and perch. He then crouched in a striking pose, back arched and shoulders hunched with gaze sharp and a seldom breath like a good hunter. Rogue remained still, ears pivoting and disregarding any amount of white noise in search of the approaching Scouts. Completely under his newly adapted form of camouflage, the titan lay in wait – hoping that his seemingly ludicrous plan would work.

Patiently, he lingered, listening intently through the songs of birds. Rogue let out a breath of steam, one that he had held in just in case- something that he hated doing because it sometimes caused his stomach to hurt. Just as he was about to deem that his plan was a loss, the whirling sounds of tiny humans flying through the air echoed across the area. The titan lowered himself in concentration, green pools cutting through the leaves to see Mike's small pack advancing just as he expected. Quickly, he began to judge and plot. He didn't want to give himself away just yet – he was going to toy with them first. The other positive aspect about the current game at hand was that he had the trust of the pack – which meant that he could play around with new ways to surprise is unsuspecting companions. Sure, he was still going to repeat what he had done back in his territory just as requested – but with some added twists. It was still practice for them – just introducing the element of surprise.

The group then came within meters of his tree, cables latching against the thick trunk before pulling away as the soldiers did. One by one, the small pack passed him without his exposure. Rogue then prepared himself as Krista brought up the rear. The titan raised his hand ready to strike. The small girl's cables then found themselves in the thick bark just below. Before Krista could sail further, Rogue grabbed her wires – yanking the girl from her flight and leaving her dangling in confusion. The titan smirked at his success, but quickly realizing that he had overlooked a big error to his plan – how to entangle his 'victims' without them alerting the others to his position in the tree. Plotting quickly, Rogue simply tied Krista to a close limb just below him – trying to influence the thought that her hooks had simply gotten stuck. He watched as the tiny teen struggled in her wires trying to get herself free.

Rogue scrutinized in almost amusement as Sasha instantly turned around to Krista's aid, the blonde's eyes wide and grateful.

"Thanks for coming Sasha! I think my hooks got stuck in a rough patch of bark." She informed as she tugged slightly in demonstration with Sasha taking the situation into serious account. The brunet then pulled on the cables.

"You're right Krista they're really wedged in there." She spoke with Rogue holding back a huff in delight.

"Are you guys stuck or something?" Connie called from the group of soldiers that had paused to rest upon the limb of a neighboring tree.

"Krista is. They're deep and I think we'll have to cut her free."

Mike sniffed, quickly surveying the area with the titan hoping that his plan wasn't to be foiled. "Do what you must quickly. His scent is strong here – he's either watching us from somewhere or he's fooled us with a false lead."

"Has Rogue ever done such a thing?"

The older man swallowed, eyes narrowing a bit. "No, but he's gone as far as disguising himself as a regular titan before." Mike explained as he pointed to the tree's bark, running his hand in the precise grooves made by the beast's nails. "Rogue's scent marked this area. A lot. He rubbed, scratched, and put wisps of his saliva on the trees. He knows I have a good sense of smell. He's certainly doing something new to throw us off. In Maria, his game was to run and evade. Here he's different. We live among him now and he's comfortable enough to try anything. We need to prepare for any move he'll make. Lower Krista down so she can head back. Jean, Connie, and Sasha you three and I will circle to see if Rogue is in the area. If not, this was just a ply to throw us off with a highly concentrated sent deposit."

The titan remained still at the man's revelation, monitoring Sasha as she lowered Krista to the mossy earth. Rogue then turned his attention to the surrounding trees, observing as the other part of the small pack circled like the carcass eating birds around the area to search for him. When the small blonde was back to the earth, Sasha soon joined the others in the task with Rogue monitoring them closely.

"No sign of him, Sir." Jean announced in an annoyed tone. "The bastard probably just ran off like he did yesterday. Who knows, he could be having a big conversation with the horses at the stables right now."

Rogue narrowed his eyes at the teen's crude comment, selecting Jean as his next target. Careful as to not snap a single twig, the titan shifted from his spot in the cradle of limbs. He would be giving himself away with the move, but he would render the small pack with a lesser number and the lack of preparation. Rogue's eyes watched the long faced boy with eyes like that of a starving mutt gazing at unreachable meat – a strong sense of want and focus. Jean rounded his tree, looking in the opposite direction of his perch. Rogue then allowed his mouth to salivate, abdomen rolling with a sickening slosh in preparation to build up the force he needed. He was going to 'kill two birds with one stone' as Armin used to say. He would get Jean back for his comment as well as make it easier to immobilize him. Jean then came within meters from his location. Seizing the chance, Rogue poked his head from the leaves and shot a long line of spit directly at his target. The teen barely had the time to even guess his current situation, as he was soaked in the translucent slime.

"DAMN IT! HE'S IN THE TR –

Jean was cut short when the titan's hand encased his cables in his spiral to the waiting earth. With a loud wail of triumph, Rogue launched the boy into the high canopy only for the teen to be snagged by the waiting branches. The titan then leaped from the leaves, exposing himself with a mighty roar, throwing the others off guard.

"HE WAS HIDING IN THE TREE I WAS JUST –

Sasha's words became lodged in her throat as Rogue swiftly grasped her cables as she circled unknowingly into his wake. The titan then deposited her into the green mass of his own tree and then weaved within the marked foliage.

"This is an ambush! Rogue has led us into a trap!" Mike warned to his only other partner. "The first chance we get, we must go for his legs!"

"Shit! He's gone again!" Connie exclaimed just as Rogue darted from Connie's flank and took the boy's wires in hand. The titan then swung the recruit into a nearby birch and set his eyes onto Mike who was, for the first time, looking at him and wearing a noticeable look of genuine shock upon his usually relaxed face. Suddenly, the man took action, shooting up into the air with Rogue swiping only to miss. The titan watched as Mike pushed himself faster, readying himself to strike. The whiskered leader then dived, angling himself just behind the creature's shoulder. Rogue then pivoted quickly on his heel, providing an open opportunity. With Mike caught off guard, the titan snagged the wires, pulling the man back with a strong yank and sending him tumbling into a patch of bushes. Rogue wasted no time sticking around to hear any praise or insults as he bounded into the forest again.

He lightened his tissues to the fullest as he moved further, knowing his next opponents. Rogue's ears shifted and moved, on the lookout for his little ones and the others. A feeling settled into the pit of his stomach, one that told him that his next foes were up to something. He should have seen then by now. With a sense of concern settling in, Rogue stopped in his race to sniff and evaluate the air. His nostrils flared and eyes grew wide intensely. He could not smell them. Worry ran thick in his veins. Why could he not smell them? Could they have disguised their scent like he had before? Rogue let out a grunt in disappointment. He would have to move and act blindly now.

The titan then carried on forward, trying desperately to pinpoint his opponents' location. He moved in a wary jog, trying not to overlook a single clue. Rogue then entered a clearing that reminded him much of the one he would often go to in his forest to relax. The canopy was high over his head, sunlight peering down like heavenly rays. The brittle snap of a twig sent his ears and attention forward. To his dismay, he saw nothing – only a small bushy tailed creature gathering nuts.

However, the simple distraction was enough.

A smooth 'whoosh' intruded his ears, wind lapping at his flesh on his backside as a flying human dived down his spine. Alarmed, Rogue turned his attention below, seconds too late as Petra circled around his inner thigh – cable cutting deep into his skin. The titan yelped in surprise and pain as he nearly lost his footing. He then bent over to snag the redhead's cable- only to notice that it had already retreated with Petra into the trees. Rogue stood in alarm, realizing that his allies had turned the tables. It was now they who were ambushing him. Rogue's eyes narrowed, more determined to win than ever.

The creature's ears then alerted him again as two sets of gears rapidly approached him from opposite directions. Out of the corners of his greens, he spied his little one Armin and the messy haired woman's friend Molbit, racing toward him at shoulder length. Rogue snorted in amusement as he dissected the situation. They were trying to confuse him – but more chaotically to cloud his mind. But he was resolute. He wouldn't give in to disorientation. As the two passed before his body, Rogue skillfully reached up before his face and over the back of his head and snared the two's cables. Fearing another quick attack, Rogue immediately tossed Molbit into the canopy and raised Armin's wires into his mouth, destroying the boy's lifeline with his incisors before setting his little one gently into the grass. Two down, three to go.

Hearing her animalistic squeals, Rogue turned to face Hange who was arching over his bicep. The woman then swerved quickly away towards the branch of a high tree before diving again. Rogue instantly sidestepped in instinct but mostly judgment, throwing Hange off course. The titan then bent under the woman's path, grasping her cables that were still returning to their hiding places. Rogue then rotated, swinging a laughing Hange around his bulk before throwing her into the leafy heavens.

His eager and desperate eyes darted back and forth wildly. He was now up against the two biggest threats in the game. Mikasa and Petra were no leisurely walk in the woods. Rogue heaved, lungs moving profoundly beneath his taught flesh. His nerves were testing him. A sudden sharp pain burned against his shin before wrapping around the back of his calf. The titan screeched as his left leg was pulled from beneath him, sending him teetering on his right. Unable to keep his balance, he fell forward. With his heart pumping and adrenaline coursing through him, Rogue threw out his hands, catching himself and lifting upright again. A smirk came to his face in favor of the challenge. Up to the very point, the game had been too easy for him.

Just as he was able to get his bearings, his forearm was forced roughly to his chest. A blur of orange passed beneath the opposite pit of his arm, diving down past his rump before circling again. He reached to peel the cable away from his body, but to his misfortune – Petra circled around his chest again, pinning his other arm but not quite enough. Rogue let out a growl of irritation at his failure, quickly pulling his arms free once again with a simple flex of his upper body, causing Petra's cables to snap and render her flightless. As she fell to the earth at his feet, Rogue hastily scooped up her tiny form and prudently sat her onto a nearby branch. He then focused back into the clearing in search of his familiar little one – his final opponent.

Before he could blink, a red blur passed before the titan's face. He lunged, but missed by several feet as Mikasa quickly disappeared from his view. Rogue spun around, green hues searching madly for any sign of the teen. Without a single sound or indication, Rogue suddenly found his elbows locked together behind his back, the grooved steel of the cables cutting into his joints so tightly that they were breaking his skin. His heart beat even faster, ribcage vibrating like angry earth. Rogue's eyes blinked in disbelief as he realized that tearing himself free would most likely rip off parts of his arms in the process – and there was no time for them to regrow. If he waited, he would loose. He also didn't know where Mikasa was. If he tore her cables apart, it would be impossible for him to find her in time to catch her. Seeing only one way to keep his arms before him, Rogue squatted and rotated his muscular limbs. He grunted in agony as he stepped through his arms - pulling Mikasa along with them. The titan brought his arms before his anterior, noticing how his baby was tossed in front of his face. However, before he could even make an attempt to capture, Mikasa regained her composure and dived down to his legs. Rogue's eyes widened at his imminent defeat. If she managed to trip him, he would be vanquished. He could do nothing. Nothing at all. Except… except maybe…

The titan watched as Mikasa circled his left ankle. He had one shot. One shot only. Taking a deep breath, Rogue braced himself as he rose a foot, big toe spreading from the rest of his digits. Unaware of his action, Mikasa circled his other heel. Before she could carry out her final act, Rogue lifted his foot higher and encased Mikasa's cable between his toes. His little one gasped in surprise as Rogue then kicked his leg up, snapping the teen's cables and sending her skyward.

However, he didn't hurl her high enough to the waiting canopy overhead.

Rogue watched in horror as his little one spun in a free fall to the forest floor. The titan let out an earsplitting wail as he raced towards her helpless body. With the wires now loose around his elbows, Rogue pulled them free and held his hands before him as he sprinted. Instinctively, the titan dove – his precious baby landing safely in his cupped hands seconds before the both of them hit the earth. The vibration of the impact sent leaves descending all around them and silence to fall over the clearing. Gradually, Rogue unshielded his dark lids and gazed into his palm. Mikasa was safely there, shaken, but without a scratch. His little one sat up with a groan, rubbing her head in what appeared to be discomfort. Worry emerged into his gut once again. Could the impact still have harmed her? Fearing that was the truth, Rogue grunted in concern. At his inquiry, Mikasa quickly turned to him with a look of surprise before letting a smile come to her face.

"I'm okay, Rogue. You won though." She chuckled softly.

At her response, the titan let out a pleased squeal – not because he was the victor but rather that his little one survived. Overjoyed, Rogue gifted the teen with a quick lick before pressing his face into hers, trilling loudly as he nuzzled into her tiny form.

Mikasa tittered as she stroked a gentle hand across the bridge of his nose. "Thanks for saving me." She whispered as she gave a small kiss in gratitude on the tip of his snout – provoking Rogue to purr loudly at her gesture. "You were amazing, Rogue. You certainly live up to what they say about you."

The titan lifted his head up proudly before sitting with his little one still in his palm. Rogue crossed his legs and placed Mikasa into his lap before leaning back in exhaustion – smiling in the presence of the other Scouts as they slowly emerged into the clearing. The titan's green pools then watched as Erwin and Levi approached his bulk on horseback, the two dismounting and turning to the audience afore them.

"Well, it looks like Rogue receives another victory." Erwin announced.

"In record timing as well." Levi added in his usual tone and expression still flat. "It takes a man longer to stop and take a shit in the woods than it takes an intelligent titan to immobilize almost every member of the Scouts. "

"In light of the results of this friendly match, I can say that we still have a long way to go in bettering our skills of avoiding such reactions from titans. Rogue's different approach also helped with this exercise. With his ambushing technique, it simulated an enemy's actual tactic approach rather than what we experienced with Rogue before – that being no titan runs away from us in order to evade capture or defend itself." Erwin spoke slyly as he looked to the titan who swelled further in pride.

It pleased him to know that he was helping them grow stronger.

"Now, we'll do these sessions three times a week from here on out. This way we can have a better chance at survival in the future. Now report back to headquarters to rest up." Erwin concluded as he left the clearing on horseback with the others soon trailing behind him.

With a pleased rumble, Rogue then gathered his little ones and placed them onto his shoulders before lifting Hange and Petra to join them. As he braced himself to stand, Levi unexpectedly turned to face the titan after mounting his own equine – face relaxing in the slightest.

The man continued to stare for a moment before letting out a fatigued sigh. "Good job, shitty brat." Levi addressed and then took off in the direction of the castle.

Despite the short leader's language, Rogue retained his grin to his face – taking the man's unexpected praise in stride. He had been right. Behaving was rewarding.

(POV SWAP)

Armin stifled a laugh as Rogue rocked back and forth on his rear in anticipation, looking like an overgrown child on Christmas morning. The day's doings and schedule was done and he, Mikasa, Hange, and Petra had retired to Rogue's barn. After their loss in the simulation, Hange had openly shared the news with Rogue that they had surprises for him. The word itself sent the titan into a state of desperate and eager curiosity, the creature reminding them repeatedly during their trip back to the nest – grunting and nudging them for any hints or to hurry. The titan wiggled his ears, chirping in excitement as Hange finally joined the others on several scattered cubes of packaged hay. Lately, Rogue's mood was the best he had seen it in a while – fueled by their reunion and perhaps the lack of being lonely. It was comforting to Armin, and with Rogue listening to orders and behaving himself, things were vastly improving.

"Since you can't take things around the castle let alone from inside the castle Rogue, we were instructed to get you some things that you could call your own." Hange exclaimed as she opened her whicker basket. Rogue tilted his head in question as the titan fanatic fished trough the contents. "You might as well classify this as your birthday since you're being spoiled!"

The titan tilted his head in the opposite direction. "IIIRRRRRTTTDDAAY?" Rogue queried, obviously puzzled. Hange nodded.

"Yes! Birthdays are special days to celebrate the day someone is born by having a get together and giving gifts to the person who is the birthday girl or boy!"

The titan raised a brow, tilting his head further so much so that it looked as if it would cramp. "OOOORRRNN?"

"Hange you're just confusing him." Petra giggled. "This is actually more of a welcoming party, Rogue. To show our thanks that you are here with us, we're giving you gifts. Understand?"

Armin watched as a wide and awkward smile came to Rogue's face, the titan nodding profusely. The beast then rumbled in curiosity as he leaned forward and placed a finger onto Hange's basket, pulling it towards him with the scientist's frantic gestures for him to stop.

"Rogue, don't be greedy." Mikasa spoke kindly, resembling Carla a bit. "Just hold on and wait a moment. Hange wants to give those to you herself." The teen informed with Rogue giving a sheepish dip of his head and scooting the basket back into Hange's waiting hands.

"Alright then! Let's start with the big stuff!" The scientist began elatedly with the titan nodding in agreement. The blonde observed as Hange then pulled the wind chime from the depths of the whicker – the instrument producing an off key chorus of notes. Rogue's eyes grew wide in both realization and wonder as he bent over further to examine the foreign object. Amused at the creature's infatuation, Hange shook the chime again to generate more nose that provoked Rogue's ears to flicker in surprise and face fully foreword. "Remember these wind chimes you saw back in the city?" She asked with the titan too focused on the object to respond directly. Rogue raised a finger and like a playful cat, feed his digit through the metal tubes and strings. The titan set back in amazement before repeating his action. Armin snickered as the towering behemoth grunted repeatedly in excitement and continued to toy with the chimes. The blonde teen propped his chin at the scene – perhaps the noisy object was a bad idea. "Ah! I see you like them!" Hange laughed as she sat the chimes aside with the titan still trying to get a few more notes out of them by pushing them in the hay. Realizing that they didn't produce much of a melody on the floor of the barn, Rogue then turned back to the scientist and waited almost impatiently for her to reveal more. The three then watched as Hange pulled her second gift from her basket, the wooden dog on wheels that was similar to the one that he and Mikasa had given Rogue long ago when they were children.

The titan's green irises glowed even brighter at the sight. "DDDOOGGG!" The creature exclaimed as he quickly retrieved it from the equally giddy woman.

"Yup! Your little ones told me you had one of those once so I thought I'd get you another one!"

Rogue acknowledged the unkempt woman with a sharp chirrup and began to pull the child's toy across the lumped hay before his knees, the uneven surface causing the wooden animal to fall to its side several times before the titan placed the miniscule object into his grotesque palm – finger prodding the small wheels with Rogue rumbling in awe.

Hange laughed. "His likeness of toys actually made me dwell into further detail on the subject. When I was a girl, my grandmother told me about the zoo she worked at in Wall Sina – places that put exotic animals from beyond the walls on display to the public before the government shut down all of them. She told me of an animal called a gorilla that some say we humans evolved from thousands of years ago."

Armin raised his head in interest, recalling the animal that was on one of the pages in his book about the world outside the walls that he had lost long ago. The blonde looked to the seated titan who was still toying with the brightly painted toy in interest, remembering the page on the black furred creature, Armin couldn't help but see the giant and grizzly humanoid reflecting the book's description perfectly.

"My grandmother said that gorillas were intelligent – much like Rogue here. They gave the animals' objects to entertain and promote brain development and activity. She said that the gorillas were fonder of toys than anything they gave them. Rogue is no different. The reason for that is because every human object is something new to him. His eyes are able to see color and the hues on children's toys and their many different shapes and functions are a sight to behold to Rogue!" The woman laughed as the titan then carefully sat the dog back to the hay, lightly as if he remembered he had broken his last one. Rogue then pointed to Petra's basket, grunting to ask the question of 'what's in yours' with innocent eyes.

"Ah, it's my turn isn't it!" Petra beamed with the titan chuffing readily. Armin watched as Petra pulled the large cooking spoon for the titan to see. "I thought I'd get you one that was a bit more your size." The veteran smiled sweetly as Rogue quickly took the oversize spoon, one that still looked insignificant within his hands, and looked it over as if it was a fine piece of art.

"SSSSSTTTOOOONNN." Rogue alliterated. "IIIIGGG SSTOOOONN."

Armin smiled again as the titan's ears angled about and his pointed nail ran across the edge of the ladle. Petra then lifted the wind up mouse and began turn the crank, the sound grasping Rogue's attention from the spoon to the new object on display. The titan watched in incredible intrigue as the redhead placed the mouse to the floor and released the unliving specimen – the toy darting in many different directions in seconds, the buzzing sound of its tiny mechanisms causing Rogue to jump in surprise. Armin and Mikasa gave in to a laugh as the titan's eyes followed the toy – pupils blown wide. Suddenly, the titan leaned forward, attempting to snatch the mouse into his hand – missing as the toy darted into the opposite direction. Rogue let out a high pitched growl as he continued with the others now laughing at the creature's amusement. Finally the toy began to slow down until it stopped all together. Still focused on obtaining the object, Rogue brought his hand down on top of the wind up toy, hard. A soft crunch alerted those in the room what had just transpired. In alarm, the titan lifted his hand to reveal the mouse that was now in pieces. At the sight, Rogue adapted a look of regret and disappointment while emitting a low whine. The creature's greens then flashed to Petra, looking distressed.

"OOORRIEEE. EIII… EIII KILLL IITT." Rogue addressed with the woman still wearing a smile despite her gift's destruction. The statement brought the occurrence to Armin's attention – realizing that the beast had thought that the wind up was a real animal.

"Don't worry! It was a fake mouse. A toy. But at least you had some fun with it first, right?"

The titan looked to Petra in confusion, his hesitation to reply caused by his concern not to hurt the other's feelings. Eventually, Rogue nodded in understanding and thanked the young woman with a gentle lick – the first that the titan had delivered to someone that wasn't the Jaegers or the two teens. It amazed Armin how close the two had gotten in such a short period of time - likely because Petra was like Carla. For a moment, the redhead seemed petrified in shock, hand reaching up to touch the slight dampness on her brow before letting out a warm laugh.

"Well you're welcome Rogue!" Petra replied with Hange giving a slight jealous pout. "Now would you like to see what your little ones brought you?"

Instantly, Rogue freed a high chirp in content as he turned to Armin and Mikasa with an awkward smile back on his face. Knowing very well that Mikasa's present was a sentimental one and best if it was the finale in the session of what he could humorously call offerings, Armin quickly volunteered to present to the titan first.

"I got you something that may remind you of home, Rogue." He grinned as he pulled out the stuffed deer with the titan nearly bending completely over to look at the toy, dark locks falling all around the two teens. "Do you remember when we showed you Mikasa's stuffed bear when we were kids?" Armin asked with Rogue quickly nodding in response. "Since there isn't many deer around here, and we know how much you like the deer, we decided it was best to get you a little something to remember them." The boy informed with the titan delicately plucking it from his hands to begin his observations. The creature's crowd giggled in the slightest as Rogue purred and began to stroke the stuffed fawn's fur like he and Mikasa had seen the titan do to the newborns birthed every spring. Admittedly, it almost brought a bit of sadness to Armin, knowing that it was unlikely that they were to return to the cove anytime soon.

The titan then sniffed the small stuffed toy, ears flickering and brows knitting together in question. The action then provoked Hange to rub her chin in speculation.

"Do you think he still smells the scent of whatever animal they used to make that since that's real fur? Even though it was made a while ago?"

Mikasa hesitated in the slightest, still watching Rogue smell the object intensely before turning to the scientist. "He probably can no doubt. If it hasn't been washed, Rogue can smell it. Years ago, Armin had a stain on his shirt that hadn't been washed in three weeks and Rogue wouldn't leave him alone." Mikasa smiled shyly. "He kept pushing Armin over with his nose trying to smell him."

"We finally have someone with a sense of smell that rivals Mike's around here." Petra smirked with the others laughing in agreement.

"EEEEIIII… IITTT IIIKEE CCOOWW." Rogue assessed, scrutinizing the toy further before grinning crookedly. "EEEIII IIIKKKE."

Armin nodded. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. Of course I'm sure you're going to like Mikasa's gift even better. It's something you've never seen before."

At his statement, Rogue perked up even further. "NNNNEEEEWW?" The beast questioned as he turned to the dark-haired teen. "NNNIIKKKAASSA AAVVEE NNNEEEWW?"

The reserved young woman nodded. "It's not really something you can play with Rogue, but rather something that you can listen to." Mikasa described as she carefully pulled the wooden box from her basket with the titan staring at it deeply. "My mother gave me one of these when I was a little girl. It's called a music box, Rogue."

The creature craned his massive head. "NN…NN… NNNNUUUUSSSIIC?"

She nodded. "Yes. Music is lots of beautiful tones put together. Birds make music and we make music. This is a music box, one of the ways that we listen to music." Mikasa explained as she opened the small chest – the ballerina beginning its rotations and the tune of a lullaby echoing in the barn's interior.

All eyes were upon the titan who was instantly entranced. Rogue leaned over, chin to the floor and ears facing forward. The titan's luminous green pools shined in likeness. The creature shifted on his hindquarters to lay on his bent legs with arms folded neatly beneath his chest. Rogue's mouth hung open slightly, obviously in a state of utter awe. Then, a wide smile pulled at the skin on the corners of the titan's mouth while the beast swayed with the melody.

"You like music?" Mikasa queried, breaking the titan from his hypnosis. He quickly nodded.

"NNNUUSSSIIICC EEETTTEEE."

The teens and veteran chuckled as Rogue began to hum the notes, completely intertwined with the lovely tune. Finally, Mikasa closed the box to cease the music with the titan giving a slight whine in protest before looking to them expectedly as if to ask why or what else did they have for him. But then the creature perked up.

"AAANNNKKKSSS." Rogue beamed as he looked to the room's occupants, making Armin's eyes widen at the titan's gesture – the beast having recognized it. Petra laughed warmly.

"If you're going to thank anyone, thank Levi. He's the one who bought all this stuff for you, Rogue."

At the mentioning of the Corporal's name and deed, Rogue's green hues grew. The creature looked at his feet for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

"Finally, we all got you some books, Rogue." Armin continued gaining the beast's attention once again as he and the others pulled out the copies of children's books and placed them before the creature. At the presented examples of literature, the titan immediately sat up and began to thumb through them – looking at every illustrated cover closely while still humming the lullaby softly. The blonde teen couldn't help but smile. Mikasa had made a great choice. Beholding the giant now was like looking at Rogue during their first meetings. The titan then pointed at the book of fairy tales, tapping the cover eagerly with green eyes flashing to the two teens. With several grunts and gurgles, Rogue slid the fancy title to Armin – practically shoving it into the boy's feet in a desperate bid for the blonde to read it to him.

"Oh, you want me to read you some fairly tales?" Armin beamed up to the beast that in reply, quickly lay back in his nest and motioned for the small group to join him.

"Alright then!" Hange expressed as she hurriedly bounded over to sit within the titan's massive palm with Petra, Armin, and Mikasa soon nestling themselves against the creature's warm flesh. Once they were comfortable, Armin then opened the golden pages and began to search the book's contents for a good story to start with – the others looking as well to make suggestions.

"EEEYYY OOOKKIINNGGG?" Rogue asked as he innocently watched the teen turn the colorful pages, making Armin direct his attention to the titan at his mistake.

"I'm looking for a good story, Rogue. This book has many different stories within it. Right now, we're trying to pick the one we think you will like best." He informed with the towering megalith taking the information in stride.

"How about Jack and the Beanstalk?" Hange put forth. "It has a giant in it." Mikasa quickly shook her head.

"Not a friendly giant though, Hange. Besides, the giant eats – well you know. I just don't think he would take it well." The exotic teen responded. Hange sighed.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"How about Hansel and Gretel?" Petra suggested as she pointed to the initial start of the tale upon the gold leaf decorated page. Again, Mikasa shook her head in denial.

"It's pretty late so let's just pick something short."

"What about the Three Little Pigs?"

"He doesn't like wolves."

"What about –

"AAATTT OOOOONNNNEE!"

The four stopped their suggestions to see the titan's nail pointed upon another brightly colored and metallic page in the book. Armin studied the print and picture to see that the tale was Humpty Dumpty. The teenager beamed up at the waiting titan who was staring down with green eyes lit up in happiness.

"Okay then Rogue, that's the story of Humpty Dumpty – who is an egg. It goes like this: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall." Armin began as he turned the page with Rogue scrutinizing the illustrations closely. "Humpy Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again." Armin concluded as he looked back to the titan with expectancy, only to have his smile fade from his face.

Rogue was staring at the book oddly, eyes narrowed in the slightest with brows drawn together in a look of what Armin could call bewilderment. It was then that realization hit the teen and soon the others. The titan's reaction – could Rogue have really fallen off the wall somehow like they had previously hypothesized? If so, then the seemingly harmless bedtime story was a true one for the titan. He was Humpty Dumpty and the Scouts were the king's horses and men trying to put him back together – finding out his past and hoping for any of his previous memories to surface. Peering at the titan, he wondered if Rogue had understood the metaphor.

"Rogue?" Mikasa broke the silence softly. "Rogue are you okay?"

At her voice, the titan quickly snapped from an apparent trance and gave a broad smile before turning the book's page and expressing his want to continue. At first, Armin dithered, lost in thought before giving in and moving on to another tale.

For the next hour, the four took turns reading to Rogue who was happy and engrossed in their words until he began to grow drowsy with the aging night. Finally, after getting to the part of the story where the three bears discovered Goldilocks sleeping in their beds, Rogue performed a cavernous yawn and let his head fall back into the remaining pillows and hay. Armin and the others observed as the creature then dexterously lifted the lid of the music box that sat upon Hange's workspace to allow the lullaby to escape into the room. At that, the titan then collapsed into the plush hay and began to snore softly, ears still twitching at each note. For a long moment, it was silent among the party of Scouts with only the music box and the creature's sounds of repose producing any decimals.

"Guys, do you really think Rogue could have hit his head coming into Wall Maria?" Petra began softly as she watched the titan sleep soundly.

"I – don't know." Armin muttered as he folded the book up and sat it aside. "It's just – he acted so strange when I read that to him."

"Yeah," Mikasa sighed. "He acted the same way when we read The Ugly Duckling to him. I think he recognized how the story related to him just like that one did."

Hange crossed her arms, gaze to the hay and the folds in Rogue's palm before she looked to the titan's face that was completely relaxed and gratified. "It's possible. But as of now there's still no way to know for sure. He's heard us talking about the theory of what happened to him before and he could have just registered that and connected the relation even if something like that really happened or not. Like I said, at this time, there's no way to know what really happened. Most of the time, people with chronic amnesia never regain their memories. Ever. Rogue hasn't shown any solid symptoms of recalling anything from before his time in Maria." Hange paused, swallowing a wad of saliva and pushing a few stray strands of hair from her face. "It's a possibility, yes. However, there could also be a missing piece to the puzzle somewhere. Who knows?"

Slightly irritated at the fact that Rogue's memories were out of reach, Armin exhaled heavily and looked to the slumbering titan. The beast's skin was pulled into a smile, ears fluttering in the slightest at the projecting serenade – obviously enjoying a pleasant dream. The teens frowned in the slightest; they couldn't help but worry and feel sorry for their childhood friend knowing that expressing sympathy was all that they could do. It pained them deeply. Very deeply.

"Look!" Hange suddenly whispered, breaking the awkward aura as she pointed excitedly.

Even though the damning thoughts were pulling at his mind, Armin couldn't help but smile at Rogue's kneading feet – toes curling and uncurling with the flexing of the titan's ankles while the creature rumbled loudly. The scene was a bit of relief. Rogue didn't seem to be bothered by his mental handicap at all. But of course, like with everything at play, there was no way of truly knowing.

(POV SWAP)

His vast hand plunged the large stick into the ground, dirt churning beneath the force of wood barreling through earth. Rogue then eyed the large stick, a neatly cut log, and adjusted it in the slightest to ensure that it was somewhat straight. The titan then looked to Hange who was squealing like a swine as usual while he waited for any further order. Currently, he was working on one of the unusual 'tasks' that the messy-haired female was testing him on. She was having him jam logs into the earth in a pattern similar to a square – an act that he wasn't sure where it was heading.

"That's great Rogue! They are pretty straight!" Hange cheered as she told Molbit to scribe with the writing stick. "Now let's do the last one before we move on!"

The titan nodded and picked up another log and placed it with little effort into the corner of the shape. He was in a good mood. Yesterday had been a great day. He had forced himself to get along with Levi who seemed just as eager to make peace with him as well. Not to mention, it was rewarding. The short leader had paid for the gifts that his little ones and the others had given him! Even though Levi was just as temperamental as he was and constantly made jokes about defecating, he was beginning to respect the man. Armin, Mikasa, Hange, and Petra had done a good job at finding things as well. He liked the objects called chimes that Hange had given him that now hung up in his nest and the spoon and stuffed deer that Armin and Petra had given him. His favorite gift however, had come from his little one, Mikasa. The music box was a magical entity to the titan. It was beautiful and the thing that humans called 'music' was even more so. It was far better than hearing the cries of his enemies being slaughtered by his hand and the fact that it was harmonious and peaceful. Besides tearing apart titans limb from limb and being around his little ones, music was another example of good therapy. Of course, there were also downsides to the previous day. He wasn't particularly fond of breaking his legs over and over against the trees, but he supposed that would improve and reduce the chances of doing so with continuous practice. The other thing that troubled him slightly was when his little one read him the short story of 'Humpty Dumpty.' The titan wasn't sure why, but it made him feel – uncomfortable. It seemed… familiar for some reason unknown that Rogue couldn't quite put his finger on. But it didn't seem to be too important so the titan simply brushed it aside.

"Alright! Now I need you to pick up one of the long logs and set it on top of one of the sides and tie it to the ones below. Think you can do that?" Hange smiled broadly as she awaited his reaction.

Perplexed, Rogue carefully lifted the large log from the pile and stacked it on top of one of the corner sticks. The titan looked to the scientist again, brows knitting together, feeling that he wasn't doing something quite right. Hange laughed.

"No, that's not correct! Put the log on its side, Rogue!" The woman humored him. "Lay it on top of the others!"

With her explanation clearer, the titan nodded and grunted sharply before placing the log to were it rested on the tops of the others in line. Getting her approval, Rogue then proceeded to pick up one of the strips of rope and began to plot how to connect the log firmly. Unlike how he hung the soldiers in the trees, tying this particular knot was going to be different. Rogue wrapped the rope several times around the two logs before attempting to tie a knot. To his misfortune, he had done the task incorrectly and the log fell with a loud thump on the grass. The titan growled in slight disappointment and frustration before he tried again with strong determination, tongue sticking out to the side of his lipless maw in concentration. His little ones who were off to the side aiding the experiment, laughed at his expression. He of course took that lightheartedly. Finally, after several fails, Rogue rumbled in pleasure in his success before moving on to tie the next post.

"Hange, please don't tell me that you're having him do arts and crafts."

At the ever-familiar bored voice, the titan looked up from his work to see Corporal Levi placing himself next to Hange with arms folded in his signature stance. Rogue grunted a greeting that Levi only acknowledged with a short dip of his head before turning to the unkempt brunette.

"Not arts and crafts, Levi! I'm testing his intelligence by having him build a pavilion! So far, Rogue's doing really well! Once he get's used to building – he could probably make a castle in no time!" Hange exclaimed as she threw her hands in the air with boiling excitement. However, instead of sharing her enthusiasm, Levi only remained still.

"Humph. Anyway, I came here to alert you that Pixis has arrived to give us some insight on what the damn MP's are going to be looking at during their examination. He wants to see Rogue straight away. In fact, he's waiting right inside." Levi informed Hange with the woman going into slight shock before nodding profoundly.

"Ah! It's about time he came to visit!" She cheered. "Go get him!"

The titan tilted his head in question. Pixis? Who or what was Pixis? By the way the short leader had spoke the title, it sounded as if he wasn't thrilled for Pixis to be there. Yet again, that was how Levi reacted to everything. Hange was excited, yet she always was. Not knowing what to expect, he grew leery and turned to his babies for answers, moaning in apprehension.

"Don't worry." Armin began as he patted the top of Rogue's foot. "Pixis may be strange, but you've actually met him before. Just be good and welcoming okay?"

Rogue raised a brow. He had met this Pixis before?

"Well! Well! If it isn't The Rogue Titan in the flesh! And he looks even better than when I saw him a few days ago!"

The older and crackling voice alerted Rogue to a new presence in the clearing. The titan looked from his little ones to where Levi and Hange had stood earlier only to discover the added figures of Erwin and an older flower back. Rogue blinked as he absorbed the sight. He had seen the man before! It was the older gentlemen that met the flying human pack when they had arrived at the gate! The old human was just as Rogue remembered him: bald, skinny, and had a wrinkly face. His garbs were similar to those worn by all the soldiers except for several shiny metal pieces attached to his jacket that was dawned in a bright silky sash of cloth. It was intriguing. He had never seen a uniformed man like this one. Before he didn't notice the extras, but now that the man was close, he wanted to take the time to learn more.

"Pixis, I'd like to introduce you to our newest asset and member of the Survey Corps, Rogue Jaeger." Erwin presented with a gesture of his hand.

"Ah! So that's his real name eh?' Pixis chuckled as he raised a silver container of some sort to his lips before turning to the big leader again. "Are you going to introduce me Commander?" The man continued, obviously joshing.

"Certainly. Rogue? Come here for a moment. This is someone I want you to meet." Erwin beckoned with a face of controlled cunning.

Upon receiving the order from the big leader, Rogue stood from his work and lumbered over to where the other superiors stood, earth shaking beneath his feet with the minuscule hairs on the old man's upper lip vibrating in the slightest. At first, he wasn't sure about the man and was almost reluctant to meet him, but having met the individual previously he felt it was obligatory. That and he wanted to see the man's strange possessions up close. With the ground shifting, Rogue lowered himself upon the balls of his feet with palms planted to the ground and back arched and ready to examine.

"Rogue." Erwin continued. "This is Dot Pixis. He's the Commander of the Garrison Regiment – the men you see working on top of the walls that defend them in case of an attack. He's also the highest-ranking officer in the southern territory. Why don't you say hello?"

The beast's ears flickered forward at the news. Rogue then grunted in reply to the blonde leader and succumbed to his avid curiosity. Without a verbal or any kind of invite, the titan leaned over to where he was eye level with the man, green pools looking deeply into Pixis's golden ones. To his surprise, the man didn't flinch in the slightest, only grinned. Feeling that the man was content with his existence, Rogue proceeded to evaluate the man with a gentle sniff, smelling the pungent odor that he had found near the glass bottles he discovered two days earlier. That aside, he pressed on, breaths ruffling the hair upon every soul's head around him. Pixis then chuckled.

"I see he fits the description of a gentle giant. My friend, your appearance certainly does deceive the others around you. They tell me that you're a bit of a teddy bear beneath all that muscle. Hah! I bet all the single lady titans were after you!" The man chortled. "You're a handsome thing no doubt!"

The titan tilted his head at the odd form of praise, but he welcomed it with a friendly trill and lifted a finger to the old Commander's bizarre container, tilting it to him before touching the metal things on his chest. Rogue then looped his digit into the red sash before turning to his little ones and rumbling in approval. The man was strange, yes. But if the flying humans were fine with him, then so was he.

"Rogue, aren't you going to say hello?" Hange urged playfully with dancing brows.

Realizing his negligence to Erwin's previous command, Rogue nodded and salivated his throat. "EEEEELLLOOO." He beamed, watching in satisfaction as the man's narrow eyes widened further than what he thought possible. Pixis nearly dropped his silver container, blinking in disbelief. Rogue purred a bit, letting his head tilt and elfish ears flutter as he awaited a reaction.

"Well! What do you know! He can speak! Even with no lips he can project words! I never thought I'd hear anything other than growling, roaring, and grunting from a titan!" Pixis laughed, honey eyes shifting to his little ones. "And I assume that these two are the children you took in? Are they the ones who taught you how to speak?"

Rogue nodded and tenderly guided his little ones closer to his lowered knee. "ESS. EEEESS NNYY AAAIIIBBIEESS. CCUUURRRLLLA TTAAUUHHTT NNEE AAALLKK." The titan informed proudly as he elevated his chin.

"Ah! That's nice and an incredible accomplishment, my friend. I'm sure that if there were a parent of the year award, it would go to you. It was a pleasure." Pixis concluded with a salute. "Hopefully we can have a nice conversation sometime again today."

Rogue nodded in gratitude and returned the salute. Knowing that he was done there he rose back to his feet and returned to his work with his little ones at his side. As he resumed in ensuring the knots were tight, a thought crossed his mind. Why had Pixis left his perch on the wall to come to the flying human territory?

(POV SWAP)

"That's quite a story!" Pixis chuckled from the lip of his flask at Erwin's lengthy explanation. "If written down, I think it could be a great novel."

Levi watched with his usual scowl plastered to his face as Pixis moved on to retrieve more whiskey from an old bottle they had to fetch from the castle's cellar. For the past thirty minutes, they had since taken refuge upon the balcony that overlooked the clearing to talk about the coming future over lunch – which consisted of dried garlic bread, thin slices of ham, and tea. Wine as well since there was an important guest. With the Commander of the Garrison in their headquarters, most brought it upon themselves to enjoy the rare treat of alcohol. Levi, however, only indulged on his usual black tea. The Corporal's steel eyes continued to observe the new recruits having their own lunch in the green field with the titan laying out next to them - flesh soaking up sun. Rogue looked completely content, absolutely relaxed with many of the teens, including the titan's 'babies,' sitting along the curve of his spine and his shoulders. Some of the young soldiers were casually napping, chatting and eating away, and even two of the females braiding a strand of the titan's thick hair – all the while the beast rested in an almost comatose like state with eyes shut tight in what he could determine as bliss. Levi lifted his cup to his lips once again, recalling the previous day that was definitely better than the first. The titan was smart. It could register emotions and feelings of others. With the creature knowing his past, Rogue's mannerisms towards him had changed drastically. Still, he could tell that the titan was still very wild at heart. The beast's willfulness and animalistic tendencies were nevertheless and always tugging at a few of the strings. Of course, there were still the titan's mental capabilities. Although Rogue was a hundred or over years old, he was still getting a grip on the harsh reality of the world around him. With the titan's knowledge about his own origins and Erwin's suggestion not to treat Rogue like a glorified pet, things were steering in the right direction.

However, worries still lingered.

"I had a feeling that it was Ackerman and Arlert who were the ones raised by the titan when I saw you bring Rogue to the gate. They're brave I'll give you that. It was a risky but smart move to have the titan bring them to the wall to be soldiers and show you Rogue in person. I understand now why you fabricated part of the story in the papers. Those two could have gotten into some serious trouble with the MP's." Pixis began again with another long sip from his flask. "So, first things first. When Zackley and Nile come for inspection they will be looking at how well Rogue follows instructions for the most part. He has to know the formation as well as every order you verbally give. Behavior is another thing. He needs to treat his commanding officers well. Overall, he must show how good he's able to listen and how loyal he is to humanity. They'll want to see how well he knows combat as well. When we spoke previously, you said that Corporal Levi and Squad Leader Hange Zoe had some concerns." Pixis informed before turning to the short man and calmly waiting an answer.

"Yes," Levi began as he sat down his tea. "One of our main concerns with him has to do with his sensitive judgment of people." The Corporal continued as he glanced into the clearing to see Kirstein saying something to the beast with Rogue wrinkling his nose in disgust. "First impressions are everything with him. If he likes you, it's all peaches and cream. If he doesn't like you however – it's unpleasant to say the least."

"Unpleasant?" Pixis asked, brow raised in the slightest.

Before Levi could answer, a loud huffing sound gathered the four's attention. In the clearing, the titan was laughing along with his back's occupants at Jean who was now unmistakably covered in Rogue's saliva. The Corporal could feel himself cringe slightly. Thankfully he managed to avoid the titan's reflex that hadn't cursed him the day before. As the man half expected, the Garrison Commander laughed.

"I see what you mean! He's a bit feisty!"

Of course, Levi found this as no laughing matter. "Very. That's what Rogue does to people he's not fond of. That is the second time in forty-eight hours that he's done that to Kirstein. My first day training him was a nightmare. It was like trying to tell a four year old that he couldn't have any cake or sweets all day. When he doesn't like you, he doesn't listen. And he'll do everything in his power to piss you the fuck off if he can't spit on you. And he's fucking creative with how he does it. Luckily, things are getting better between the two of us. What I'm concerned about is how he's going to react to Nile. I'm positive that Rogue will not like that asshole at all."

"Yeah, that's our main concern." Hange added. "I don't know how he will feel about Zackley, but I know that if he does something that deems him untrustworthy or useless," She paused breath catching in her throat. " The consequences would be severe."

The older man sighed, his alcohol breath so pungent that it carried to where Levi sat – his nose wrinkling slightly in distaste. "I see. When you get down to it he's an intelligent animal, and they will not hesitate to express themselves. It's like a dog that's loyal to its owner with a visitor over and the dog is constantly growling and barking. It's something you can't really erase since it's natural, but rather suppress. I would work on trying to keep him from reacting in such a way." Pixis elaborated as he took another swig, eyes staring at the titan who had since gotten into a sitting position and had begun to run his fingers among the edge of the rocky patio – Rogue's little ones sitting near his knees in conversation with the beast. The old soldier then sniggered in amusement. "I can tell Rogue is incredibly protective of those two. He would defend them to no end, I assume."

"Yes he would!" Hange butted in, the conversation growing more off topic by the minute. "When we were on our last capture mission where Mikasa and Armin led us to the titan's nesting area, Rogue nearly charged at us before he knew why we were there and what was going on! He was practically hunched almost all the way over them roaring at the top of his lungs for us to get away!" Hange cheered enthusiastically, getting lost in facts once again. "The first night he was here, Rogue woke all of us up because he wanted the two to sleep with him like they had in titan territory!" The scientist spoke with great animation, waving her arms in all directions. Erwin then cleared his throat to break the chain of being off task.

"I think our foremost worry is really just Rogue remembering the formation. As you know, his brain is like that of a five to seven-year-old child. Arlert shared with me that it can sometimes take a while for Rogue to learn incredibly complicated things. However, Arlert and Ackerman have also expressed to me that ever since they first met the titan and worked continuously with him, Rogue has steadily learned at a quicker pace."

"We've also given him things to start stimulating more brain activity!" Hange interrupted yet again, receiving Levi's own sharp glare. He wanted the conversation to move forward.

"Ah. I see your reason for distress. Besides keeping his attitude in check, the formation is something you're going to have to brand into his head. Of all the tests, that's the one that will be the most challenging for him and the one that matters the most." Pixis frowned. "How much does he know?"

Levi sighed through his nose. "That's our other obstacle. The first day, he was completely unwilling to learn it. Yesterday, he showed some interest. I only told him the basics but I doubt he will be able to remember all of them. The only thing he does know with absolute certainty is what our signal flares mean – having absorbed the information from watching our expeditions in Wall Maria. As far as memorizing the formation by heart and all its individual do's and don'ts, it may take him the entire two months to do so. Especially since it's something he's still uncomfortable learning."

Pixis nodded as he looked to the titan again with a practiced gaze of observation. Rogue had since stood up and had begun to walk towards the balcony with his hands behind his back casually – looking nearly human with an affable expression wiped across his malformed face. Levi had to admit; it was ludicrous and almost comical to see the big, dim, and menacing creature looking so – childlike.

"I think with hard work you can ease your worries. As far as him flipping the bird and nonetheless talking though, I think it should be kept to a minimum during the examination. Altogether, I have confidence in the brute. I don't want to see him die a meaningless death."

The Corporal remained quiet, sipping on more tea and knowing exactly what the esteemed Garrison Commander meant with his last words. A shadow then cast over the conversing four, alerting that the titan had come to stand a mere three meters from the overhanging balcony. The titan's brows were arched high, green eyes bright with life. The skin around his grotesque maw was pulled into what Levi could call an anxious smile. Rogue grunted in greeting and then lifted his hand delicately over the stone railing. Carefully, the titan sat down a large rock in the wake of Pixis with a soft trill. The creature, as usual, wiggled his large tapered ears in expectancy. The short man allowed a single thin brow to rise in the slightest.

'What the hell is the big brat doing now?'

The three experienced Scouts watched as Pixis smirked beneath his mustache and lifted his legs to prop them on the rock before him, crossing them nonchalantly as if he was sitting afore an open flame. "Ah, nice. Not bad actually." He muttered to himself, cradling his hands behind his head as he leaned back in the chair he sat in. Rogue purred as usual in delight.

"EELLCCCOONNNEE GGGIIFTTT!" The titan seemed to explain, the scientist squealing softly at Rogue's mispronounced statement. The old Commander let out an echoing laugh.

"A welcome present you say? Well, it's fine one. It helps my back actually – props my feet up at the perfect level! Thank you, Rogue."

The titan gave a quick nod in acknowledgement before turning to walk back with the desire to join the young recruits. Pixis then lifted his flask again, savoring the last drops before relaxing further.

"He's a good one. He's got more humanity than some people even do. One of a kind indeed."

(POV SWAP)

The interior of the barn glowed with soft warm candlelight, letting utter peace fall over its resting occupants. Night had descended upon the world again with a deep shade of black. It was calm and quiet, the titan's gentle snores filling the vast interior with an odd form of tranquility. Hange sat at her desk, facing away from the cluttered surface as she looked over her pile of notes and monitored Rogue and his two adopted children in his palm from a respectable distance. Over the past few hours, she had been putting together a journal filled with her and Molbit's observations and discoveries of the special titan, alone and keeping to herself.

Hange giggled softly as she watched the hulking creature's nose twitch like a rabbit's in his sleep before removing the loose pages in Molbit's sketchbook that the young man had recently finished and began to paste them into the journal. The sketches were quality – far better than what she and most definitely what the Corporal could do. Molbit had clearly captured the titan's majesty and likeness. He had drawn Rogue from various different angles, lines and shades emphasizing the creature's features such as his strong jawline and dark expressive eyes. There were also studies of Rogue's various expressions, some from life and others from memory. The titan's perfectly sculpted body was included as well, seemingly alive with each gesture drawing. The final sketch she pasted in the journal was one that the young man had done just a short hour earlier before retreating to his welcoming mattress. The penned drawing was of the pose Rogue was in now – deep in repose with his pronounced chin nestled gently into his precious cargo. It was insanely sweet to Hange. It entertained her to see a creature that could tear apart a vile man's soul with his feral eyes and rip a titan to pieces so at ease and so loving.

'One of a Kind' was a great phrase to describe the towering behemoth. One of a Kind indeed.

Hange then glued the last sketch into the binding and proceeded to transfer her notes to the new pages. The strong smell of rain seeped through the crevices in the barn, thunder rumbling in the distance. The darkness above lit up briefly with the flash of lightning. Hange sighed. She loved it right before it stormed, the barn feeling cozier than the cold castle. It was ironic, but everything seemed more just with the coming rain. She then moved on to the recent facts about the titan's age and others. Hange looked up to the titan again to see his nose wrinkling and brows knitted together. Rogue then let out a harsh breath of steam through his nose, fingers and toes twitching slightly before the creature's body relaxed once again. She smiled softly, the titan was obviously dreaming – something else that she would have never thought possible with the towering beasts. As always, she found it oddly cute.

Hange then returned to her work, but before she could scribe a single letter a distressed whine broke the serine silence of the barn. Startled, the scientist looked up to see something that she hadn't expected. Rogue's face reflected the look of pain, brow creased, jaw clenched, and nostrils flaring. The titan cringed in his nest of hay, head burring down into the crook of his folded arm. Rogue's nails dug into the hay, body shivering despite the warmth in the room. Hange's eyes widened, a massive feeling of fear forming in the pit of her stomach. Warily, she lifted herself from her seat and edged closer to the beast, confusion painted across her face. Before she could attempt to wake the two teens in the titan's palm, Rogue opened his mouth and let out a hollow wail.

"What the hell – what's?" Hange gasped as Armin and Mikasa quickly snapped from their slumber. Shocked to the point of being petrified, the older Scout was lost for words as the titan's little ones stumbled to her side, sleep still pulling at them. "What's going on? What's happening!" Hange finally pleaded as she found that her tongue was operational.

Panic stricken, the three watched in alarm as Rogue panted intensely, whining loudly as he scraped his face across the floor before curling tightly with hands balling up into fists. To Hange's surprise, without fear, the two new recruits quickly scaled upon the titan's neck and began to delicately massage the beast's prominent muscles. Spellbound, Hange remained unmoving as Mikasa rotated to Rogue's cheek, rubbing the bridge of the titan's hooked nose, and cooing soft librettos. However, the titan's face twisted into a grimace as he let out another hollow cry – one that sounded incredibly sorrowful and echoed across the courtyard.

Hange dithered, starting to feel more fear. Something was very wrong. "Armin, Mikasa, what's going on!"

At her desperate plea, the two looked at her – the boy's face filled with fear and the girl's with utter urgency. "He's having a nightmare. From the look and sound of him, it's a bad one." The teen paused, rubbing the titan's nose desperately. "There, there." Mikasa spoke mellifluously. "It's not real, Rogue. It's going to be okay. Everything is -

Unfortunately, before she could continue, the titan's head jerked – tossing the teens into the hay as Rogue released an ear-piercing shriek.

"What do we do! We…we need to wake him up!" Hange urged; the two teens looking spooked.

"It's not that simple." Armin informed hazily. "We need to get everyone up. We'll need –

"We're already up."

At the familiar disgruntled tone, the three looked to see Levi, Erwin, and a few other concerned veterans and new recruits standing in the doorway in their nightly threads. Like them, most showed looks of concern and exhaustion. Erwin gazed on in seriousness while Levi bared an expression that Hange couldn't quite read. The Corporal then looked to Rogue, staring hard as the creature droned miserably, head pressing into his muscular arm – seemingly desperate for an escape to whatever horror he was in.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Levi demanded, but in less harsh of a tone than what Hange was familiar with.

Armin ran his hands through his golden hair, looking back at the titan. "Rogue is having a nightmare. But before I explain, we need to tie him down. If it gets any worse, he'll start kicking and lashing out." The boy explained with urgency as Rogue produced another shrill cry with tremors coursing through his frame. "We have to hurry! He's really bad! He could unknowingly tear this barn apart!"

Erwin quickly nodded, turning to Levi's squad who looked to be barely conscious. "Go get one of the steel nets. Bring it here and immobilize him. Hurry." He ordered with the titan whining again just as rain began to spill from the sky, provoking the group to join the scientist, the two teens, and the succorless Rogue inside the warmth of the barn. Hange watched as Mikasa and Armin attempted to perch upon the titan's head and neck once again to resume their acts of comfort. She watched as Rogue continued to whine and twitch uncomfortably while Levi folded his arms – surprisingly motioning to stand just a few feet from the titan's convulsing body.

"Start explaining. What is going on here?" He spoke, his tone surprisingly quiet and bewildering Hange. Although he was still unemotional and wearing a scowl, the man was yet again – showing concern in his own way.

Armin sighed, pausing for a moment to whisper another attempt to aid into the titan's ear. "As I was saying, Rogue has problems with nightmares." The boy began with the titan letting out another scream and curling in further on himself. Armin's eyes grew wider, the boy suddenly in a cone of confusion. "I… I thought he… wouldn't have them anymore…" The teen mumbled as Levi's squad returned and began to cover Rogue's shaking frame with the robust net, strapping the heavy steel to the floor – webbed metal covering the titan like a security blanket.

"That's the strongest net we have on hand." Erwin clarified. "Now that he's secure, please tell us what is going on."

Armin blinked, coming to light. "Well, Rogue has problems sometimes with nightmares. He started to get them just after the Jaegers were killed. At first, we didn't notice it nor would he tell us – like everything else, he kept them secret from us during that time. They got worse two months before we left for the wall – to the point where he was literally screaming while tossing and turning. Of course, Mikasa and I don't know how bad they were during our three-year absence. When we reunited, we thought they were history, but apparently that's not the case."

"We need to wake –

In horror, Hange watched as Rogue shrieked yet again, body trying to turn over beneath the tight net that struggled beneath the force. The titan's arm shook and snaked beneath the webbing, fingers clawing into the hay. Rogue whined again, feet curling in agony as the titan's little ones began to stroke Rogue's jawline and brows furiously – all the while whispering words of reassurance. Hange blinked. Why were they trying to coax the beast instead of waking him? The scientist continued to observe without a word, noticing several salty tears gracing Rogue's gaunt cheeks – something that would have been selfish to take samples of. The sight made her heart sink deeper in her chest, keeping silent as the creature's whining dimmed in the slightest.

"We need to wake him." Levi spoke sternly, but to their surprise, the two teens shook their heads.

"I know, but Rogue is different." Mikasa sighed solemnly as she continued to rub the titan's forehead. "Unlike us, he can't be woken up after he falls asleep."

"Wait, are you saying he's going to… be like this the whole night?" Jean cut in, receiving a dangerous glare from the dark-haired teen, the girl looking like a furious animal about to go in for the kill.

"Yes." Mikasa hissed. "How unfortunate it must be for you not to get any sleep for a single night! Armin and I didn't get much sleep for years! But I will tell you one thing, Jean. I'd rather help someone who's suffering through something they can't help but to endure than get a good nights sleep!" She spoke venomously with face tinting red and fists shaking in rage. Hange was stunned; she had never seen the normally and mostly reserved girl raise her voice at anyone. But if she had learned anything from the trip to the market, it was that Mikasa was quick to defend Rogue if the need presented itself.

Jean swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing fretfully. "I didn't mean for what I said to sound like that!"

"Kirstein, shut the fuck up." Levi spoke unsympathetically, eyeing the teen coldly to get a point across – that being for the teen to cease carrying out the argument further with the troubled Mikasa. "Now, Ackerman, can you elaborate further?"

The teen exhaled roughly. "It is impossible to wake Rogue up during the night. He will only wake up once the sun touches his skin. Trust me, we tried everything when Rogue was having nightmares. No matter how much water you pour on him, how loud you yell in his ears, or how hard you shove, Rogue is trapped in whatever vile vision he's experiencing." Mikasa continued calmly as the titan shivered and whined in desperation.

"How can we help?" Petra asked, stepping forward and laying a soft hand to Rogue's index finger. Armin sighed.

"There isn't much to do. It doesn't completely silence him, but rubbing his neck, jaw, and brow while saying things to soothe only calms him down just a little. We have yet to find anything that calms him down completely."

It was silent for mere seconds before Petra gave a tender smile, once that reflected almost maternal warmth. "I'll help you calm him."

Mikasa blinked. "You will? Even though –

"I don't mind." Petra interrupted as she scaled up the titan's arm to seat herself onto Rogue's powerful neck. "I don't like seeing him like this. I'll rest here all night if you need me to." She said quietly while massaging the creature's warm flesh in repetitive circles.

As Rogue let out another whine yet again, Hange escaped her veil of reservation and made her way to the titan's damp cheek. "I'm in." She smiled sympathetically. "Like you, I don't want to see our big baby uncomfortable and frightened." Hange ensured as her palms pressed onto Rogue's toasty skin, rubbing the leathery texture thoroughly.

"I want to help too!" Krista willingly volunteered as she made her way across the barn to slide next to Petra, beginning to stroke the beast's prominent jaw. Rogue cried desperately again, foot jerking in the steel webbing before his muffled plea died down into a low whimper. A lump formed in Hange's throat, more tears leaked from Rogue's tightly shut eyes, urging her to lean forward and give in to the humanly instinct to nurture.

"Hang in there big guy, everything is going to be okay." She quietly murmured, hoping that she was at least making some sort of impact.

"We will rotate if need be." Erwin began with a nod from the Corporal. "If you need to sleep, Blouse, Springer, and Kirstein will take your places. I will aid as well with them at your request. We'll be just inside if you need anything else."

Hange paused in her task to see the Commander and the others exiting into the rain, all except for Levi who retrieved her desk chair and placed it just a few feet from them. The short man then seated himself, casually resting a foot over his knee as he leaned back. Hange found her jaw wanting to sink. Why had Levi stayed behind? She shook her head; the behavior was so unlike him. The others too, seemed to take notice as well, but said nothing as they continued to massage. Hange swallowed, she had to ask.

"You're staying?" She began, Levi raising a brow before exhaling, folding his arms yet again.

"By court order he's my responsibility. My duty is to watch the big brat, Shitty Glasses." The man paused, face still as he listened to another whine from Rogue. "And if need be, I must intervene."

At his statement, a smile spread across Hange's face. "Admit it! You care for the big sweetheart! You put forth your own money so we could buy him things and you've been especially tolerant –

"Hange." Levi interrupted, eyes narrowed intensely. "Like I said. It's my duty." The man replied bluntly, jaw clenching. "Besides, I have insomnia and I only get three to four hours of sleep anyway. Rogue is my assignment. Nothing more. Nothing less."

She giggled, knowing that Levi was covering his concern. After knowing the high-strung man for years, she knew that when he was found out and confronted, he lashed out. Of course, she wasn't the only one who had noticed.

Rogue then screeched again, arm reaching further from the net before swinging beneath his bulk. The titan shivered, body trying to curl tighter with the net groaning. He then whined, long and loud as if the titan was a lost child pleading for its mother. Suddenly, the titan's frame rocked as the creature attempted to roll on his back, provoking the group to evacuate from the creature's vast form. Rogue then wailed, stopping mid shift and burying his chin into his shoulder.

"We can't let him move around much more than that. Are you sure there isn't some way to completely pacify him?" Levi demanded as Rogue whined like a deprived and injured animal.

"Like I told you. We tried everything." Mikasa sighed as she forced herself up to the titan's neck to support.

"What about cutting him?"

Mikasa bit her lip. "We tried that once out of desperation. It only made it worse."

"Shit."

"Then I guess we better continue our massaging then." Petra sighed as the titan whimpered weakly, shedding more tears. "Poor thing. That dream must be intense." The redhead yearned as she took her place again.

"Do you know what he dreams about?" Krista asked innocently, making the two other teens hang their heads.

"He dreams of people he knows dying in front of him – and he's always in a position where he can't save them. I guess it's like watching what happened to the Jaegers over and over."

Hange frowned, her heart sinking further as Rogue proceeded to wail in fear. She couldn't imagine how horrible it must be like to the gentle beast. Oddly, she was lucky she didn't have such horrid dreams. Even though she had seen more than her fair share of spilt blood, her nightly visions were usually her own perfect fantasies. She had seen soldiers have nightmares in their bunks – but nothing could compare to this, being trapped in a nightmare was truly terrifying. There had to be some way to –

Her gaze fell onto the music box in the corner where Rogue had stashed his collection of toys and objects. With an idea forming, the scientist raced for the box and took it delicately in hand, the others watching in intrigue as she brought it to rest on her desk. Just as the titan announced his suffering yet again, Hange opened the small music box. Instantly, the melodic tone of a lullaby, one of the three that the box played, filled the barn. On edge and grasping onto a series of hopes, Hange turned back to Rogue in desperation.

The titan whined, softly this time. His tense body loosened in the slightest as Rogue groaned before falling fairly quiet, body still shivering. They remained frozen as minutes passed, waiting. The titan droned softly with his face still crippled in distress and ears pressed to his skull. Muscles twitched in the creature's hands and feet, but for the moment, Rogue was fairly stable.

"Did… is it working?" Krista whispered.

"It could be." Armin replied as he assessed the situation. "He's never calm down this much when he's had these episodes."

"Worked or not, at least the brat's not screaming." The Corporal sighed, arms still characteristically folded. "Still, we don't know when or if he could lose it again. We stay with him."

The five blinked at the man's show of sympathy before nodding in agreement. Hange was astounded, what had happened between Rogue and Levi in the time frame of the titan's first day of training and presently? The scientist bit her lip as she began to rub Rogue's heated flesh again. She wanted to ask the man so badly, but if she did, Levi's stubbornness would more than likely foil her plan.

Several minutes passed with the titan still trembling beneath them and whining at a low volume. Sleep was creeping up on Hange after having already dominated the others, but trapping them in a light coat – awakening them with every sharp movement from Rogue. Hange shifted slightly, hand lazily rubbing the titan's brow as if she was trapped under a spell of hypnosis as she aided the beast through another small whine. The tune of the music box was lulling her into repose. She couldn't give in to sleep though! She had to take care of Rogue!

However, Hange was barely hanging on to consciousness. Her head dropped past her shoulders for a moment, jogging her to snap from awaiting sleep. Dazed, she blinked but seeing something that made her tired eyes widen instantly.

Levi was still very much awake, sitting in his chair with a hand rubbing the tip of Rogue's snout. His face was emotionless, but brow finally void of creased skin – icy eyes showing a speck of trepidation. Hange beamed deviously. In all the years she had known the rude little man, she had never seen him look so companionate. She wasn't going to let him get away from his actions in secret!

"If that isn't proof that you feel sorry for him, then I don't know what is." She whispered excitedly with the Corporal instantaneously removing his hand and turning to her, scowl plastered once again onto his face.

"Shut the fuck up." Levi retorted, voice barely auditable through the playing lullaby. "I told you. I'm just doing a job. Fucking brat doesn't even shit or piss and he's high maintenance."

Hange only continued to grin like a child. "Yeah – job."

"Shitty Glasses don't press your luck. If you feel that it's absolutely necessary to mess with me then –

Levi's words caught themselves in his throat as Rogue suddenly cried out again, awakening all of the barn's occupants. The creature jerked, beginning to roll on his stomach and forcing the others to the hay covered floor yet again. The titan prolonged to wail, burying his face into the straw once more.

"Damn it." Armin cursed. "I thought we had a solution." He sighed, Rogue whimpering like a tremendously overgrown and frightened puppy.

"Wait a second." Petra pointed to Hange's desk. "The music box stopped."

Mikasa let out a disturbed sigh at the observation. "I guess it's like medicine when it quits working, the sickness acts up again." The teen alliterated as she rewound the box, summoning another melody to play. "When the music stops again, someone will have to crank it."

"We can take turns." Petra suggested.

"Agreed."

Collectively, they sighed. It was going to be a long night.

Hours upon hours, the six worked ruthlessly to calm the distressed titan. The evening had been exhausting, proved by the dark circles decking their tired eyes. During the agonizing time, every ten minutes, one would have to crank the music box while the others tended to Rogue's stress or attempted to catch up on a wink of sleep – too exhausted to request a rotation. The titan himself was in the worst condition, having screamed himself hoarse from the continuous torture. Finally, morning had dawned and the Scouts were struggling to accumulate as much sunlight into the barn as they could. Although tired beyond her own understanding, Hange helped the others push open the barn door to make way for the morning light, the soft rays filling the vast space.

Hange then made her way to the titan who was currently encased in another burst of fear. Rogue jerked in the heavy steel net, howling in terror. The titan's little ones sat bravely upon his chest, scratching his chin with their frail fingers. The two teens kept looking back; making sure the sunlight was indeed there.

Suddenly, Rogue's eyes flew open, pupils shrunk to the size of a small ball. The titan then forced himself to sit upright with a feeble cry – ripping the steel net from around his torso and forcing his little ones to his lap. Rogue shivered, hands trembling as he remained spooked and panicked. The creature's chest heaved, eyes darting around the barn as if he was searching for an attacker.

"Rogue!" Armin called up to the behemoth. "It's alright, it was just a dream!"

The titan followed the voice's source, body relaxing as he spied the two upon his belly.

"It's okay." Mikasa added benevolently. "We're here. Everyone is safe. YOU are safe."

Rogue's body loosened up further, green eyes slowly traveling from the two he raised to the others that became his friends before focusing on his little ones afore him. The titan whined softly, wiping at his damp eyes while his ears fell low with sadness, eyes dim with pain. Hearing a few words of concern, Rogue looked to the crowd with unease before turning back to his two adopted children.

"EEEIIII HADDDDD DDRrrEEEEn. ADDDdd ddRRReeeen." The titan spoke gutturally, face red in embarrassment. Hange frowned further at Rogue's confession. The creature didn't deserve such mental abuse. She wouldn't wish such suffering on her worst enemy. "EEELLLTTT SSSOOO RREEEAAAALL…"

"What – did you dream, Rogue?" Mikasa asked quietly.

The beast hesitated, shaking noticeably. "EeEIiii DRREeeenn HHAABBOUUT… EEEiI AAASSS RRRUNNIINNG. IITT ILLL…. IIITTT CCAAAIIICCEE NNEEE."

The concerned teens rubbed the titan's twitching wrists. "What was it, Rogue?"

The titan swallowed.

"AAAHHH NNNOONNSSTTRR."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: And that was chapter 12! I hope you enjoyed.I'm sure some of you may have been expecting you know who to appear, but she's set to make her debut in chapter 14 when all the shit goes down, heartbreak happens, and I throw you for a loop. XD Chapter 13 will consist of the Mp's evaluation of Rogue so stay tuned :)
> 
> Also, lots of you asked on both here and Ao3 if I have any more writings. I do have an original work that's a bit more polished that you can find out more details about it on my tumblr (miranda-leek) or on my Da account (railrunnermiranda) But yeah, if you like monsters and amusement parks you may enjoy it :) GIVE IT SOME LOVE IF YOU HAVE THE CHANCE!


	13. Judgment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zackley and Nile come to determine if Rogue is suitable for the upcoming expedition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hey all! Here is chapter 13! Sorry that it's a little late, I had a signing event and a few family things happened. I tried to get this up quickly so I just skimmed as far as editing. Let me know if I missed anything or if there are errors so I can fix them! I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan.
> 
> Also, I'm going to start giving progress updates on this fic on my tumblr : miranda-leek.

**Chapter 13**

**Judgment**

His ears naturally flickered at the sound of laughter, his heart fluttering a bit in excitement – a gurgle of amusement reverberating through his chest. The sun bore down into the clearing where he sat on the banks of the very large lake in the flying human territory. It was a nice day, perfect. The temperature wasn't too humid and there was a slight breeze – a flawless summer afternoon. Green grass tickled against his flesh and the surface of the lake glittered like millions of stars, light stirred by the splashing of rowdy teenagers. Rogue, his little ones, and the rest of the young humans were enjoying what Erwin had administered as scheduled 'breaks,' free time without orders of any kind during the middle of each day. With this break being a special five-hour one, the group was engaging in play known as swimming. His little ones and the other young humans were doing various activities in the water where as the titan was seated on the bank monitoring and offering himself as a diving board on the occasion.

"Alright, it's my turn. See if you guys can guess who this is." Connie beamed, continuing the game of impressions that the group had been engaging in for the past ten minutes – impersonating each other and several of the pack leaders. The boy then adapted the ever-familiar constipated look of the short leader. "You little shits better get back to cleaning these filthy floors." Connie began with a cold tone and present scowl. "If you miss a spot it's latrine duty for the fucking week." The boy finished with the others laughing, including himself who was emitting several huffs of amusement.

"That's obviously Corporal Levi!" Sasha giggled. "Gezz, how come we are all impersonating him?"

Connie snickered. "Because he's a grumpy little man who constantly makes poop jokes – and he's not here."

A wave of giggling swept through the group.

"How about this one!" Krista began as she tied her golden locks back and crafted her fingers so that they framed her eyes. "Levi! You have to see my new research results on the titans! Ah! It's just incredible! I have answered the great mystery of why titans eat us for dinner! HA!" The small girl laughed.

"That's definitely Hange."

Rogue smirked, yes that was certainly the messy haired woman.

"Oh I got one!" Sasha cut in, taking strands of her brown locks and holding them to her brows while adapting a serious expression. "My eyebrows are so big that they could be wings." She spoke in a deep tone. "They are the wings of freedom!"

At her conclusion, laughter ensued. The titan couldn't help but huff loudly.

"That is obviously Erwin." Armin beamed, Mikasa following his action.

"Any joke starting with eyebrows is obviously about Erwin." Jean exclaimed as he lazily threaded water. "I mean the man's eyebrows are so thick that if he shaved half of them off he would still have the biggest eyebrows in the Scouts."

"That is true!" Connie agreed with a strong level of laughter – the others following suit with Jean simply soaking the attention in.

The long faced teen's eyes briefly flashed to Rogue, a cunning smirk then plastered onto his face as he braced himself against the lake's bottom. "I got one." Jean began, gaining the others' attention with the titan watching in suspicion. The teen then took a deep breath and puffed out his chest like a proud robin. Jean then opened his mouth and let out the loudest roar that he could possibly make – one that wasn't at all threatening but rather pathetic as his throat crackled and the pitiable sound ended in an unavoidable squeak. As Jean coughed, the others chortled at his failure.

"That's Rogue, but his roar beats yours by a long shot." Mikasa deadpanned, obviously disliking the fact that the older boy had even attempted to impersonate him.

"I agree. He's got you beat!" Sasha laughed. "His cry is so powerful that it could probably shake the foundation of the castle." She sneered. "Yours wouldn't even scare a mouse."

"Shut up."

The titan welcomed a pleased look to his face, content that he was on the better end of the comparison. Rogue then beamed widely as an idea of revenge came to him. Ready to play their game, the creature then grunted excitedly to gain the small flying humans' attention. Instantly, Mikasa's mouth formed into a warm smile with most of the teens mirroring her action.

"Do you want to join us?" His little one asked, receiving his eager nod.

"Are you going to impersonate someone!" Sasha questioned excitedly. He dipped his head.

" **EEESSS! AAATTCCHH!"** Rogue replied just before he took a deep breath. The titan then relaxed his frame and prepared to flex his vocals – his human companions watching silent in anticipation. Finally, Rogue opened his maw and released a deep and cavernous sound that reflected the neigh of a very large horse – the sound strikingly spot on to the hooved creatures. The loud whinny then morphed into the guttural rumble of a stallion. Rogue then finished his act with a horse like snort, sending the teens reeling in laughter. The titan held his head up proudly as Jean grimaced, awaiting praise for his success.

"Holy shit! That was awesome!" Connie whooped as he turned to Jean. "His impersonation of you beat yours of him by a long shot!"

"It's no contest. Rogue won."

Armin chuckled. "The best part was that it sounded identical to a horse."

"Yeah – a Clydesdale." Mikasa smirked artfully, sending the others into an even more intense fit of merriment.

Rogue huffed at the wittiness of the comment just before he leaned backwards in his seated stance. Two months had gone by since his arrival in the flying human territory. So much had certainly happened. His relationships with the flying humans had deepened. Over time, he had grown even closer to Hange and Petra to where he was comfortable enough to express himself however he wanted which included gifting them with loving licks – something that the messy haired woman went absolutely nuts about whenever she received them. With Hange's 'experiments' as she called them, Rogue was actually beginning to enjoy them thoroughly – the activities making him find out more and more about the odd woman as well as opening new doors about himself. He had fallen for Petra even deeper. During group sessions with his small pack, he would mostly stick with her and was open about her sharing her stories about her and her own family with him – the titan occasionally giving a story in return.

Rogue blinked lazily as he watched the group of teenagers splash and frolic in the pond. He had grown quite fond of most his little ones' acquaintances. They were truly amusing to say the least. Often, Rogue would find himself joining his little ones and the other smaller humans during their outdoor lunch, listening to exchanges of human tongue and laughing at any joke told. Connie and Sasha were perhaps the most immature and he could relate to their constant search for amusement. The food loving brunet had invited him to hunt in the woods for the flightless birds called turkeys, leaving the deer alone due to his demands. He was good at catching them, but sometimes went after creatures like hogs as an added morsel for the pack. Sasha too, was a good hunter. The way she used her shooting sticks – a bow with arrows as she had told him, was incredible. The titan had only ever seen hunters in Maria use guns to take down prey and not the fragile wooden weapon. Together, they were a great hunting pair, and with his exquisite skill set, they never failed to bring in dinner to the tables. Connie himself wasn't the sharpest human, but never failed to amuse him. One time, the boy had caught him scribbling in the dry dirt and offered to teach him how to draw a strange shape that consisted of an elongated circle nestled between two smaller ones – a bizarre shape Connie had said was called a 'dick'. Of course, it was only after he had a session with Hange and his little ones, one where they were having him perform the act of drawing, in which he drew several of the odd shapes before he had been told to not to since 'dicks were not a polite thing to draw.' With no explanation as to what the shape was, Rogue stopped scribing it in his sessions – but he did for Connie as a bit of an inside joke, the boy usually drawing one back and exchanging a laugh. Rogue also loved Krista's kindhearted personality. Sometimes, the young female would join him and his little ones during his teachings – leisurely starting conversation or sometimes braiding his locks – weaving flowers into the strands that the titan kindly left in for the duration of the day. Rogue's relationship with Jean hadn't grown or ventured further from when they had first met. If anything, their only contact was the exchanges of harmless pranks or constant mouthing off. With completely different personalities, the two constantly clashed. Although the teen sometimes brought up valid points, Rogue was still not fond of him.

The titan purred a bit as he offered his leg to Connie, the teen scaling to his thigh before running forward in a dead sprint.

"Cannonball!" The nearly bald human exclaimed as he launched from the beast's knee – curling in on himself just before he hit the water.

Rogue let out another cheerful huff in amusement before letting himself relax once again. Yes, his relationships with various members of the pack had certainly improved. The biggest progress was with Levi. Granted, he was still slightly reserved around the man, trying to get used to his crude personality – the man was constantly using foul language and dry humor about human waste. However, he was gradually adjusting. In fact, at times, he almost found Levi to be funny in a bizarre sense. The way the Corporal snarky commented at misbehaving humans and at something he was not fond with was just amusing. Rogue had never been with someone or seen a human act quite like Levi. Even at his own comments that made the titan huff, Levi always kept a straight and impassive face. At times, Rogue had tried his best to make the stout man crack a smile or laugh. Of course, no matter what he did, Levi just remained impassive. The titan snorted at the thought, one day he would make the man crack a smile. One day he would.

The creature let out a gust of steam and lowered himself fully to rest upon his back, green pools staring up at the passing clouds above. His private sessions were greatly paying off with the Corporal as well. In his busy schedule, Rogue would train in the woods and in a secluded clearing at least twice a week. Truthfully, he actually looked forward to them. Levi knew more than what the fighting book had to offer by far. During their time, the titan would mirror the man's demonstrations of complex moves and practice them against the trees for hours. Rogue found that his kicks were certainly enriched, but he still found himself having issues with kicking things over the height of thirteen-meters. He was still unsteady on his legs, the only difference was that he didn't fall completely to the unforgiving ground anymore. Rogue feared greatly that he was becoming a disappointment to Levi on that aspect – aggravation always underlining the man's tolerance. The beast had asked the Corporal once if he was truly an encumbrance, but Levi had simply said that he needed to work harder. Overall, he could consider Levi as a friend. He was definitely better than Jean.

Rogue let out a waiting yawn and gave a slight stretch, raising a hand to scratch his chest with his eyes trying to depict images formed by the clouds – an activity that he and his little ones used to do many years ago. Another thing that the titan had been dwelling on in the passed time was his horrid nightmare. Thankfully, he hadn't endured any more since, but that didn't stop the flying humans from leaving the steel net rolled up in his nest in case of an emergency. After the incident, his babies and a few of the others including Hange, Petra, and even Levi during his sessions would ask what he had dreamt. As usual, he refused to tell them for two reasons. One, they had enough to worry about – and he certainly didn't want to stress his little ones to where they were restless. Two, was that Rogue was truly confused by it. So even if he chose to share the nightmare – he couldn't tell them much or anything useful. The horrible vision was actually quite a simple one. It consisted of him running through a never-ending foggy landscape – one where he would often pass by the same tree over and over. He was fleeing from some unknown attacker that if he attempted to look at its face, he would only see a looming shadow. The only vivid detail about the monster was that he could constantly hear it.

Oh, how he could hear it.

The cry the monster made was strange and unworldly, even more so than his. To Rogue, his own roar signaled his power and his warning that he was coming. The roar in the nightmare that belonged to the monster just sounded like the call of death. The dream was constant torture, running with no escape through a repeating world with no such thing as time. Rogue let out another great sigh. It was just a stupid nightmare, so why was he so worried about it? It meant absolutely nothing. It wasn't real. He was with his babies and newfound family so really there was no reason to dwell on it further. So why bother?

"Rogue!"

With his name being called, the titan quickly sat up to see that his little ones and the small humans looking at him expectedly. He tilted his head in question, grunting his query. What did they want?

Connie beamed. "Come on in! The water is awesome!"

"Yeah Rogue, why don't you come join us!" Armin smiled. "You've been working hard so how about you come and relax?"

The titan tilted his neck in the opposite direction. " **SSSSSSHHHIIIIINNNIINNGG?** "

Mikasa nodded. "Yes Rogue. Would you like to swim with us? Armin and I know you love water and the lake is deep enough."

Rogue grinned, jaw somewhat crooked. Finally! He could join the group in the water in an activity that wasn't his bath time – a more leisurely experience that he indulged in once every two weeks. Knowing just how he wanted to show his agreement, Rogue gradually stood upright, and without an indication, began to walk in the opposite direction of the pond. The titan nonchalantly kept his arms neatly behind his back as he blissfully listened to his allies' confusion.

"Er – Mikasa… Armin, what's he doing?"

"Where the hell is that big moron going?"

"Um, not sure exactly."

"Connie," Mikasa muttered. "You're a bad influence."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Before his little one could give away his intentions, Rogue spun on his heel to face the group of teens once again. With his skin peeled back in a broad grin, the titan opened his mouth and let out a loud but playful roar as he charged forward. With his plan now clear to the other humans in the lake they struggled to swim for the shore.

"Oh shit!"

"Fuck I shouldn't have!"

"You think, Connie?"

"This is worse than you teaching him how to draw –

Rogue then launched himself into the lake, tucking his legs beneath him. " **AAANNNOONNNAAALLL!"**

"FUCK!"

"DAMN IT!"

"OH MARIA!"

Within seconds, his massive bulk hit the water – the terrifying sound of swarming liquid sweeping beneath the massive behemoth echoed across the glade. Water then rushed in nearly seven-meter waves from Rogue's impact, ridding the tarn of gallons and throwing the new recruits onto the lake shore. The titan then shook his head to rid the unneeded liquid before acknowledging that he was sitting in the center of the lake with the water just leveling off at the bottom of his ribcage. Hearing several sounds of exhaustion and despair, Rogue turned – only to huff at the group of Scouts who struggled to stand. His little ones and the others finally turned to face him, mostly wearing looks of shock upon their faces before they gradually began laughing – except for Jean who was only giving the titan a less than amused glare.

"You know, it might be best if we left the jumping, diving, and the cannonballs into the lake to the people that are a meter or less tall. You Rogue, have fifteen of them." Jean grunted as he brushed off some faint mud on his knees.

At his words, the titan only let out a loud squeal in pleasure as he quickly shoved the horse faced teen back into the lake. Rogue watched intently as Jean resurfaced with his mug coated in rage – only more fuel to the fire that provoked Rogue to send a wall of water over the arrogant teen.

"Hey! What the – fuck you!"

The titan merely shoved the teen's aggravation aside and sent another wall of water over him. Rogue bleated merrily as he suddenly threw a wave of water onto the rest of the teens and his little ones, heart warming as he watched them race back into the water and begin to return his unpleasant offerings. The titan huffed, laughter rippling the surface of the lake as the small humans splashed the largest amounts of water they could upon him – barely wetting beneath his chest. Wanting them to have a little bit of an advantage, Rogue lay back into the lake with only the tops of his shoulders and neck exposed. Immediately, like swarms of ants, his little ones and the other teens teamed up and began to relentlessly pelt him with the translucent liquid. The titan bellowed louder, purposely fighting back weakly as the water soaked everyone even further.

He loved it. He loved every bit of it.

"Ahem."

Instantly, Rogue froze, wincing at the familiar sour tone that he had heard countless times. Gradually, the titan lifted his head with the teenagers mirroring his action to see Corporal Levi standing near the lakeshore. Rogue swallowed fretfully at the man's appearance. From head to toe, Levi was drenched – clothes stuck to his skin and hair flush to his brow. The man's face was fixed into a look that the titan couldn't determine if it was borderline rage or sheer disgust. His mouth was pulled into a deep frown and thin eyebrows knitted together, the muscle just above his lip twitching. Rogue's ears drooped as he hung his head sheepishly. The corporal must have been standing nearby when he had jumped into the lake. The titan nervously pushed a strand of hair from his face, debating on what to do and say.

"Crap!" Connie hastily whispered. "We're going to get cleaning duty for the month now!"

"Shut up, Connie!"

Rogue gulped, he didn't want his babies or the other small Scouts getting the punishment because of him. " **OOORRRRRYYY EEVVVIII."** The titan apologized. " **EEIII UUUMMMPP EENNN AATTEERR."** He tried to explain, sitting up and characteristically weaving his fingers between his toes sheepishly. For a long pensive moment, Levi remained still until he finally let out an aggravated breath after what felt like eons.

"Yeah, I unfortunately saw that and was unfortunately here. Now, all of you get your asses out of the water and get ready for our capture training exercise. Don't be late or I will give you all roof and window cleaning duty." The Corporal concluded gruffly as he turned on his heel and began to make his way back to the tree line without another word.

Relieved that the small Scouts had avoided such penalty for his actions, Rogue sighed and got to his feet with the others soon following him. Back on dry land, the titan quickly shook his head to wring the excess water out, giving the teens another unwanted shower that the small humans let slide – most of them at least.

"Next time you could warn us if you're going to wring your hair out like a dog." Jean spoke sarcastically as he began to dry his frame with a coarse cloth.

With his hair now fluffed upon his scalp, Rogue hummed in pleasure – utterly pleased with himself. Without warning, the titan then carefully lifted his foot and lightly shoved the arrogant boy back into the water as a reply – provoking more laughter.

Damn, he loved living among the humans. But there was still work to be done in the near future to ensure that they were safe. Much work.

* * *

His lungs shuttered, heaving with every rapid beat of his wild heart. He thundered forward, mind searching for another tactic to escape. Rogue's tapered ears ringed with the whirling sounds of invisible wings. They were everywhere! The titan peeked over his shoulder to see the pack closing in, purely focused. Instinctively, he abruptly veered, leaping over a small gorge before making contact to the mossy bed of the forest floor. Rogue then felt the familiar sensation of panic spread throughout his body. He was running out of options, but he wanted to win!

Over time, with the repeating capture exercises, the Scouts had gotten better. Much better. Even though the titan was growing accustomed to the surrounding vegetation, he was quickly discovering that he didn't have the upper hand like he thought he would with the passing of the months. Instead, the pack had formulated new techniques and had begun to read his movements. There had been several times in the past few weeks where Rogue had nearly lost the game of evasion. Very close. There were times where he had been nearly completely bound or had fallen into a venerable position – only to slip away at the last second by the skin of his teeth.

Rogue looked over his shoulder to monitor the pack's progress, seeing that several soldiers were breaking off from the main part of the pack and disappearing into the woods. His eyes narrowed in great suspicion. What were they planning now? Suddenly, two soldiers came from nowhere, sailing on either side of his head.

"Get ready to execute the constricting maneuver!"

The titan narrowed his eyes in determination, reaching up quickly to snag the two sets of wires – only to miss as the men suddenly lowered. But he was quick. Nimble, Rogue charged forward and leaped, powerful muscles propelling him several meters off the forest floor. With a quick swipe, the titan's reaching fingers caught the wires without fail. The creature then met the earth again, impact making the ground ripple beneath his feet. Quickly, Rogue launched the two soldiers into the trees and charged forward without delay. Remembering the spoken words, the titan knew they were planning something. He just had to figure what.

Rogue then rounded another bend, mind still searching for a sure plan of evasion. He couldn't exactly climb up into one of the trees; there was no time to do so. The gorge. If he could make it back and use it as place to lie in wait – then he could both surprise his pursuers and think of another way to ensure his victory. With the new plan in mind, the titan prepared to release a cloud of steam to cover his tracks. However, before he could act, a Scout – no doubt Eld, zoomed past to take the lead, moving so close that a few strands of Rogue's hair ruffled. The man's cable rubbing against his ear suddenly propelled the titan to act on pure reflex, without thinking, Rogue reached up and caught hold of the traveling wire. But instead of tossing Eld aside or up into the canopy, the titan yanked on the cable – pulling the bewildered man back to him. He then reached up and caught the man in his opposite hand safely. Bewildered by his own reflex of action, Rogue stopped in his tracks and opened his palm to reveal Eld looking just as spellbound. Rogue tilted his head in wonder; he hadn't had such a reaction before.

"Well, Rogue." The blonde soldier chuckled. "That's certainly new from you. I do have to say though, it was better than landing up in the branches!"

The titan blinked before cracking a smile, thankful for the praise. Yes, he could use this new technique as well – it would work perfectly with his plan! Especially since the trees were not quite as high in this section of the forest! He could restrain them without hurting them! Hearing the approaching pack, Rogue gently placed Eld with his ruined cables back to the forest floor before bounding through the brush again. As he ran, his mind began to churn. Mike and Hange's teams were right behind him with Levi and Erwin's somewhere off in the forest. Over time, the teams changed members and the two leaders had decided to join in the game. Currently, his babies were split between Erwin and Levi – Mikasa being with Levi and Armin being with Erwin. Rogue blinked, he hadn't seen the two Scout leaders' small packs since they began the false hunt. Odd. Despite that, he couldn't worry about them at the moment. He had to take care of the two trailing packs first. He thought harder, glancing down at his palm. Perhaps he could execute something similar without the use of the gorge. Maybe he could turn the tables in the game to where he was the hunter and they were the prey. Of course, execution would only work on the first advance – so the gorge was still a necessity. Yes, his reformulated plan was bound to work.

Beaming to himself, Rogue slowed his pace drastically – practically at a jog. This was going to be good. The titan's ears flickered at the sound of translucent wing beats, making him prepare to make his move. They were directly behind him and very close. He could sense their excitement.

"Look! Rogue has slowed down!"

"He must be tired. Perhaps Eld's squad wore him out!"

"Quick! Let's use this as an opportunity! Hurry and trap him before he regains his energy!"

Rogue snorted. How incredibly foolish they were. They had no idea.

"Alright! Begin the constricting manu –

However, Mike's words were lost as the creature suddenly spun on his heel and turned to charge straight for the advancing packs who were thrust into a frozen state with their cables still outstretched in the various surfaces before them.

"WHAT THE HELL!"

"FUCK HE SET US UP!"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WE FELL FOR THIS AGAIN!"

Rogue roared in triumph as he lashed out and encased four sets of wires in his hands, pulling their occupants back into his waiting hands before swinging them just a few feet to the ground. The titan then charged through, passing all the confused faces as he began to initiate the next step in his plan.

"What the hell did he just –

"Rogue has never done that before!"

"Shit! Hurry! We must keep on him! Beware! He's trying something new again!"

"Looks like he's found another way to restrain us in these low trees!"

The titan then heaved a cloud of steam as he sped forth; soon leaving the two spooked packs in the dust. Although his newly adapted technique was just as reliable as swinging his comrades, he could get a better aim after he caught his victims before depositing them. Sure, it had limits and an extra step, but it was fun. Perhaps it could prove useful in some other way in the future. Still, he almost felt like the technique had another step still to it, then again it was very functional without it – whatever it was.

For several minutes, Rogue bounded through the wood, his nerves calming in the slightest. No one was in sight. Not a single soul was around. It was just he and the leafy greens. He could almost call it peaceful. Then, without warning, the remaining men and women of Mike and Hange's teams suddenly appeared before him, rocketing forward sporadically so suddenly that Rogue couldn't even swipe to grasp their lifelines. Puzzled and riddled in surprise, the titan paused and turned to watch Mike, Hange, and several other of his human companions sail in the opposite direction, not even looking over their shoulders. Rogue's fingers scratched his scalp, the beast completely perplexed. Why had they done such a thing? Could it have been likely that they had not seen him? Impossible. He was right in front of them! Then why did they pass him? Could it have been conceivable that he could have injured one of the soldiers that he rolled onto the ground just minutes before? He didn't hurt any of him did he? It was just two meters. No. That couldn't have happened. Maybe there had been a signal or something that he failed to see and Mike and Hange's packs were to unite with the two main leaders and his little ones. Yes that had to be it. He would get them before they could reach the others!

Without further hesitation, Rogue trailed after them, lightening his body in the slightest so he could gain lost ground. His brain swam in confusion and his heart began to thump harder at the thought of the current unknown. Something could have happened up ahead. It certainly explained the speed the group was going and their sheer concern with what was before them. Then, a damning thought crossed his mind. What if it was true and someone was hurt up ahead? Not necessarily the soldiers that he had brought back to earth, but someone else. A shiver sailed up his sturdy spine. What if it was someone very dear to him! What if something had happened to either one of his babies! No! No! No! With his heart drumming at the possibility, Rogue let out a pained shriek. He had to get there! If someone he knew well was hurt of if it was his little ones, he had to help them!

The titan continued to trail after the two small packs, welcomingly letting them lead. Rogue whined between his chattering teeth. If the human injured as one of his little ones – he could never forgive himself for not being there. He hung onto hope that they were all right. They were strong after all. Then again, like all humans, they were fragile. Just like Dr. Jaeger and his sweet Carla.

Too caught up in his own worries, Rogue failed to register that the two soldiers that had broken off from Eld's pack before had positioned themselves just behind the oblivious creature. Finally, after hearing the extra sets of wings, the titan looked over his shoulder to see Molbit and Nanaba just ten meters behind him. Rogue grunted in confusion. Were they headed to the incident too? Their facades were blank as sheets of paper. Then again, perhaps no human or his little ones had gotten wounded after all. He had seen the faces of humans in the mists of panic and fear. If one of their own was hurt – they were screaming or shedding eye water. Was it – did the flying humans come up with some strange plan? It didn't seem quite so. Why would a group be behind him and in front of him? It couldn't be any attempt to capture – they were not making any move to wrap him in wires. He swallowed back a vile wad of saliva. What were they doing?

Suddenly, the familiar feeling of wires sliding against his leathery flesh made itself known to the titan – but he couldn't react quick enough. Six soldiers circled his body in a complete blur – three around the front and three around his back. Before he could even react, his muscular and firm arms were roughly and awkwardly pinned to his sides. Then, before he could even yank or scream, a thick wire impacted against his ankle – so crudely and impulsive than his legs flew out from beneath his bulk. The titan screamed as he slammed into the earth, ground quaking and foliage flying as he rolled several times uncontrollably. The creature then came to a halt in the clearing, dizziness crippling his body. Rogue groaned in agony and blinked desperately as he tried to make out which way was up. Just as he located the sky and earth, a thickly woven webbing descended over his body – a net. Knowing very well what it symbolized, Rogue then began to pull at his restraints, but it was fruitless. The cables were those that he couldn't just snap and break. Mortification hit the titan full force, luring a hollow cry from his lungs. He was caught. The game was over.

He had lost.

Rogue's ears fell with his head, gaunt cheek resting upon the grass as he stared at the landing humans in sorrow, feeling so stupid. He knew very well that he had finally fallen for their trap. The titan whined, his face tinting red in embarrassment as he watched the flying humans celebrate.

"We finally won! Yes!" Connie announced as he jumped up and down excitedly with several of the other Scouts falling on their backs in relief. Erwin then cleared his throat.

"Congratulations everyone. We have finally developed a strategy to subdue. We are also more efficient as to how often we evade Rogue's signature act of snagging wires. Good work."

Feeling even more stupidity flood into him, Rogue whined faintly like a downed animal, getting a good majority of attention. Seeing his stress, Hange and his little ones came to his aid, the scientist immediately peeling back the old net and cutting the wires in half. With a soft touch on his nose, Rogue turned his head to stare at his two little humans who faces were in easy smiles.

"It's okay Rogue." Mikasa assured softly. "Hange is going to have you free in seconds."

" **EEEIII NNNOOO IIKKEEE OOOSSEE."** Rogue informed, green eyes smoldering. " **EEEEIII AAUUNNTT VVIIINNN!"** The titan's voice crackled, revealing how much he was upset. He _hated_ failure. Ever since that dreadful day five years ago, he really despised himself when he didn't do something successfully.

His little one smiled tenderly and continued to rub the bridge of his hooked nose. "Hey, don't hate yourself. Look at it this way Rogue, you're a great teacher and you taught your students well." Mikasa beamed tenderly.

Feeling that he was now free from his binds, the titan sat up – shoulders hunched in the slightest as he stared at his two longtime companions in question. In this false hunt, he was the teacher? He never thought of it that way. " **EEEIII TTEEEECCHHH?"**

Armin nodded. "Yes Rogue. Because of you we are all more prepared. Your loss shows that we have gotten stronger."

The titan's ears pricked forward in realization. He had succumbed to slight immaturity, finding himself selfish. Yes, he may have lost but it was a symbol of a breakthrough. Rogue wiggled his elfish ears and purred in delight, eyes scrunching up in pleasure. The fact that the flying humans had won meant that they would have a better chance at surviving the harsh and cruel world. They were grateful for his help and he was happy that he could be of aid.

"Feeling better?" Mikasa asked. He nodded profusely.

" **ESSS! EEIII AAPPPEEE EEEEIII EEELLPP!"** Rogue explained, swiftly nuzzling into his little ones' tiny bodies.

"You did great! Of course, I did have a feeling that our little trap would lure you into our clutches!" Hange bounced with the titan tilting his head in difficulty.

Curious as to how the flying humans executed their trap so well, Rogue grunted in question.

"We used your mushy instincts against you." Levi began as he made his way over to the group. "We knew how close you were to some of our soldiers and recruits and if we retreated and faked an emergency – we knew you would follow." The corporal explained in his usual bored tone. "As to how we restrained you, we found that several skilled soldiers ambushing you from both sides would send you into confusion. After you were pinned all we needed to do was simply trip you. Of course, some of those soldiers you disabled were pawns so you would let your guard down and have no idea what we were doing until it was too late."

Rogue nodded in understanding. He had expected much. They had gotten him good.

"And Rogue."

Hearing the seriousness in the man's voice, the titan turned to the Corporal to see the man climb back upon his horse, cold eyes looking at him sternly. " **EEESSSS EEVVII?"**

"This may not make any sense to you now, but if we ever find ourselves in a desperate situation – you will have to keep those… mother hen instincts at bay."

Rogue blinked but before he could comprehend what the man was implying, Levi turned to the group as a whole.

"Now, Hange you have Petra assist you in your intelligence training with Rogue for the remainder of the day. I need Ackerman and Arlert to report for strength training this afternoon. They could use the extra practice since they have been helping you in your sessions a lot lately. Now, report to your positions."

"Yes, Sir!" The three Scouts replied, fixing themselves into a salute with the titan following their actions at a slower pace – still thinking about Levi's warning. What did he mean?

* * *

"Alright Rogue, can you name this?" Hange smiled as she held up one of the new flash cards before him.

Recognizing the younger version of the animal, the titan beamed as widely as he possibly could. " **UUUPPPYYY."**

"Excellent! Now how about this animal? What are the younger versions of a horse called?" The messy-haired woman continued as she moved to the next card. The titan huffed in amusement.

" **AAAIIIEEEBBEE GGSSEEAANN."** Rogue answered jokingly, holding his head up high and watching in likeness as Petra and Hange broke out in fits of giggles.

"You're still associating Jean with horses!" Petra smiled.

Hange nodded in agreement. "Since he first mentioned it, everyone still calls the poor boy Horseface." She cackled. "Humor aside, what are young horses called, Rogue? Remember there is two names."

The titan laced his fingers between his toes in concentration, teeth clenching together as he thought. " **EERRRR… OOAALLL?"** Rogue asked, a single brow raised in worry that he was wrong. To his relief, Hange dipped her head in approval.

"Yes! A foal! Now what's the other one?"

" **MMMM… OOLLLTT?"**

"Yes Rogue! You're doing very well! Let's do a few more before we move on to the alphabet and your more advanced studies!"

The titan nodded and shifted to get more comfortable as they continued. The three dwelled comfortably in the barn, the afternoon sun spilling trough the hairline cracks in the wood. As usual, he was having his annual session with Hange – the only difference being the lack of his little ones, but Petra's presence was an acceptable replacement. He understood perfectly the reason for his longtime companions' absence. Like his need to better in the human language, his little ones had crucial things to work on too. Lately, he had been working extra hard on his ability to communicate and understand human tongue. Currently, Hange and Petra were 'broadening his knowledge of things called 'nouns' – something that they were exploiting more and more of as of late. Rogue knew the reason for doing so was because of an incident that occurred almost a month before. It was a very embarrassing one to the titan, mostly due to his ignorance of the world as well as Hange misinterpreting and mistranslating a simple statement he had made and throwing everyone into a state of alarm. Some time ago, he had found that a cat had gotten into his nest and given birth on the 'roof' of the small spare room the Hange had sometimes stayed in when she was working. Naturally, he was curious and felt the need to watch over the mother and the six newborn kittens for the titan knew that there were plenty of predators in the small world they lived in that would fancy a cat for dinner – especially the helpless little balls of fur. On the day he found them, Rogue was sneaking away between sessions to check upon the new family and ensure that they were safe. At midday, Hange had stumbled upon the titan as he was retrieving several clean sheets from the hanging laundry at the old mill – set on giving them to the nursing feline to provide warmth. To Rogue, any offspring from any creature was a baby. No matter how big it was to the parents – it was still a baby. Of course, the titan was unaware of the different words in human tongue to describe offspring. So, when the unkempt scientist had asked him what he was doing, his simple response of ' I HAAAVVE NNNEEWW AAIIBBIIEESS' had set off a chain of events that soon ignited his realization at his ignorance. At the time, he had no idea as to why Hange was screaming in celebration just before she ran off to join the others. Soon after was when he was cast into complete confusion as the flying humans kept staring at him oddly and approaching him much differently than before. Hange and his little ones were asking him bizarre questions like: how many, how long had he known, and if he felt anything. Innocently, without knowing the context behind their questions, he answered openly and listened as they began telling him what could happen and occur – things that made absolutely no sense to the titan at the time and how they related to kittens. It wasn't until later that evening when Hange and his little ones began to probe his stomach with the scientist boasting about finally getting to know titans reproduce, that Rogue had ultimately realized his huge mistake. Immediately, he corrected them by showing the kittens and their mother, cursing himself for not realizing his error earlier. He knew what fertile deer looked like before their young were birthed, but that was all the unnatural creature incapable of procreating knew about reproduction. Everything else was completely news to him. After the misunderstanding Hange had apologized to the titan and every worried soul more times than he could count. He forgave the woman effortlessly for jumping to conclusions, it was easy to make quick assumptions about the many mysteries of his kind that he didn't know and humans were eager to solve.

As he expected, in light of he and Hange's mistake, Levi had ordered that he be taught what different offspring were called as well as other nouns. He had learned that baby cats were kittens and his little ones were actually called teens or teenagers. But to the titan, Armin and Mikasa were always his babies. No matter how old they were. In truth, his two companions as well as the rest of the pack were completely content on the one exception.

As for the kittens and their mother, once the tiny bundles of fur were weaned, Levi and a few others had moved them into the human city where they had found a new home. Granted, he wasn't happy at the decision at the time- he had spent a good part of his time guarding the tiny creatures and caring for them. For nearly two days, he was incredibly grumpy about their removal until Armin had ensured him that it was for the best and they were in fact safer somewhere other than headquarters. But he understood. With the chaos and the fact that all of them were far too busy, him included, it just wasn't the place for them. Despite the discomfiture of the whole ordeal, Rogue was somewhat glad that it had occurred. It gave him the opportunity to learn more complex words. In all, he loved to learn – especially about the humans and their world.

Rogue blinked as he adjusted himself once again while he looked at the present card, tilting his head as he thought. " **DDUUUKKIIIEE?"** He answered hopefully, but to his disappointment, Hange shook her head.

"Not quite. Little ducks are called ducklings, Rogue. Armin and Mikasa told me that you had made friends with a few a long time ago. They said that they followed you around constantly!"

He nodded enthusiastically as the woman switched to another card. This time, instead of an animal, the card displayed the four different symbols that each breed of uniformed men wore on their backs. The titan purred; he had been familiar with them for years.

"Alright Rogue, name all of these from right to left!"

The creature beamed as he held up a clawed finger at the first insignia, obviously the one proudly displayed by the flying human pack. " **SSSSSSCCOOUUTTS!"**

"Great! Next one!"

Rogue gestured to the set of roses, obviously pointing to the flower backs. " **GGGAARRRRRRRSSSOONNN**."

"Wonderful! The next one is a tricky one! What is it?"

Tricky indeed. Rogue had only seen the symbol of the blade backs during the invasion of the human city. He had only been briefed a few times about what their title was, but still, like all new subjects – it was slow to absorb at its debut. Rogue grumbled low in his chest as he let his shoulders slump forward as he thought – gripping his toes and teeth grinding together. The titan's ears pinned back as he concentrated, letting out nonthreatening growls as he searched for the answer.

" **EEEERRRRRR…..ERRR….AAAIIIDDDEE AAACCCKKS?"** He eventually responded, knowing that he was likely incorrect. Petra gave a soft but understanding smile.

"Not exactly, Rogue." The young woman spoke sweetly. "That's the symbol of the trainees. Trainees are those recruits that train for years to be in one of three branches of the military."

Rogue characteristically tilted his head. " **AAAIINNNNEEEESSS?"**

"Yes. Your little ones were once trainees."

The titan dipped his head in understanding as Hange pointed to the last symbol.

"This will be the last one before we move on. So what's the emblem with the unicorn on it?"

With a sense of mischievousness pushing forward again, Rogue snorted playfully. " **AAAASSSSSSOOOLEESSSS."** The titan huffed, wiggling his ears at his own joke. As he expected, Hange snorted and came down with laughter. However, Petra only showed a fretful smile.

"Rogue," The redhead began, tone sweet as honeysuckle. "That – may be a good way to define them, but you can't use that word tomorrow or any other nasty word. The people coming to look at you will not take that well. You know the guy we told you about? The man named Nile? He really would not like that." Petra explained, making the titan's smile dissipate in the slightest. "All of us know you're joking Rogue, but everyone else does not. Keep it clean okay?" She smiled, suddenly raising her brow in suspicion. "Who taught you that word?"

The titan shifted sheepishly, positioning himself to sit upon his hip. Rogue's emerald greens then stared down at the strips of hay as if he was trying to find a needle. " **EEEVVVII."** He admitted, words slipping through his almost closed jaw.

The veteran still possessed her smile despite the news. "I figured as much." She chuckled. "I suppose you picked up other worlds as well from our foul mouthed Corporal?"

Rogue dithered. " **SSSHHIITT. DAAANNN IITT."** The titan informed. When it came to simple things like 'who done it' or 'where is it' the beast knew it was best to be truthful. To his amazement, Petra gave in to a bit of humor.

"Well! You certainly listen well! But promise me Rogue that you won't use foul words around anyone but the Scouts."

Rogue nodded quickly. " **EEEESSS! OOONNNIISSSS!"**

"Pinkie Promise?" Petra began as she offered her smallest end finger to the titan who registered the act of trust in an instant. Rogue then lifted his own outstretched pinkie finger, glad that he knew the parts of his hand for he had been briefed on what each of his fingers and toes were called – parts he never knew had titles. To seal the deal, the creature then touched the tip of his finger to Petra's, both of their hands slightly tilted as their own version of the familiar promise. Rogue beamed again as he then returned to his previous assignment, pointing to the last symbol with a gigantic digit. " **NNNPPPPS."**

**"** Correct!You did really well my sweet titan!" Hange congratulated with her wide eyes shining like a cat after a bird as she scrambled to get her next set of cards. "Now it's time for the alphabet and reading!" The scientist squealed in delight.

The titan nodded in preparation, preparing himself for the harder part of his lesson. In the past few weeks, the team of his little ones, the scientist, and his small pack member had been teaching him the human art of reading. It involved the traditional flashcards as well as new techniques such as matching a set of words to sets of pictures. They had also made the titan practice reciting the alphabet letter by letter, but he was still having trouble advancing in the study. As the titan had come to understand, reading and the ABC's was no walk in the forest for him. Learning the two was challenging and often provoked him to get aggravated at points. At times, Rogue cursed himself and his mental incapacity, but he did his best to be optimistic. He really wanted to learn what every human he had ever known could do. He waned to say that he could if he was ever asked. Maybe one day he could be the one reading the stories to his little ones like they had done for him ever since they had met.

"Okay Rogue. Today I'm going to challenge you! I'm going to show you the cards without the pictures. The ones with the words only! But first! Let's see how well you recite the alphabet! Begin when you're ready!"

The titan accepted the challenge openly, brow furrowing as he attempted to line up the letters that he had learnt so far. To the day, his tutors had only taught him seven letters – five he could remember with certainty. Like most beginning to learn the alphabet, as they had said, they learn in parts before moving on to other letters. Rogue then swallowed to salivate his throat. He knew letters individually. It was putting them into the correct order that was still a challenge. " **AAAEE."** Rogue grunted as he squinted in concentration, trying to figure how to pronounce the next letter – one that had always been difficult with his mouth structure. " **EE…BBBEE."** He continued, deciding that the attempt was close enough. " **SSSSEEEEE."** Rogue focused, trying to remember which of the letters he knew came next. " **UUHHH…EEEFFF?"**

Hange laughed. "Not quite! You missed two letters!"

The titan's eyes widened at his blunder before trying to search his mind again – the afternoon sun beginning to fade away. " **DDDEEEE? EEEEEE?"** Rogue asked, hoping that he wasn't wrong. To his relief, the messy-haired woman squealed in congratulation.

"Yes! That's right! D and E come after C! Whoo! With more time you'll be able to read written orders!" The woman articulated whimsically. "Now say the last two letters you know!"

" **EFFFFF. GGGEEE!"**

"Brilliant Rogue! Now let's add three more letters to your arsenal!" Hange continued as she held up a card that bore a letter that was two sticks with one going through them. "This is the letter 'H' Rogue. Can you say it?"

The titan tilted his head in intrigue. " **AAEECCCHH?"**

Petra nodded. "Yes. The words 'happy' and 'hello' start with H."

" **AAEECCH."** Rogue repeated to himself as Hange moved on to the next card – one with a letter that looked like a simple line.

"This is the letter 'I' Rogue. This should be an easy one for you to remember. You refer yourself as 'I' when you talk to others."

Rogue dipped his head, thrilled that the new letter was already familiar to him. " **EEEIIII!** "

"Good. Now the next letter is 'J' Rogue. The words 'joke' and 'jolly' start with the letter. It comes after I. Can you repeat it for me please?"

" **JJJAAAAAYYY."**

"Super!" Petra praised. "Now as usual, recite the alphabet with the new letters!"

The titan acknowledged her demand with a grunt, brow wrinkling in concentration yet again. " **AAAEEEE, EBBBEE, SSEEEE, DEEE, EEEEE… EEFFF, GEEEE."** He paused, aligning the new letters into the sequence. " **EEIII… NOO! AAAEEECCHH! EEEII! JJAAaayyee."** Rogue recited, voice cracking at the end in protest. He had been talking quite a bit in the last two hours.

The two humans gave their gestures of congratulation, clapping their hands together before Hange readied another small set of cards. "You're doing magnificent! Now, since it sounds as if your voice is straining, we'll limit the reading material. Mikasa and Armin should be back anytime anyway." She explained as she held up the first card, a simple word used to describe the creatures known as felines.

Rogue stared long and hard at the collection of letters. **"CCAatt."** The beast finally answered with the two expressing their praise. Hange then held up another picture-less card, the titan recognizing the word with certainty. " **BBIIIIGgg!"** He answered, his green pools catching his little ones entering his nest. The two had obviously changed out of their uniforms into their leisurely clothes and had a fresh scent of soap. They were obviously worn out from their training tasks, muscles tensing and exhaustion radiating from their bodies. However, though they were obviously tired, they smiled in greeting, the titan beaming widely in return. Rogue couldn't help but to let out a rumbling trill and several grunts in greeting, the creature lowering a bit to gift his two little ones with a welcoming nuzzle.

"Hey Rogue." Armin spoke warmly, exhaustion still tainting his voice. "What have you been doing?"

" **HHAANNGGEE ANNNDD PPPEEETRRAA TTEECHH NNEEE ALLBBET Annd EEEaaadd!"** He informed, his strained vocal cords causing him to cough uncomfortably, provoking Mikasa to frown – a tentative sigh leaving her as she eyed the two veterans.

"Yeah Rogue, I can tell you've been learning." His little one spoke dryly as she rubbed his nose, pressing her forehead into his toasty skin before turning her gaze to the Section Commander and the Veteran. "Did you guys overdo it?"

As quickly as the words left his little one's mouth, Hange denied with a strong shake of her head. "Oh no! He only just started to get hoarse. Hmm… as much as I would like to continue, I think it would be best if we called it quits." She laughed. "We can't have the main attraction loose his voice before tomorrow! Oh no we can't!" Hange exclaimed as she stood and began to pick up her materials. "As far as a progress report, Rogue has been steadily improving. He's able to say ten out of the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, he's getting his nouns down pretty well, and Rogue is able to read two more words!"

The titan smiled at the news, proud of his achievement, the creature then held his head up high – smiling down at his little ones as he awaited their applause.

"That's great Rogue." Mikasa began as she patted his wrist. "I'm sure the Jaegers would have been proud of you."

The titan nodded softly, taking in her sympathetic words with grace. At first, including the Jaegers in a speech similar this one upset Rogue to a level for it brought back horrible memories. Now, he had learned that this kind of complement was among one of the best he could receive. Rogue then let out a cavernous yawn, the boards in the barn vibrating. The titan then carefully removed himself from his seat and began to fluff the organic cushioning of hay with a great mixture of feathers from the many pillows that he had ripped open in amusement over time. Feeling that it was appropriate to his liking, Rogue then carefully lowered himself onto his back, rumbling in content. The titan then performed his final nightly routine, inviting his little ones to rest with an open palm. Once Armin and Mikasa climbed into his hand, Rogue then placed the two teens with great care upon his chest, purring a bit as he watched his tired little ones get into position before cradling a hand over them in protection. Petra then gave in to a stretch, a small squeak catching in her throat.

"Well, I guess it's a sign for me to get in bed since you three are already prepped for slumber." The redhead smiled as she grabbed her cloak from the back of her chair. "Good night you guys and good luck tomorrow Rogue. Remember our promise okay?"

Seeing her sweet hold of her lips, the titan nodded and grunted, holding up a pinkie to show that he wasn't to forget. At his return, the titan's self-proclaimed offspring eyed him teasingly.

"What did you pinkie promise Petra, Rogue?" Mikasa smiled softly, a finger tracing one of the many veins beneath his skin.

" **NOOoo CCUuuss."** He implied as he let his head sink further back into the mixture of mint but old pillows and hay. Armin chortled after a long display of his exhaustion.

"Yeah, you sure can't do that."

"Ah yes! As much as I would love to see Nile get cussed out by a titan, we can't have Rogue being naughty!" Hange laughed as she struggled to keep hold of all her teaching and note taking materials. "You have to be a good boy and show them how great you are!" The woman informed as she began to make her way into the spare bedroom. "I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to be up for a bit transferring notes into your journal." Hange spoke as she disappeared into her room, not bothering to hear their opinion – even though they didn't mind.

For a long moment it was silent between the titan and his residing little ones. Finally, Armin spoke up.

"Don't be nervous about tomorrow, Rogue. Just do your best. Don't let them distract you. If you mess up a move or something, don't give up."

Rogue nodded at their words, taking them in with utter seriousness.

"Oh I almost forgot!" Hange chuckled as she emerged from the room and made her way to her desk. "Would you like this on?" She asked as she gestured to the music box sitting in the only non-cluttered area of her workspace.

Immediately, Rogue dipped his head in hungry approval – ears flickering in anticipation of the coming tune. The music box that Mikasa had given him was one of his most favorite gifts that he had received. It was sweet therapy to aid with his looming nightmares that would attack him relentlessly. Over time, the titan had found that the tune of the instrument had always lulled him into a peaceful state of mind. It was silly to think that something meant to lull babies to sleep would greatly benefit a fifteen-meter titan. Despite the odds, it did. Because of the level of intensity in his nightmares, Rogue didn't like to fall asleep without it.

The minutes ticked by and darkness settled into the interior of his nest with the melody of the music box flowing through the air, a soft light still radiating from the spare bedroom where Hange was hard at work. Rogue inhaled and exhaled steadily, watching with dim and half lidded eyes as his little ones rose and fell on his expanding and deflating chest. They were asleep, worn ragged from their day's activities. Gently, the careful creature brushed his large thumb upon their scalps as a last bid of tenderness before he relaxed into the plush of his bedding. Rogue shielded his eyes, waiting for sleep to claim him as his mind went for one last walk into his thoughts. One in particular kept him at bay, Levi's strange words he had spoken in light of his departure. Since then, the titan had trouble understanding their underlining meaning, but an odd feeling was pulling at him. The man's words didn't sound good.

_The air was thick, foggy, descending over the landscape in a dense blanket – leaving it in an eerie atmosphere. There was a silence that he couldn't quite explain – just quiet except for his unsteady breath, beating heart, and bizarre sound of gently lapping water. There were no birds, animals, or any other living soul. With an uncanny feeling clinging to Rogue, the titan gradually opened his eyes._

_Confusion then swept over him._

_The area was plain, seemingly bathed in a light shade of grey. There was a vast lack of grass beneath his seated figure, replaced by an odd substance. The titan blinked in curiosity. Was it – small microscopic rocks? The titan instinctively looked over his shoulder for any ignorant prey or an unknown attacker coming from behind, but saw nothing but the ominous mist. Suddenly, he felt wetness at his feet. With the lack of pain that usually came with the gushing of blood, Rogue shot his gaze back to his feet. Puzzlement clamped onto his brain yet again. It wasn't blood receding and sweeping over his appendages, but rather pale blue water. The titan tilted his head, leaning over in the slightest to examine it further. Its movements were mesmerizing and never before had he ever seen water colored such a hue. Rogue cautiously dipped his hand in the foaming waves, trying to get a better look at this mysterious blue liquid. To his disappointment, the liquid in his palm had faded to match its translucent other. He then let the liquid fall unceremoniously to the strange earth below. A light breeze drifted through his locks, lifting the cloud cover in the slightest. Emerald greens grew wider in even more befuddlement- perhaps worry. The water seemed to go on and on. Was it bordered by land further out or was it possible that it never ended?_

_Where the hell was he?_

_Thinking back to the hours he spent nestled in his tree with his little one sharing the old book about the world beyond with him – was it possible that this vast blue water was indeed the ocean? Could it really be? No it couldn't have been. He resided behind the walls. Always had. This had to have been a large lake on the other side of Maria that he had never beheld. It had to be. There was no… there was no way it could be the ocean right?_

_Rogue sniffed, the salty air stinging the lining inside his nostrils before settling into a calming aroma. However there was something else that made his body instantly tense, a smell that made a sickening rage knot in his gullet. It was familiar, provoking, but exotic._

_It was titan and it was close._

_ALARMINGLY CLOSE._

_Now out of his trance like state, Rogue turned his head sharply to see another large titan seated next to him. Propelled by his promise, Rogue immediately willed himself to stand – but his legs wouldn't work. Alas, the creature could only move his head, neck and upper body with the exception of his toes. His legs felt like rocks – ones that were so heavy that they couldn't be moved. He could feel panic sweeping over him at the fact that he was defenseless. Now fearing that he could possibly lose his life, Rogue turned to face the titan again in preparation to fight with everything he had._

_But then he noticed something. Something peculiar that confused him more than even the bizarre landscape._

_The titan was still comfortably seated next to him, legs neatly crossed and hands folded gracefully in its lap. However, it wasn't the creature's abnormally calm state that puzzled him. The beast next to him looked so_ _**similar** _ _. Like Rogue and most titans, it had leathery and deeply tan skin. It looked to be analogous in size as well, perhaps a fellow fifteen or maybe even slightly larger – its build at least certainly was. Much like his own physique, the neighboring titan was muscular but definitely more bulky, having a slight gut that folded over part of its lower pelvis. Of course, the thing that Rogue found to be the most astonishing was what the titan's head and face looked like. Its hair was dark, shaggy, and went past its broad shoulders. Yet, that was not what was so stunning. Its ears – were pointed. Just like his and flickered and moved just like his as well. Rogue's own elfish extremities left their threatening position against his skull and faced forward in interest. The titan's nose was also hooked and its eyes were also outlined in a black shade. Rogue's greens then traveled to the beast's mouth, but was unable to tell if it had lips or not for it had a well developed beard dangling past its chin. Rogue grew still, barely breathing as he continued to speculate._

_This creature… was it possible that it – was it like him? Rogue fidgeted, unsure of what to do. He had never seen another titan so similar to his appearance. He almost wanted to grab the thing's ears and lift the hair on its face to see if they were truly of the same roots. Another part of him wanted to show his companions, but he was clearly alone. He wasn't entirely sure what to do. After all, alike or not – the titan could very well be a strange one and suddenly attack him._

_Before he could ponder further, the mysterious titan turned his head in the slightest, placing its gaze onto Rogue in an expression that seemed almost similar to the Corporal's, stern but with something underlining beneath it. One thing about the beast, he could see the clear intelligence in its eyes, bright and upfront. Alive like his own. The titan then turned its gaze back onto the horizon, letting a nonthreatening grumble slip from between its teeth in greeting. Rogue craned his neck even further in suspicion. The titan before him was indeed intelligent. Perhaps – perhaps it could talk like him. Maybe he could ask it questions. He could inquiry where they were at, if the water was the ocean, what was he, and if he knew anything about their kind even. Deciding that the titan was not a danger, Rogue opened his mouth and prepared to ask his queries._

_But no sound came out._

_Rogue narrowed his eyes in frustration, struggling to get a sound – any sound past his lipless maw but there was none. Where was his voice!_

_Still attempting to find any sound or word, Rogue watched as the titan turned its head again, its mouth slowly opening and its eyes fixed onto his._

_"ROGUE."_

_His eyes blew open wider. How? It could talk too! But how did it know his name!_

_"ROGUE."_

_Gathering himself, he tried to speak again but to no avail. Why wasn't he able to get a word out!_

_"ROGUE."_

_Repeatedly he tried, only managing steam from his jaws. Why couldn't he speak! Who was this titan! Was he really like him! Where the hell was he! Why was this happening! What was going on!_

_"ROGUE."_

"Rogue."

His eyes flew open to see the wooden beams and structure of the barn's roof. The titan blinked in confusion. He was in his the lack of lightweights upon his chest, Rogue immediately raised his head to see that his little ones had left him - probably indulging from an early breakfast.

"Rogue. Come on. Get up. We can't be late."

Levi was standing near his shoulder, arms folded over in impatience. "Come on, your sweet dreams are over. Zackley and Nile should be here within a half hour. Erwin went to fetch them in town. He's briefing them. We are to meet them at the entrance."

Rogue still found himself blinking his eyes, trying to get a grip on reality. Yes, it was just a dream. He wasn't in a desolate landscape. He wasn't near a great body of water. And the mysterious titan in his night vision was fake. An imaginary illusion. The titan's voice was simply Levi telling him to wake up. Rogue sighed, breathing a breath of steam. It was just another silly dream that he could push from his mind.

Tending to the Corporal's commands, Rogue then sat up – taking a moment to stretch his taut muscles with Levi almost tapping his foot impatiently.

"Damn you're taking your time." He grumbled, Rogue narrowing his eyes but understanding that he had to get his still tired self moving – even if the sun was barely peeking into the barn. "Anyways, I'm going to review the ground rules. I'm sure you know just what the tests are since we've drilled them into your head." Levi pressed on almost urgently as Rogue got to his knees. "No funny shit. At all. Be mature. You can't joke around and say horses are Jean or draw dicks in the damn dirt like Springer showed you. You can be friendly to leave a damn good first impression – especially to Zackley. Obey everything we say. Most importantly, don't show any aggression towards that fucking bastard Nile. Remember, he will try to find anything to pick you apart so he can convince Zackley that you're a waste of time. Even so, he may still bitch at you. I don't care if you give Zackley a welcome gift, just impress the guy but don't go overboard. Suck up to the man, but don't make it obvious that we told you to do so. Do you understand?"

The titan nodded again in serious regard. This wouldn't be hard would it?

He was just doing what he was doing before – with two extra bystanders. He could do this, show that he was the perfect super-size soldier and prove his worth. He had to do it. There was no room for failure. He couldn't lose everyone again, they couldn't lose him either. Rogue then exhaled a deep and steamy breath before following Levi from the barn. He could not fuck this up. He just couldn't.

* * *

Rogue remained quiet but nervous as he stared out at the dirt road leading to the entrance of the flying human territory. He was sitting neatly with Levi neighboring him, arms folded over and wearing a scowl as usual while his little ones stood next to him – both rubbing his knee in reassurance. As much as he wanted to deny, he was still greatly nervous. Sure, there were things he had significantly improved at, like his teaching sessions and other parts of training, but he was still struggling with a certain combat move that he had learned under Levi's hand. He was likely to mess it up and perhaps be ridiculed for failing. This also included his memorization of certain words from Hange. He prayed that he wouldn't forget them. Rogue's gaze then glanced down at his little ones, eyes watching with an underlining layer of stress as the two teens continued to comfort. They returned easy smiles – ones that were obviously weak and shaky. The titan gave his own feeble one in return. Failing these trials was not an option. Humanity needed him, the Scouts needed him, and so did his babies. Hell, if he destroyed his chances at life he would grab his loved ones and escape into Wall Maria – perhaps even go beyond the wall.

"You know Rogue, we can tell you're tense." Armin articulated as he patted the creature's leathery flesh. "Just take a deep breath and relax. You are well off, so this won't be hard! Put it this way, if you can lift a rock weighing thousands of pounds with everyone watching, you can do this simple series of tasks."

Rogue's eyes widened in intrigue, he had never thought of it that way. Yes, if he could lift that big boulder then he could do this! This would be a stroll in the woods compared to that daunting and exhausting duty! With his smile transforming into a confident one, Rogue purred and nodded in thanks – happy for the small pep talk.

Suddenly, the sound of wooden wheels rolling over clumped and dry dirt presented itself to his eardrums. The titan then turned away from his little ones to see a fancy wagon pulled by two well-groomed horses. The creature had never seen such a wagon like this before. It was covered much like many owned by the flying human pack, but they were graced in cloth rather than shiny red and yellow wood – making the wheeled contraption look like a small human dwelling on wheels. It was definitely something more for leisure rather than carrying weapons. Perhaps Hange could teach him later as to what the strange cart was.

"Alright brat, get to your feet. Only crouch back down when I tell you." Levi muttered bitterly, the titan knowing very well that the man was grumpy and on edge with the arrival of the important visitors. That was another thing they had in common. "Remember, salute the two men when they exit. Just remain quiet until the trials."

Upright now, Rogue nodded quickly in comprehension as he watched from his towering bulk as the wagon stopped at the small wire gate. Rogue waited impatiently as he observed the wheeled human house open his small doors. Then, the familiar figure of his commander stepped from the rolling residence, displaying a welcoming gesture and almost a cunning smile as he waved an arm to his figure – signaling him to salute. With his chest puffed as a show of loyalty, Rogue remained still as he swallowed his last bit of nerves. Of course, he couldn't help but to look down to meet eyes with the new arrivals upon the pack's territory. The titan remained vigilant as two figures followed Erwin into the beaming sunlight. From his towering height, Rogue could see that one of the men was of a more bulky build and the other was skinny. One was also obviously older than the other, possessing a neatly groomed white beard while the man next to him had hair dark as the night that grew in a single thick strip down his head. Rogue glanced at Levi, waiting for the indication to lower. He had to observe them closer.

"So Commander, this is the legendary Rogue Titan." The older man initiated in a crackled but authoritative voice.

"Yes, this is Rogue Jaeger."

To his surprise, the white haired man only saluted to those below him in return before folding his own arms behind him. The other man however, remained still, arms still crossed. Levi then turned to him and waved a casual hand for him to descend. Gradually, Rogue lowered himself to perch upon his folded knees, leaning forward in the slightest with locks of hair falling nearly around his face as he scrutinized the two before him. The older man with hair like snow was a human similar to Pixis – except for the fact that his garbs were much more decorated with cloth, ribbons, and shiny buttons that he wanted to touch and examine. The man's face though was much different than Rogue had ever seen. It was cad in creases and wrinkles, but the titan was well aware what old humans looked like. It was rather the level of seriousness that riddled the man's mold. His eyes looked wise, reflecting experience, but there was also a twinge of lunacy buried deep in the man's unbroken stare. It reminded him of his own blonde leader. The skinny man was the complete opposite. His body language radiated with pure disgust, but the scent of the man's newly forming sweat told him even more. There was fear present. The male's face was pulled into a nervous scowl, teeth biting his lower lip fretfully. His eyes, almost narrowed, still held the panicked gaze of jumpy prey. A foot was further than the other, elevated slightly in preparation to take a step back. Rogue blinked. This man – had he ever seen a titan before?

"They were right, this titan is far different from those few that I've seen in the past and those I've read about." The white haired man continued as his eyes traveled up and down at his frame before resting on his face. "I can tell that he err – Rogue is incredibly strong and smart. I can see an amount of intelligence in those eyes."

The titan raised a brow in confusion. He almost felt like this man was addressing him as some sort of animal, but perhaps he was overthinking things. The man did say that he hadn't seen a titan quite like him. It was probably the norm to be addressed as such by someone who hadn't seen a creature as unique as himself before – especially a beast who's kin were dumb as a sack of rocks.

"Why is this thing not tied up?"

Rogue froze at the remark, studded by the sudden use of cruel words – even his little ones looked on completely transgressed. Taken aback, the titan looked to the other man in silent shock, eyes vaguely wide from the harsh comment. Instantly, he could see that the man's face fell into an even deeper grimace than before. This man, how could he say such a thing even after he pledged his loyalty?

"Erwin," The arrogant man demanded. "Why is this monster sitting here without so much as a pair of giant shackles on it?"

The titan's eyes flickered with a dangerous glint at the man. Monster. It. These were two of the words that Rogue hated the most for humans to refer to him as. To Rogue, monsters were only common titans, murderous humans, and the two strange skinless titans that he had seen. Monster was a hurtful term to Rogue. Monsters were those that preyed on innocent to live or for fun. He was no monster. Although he looked the part, he was no bloodthirsty animal.

But he did know that he now hated the man. He had to be the one called –

"Well Nile, Rogue may be big and hulking, but he's very loyal and incredibly friendly. He's harmless."

The man only sneered in response, not replying with even a single word. Rogue quickly adverted his eyes away with resentment. So this was the 'Nile Dock' that he had been previously warned about. He could see why. The man was practically a scale less serpent. He was even ruder than Levi had been. He did NOT like Nile.

AT ALL.

"Rogue," Erwin pressed on despite the interruption. "This man here is Premier Zackley, leader of the entire military." The blonde gestured to the decorated man. "The other is Commander Nile Dock from the Military Police."

The titan dipped his head in acknowledgement and gave a rumbling trill in greeting to the white haired individual. This man was the leader of all the packs! No wonder he was so ornate! Giving in to his active curiosity, Rogue lowered even further to view the great leader at eye level. Green pools caught the man twinge slightly, suggesting him to initiate a lopsided smile and a slight flutter of his ears as a bid for the man to relax. Everyone had told him that Zackley was the man he was to suck up to, so he would treat him as he did his own pack leaders. Sensing that conditions were all right to proceed, Rogue progressed to intrude any barrier by gently sniffing the man to see what else he could silently tell him. The titan felt that this was a necessary thing to do when a visitor of any kind came into his family's residence. Humans were creatures held secrets much like himself. In addition to reading a person's characteristics, an incredibly close examination was another way to thoroughly understand a human.

"Commander, what is he doing?" Zackley asked as Rogue continued, breaths ruffling the man's hair.

"It's nothing to worry about. It's just a way that Rogue evaluates a new visitor on our property. Section Commander Zoe says the behavior is an instinctual thing. He's quite attached to us now and this is a way that he determines if you're a threat or not. Rogue did the same to Pixis when he arrived." Erwin explained as the titan advanced to probe the ribbons and metals upon the man's jacket, rumbling in awe as he scrutinized each and every one. Pixis didn't even have most of these! "Of course, he is a curious sort, he may just be wanting to look at your metals and sashes."

"I see. Does he do this to everyone that comes here?"

Without so much as a second of hesitation, Erwin continued. "We do not have many visitors at all. So not often. If it's anyone, it's just military personnel delivering messages. Rogue is accustomed to them now. Sometimes he even brings Corporal Levi and I the mail – which is usually followed by him wanting us to scratch his ears in return."

"So is he going to sniff me like a giant dog?" Nile spoke in an almost bored tone. Just as Rogue glanced at the man, Levi cleared his throat.

"He can read some people quite easily. I'm pretty sure he's already made up his mind about you."

Rogue smirked in amusement as the MP's face fell in disgust. He liked it when Levi spat a smartass comeback to defend him. The titan himself was horrible at smart comebacks. His way of settling things with someone he wasn't fond of was spitting on them, destroying something of theirs, or simply blessing them with a roar in their face.

A sneer spread across Zackley's facade as Rogue concluded his examination, returning to his previous stance with a rumbling purr and ears wiggling in liking. "I guess he approves of me then. So – his behavior is pretty good?"

"Certainty."

"Ah, well that's a nice factor." Zackley replied as he then met the gaze of his little ones. "I'm gong to also assume that you two are the 'Titan Children' that the information speaks of in the papers and files?"

Armin nodded. "Yes, we've been with Rogue for years. He was raising us in Maria until the Scouts came. I'm Armin Arlert and that's Mikasa Ackerman."

Zackley nodded. "Well, I must say that the two of you accomplished a rare and impossible feat. Surviving in titan infested Wall Maria for five years is quite something, but being cared for by a titan is something truly astounding."

"I guess they are not titan pups or something, Erwin." Nile began venomously. "They are pretty coherent for feral children. I'm surprised they even speak words after their ordeal."

The insult was just enough for Rogue to let go of a small hold on his emotions. Reflexively, the titan glanced to the skinny man and unknowingly let a low growl slip from his throat, eyes narrowed into slits. How dare this man insult his little ones! He had no right to criticize them just because of their relation to him! Just because he wasn't human didn't mean that his tender babies deserved such words. For several tense seconds, it was silent - the Commander, Corporal, and his little ones giving him quite an eyeful while fear flickered before the two visitor's faces. At the crowd's reaction, it was only then Rogue realized that he had slipped up. The titan immediately let his muscles go lax and his facial features smooth, blinking in disbelief at his mistake. Several more seconds crawled by as Rogue fumbled with what to do until he finally snorted and turned to Armin and Mikasa to give a soft whine to question if they were affected by the offensive remark. They only replied with a gentle pat to his knee, smiling softly but eyes lit with concern.

"Wild animal." Nile muttered beneath his breath. "Should be put in a cage like every other foul -

"As an added fact," Mikasa began with a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Rogue is a great listener and can understand almost every word you say. So I'd be cautious of your –

His little one was then halted by Levi's cold stare, growing silent in light of the impending argument. It truly amazed him how quick Mikasa was to defend his existence. Zackley then turned to Erwin, seriousness painted on his face.

"Looks like he's hot blooded, Commander, Corporal. Is he temperamental often?" The Premier looked on sternly at the two men of authority, obviously testing them.

"Typically, he's a goddamn ray of sunshine." Levi replied with his face looking as bored as usual. "It's hard to catch him in a foul mood."

"Yes, Rogue is a kindly and trustworthy Scout. He gets along with everyone here except for Cadet Kirstein – who is a bit arrogant to begin with. Their relation is still mutual; they mostly just exchange their dislike for one another in 'friendly' spats. Kirstein is usually the one who starts it." Erwin supported, looking at Zackley with a convincing gaze.

The man nodded. "I see then." Zackley paused, running his fingers through his beard. "How about we begin with the trials shall we? You said you wanted to start with the intelligence tests?"

Erwin dipped his head. "Yes. The questions to the extent of Rogue's intelligence are some that I'm sure have been swarming around your, the MP's, and the public's heads for a while. I figured it would be nice to answer your main queries about Rogue first before we move on the more physical parts of his exams. Plus it would be best if Rogue absorbed some more sunlight for the more extensive tasks as well."

"That's fine, Commander. I trust that Zoe will be involved in the first trial?"

"Yes. Hange will give you a brief introduction about her recent findings." Erwin continued as he led the two men back to the fancy wagon. "I'm sure you'll be impressed with our new recruit. We certainly are."

"I look forward to it. Now, you also wanted to debrief me and Nile of something else?" Zackley asked as the three climbed inside the wood covering.

"I'll inform you both on the way to the courtyard." The blonde leader concluded as he sealed the trio of men inside. Without a second to spare, the ornate rolling residence motioned past them on the dirt road.

Knowing he was needed quickly, Rogue lowered his palm for the remaining humans to hitch a ride, but was greeted by only a puzzling scene before him. Instead of his little ones or Levi climbing into his hand, they simply exchanged troubling glances. The Corporal looked livid.

"I gave you a simple order, Rogue. I told you if Nile runs his fucking mouth and says something smartass that you do not give in to emotion or instinct. You were to stay quiet. Why didn't you?"

The man's dark tone excavated his once buried nerves. " **OORRRYY EEVVII. EEEII NEESSS UUUTT. EERR… EETTT UUSSTT AAAMMMEE OOUUTT."** Rogue apologized, swallowing nervously as he awaited for further scolding. This time though, Levi only sighed, giving Mikasa a chance to speak.

"Rogue you have to be careful. These people are analyzing every little thing you do. If you do something else that could be called aggressive – they could decide that you have to be killed."

The titan whined softly in light of his error. He simply nodded in reply, ears drooping and brows sinking in shame.

"Just be more careful. These two have an even higher rank than Erwin and I. With them, there is no excuse for anything. Remember that Rogue." Levi pressed on, slightly more compassionate. "Also, as much as you want to, don't turn into a puppy that just found out they had a working nose. I don't care how much you want to look at Zackley's belongings and shit, that action was risky to someone who wasn't familiar with your aspects."

Armin quickly displayed his agreement. "Yeah Rogue, Zackley isn't like all of us. You have to be very careful around him. Especially in Nile's view. You can be friendly, but show respect okay?"

The titan gave a quick but very clear nod.

"Don't forget what I told you earlier as well, Rogue." Levi finished as he then climbed into the creature's palm with his little ones soon joining him. The behemoth then stood and placed his precious cargo onto his shoulder before starting in the direction of the courtyard. He remained deep in his own thoughts as he took one lumbering step after another. Rogue remembered Levi's morning suggestion well. He had to suck up and put forth his best. The bearded man was definitely difficult to decode when it came to his intentions. There were meanings that he himself couldn't quite pick up from Zackley's statements. Rogue couldn't tell what they were, so friendliness and showing his worth was crucial. He would present the man with his knowledge and talents soon with the addition of a gift – Pixis seemed to be grateful for the rock he had given him. Perhaps Zackley would like the same thing or something similar.

Then there was Nile. He _despised_ Nile. The man treated him just like any other mindless titan. Like a monster. The cruel words that shot from between the man's lips were absolutely vile and deeply hurt him. The arrogant man even crossed the line and brought his babies in as unwilling participants! If he was able to, he would spit on the man and then will himself to do the humanly act of drinking liquid just so he could have the stomach contents to vomit on the man afterwards. Rogue was clever though, already thinking of a plan to get him back without messing up his chances or survival – a plan that he was unsure if he would even have the guts to carry out.

One thing he was for certain though, he was going to give every trial his all. He couldn't afford to lose anyone else and he also had to make good on his oath.

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin sat on the steps that connected the castle to the worn and tatty bricks from the courtyard. He was quiet, regulating his breath to his hide any unsteadiness. Mikasa was next to him, emotionless as the night of her parents' murders – gaze almost dead and mouth tight. He knew she was bottling up her feelings. As well as for Rogue, Mikasa was more than likely fighting Nile's crude words. He had to admit, even the man's unnecessary statement left a bitter taste in his mouth. Next to him was the Premier and joined at the man's hip was Nile seated the opposite. Erwin and Levi were the only other onlookers present – sealing themselves behind the small party to likely eavesdrop. The blonde teen looked out into the cleared courtyard, observing as Hange and Molbit scrambled to gather flashcards and other tutoring materials all the while Rogue sat calmly in the center of the piazza with his attention following the movement of a humming bird before looking innocently at Hange as if he was going to ask her about what they were doing.

The titan continued to remain patient, like a kid told to wait on a coming gift. The blonde teen couldn't help but let a small smile come to his face when Rogue got momentarily sidetracked by plucking a loose brick from the walk with a single finger before turning to Hange who was fiddling with her notes. The titan emitted a soft grunt, pointing inconspicuously to the dislodged brick. Hange grinned in response and nodded her head as some sort of permission. Rogue then let out an enthusiastic rumble and with incredible care, picked up the brick and plopped it down at the Premier's feet. The titan then looked to the man expectedly with his head tilted and ears facing forward, awaiting a response with hopeful looking eyes. He nearly laughed at the titan's gesture. Despite his appearance, Rogue was damn good at acting innocuous. He could tell the titan was a bit indifferent about Zackley as the man seemed to be with the creature himself. They had expected this from Rogue. Of course, they were not trying to convince the titan to like the man, but the man to like the titan. If he could compare the situation to a metaphor, he would say it was like telling a kid to be nice and friendly to a less than favorable aunt or uncle at a family reunion just to make a good impression. Encouraging Rogue to give 'welcome gifts' like he had done to Pixis would hopefully sway Zackley to see that Rogue was not even close to being an abomination despite his species.

The honored man blinked in confusion at the brick near his feet. Zackley then bent over and retrieved the object in a careful hand, examining it from corner to corner. "Commander, what does this mean?" The Premier questioned as he held it for Erwin to view, Rogue still looking on buoyantly.

"It's a thing that Rogue does. He gives what we have come to call 'welcome gifts' to anyone that visits headquarters."

"Welcome gifts?"

"Yes. They can be anything from rocks to bottles and even sticks. Obviously bricks as well."

Zackley nodded, turning back to the titan who was still looking like a pup waiting for a treat. The man then turned to the two teens. "I see, did you teach him to do such a thing?"

"No actually." Armin replied, fingers running through his sun colored locks. "Honestly, it's a bit of a funny story, Sir. We got Rogue a few gifts to help him adjust to his new surroundings. He sort of heard an explanation as to why and we guess he felt the need to do the same to everyone." He informed. Why had the Premier asked him that?

"Very interesting Cadet Arlert." Zackley responded before returning his attention to the awaiting titan only to give a nonverbal gesture of appreciation that Rogue took just as well as the actual word of thanks – trilling loudly and wiggling his elfish ears just as Hange finished organizing. "Section Commander. Are we ready to begin with the first series of tests?"

Hange quickly gathered her journal, one that she was using to document Rogue's information and progress, and quickly took her position facing the small crowd with the titan watching intently and listening for any order. "Alright then!" Hange nearly squealed. "It's an honor to have you here Premier Zackley! Before we show you Rogue's intelligence, allow me to share with you my discoveries! Now, I'm not talking about the information you've seen in the papers. The following information is the results of my extensive studies of Rogue. I'll elaborate first on just how Rogue is different from the other titans. Now," Hange continued enthusiastically. "Our main query about Rogue when he first arrived was if his unique genetic makeup was the result of a mutation or if it was because he was a completely different species. After many tests, including cross DNA examination, we discovered that Rogue was a completely new breed of titan. And the fact about his breed that sets him apart from the common species of titan – is that Rogue was practically made for hunting our enemy! He is an apex predator! Rogue is stronger, faster, and smarter than any other titan we know of out there! Our subject's features support this. Rogue's body is powerful and packs loads of stamina so he can track and travel for great distances to get to his target. His main features can be seen on his face. Rogue can smell a titan's scent for miles with incredibly keen scent receptors. His ears are one of his most notable features as you can see," Hange pointed out with the titan wiggling and shifting his elfish extremities as demonstration. "Rogue's hearing is far better than that of a standard titan, making it one of his most reliable tools in hunting or locating people. He is able to pick up the sounds of whispers, breathing, and even heartbeats from a good distance. Rogue's ears also pivot and move independently to acknowledge positions of prey. As an aspect that isn't related to hunting, Rogue uses his pointed ears as a form of expression. Forward means that he's interested or alert and listening, when they are pinned against his skull that indicates disgust or aggression, drooped means that he's upset or worried, and when they wiggle – that's Rogue's way of telling you that he's happy or excited. Moving on to our subject's mouth, it's bizarre and frightening to some but it's perfect for ripping out chunks of meat! The serrated formation of his teeth makes up for his lack of canines – which are common with most carnivores with the purpose of keeping prey in their grip. Rogue's teeth arrangement are set so that a titan can't tear away or escape once they are in his vice grip. His tongue, like everything else about our resident titan, is also different. The fact that he can taste titan meat was also a find that contributed to Rogue's status in the food chain, a factor that gave us a picture of his diet. However, like all titans, Rogue doesn't necessarily need to eat to survive. Our titan also has the strongest jaw strength that I've ever measured. Rogue is able to bite through some of the strongest of steel and chop a four-meter wide tree in half with ease. " Hange paused, trying to catch her breath through her enthusiastic reading. "The final feature is Rogue's gorgeous eyes! They are truly those that belong to a predator! The dark rings around them help with glare from the sun in addition to being unique markings. Of course, the two major things are the fact that Rogue has tapetum lucidum, which is the equivalent to night vision – a key feature for a titan who can stay awake in the long hours of the night. The other aspect is Rogue incredibly useful third eyelid or nictating membranes." The scientist brought forth with the titan displaying the oddity on cue, the creature's blinking wiping a revolted look upon Nile's face. "The addition of the third eyelid allows Rogue to safely blink in battle without losing track of his foes."

"Intriguing, Section Commander." Zackley joined in. "Now, what else did you find in the DNA examination? I'm sure that was quite telling. Was there anything else that you'd like to inform me of before we move on?"

Armin bit his lip. Zackley was astounding at being able to read the plays of the situation. Instinctively, Armin's hand discreetly snaked for any dampness beneath his arms, finding none of great quantities but still a slight amount. Why was he so nervous? It wasn't like they were lying to the Premier! They were spilling almost every bean they had! Zackley was smart though. It was his job to dissect such things. With Rogue, he wanted no stone unturned.

The teens could only imagine the commotion once Rogue began talking – a fact that only the titan's small circle of people knew and was never disclosed anywhere public.

"Well Premier Zackley," Hange continued as she turned the page of her notes. "The most telling things about Rogue came from the observation of his blood. We were able to gather some facts that gave us some insight about Rogue and his breed. I'll start with the most unforeseen! Now, you may think that our new titan species is a fresh one, but that's false! Components in Rogue's blood indicated that he himself was slightly over a hundred years old! This mean's that Rogue's kind was among the first titans to walk the earth!"

The man rubbed his chin. "So he's a century old?"

"Yes!"

"Hmm, now Section Commander, if Rogue's species is an apex predator, then why are there no others around?"

Hange bit her lip, barely noticeable as she sucked the inside of her cheek. "It's a foggy aspect that we are still working to discover. However, we do believe that Rogue may be the last of his species that we know of since he's the first humankind has seen in over a century. Of course, we also found that our subject was from a far region outside the walls. As to what happened, it's unclear how the others like him disappeared or if Rogue was somehow separated from them. Like the mystery to the titan's themselves, we just don't know."

"I see. Please continue Miss Zoe."

Hange nodded. "Thank you! Now let's proceed to the intelligence tests and formation review!" The woman continued as she sat her journal aside and retrieved the first set of flashcards with Molbit sitting up a chair facing the waiting titan. "Our series of tests consist of various cards that display shapes, pictures, and other images that Rogue will indicate what they are." Hange explained with a big smile spread across her face as Zackley and Nile sat up her statement – faces more concerned and serious than ever. Before they could question meaning, Hange continued. "Now! Before you ask as to how Rogue will be able to manage to accomplish communication, let us first share his incredible gift!" The overjoyed scientist turned to the titan. "I don't know if you got to really introduce yourself before, so why don't you do that now Rogue! Don't be shy!"

Armin watched nervously as Zackley and Nile became even more perplexed as Rogue turned to the two men, jaw formed into an obdurate grin. It was hard to tell how the Military heads would take Rogue's one of a kind talent. The spectating Scouts held their breaths as Rogue salivated his throat and opened his mouth.

" **EEELLLLOOOO! NNNYYY NNNAANNEE RRRROOOGGUUEE! EEEIII AANNN SSCCOOUUTT!"** The titan concluded, purring cavernously and eyes wide in expectance he awaited a reaction.

Silence. That was all that sounded from the courtyard aside from the titan's sounds of intrigue, gasps obviously caught in the two men's throats. For the first time that Armin had ever read or heard of, both of the higher ups stood up in absolute shock with faces fixed into befuddled expressions – brows wrinkling like dried grapes. Rogue continued to sit idly, staring owlishly as he seemingly awaited a form of praise.

"It… it can… speak?" Nile muttered beneath his breath, shock crippling his tone almost like a brittle leaf in the wind. "What the hell –

Zackley recaptured part of his composure, muscles relaxing from their frigid state. "He can talk? A titan capable of speech… he doesn't even possess lips. How?" He alliterated, his tough outer core turning brittle. "Ackerman, Arlert – did you two teach him to speak?"

Mikasa shook her head. "It wasn't us. We did teach him additional words, but we were not the ones who originally taught Rogue. It was Carla Jaeger. She was the one who showed Rogue how to talk. She formulated a way that he could do so without lips. At first it was very simple words, but in the past years, Rogue has gotten better and better."

"This is bullshit! All of it!"

The sharp statement rang out across the courtyard, drawing the two teens, the titan, and the others to look upon the obvious source. Nile was standing in an aggressive stance, arm outstretched in an obvious bid to accuse Rogue who looked at the egotistical male in so much astonishment and confusion that his face looked petrified. Armin instantly felt sweat roll and his breath hitch as if it was entangled in his ribs. This was not good! Nile was rebelling, something that could possibly trigger Rogue's emotions and make the titan break his sustaining mold.

"That monster is lying!" Nile sneered, poison dripping from his tone. "If he's smart enough to even speak – then he's hiding something! Who's to say that his amnesia is all fake! This could very well be a ploy to lure all of humanity to their graves! This titan could possibly be putting on one big show! He maybe part of a higher power! A titan spy sent to learn everything about us so our enemy can strike at our most venerable! This thing probably does know the whole history of the titans and his amnesia is just an excuse to lead us off the scent! This monster is baiting us!" The man claimed, making Armin's heart hammer in his chest.

Fearful, the teen turned to Rogue to see that the creature was not seething in rage like he had assumed, but was rather looking as if he was on the verge of tears – like a kicked puppy. Armin's fingers dug into his scalp as he watched the titan's body shiver in the slightest – just like he had when they had asked him the questions long ago. Rogue's ears sank further, a small whine coming from the back of his throat as he glanced to the two teens in a bid to help. _'Please Rogue!'_ Armin pondered in a panic. _'Please don't flip out!'_

" **NNOOO! EEEIII GGOOOODD!"** The titan unexpectedly replied, shaking visibly. " **EEEIII NNOOT AAADD! EEEIII NNNOOO EEEII!"** Rogue rebelled pitifully, taking up for himself – obviously struggling how to react to such words. The creature's action provoked Armin to look at his superiors, noting how both Erwin and Levi looked on with stiff gazes. The Corporal's icy eyes drew narrow and his scowl deepened even further, head shaking in the slightest. He was thinking the same thing. Like Armin and Mikasa, Levi was well aware that Rogue could grow very temperamental when something upset him one way or the other. The creature could easily go from being upset to throwing a sort of gibberish fit to even a full on nasty argument that could result in Rogue throwing things or spitting. Armin swallowed, waiting for the worst, still clinging to the hope that the titan would just return to working with Hange.

Armin reached to wipe the sweat from his brow, noticing how Zackley was still as stone with his eyes fully locked onto the titan's behavior. The teen trembled beneath his wares, was it possible that the man could have believed Nile's words? No! He couldn't have! Could he? Nausea sat into the teen's belly. Even though everything they had with the titan was genuine, an outsider could easy understand and take Nile's absurd statement into account.

"That monster probably took care of those kids just as an added measure so we could believe him! He doesn't really care for them! He's just using them!"

Rogue's face twitched, the beast clearly trying to hold back. It was obvious to the teen. The emerald eyes of the titan were ignited with a dangerous glint – obviously anger and definitely pain. Nile had done the one thing that riled Rogue the most – use them in cruel context. Surprisingly though, Rogue wasn't growling, not even making a single sound in resentment. He was silent, just still with limbs stiff as tree trunks, but his shoulders were hunched and back was arched in defense – hair of his scalp beginning to stand on end. The titan was livid. Armin continued to observe as the creature shifted his weight, antsy as he continued to debate. Rogue's eyes adverted to them again, clearly begging for someone else to do something because he could not – or he was going to lose it.

However, none of the Scouts stood up in defense, not quick enough as Zackley surprisingly turned to the haughty MP. "Commander Nile. If you please, we need to proceed with the trial." The Premier interrupted, brows narrow, showing his lack of tolerance for Nile's actions. The two teens blinked, had Zackley sided with them? Or did he just want to steer the situation in another direction? Of course, he couldn't help but watch in amusement as Nile's face twisted into a grimace. The taller man took his seat without other word in defiance. Zackley nodded, turning back to Hange. "Miss Zoe, please continue. I apologize for the interruption." The Premier concluded as he returned to his seat upon the steps. Armin and Mikasa observed as the titan's body slacked up from its frozen condition. Rogue's face relaxed in the feeblest – for a moment the blonde teen thought he saw utter gratitude in the titan's face as green pools looked at the older man one last time before glancing at Nile, snorting in disgust before directing his attention to the awaiting Hange. Armin was definitely for certain, if the situation was much different, Rogue would have vented his anger upon Nile in some unpleasant way.

"Okay! Beginning with flashcards, each image will be separate from their own category. They will be mixed together, but shown to you before we quiz him.

Let's start shall we!" Hange exclaimed as she tossed the heavy journal to the makeshift work area. Gathering her items, the scientist then took her place and held the first card to the small group of spectators – one that displayed the shape of a circle, before turning to Rogue. "Alright Big Guy! What's this!"

" **UUURRRCCLLEE."** The titan answered easily, green eyes peeking from dark skin to monitor Nile who was still sitting with a heavy look of distrust on his face.

"Good! Now what is this Rogue?" Hange asked after showing the audience a picture of a tree.

Hearing her request, Rogue returned from his stare to examine the contents of the card. " **REEEE."**

The scientist nodded, raising another card to share before turning it to the titan.

" **RRRREEEDDD!"**

"Great! This one?"

" **GEEEENNN!"**

"How many?"

" **SSSIIIXX."**

Hange smiled. "That's right Rogue! Quickly, before we move on, can you count to ten?"

The titan nodded. " **OOONNNN. TTOOO. TRREEE. OOORRR. IIIVVEE. SSSIIXX. EEVVEEN. AATTEE. NNIINNEE. TTEENN."** Rogue exclaimed, glancing back to the crude MP again.

"Alright Rogue, what's this?" Hange proceeded without pause, holding up a card with a titan displayed on it.

The beast turned back to the scientist. " **TTTEEIIITTAANNN."**

"Good! Now what color is this?"

Armin spectated as Rogue answered correctly once again, but then glancing at Nile's deep frown once more. Beneath the beast's hair, the boy could see that the titan's brows were drawn together in sheer worry, pupils adverting to the bricks beneath his feet. An untrained eye could not have caught it, but the blonde could see a slight quake run across Rogue's frame. He continued to watch as the titan barely glanced up at the next card and answered softly. Armin swallowed a wad of anxiety. Was it possible that Rogue was just now feeling the weight of Nile's damning questions on his origins and the titans? It was a likely possibility. Rogue had been too busy taking Nile's rude statements and phrases and rebelling his own words. This was the last thing Armin wished to happen. Rogue could not have an emotional episode!

"How about this next one then? Hange smiled softly, apparently noticing a difference as well. "What are baby cats called?"

Again, Rogue looked up from the pores in the bricks to gaze upon the card's image, eyes obviously reflecting stress and anxiety. " **IIITTTEEENN."** The creature spoke grittily, hunching over several more feet. Slightly, the beast shivered again – just enough to make the titan's state noticeable. Below Rogue, the creature's sudden change in demeanor did not go undetected by Hange. If the titan was able, it was highly likely that he would quickly depart to be alone to release some steam.

"Rogue," The scientist smiled tenderly. "Would you mind telling me what this is?"

After several vital seconds of the beast staring down at the nails of his feet, Rogue discreetly looked at the flashcard. " **DDOOOGG."** He answered stiffly as he returned his line of sight to the stray blades of green sprouting through the gaps of the piazza.

"He looks like he's nervous." Zackley whispered, so softly that Armin was barely able to catch it.

The blonde teen's throat tightened at the low avowal. Rogue's current condition was not a good one – clearly affecting his performance. This could not go on for if it did, it was possible that Zackley and Nile could get the wrong impression – deeming the creature to be skittish and unreliable or too sensitive to be considered as an asset to humanity. Around the blonde, the others seemed to know the very same. Mikasa was fretfully pulling her scarf before her mouth, Levi was pinching the bridge of his nose, and Erwin was merely looking on in dead seriousness. Nile of course, looked completely unmoved – still staring at the titan in utter hatred. Armin swallowed. He had to do something to get Rogue to settle and loosen. But how could he do that with everyone watching?

Unexpectedly, Hange handed the cards to Molbit and turned to the captive audience, the titan only spending a brief moment to look in wonder before returning to his activity of staring at the skin of his toes. "Armin? Do you mind joining me in this next part? For the remainder of the identification cards?"

Though he was puzzled, he immediately complied. "Of course, Section Commander." Armin answered as he quickly made his way over to where Hange and the titan resided. She had to be planning something; it was too early for his assistance yet. Armin then met before the titan fanatic, watching as she nodded in satisfaction.

"When you get onto Rogue's left shoulder, try to calm him, Armin." Hange whispered softly to him before turning back to the small crowd to address. "To show Rogue's tolerance levels, Arlert will serve as an 'added weight' if you will as I finish the series of identification cards! Rogue?" Hange turned to the titan again who had lifted his head at the words than Armin was partaking in the exam. "Could you please place Armin on your left shoulder for me?"

Very clear with the differences between left and right, Rogue nodded and carefully lifted the teen to his shoulder. Armin quickly became comfortable, perching himself so he was near the titan's ear. Hange then began to arrange her cards again, preparing to hold one up, still talking about how his placement on the creature's shoulders was to show how well the titan could adjust as well as being able to tell the difference of left and right.

To fulfill his duty and protect his dear friend, Armin quickly turned to Rogue's ear. "Rogue?"

The titan didn't take his eyes from Hange, but his ear quickly shifted to absorb the teen's words – the beast giving a soft squeak as if to ask what he was doing.

"Listen, I know you didn't like what Nile said to you, but you just need to take that like a grain of salt. Don't let it bother you. Zackley noticed how nervous you are, but you can't submit to Nile's theories. If he sees you nervous, he's going to get the idea that you are not suitable for – er – hunting."

Rogue rumbled softly in question, ear flickering closer to the news. The titan opened his mouth to reply but quickly closed his jaws, likely figuring that Armin was conducting his task in secret.

"We are now going over a few advanced things that our subject has recently learned." Hange began as she held up a new card with the titan answering correctly before turning his ear back to Armin to listen in.

"Just ignore Nile okay? He's not worth your time. Don't act cocky and try to prove how stupid he is as much as you want to. That could just give Zackley more support to believe what Nile accused you of. Rogue, Mikasa and I, including Hange and Levi are right here with you. Just pretend like Nile isn't around. Just be yourself. Loosen up and have fun, okay? It's alright."

For a moment, the titan hesitated on showing any response to his question, only replying back to Hange to say that a small cow was a calf. Then, Rogue let out a sigh of steam just as he leaned his head, unnoticeable to the others, into the small teen – emitting a soft purr in agreement. The gentle creature then heaved a heavy breath again to reduce his nerves before perking up – skin pulling tautly at the corners of his lipless jaws to form a smile.

"Okay Rogue, move Armin to your right shoulder and then tell me what shape this is!" Hange exclaimed, noticing the titan's change.

At her friendly order, Rogue chirped and soothingly transferred Armin to his opposite shoulder before examining the card. " **EEEXXXAAAAGGOONNN."**

"Great Rogue my dear! Now Put Armin next to me so we can move on to the second part of this trial!"

Again, the titan nodded in comply and lowered the teenager back to the brick laden earth. Armin watched as Mikasa rose from her seat and joined Hange – beckoned by the scientist's inviting hand. Molbit then began to retrieve three small barrels before the titan watching their every move with large and blameless greens.

"This next test is another way to show Rogue's ability to quickly memorize things and the position of objects. It also displays how he interacts with objects compared to other titans – and it's also a new test that we haven't done with Rogue before. Therefore, this will also show how our titan reacts to new problem solving situations." Hange explained with the titan gradually getting more enthused. Molbit then carried out Rogue's ball, catching the beast's eyes that lit up instantly. Rogue then lifted a hand and pointed to his favorite possession in sudden excitement.

" **AAALLLL!"** The titan exclaimed much like a toddler – a giant toddler with a deep and rough voice. Armin nearly found himself laughing, but then remembered to keep a level head. The two teens knew, if it was anything, that Rogue was the most fond of his ball compared to anything else that he had – except for the music box and the occasional batting at the wind chimes hanging in the barn. The titan always went back for the round toy. In fact, now that Armin thought about it, Rogue seemed to always be fond of balls and round objects in general. The titan STILL brought the teens his ball on the occasion wanting to engage in a game of catch – which he had to admit was fun since there were more people to participate, and the beast was also intrigued by spherical finds around the castle like pebbles and apples. Armin always categorized it as one of Rogue's odd quirks.

"Alright Rogue!" Hange began with enthusiasm. "This is a new game we're going to play!" She continued with the titan only focused on the scientist, eyes never veering. "Here is how it works. Molbit is going to place your ball underneath one of these three barrels." Hange explained as Molbit lifted the barrel and hid the titan's ball beneath it, Rogue giving a look of complete confusion – most likely feeling betrayed that they were not playing anything similar to catch. The titan then reverted back to his natural curiosity and looked at the barrel with ears angling about in intrigue. "And then we are going to shuffle them all around to mix them up! Your job is to find the barrel hiding the ball beneath it again! You'll have to memorize the right barrel. When we are done shuffling, you pick okay? Understand?"

After several seconds of the titan blinking and looking from the barrels to the group before him, Rogue nodded vigorously in excitement - waiting for Armin and the others to begin.

"Good!" Hange beamed. "Now watch closely!" The scientist concluded as she quickly swapped barrels with the blonde before trading hers to Mikasa whom in turn traded back with Hange. Armin swapped his barrel again for the sixth time, watching as the titan followed the barrels like a cat following a moving shadow. Rogue's eyes were wide with pupils trailing movement – literally almost every movement with his tapered ears pricked fully forward and shifting to and fro. Armin bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep the humor at bay. Rogue really wasn't watching one particular barrel, but his ears were definitely following the right one – the creature listening to the ball bounce around on the inside of the particular barrel it was under. It was like the beast was multitasking, enjoying the mesmerizing movements while still keeping the location of the ball in check. Then, Rogue began to finally follow the correct barrel with both eyes and ears. Armin wasn't for sure if this was a good thing as far as the exam went, to the trained eye – people like the Scouts could see it, but to others with the addition of Rogue's happy gurgling, it just looked like the titan was enjoying himself. However, something was pulling at Armin. He had an odd feeling that Rogue was acting.

The three then stopped shifting the barrels, the correct one landing before Armin's hands. "Alright Rogue!" Hange smiled. "Which barrel is the right one?"

Instantly, as soon as the messy scientist hit the punctuation in her sentence, Rogue produced a squeal like noise and pointed to the blonde's barrel, tapping the surface several times with his index finger as he waited almost impatiently for results. Armin smiled as he lifted away the barrel and retrieved the leather ball, Rogue beaming as wide as his mouth would allow as the toy was shown to the small audience.

"Incredible." Zackley began in a still mild mannered tone. "The first try as well." The man paused fingers combing through his beard again. "I didn't even know it was possible for a titan to make that noise. Section Commander, does that form of communication relate to pleasure?"

Hange nodded, oily locks bouncing on her head. "Oh yes! Besides talking, Rogue has a wide range of sounds he uses to communicate his mood or even ask questions! As for sounds of happiness, he can huff in laughter, chirp, and even purr like a cat, which he does on a daily basis! Rogue's vocal cords are not meant for speech, and they can strain and be painful when he does it for far too long. Thus, we also created a nonverbal system to communicate with him as well if needed. It's a serious of grunts and hand movements that work much like sign language."

Armin blinked. Why was Hange informing Zackley of one of Rogue's handicaps?

"I see. Please carry on Miss Zoe." Zackley complied before turning to Nile to whisper something with Levi and Erwin monitoring closely. Armin swallowed nervously as he observed his superiors' faces remained unchanged but with eyes that were clearly eavesdropping. Armin felt the unsettling feeling in his pit again. What was Zackley thinking? Could he be siding with Nile?

With the Premier's attention to the flat stage before him, Hange began again as Molbit and Mikasa removed the titan's ball and barrels – Rogue watching his ball disappear into Hange's materials in concern before looking back to await instructions.

"Now, the next set of tests cover material that Rogue has just recently started learning. We have not gotten to cover everything yet, but he will do what he knows. We have also begun to teach Rogue how to read written words so he can also translate and in term follow written orders."

"So, it reads too?" Nile cut in, voice still supercilious. "What is it going to do next? Juggle?"

Armin swallowed, glancing at the titan in fear that the MP's words unearthed more of Rogue's nerves again. However, to the teen's surprise, Rogue softly snorted and kept his gaze onto Armin. Through dark brown strands, the boy could tell that there were still flecks of pain and anger in the titan's luminous green eyes, but taking to the teen's advice, Rogue was choosing to ignore the hotheaded individual.

"Yes, Rogue can read. Do keep in mind, he's still learning." Hange replied, keeping composed. Without another word, the woman took her seat again and placed her remaining flashcards onto her lap. "Before we begin Rogue, recite the ABC's that you know."

The titan's snout furrowed slightly in determination before opening his lipless maw. " **AAAEE. BBBEE. SEEE. DDEEE. EEEE. EEFF. GGEEE."** Rogue paused, thinking. " **UUURRrr… AAACCHH. EEIII. JJAAAYY."** The titan smiled, incredibly proud of himself and actually happy with his difficult accomplishment and not an act.

"Good! Now lets read a few words here!" Hange praised as she reverted to the same routine as before, showing the cards to the spectators before revealing the card to the titan.

Armin watched as Rogue leaned forward with eyes scrunched in concentration; head tilting slightly as he attempted to read a three-letter word. True, the word did have letters that the titan wasn't familiar with yet, but they had felt that with the simple syllables it was perfectly fine to start with. " **CCAAATT!"** Rogue finally answered, eyes looking hopeful. Hange nodded with Zackley's brows raising ever so slightly."

"So he can." The man mouthed, hand naturally reaching up to rub his chin.

"Nice! Can you read this word Rogue?" Hange continued as she held up a new card – displaying a word that the titan was very familiar with. Again, the creature gave a long stare, but raising a finger to point at the letters – trying to separate them. Finally, Rogue smiled.

**"AAAAIIIBBBEEE!"** The beast purred, ears wiggling at the word's meaning.

"I knew you would get that one!" The energetic enthusiast praised. "Okay here is another word, Hange pressed on as she revealed another card.

Armin swallowed nervously at the word. Surely Rogue wouldn't treat this as a joke. Surely he wouldn't say Jean!

**"OOOORRRSE."** Rogue answered correctly. Hange dipped her head.

"Wonderful! Now let's do one more word before we move on!" She spoke as she raised the final card, another word that the titan was very familiar with. Rogue's jaw formed an awkward smile – crooked and lopsided.

" **OOOOVVVVEEE!** "

"Yes! Love! And you love the Scouts don't you, Rogue?" Hange asked with a great amount of whimsy in her voice.

The titan responded with the best 'mmmm hmm' that he could make. " **EEEEIII OOOVVVEEE NNNYYY AAAMMIILLEE!"** Rogue informed, gurgling in delight.

A small smile made itself present on Armin, Mikasa, and Hange's face. The boy glanced over to his superiors to see what sort of impact the words had on them – only to find a puzzling sight. The Corporal's scowl deepened in the slightest, looking agitated. The man's cold eyes were not looking at the titan but rather at Zackley who wore an expression that was impossible to read. Armin then realized the severity of Rogue's harmless words and their meaning in the particular circumstance. He swallowed, hopefully Zackley wouldn't think too heavily upon it.

_'Of all words, why did Rogue have to use THAT one?'_

"So Miss Zoe, how many words is Rogue able to read?" Zackley queried, obviously ignoring the previous occurrence on purpose.

"At this time, Rogue is able to read ten words. We are steadily working to raise that number."

The man nodded in understanding before waving his hand for Hange to continue on with the next and final part of the intelligence test – recognizing the positions in the formation. Truthfully, the blonde teen was nervous about this one, mostly because he himself had never seen Rogue recite it. The titan's sessions with Levi were always private – deep in the forest where there were no others to distract them. Of course, he did have faith in the strict Corporal. The two had grown tolerant of each other and Rogue listened fully to each and every order Levi gave him. But of course, it did take a while for Rogue to learn and memorize anything incredibly complex.

"Finally, we come to Rogue's knowledge of the Long Range Scouting formation. Corporal Levi? Could you help out with this?" Hange smiled from ear to ear.

The short man heaved a sigh as he stood up and slowly waltzed to the group, obviously not too thrilled about accompanying Hange herself in the exercise. As Molbit and Mikasa slowly uncoiled the diagram of the formation, Armin watched as Levi quickly turned to Hange.

"I'm doing this whole thing Shitty Glasses. I don't need you to cut in. So stand aside." The man spoke in a low tone, but only getting a smirk from Hange.

"Whatever you say, Levi!" Hange replied in a merry pitch, provoking an eye roll from Levi.

With the diagram unfolded and upright so both Rogue and the audience could see, both Armin and Hange retreated back to the waiting steps to join Erwin to observe the Corporal and the titan's performance. Looking at the two individuals, it was oddly quiet. With his face relaxed from its grimace, Levi nodded to Rogue who nodded in return – both keeping expression at a minimum. The Corporal then cleared his throat.

"Alright Rogue, let's begin." Levi said simply as he pointed to the outmost position in the ranks. "Name this."

Without hesitation, the titan's teeth parted. " **OOOUUTTEERRRR RRAANNKK."**

"Good. It's purpose?"

Rogue nodded. " **OOKKK FOORR TTEEIITTAANNSS. ARRRNN SSCCOOUUTTS."**

"Correct." Levi continued, face still not showing much emotion. "What is this?"

" **NNNIIDDLLEE RRRAAANNKK."**

Armin held his jaw to keep it from dropping in surprise. So far, thanks to Levi, Rogue knew the formation by heart.

"What is it for?" Levi pressed onward – no nonsense present. Was Levi trying to show Rogue's serous side on purpose? After Rogue's comment, Armin knew it was highly likely.

" **RRREEEEELAAYY SSSIIIGGNNALLSS. IIIGGHHTT TTEEIIITTAAANNSS IIFF HHHAAVVEE TTOO."**

Levi nodded, pointing to the center of the diagram.

" **SSEENNTTTEERR RRAANNKK."**

"Commitment?"

" **EEERRRVVIIINN DDEEIIIRREECCT OORRRNNAATTIONN. RRRUUNN AAGGGGOONNS. EEEVVII SSQQUUAADDD SSSTTAANNDDEEII."** Rogue explained perfectly, making both Zackley and Nile lean forward in interest.

"Where are you located?"

Rogue lifted a finger to point at the rear of the center rank, green eyes looking to Levi in waiting.

"Yes. And what do you do there?"

" **EEEII AAIITTT OONN OORRDDEERRS. OOONNLEE AAACCTT IIF EEEIII EEEDDD TTOO."**

Corporal Levi gave a nod. "Good work."

Rogue responded with a sharp bow in thanks, the tip of the titan's long tongue sticking out from his teeth- a common thing the titan did when he was pleased with himself.

"Impressive." Zackley stated. "You also said that Rogue has memorized your signal flares and what they mean correct?"

"Yes."

The bearded man nodded. "Ah, then there is no point in repeating them to me. I can tell from both the reports and the length of time it took for the titan's capture that what you say is true. This concludes the first trial. Shall we move on Commander?"

Erwin stood from his seat, followed by the others. "Yes. Let's move on to combat. If the two of you would, please follow us to the –

However Erwin stopped as Rogue leaned over in his position to hold out his hand towards the Premier. The titan then uncoiled his fingers and gently placed a small pebble at Zackley's feet, green eyes unblinking as he awaited a response. The gratified man then took the small stone in is palm, making Armin wonder just how the titan managed to pick up such a small thing.

"Another welcome gift?" Zackley asked, the titan purred, watching as the uptight man dipped his head in gratitude and plopped the small stone in his jacket pocket. The premier then turned back to listen to instruction.

"As I was saying, if you could please, follow us to the stables to borrow a horse. The next location for the trial is a bit off the beaten path and deep in the woods."

"Please lead the way Commander."

As the others began to follow the tall blonde man from the courtyard, Armin and Mikasa looked to the titan who had yet to stand. It was just as the teens thought. Most of Rogue's behavior was an act. The titan was looking down at his toes yet again, brow creased in suffering. Although some of the moments were genuine, Rogue was still upset.

"You did great, Rogue." Mikasa spoke softly. "But hey, don't listen to Nile. That man has absolutely no regard for anyone. He's full of shit really."

The titan lifted his gaze and tilted his head, face now natural. Rogue then grunted in compliance. " **OOOOKKAAEE. EEEIII DDOOO GGOODD?"**

Armin nodded. "Yes Rogue, you did good. Just don't overdo things okay?"

The titan nodded, a smile pulling at his skin. Rogue then lowered his palm in invitation, the two teens quickly climbing aboard. The creature then placed them onto his shoulder and stood to motion in the direction of the others. After taking a moment to adjust to the rapid change in height, Armin secretly glanced up to the titan. Although it didn't show upon his grizzly face, Rogue's expressive emerald pools still had traces of hurt and irritation. He swallowed; hopefully for the rest of the trials, Rogue's delicate emotions wouldn't be summoned full force. After Rogue's behavior in the first trial, Armin could tell that the Premier had reservations.

**(POV SWAP)**

Green orbs were hooked to the skinny MP on horseback before him, pools rippling with hatred. He despised that man. How dare he accuse him of being a traitor! Rogue's eyes narrowed further in resentment as the pack moved through the trees. The titan's pupils glanced at his little ones upon his shoulder, watching them speak with Petra before turning to look upon his object of revulsion. How could someone have the guts to insult his little ones just for being joined at his hip! They were completely innocent! At the time, Rogue could practically felt their pain radiate off them when Nile made his cruel remarks.

The titan glanced to the bearded man, Zackley. If he had to choose, he would pick, what Levi and his little ones referred to as 'Premier', as the more tolerable man. The man seemed a bit tight-lipped, only observing and speaking when he felt it was appropriate or was asking questions. Overall, the titan felt indifferent about Zackley. The man was just as difficult to read as Erwin was – if not more. However, as far as Rogue could tell, the man had some amount of compassion. Zackley referred to him as 'he' instead of 'it'. The man also was amused and interested in the creature's success. Then there was also that tense moment where Nile was mouthing off – Zackley had actually stood up for him! The gesture had provoked Rogue to share a finding with the man. Still, he wasn't completely sold on the man just yet. Even though there were seldom amounts of the man warming up, Zackley still seemed to treat him like he was a lower creature. Rogue's forehead creased at the thought. Indeed, he wasn't human whatsoever, but he still preferred to be treated like one. Sure, he wasn't as smart as man and he needed simple things thoroughly explained over a course of time, but being treated as human beat being treated like an animal any day.

Rogue then looked back at Nile, doing so in light of hearing another crude comment about him – saying something along side of 'that thing is still a titan, they can't take the ferocity out of it.' Heat pooled in his stomach, hatred that felt like a load of rocks in his gullet. Damn he hated that man! What the hell was his problem? He had shown his kindness and that he wasn't like his kin. Why? The titan's shadow rimmed eyes narrowed further, very much so did he wish he could inconspicuously do something! Something that the sorry excuse for a human would find disgusting! But what could he do? Should he even attempt anything at all or live by the code that his little ones once shared with him: stick and stones may break bones, but words can never hurt you.

No. That was bullshit. Because of what he was, cruel words always hurt to a degree.

"Rogue?"

Hearing the familiar voice of Petra, the titan abandoned his thoughts and turned to the redhead that sat on his shoulder with his babies – all three looking on in concern. Petra then rubbed his neck with a tender hand, a small smile present on her face.

"Are you okay? You look like you're still upset, Rogue."

With his teeth clenching together, the titan nodded. However, Petra raised a brow in playful suspicion.

"Now Rogue, there is no need to lie. The tips of your ears are red. Are Nile's words still eating at you?"

The beast dithered, ears sinking and eyes averting away in shame. Finally, he gave a very small dip of his head in response.

"I see. I would just stop thinking about it then, Rogue. You are much better than him."

Rogue turned back to the trio, face reflecting his worry. Mikasa smiled, rubbing the skin on his shoulder in reassurance as well.

"Petra is right. Your personality alone makes you superior to a man like Nile. Just toss his comments out and ignore him."

"Yeah, it's not worth thinking about and muddling over, Rogue." Armin added. "Just focus on your trials. That's the only thing that matters right now."

Willingly absorbing it all in, Rogue nodded and turned his gaze to the wooden trail outstretched before their path – the clearing in sight. They were right. He just needed to put his feelings away and focus on what lay ahead.

"HALT!" Erwin sounded from the front, every horse and soldier stopping – more were attending this trial in light of the following one. "PLEASE DISMOUNT YOUR HORSES AND THEN REPORT BACK TO THE EDGE OF THE CLEARING."

For a moment, Rogue watched as several of the pack members, mostly the teens and veterans he knew, get off their hooved creatures and guide them to the trees. The titan simply stood in confusion as he awaited a form of direction.

"All right brat," Levi, who had been perched on his opposite shoulder, began as he tested his gear. "Let them off and go to the center of the clearing, then set me down before you. Understand?"

With a sharp nod and grunt, Rogue tended to the Corporal's order, gently placing Mikasa, Armin, and Petra down to the earth before making his way to the center of the clearing – the main training area of the two that Levi had established for their sessions. Of the collection, Rogue preferred the particular spot they were gathered, it was roomier and the trees stretched high over his head – reminding him of his forest in Maria. The titan then did as he was told and placed Levi onto the grass before him, kneeling in preparation to begin while watching the soldiers and their superiors surround the glade.

The blonde leader then joined Levi, whispering something in the main's earshot before turning to the crowd. "The second trial will display several things. This includes Rogue's abilities in combat, his capability to follow orders, and his power to intercept moving targets. Corporal Levi will be in charge of this trial." Erwin concluded as he turned to the short man. "Whenever you're ready." He addressed before departing to join Zackley and Nile. Rogue then stood to his full height, watching Levi in incredible focus.

"Alright Rogue, I want you to do every move I say." Levi initiated, silently mouthing 'let's get this shit over with' before asking if he was ready with a simple nod – receiving one from the creature in return. "Now let's start. Get into position."

Hearing the man's order, Rogue got into his signature fighting stance, right leg slightly before the other, knees bent, back hunched slightly, and fists before his face.

"Good. Right hook." Levi commanded bluntly.

Purely focused, Rogue roared and threw his fist forward in a perfectly executed punch that was blurred to the eye, whipping up a violent wind from the rapid movement that shook the limbs of the nearby trees. The titan then brought his arm back into position, looking down at Levi with ears listening for a reaction from the spectators.

"Now, left hook."

Focused again, Rogue mirrored his previous move with his opposite fist – roaring as he threw the powerful punch – meeting an imaginary mark that he was happy to visualize as Nile's face. If he were human, he would have socked the man in the jaw without a further thought.

"That's stirring as well." Zackley commented, turning to Hange who had been watching in glee. "How much force does his punch exert?"

The woman nearly squealed. "To put it simply, we've seen those powerful hits knock a fifteen meter titan's head clean off!"

The Premier simply nodded and waved for Levi to continue.

"Right uppercut."

At the Corporal's word, Rogue dipped his arm and curved it upward with a loud bellow of dominance. As his fist drew skyward, another gale from the force cut across the clearing and blew several of the pack's capes and ruffled locks of hair. Rogue then retuned to his stance, awaiting another move to descend upon him.

"Let's get a little complicated." Levi continued coolly. "Left uppercut followed by a right haymaker."

The titan gave a slight nod and then threw his left fist into a hard throw, muscles bulging beneath his skin. Completing the combo of moves, Rogue then delivered a perfectly executed haymaker.

"Good. Now left punch, right uppercut, and finish with a right kick."

Again, Rogue nodded and propelled his left fist forward to his imaginary target's mug, following with an uppercut that would have sent a titan's head skyward. Bracing himself, Rogue then lifted his leg to make a kick similar to how one would kick a ball as hard and fast as one possibly could. Wind tore at the surrounding clearing, sending a violent tempest towards his audience, even knocking Krista over. With no loss of balance, Rogue then returned to his fighting stance, watching in concern to see if the small recruit was okay. Seeing her struggle slightly to get to her feet, the wind obviously knocked out of her, Rogue opened his maw before Levi could give further order.

" **OORRYYY KKRRIIISSAA. UUU OOOKKKAAEE?"**

The small blonde got to her feet, smiling brightly at him. "I'm okay!"

At her sweet tone, Rogue nodded and then turned back to Levi, missing Zackley rubbing his chin in thought. For a long moment the Corporal continued to stare before nodding.

"Good job."

The titan felt himself warming at the praise, a small smile pulling at his lipless mouth.

"Corporal Levi," Zackley began. "I've read your reports on Rogue's activity and interceptions with other titans in Wall Maria. You mentioned that you've seen him exhibit combat techniques that are far more complex than what I've seen. Are you going to show those?"

Levi folded his arms, obviously peeved at the comment. "At this time, we do not posses a living target his size for Rogue to display the moves properly. I'm sure that you understand why, in terms of safety for our men and yourself, Sir." The man spoke almost coldly, eyes giving a dead stare.

The Premier nodded. "I see. That's understandable, Corporal. To have a mindless fifteen-meter titan, unchained here, would be a risky move. Although I don't doubt that Rogue could contain it and finish it, I know the dangers to surrounding spectators. Not to mention, it would be a waste to go out and capture a fifteen-meter just to offer as bait to our friend here when those funds can be used for – something more productive."

For a moment, the short leader stood still, blinking once before nodding in appreciation to Zackley. Levi then turned to him again, finger pointing at the cluster of trees that the man had painted targets on. Understanding, Rogue then motioned to the timbers and stood in preparation. "Most of Rogue's skill and strength comes from his upper body. For the past two months, I have been working with Rogue on how to use his lower half efficiently as well. For this, Rogue will aim a kick at the various targets you see. Now if you would Rogue, start with the smallest tree. The four-meter to your left, cut through the trunk with a low sweep."

Quickly, the titan nodded in comply and got into a sturdy stance. With a deep breath, he thrust his right leg forward – a move that Levi had said was perfect for knocking someone of something off his or her feet. The impact of Rogue's foot easily snapped the small tree in half right at the painted line. With the deed done, the creature waited for further instruction – glancing at the two visitors to read their reactions. As usual, Zackley was wearing a stern face while Nile as usual looked on in dislike.

"Right. Now do the same with the six-meter tree, Rogue. Use your left leg this time."

The titan grunted in reply and steadied himself, bracing his bulk on his more dominant side before lifting his left leg as he was told. Again, flesh, bone, and muscle tore through the thin trunk with ease – right on the mark with the sound of snapping timber echoing throughout the wood. Rogue then balanced himself out again on his feet, glancing over at the next couple of trees. Their marks ranged from ten to fourteen meters, meaning that he was going to have to preform his still shaky high kicks. He was so uncomfortable in performing them that he almost just wanted to move on to the next trial just to escape the embarrassment and the imminent reaction from Zackley and Nile if he were to fail.

He did NOT want to fail. At all.

"Rogue will now proceed with a few kicks to the higher targets. This is also a new move that I'm teaching him." Levi addressed with a straight face. "Rogue, high kick the ten meter with your left leg."

For a moment, the titan found himself blinking at the Corporals words. The move was most definitely not new to him. Perhaps Levi had just said that as an excuse in case he was to screw up. Putting the thought aside, Rogue then faced the ten-meter spruce and prepared his form, silently telling himself that he could do it. He was certainty capable of such a thing. After a few more words of positive reinforcement, the titan took action. The behemoth lifted his leg and swung, leaning back as Levi had instructed as his foot aimed at the crimson tainted bark. Rogue's foot then met the trunk of the tree, breaking his skin slightly and sending a shower of loose bark into the brambles. Quickly, before he could succumb to imbalance, Rogue planted his foot back to the ground, ignoring the prickling sensation of broken skin regenerating on the top of his foot. Levi nodded in contentment.

"Good. Repeat with the twelve meter."

Rogue then prepared himself again, letting out a breath of shaky steam before repeating his previous process. With a loud crack of the impact, sheets of bark tumbled to the earth as the titan quickly pulled back his leg – a pinching pain present in his ankle, the product produced by a hairline fracture. Grinding his teeth, Rogue stood back on it, trying to resist the urge to lift his foot again for the sake of showing his worth, ignoring the fact that he could barely put his weight upon it. Hopefully, Levi would see the pain present and distract the two men to give it time to heal. If he had to use his other leg on the next tree, he would fall over before he could even carry out the move.

To his dismay, the Corporal opened his mouth to give the next order, but luck seemed to be shining on the titan for Zackley interrupted the proceedings with the sound of his clearing throat.

"Corporal Levi, if you could give me an estimate, approximately how many hours do you work with Rogue on these techniques?"

"Ten hours a week. Plus there are the sessions that he works with me and my squad."

"Ah. Carry on."

The short male then turned back to the titan, looking at his leg briefly before meeting eyes yet again. "Now use your right leg at the thirteen meter. Then do the same for the fourteen meter."

Feeling that his foot was healed, Rogue nodded, hoping that his nerves were not too apparent. He then turned toward the large pine to set himself up – keeping his breath steady. Deciding that it was best if he hurry, the titan then performed the mandatory action, his leg arching up to the painted mark – his back lowering in the slightest. His limb then made contact with the rough organic surface, rattling the entire trunk and making green and bark fall like rain. Feeling himself begin to teeter, Rogue quickly pulled his foot back to the earth – taking a moment to get to his equilibrium. Luckily, he had met his mark, but his form was still just as sloppy as it was two months ago. Rogue glanced to Levi nervously, hoping that he wasn't disappointing him. The man merely waved for him to proceed.

The titan fretfully placed himself at his final obstacle, looking up at the large tree in worry. He could do this couldn't he? He had too! He could not fail! He would not fail! Rogue then braced himself, toes digging into the soft earth. The glade was silent; all he could hear was his rapidly beating heart that seemed to ring in his ears. A final sigh seeped from his mouth, steam rising in tendrils from the small gaps between his teeth. Then he began, lifting his leg to strike at his target – envisioning it as everything he hated: the titans, the deaths of his loved ones, and Nile. As Levi had instructed, Rogue leaned back as his foot sliced through the forest musk, but the titan quickly felt that he was at fault as his ankle buckled. With the bone snapping as the ankle sickly curved outward, Rogue's foot hit a meter below the target and the rest of his body was pulled by unforgiving gravity. Unable to stop himself, the titan fell helplessly with a loud wail into the dirt. Instinctively, Rogue instantly made a grab for his wound to nurture – fingers graced with blood from where bone had broken through skin. Knowing that he couldn't just let the nearly severed appendage sit as it was, Rogue quickly dethatched the rest of his damaged foot so it could grow back properly. He growled, cursing himself at his failure. With mortification running through his veins, Rogue sheepishly turned to look upon Levi and the others. At the sight, his ears lowered in shame. Several of the unprepared soldiers had been knocked to the ground by the massive vibration as a result from his fall – many struggling to calm a number of the spooked horses. His little ones were in pure shock and Levi was picking himself up off the ground, brushing the dust from his bleach white pants while Zackley gathered himself and kept his hard gaze. Nile was seething, looking almost rabid as he marched forward with a finger dawn ready to denunciate.

"This! This is a primary example why that thing should not be permitted to be with the Scouts! That titan could have easily fallen onto us and killed many of your men! It's incapable!"

"Nile." Levi interrupted; gaze sharp like the blades he used. "Like I mentioned previously, this is a new thing for Rogue. He has not perfected his form. Some things that are easy for humans can be quite difficult for Rogue due to his mass. We are still trying to figure a way that he can safely balance himself."

"That's bullshit as well. Like how most titans are described, his body is human like – so he is capable of doing simple tasks with ease!"

"No disrespect, but have you ever had your hand stung by a bee?" The Corporal spoke metaphorically. "If you have, I'm sure you're familiar with how your hand swells up and how heavy it feels and how difficult it is for you to retrieve any object. It's pretty uncomfortable isn't it? With Rogue's size, that's a bit how he feels with doing such a task. Besides, titan anatomy, although it appears human, has limitations. I out of anybody should know this well. "

"Corporal Levi!" Nile continued, voice loud and furious. "That's an excuse! This thing is a god damn death wish!"

"Quiet!" Zackley spoke harshly, the titan unable to figure out whom the man was addressing. "I will watch the rest of this trial with no further interruption! Now Corporal, please have the titan proceed."

It was quiet in the clearing with even the birds silent. Slowly, Rogue could feel his feelings beginning to rise to the surface. In an attempt to keep them at bay, Rogue shook his head and turned to Levi in preparation for further coaching. Levi then let out an aggravated breath and turned to his bulk, nodding his head and pointed to the clearing without another word. For the umpteenth time, Rogue did as he was told as his mind rummaged around his thoughts on how to get revenge on Nile. There were so many lovely possibilities, but none that he knew would work. Not without getting himself in trouble at least.

"The final part of this trial will execute how well Rogue can handle any sort of ambush well as other things to interpret on their own. This will be done with multiple rapid firing targets. Due to the debris in this exercise, I ask of you to please find yourself in a secure spot within the trees." The man paused, watching as many of the soldiers got to safety. "Now, this will be done right in the very spot Rogue stands. He will dodge, catch, and destroy rock targets as they are hurled at him by both mortar and catapult. This test also shows our titan's hand and eye coordination as well as how he is able to quickly locate incoming targets." Levi concluded as he turned to Rogue. "Get ready."

He then got in a defensive stance, ears listening for the howling of wind and the firing of the wide mouthed cannons Hange had informed him of.

"Prepare your shots!" Erwin shouted to several waiting pack members in the trees.

Rogue let a determined smile form on his misshapen face. Although this activity could be called the most dangerous of any of his training sessions –it was actually the most fun. It was almost like a supersized game of catch – done safely for no one ever aimed at his nape. It was one of the sessions he always looked forward to and it was always a great way to keep his hunting skills sharp.

"Fire the first five!"

A loud bang of a mortar reverberated through the forest, the beast's tapered ear flicking to its source – a hollow metal ball fired from his right. One thing Rogue knew about the mortar shots was that they were tricky to judge. Sometimes they were fired full blast while others seemed almost gentle. If the weapon were fired at full blast, the balls would fly just as fast as Levi did through the trees. The first time he had attempted to intercept one of the high-speed rounds, the projectile tore several of his fingers off. Since that particular lesson, the titan knew to never attempt catching high-speed rounds – especially an object as heavy as the metal spheres. Those were to be dodged while he could catch others.

Hearing the whistling wind rush up behind him, Rogue quickly sidestepped to the left, the small ball blazing past his right shoulder and plowing into the ground. The titan purred in satisfaction, waiting on the next round.

With that, a loud creaking followed by the sound of a large object sailed through the air – distinctively a catapulted round. His tapered ears fidgeted, flickering like his deer monitoring prowling predators – locating the incoming stone that was falling from it's peak. Rogue then turned and caught the smooth object in an open palm before safely tossing it into a cluster of bushes where no soul was near. Suddenly, another shot rang through the timbers – a second mortar but his time much weaker. The titan smiled, he loved the shots in particular. Anticipating the coming ball, Rogue turned to his right and caught the round – tossing it aside before repeating the same with another catapulted round.

"Good." Levi began as he walked from his chosen cover. "Now let's continue. Eyes closed."

"What! As if this wasn't already dangerous enough!" Nile announced; intruding yet again on things he wasn't familiar with.

"I assure you, this activity is safe. We are far from headquarters. Each shot only has a range of sixty meters. You are all out of projectile range. In fact, being near Rogue is the safest place you can be." Levi paused, turning to Zackley. "On one of our capture missions to obtain Rogue, we experienced first hand as to how adept Rogue's senses were when he was momentarily blinded. This is a reproduction of that demonstration."

"Fire numbers six to ten!"

As he was commanded, the titan shielded his eyes to forbid his view, ears erect and listening. Rogue dug his toes and heels against the earth feeling for vibrations. Levi had done this exercise with him before. In these, the titan was only required to dodge – all shots were mortars. A blast then vibrated his eardrums, forcing his ears to shift to the right. It was a powerful round, moving at a great rate of speed. Driven by instinct, Rogue sidestepped and allowed the ball to pass. Again, another round was launched, this time closer and to the side. With the wind sweeping against his eardrums, Rogue leaned back just before the second round passed a few feet before his face. A smirk wiped itself across his façade, determined to prove himself and show off what he was capable of. A vibration reverberated through the earth as another mortar was fired, this time aimed low. Artfully, Rogue sidestepped again, avoiding the projectile by several meters. Again, he repeated the process, leaning casually to avoid his incoming target. Rogue then settled once more, waiting for the final blast. All was quiet until a final boom echoed across every surface beneath the canopy. The titan's ears shifted, detecting the target that was heading for his rear at the middle of his back. He dithered; the round was much slower than the others. Driven by instinct, he sniffed – smelling the odd powder on the incoming object. The titan smiled wider, he could definitely –

Sensing that the time was right, Rogue spun around and swiped, ensnaring the shot in hand without so much as breaking his skin. A wave of astonishment swept through the crowd below as Rogue unshielded his eyes to look upon the circular stone before setting it softly to the forest floor and kneeling to face Levi and the others.

"Not bad, brat." The Corporal spoke, adjusting his white cloth. "It was a bit unexpected, but fair game."

Taking the man's odd kind of compliment in stride, Rogue wiggled his ears in gratitude. The titan then looked to his little ones; seeing that they wore looks of relief that were a blessing from those they had dawned earlier.

"Incredible." Zackley began, adjusting his glasses as he stared into Rogue's waiting eyes. "It's just as I suspected from humanity's strongest soldier, great results. Then again, I'm not surprised with Rogue's skill due to the stories I've heard."

"Sir, if I may, I'd like to point out just how sloppily this was done. The titan could have dropped one of the projectiles onto any unsuspecting soldier. Even so, one of the shots could have easily misfired and hit anyone."

Hearing Nile's insults again, the titan tensed up, holding his own tongue – restraining himself from roaring in the man's face. As Zackley addressed Nile, an idea popped into his head. A very good, crazy, gross, but brilliant idea. Rogue grinned internally, knowing just how to extract his revenge without catching the heat.

"Premier Zackley," Erwin queried. "Shall we begin the final trial or would you prefer a break to dine and attend to any convenience?"

Rogue watched as the bearded man toyed with his beard, furrowed brows revealing that he was deep in thought. Odd, the man seemed so strict – was there something on his mind?

"Actually Commander, lunch sounds great before we proceed. I'm sure that your other recruits would agree. Their stomachs were nearly muffling the blasts."

"Then it is decided. Lunch it is."

As the pack began to depart to the castle, Rogue followed close behind – his previous occupants guiding the spare horses. The titan found his brain wandering. Deep down, there was an instinct telling him that Zackley was onto something – and he wasn't for sure if it was good or bad.

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin felt his stomach flutter again, begging to be filled and nourished.

Of course, the smell of freshly baked bread swirling in his nostrils didn't help much with the fact that he was starving. At the moment, he was trying his best to ignore his bodily needs, attempting to place his focus on Erwin, Levi, Zackley, and Nile who rode just ahead of him. They were not speaking much, he couldn't hear them that well for they kept their voices low – anything was mostly muffled words. Instead, Armin focused on Zackley's body language. To the blonde teen, it was obvious that the Premier was thinking about something, mind completely isolated as Erwin spoke. It was clear that Zackley wasn't truly listening, just nodding his head. Armin swallowed a wad of saliva. Ever since Rogue's first trial, the man was one of little words. The teen glanced down at his mare's coarse mane. Rogue had done well right? Sure there were a few mistakes that the titan made – the biggest being that he fell during Levi's trial. Was that enough to give Zackley a bad feeling? Or perhaps Nile had forced words into the man's mind. Whatever was keeping Zackley quiet and hard to read worried the teen greatly. At the very moment, for the first time, he could not predict any sort of positive outcome. The Premier's silence didn't look good.

A series of vibrations pulled Armin from his thoughts. As usual, Rogue merrily walked past the riding Scouts and plopped himself right next to the castle as lunch was preparing to be served. Like a child, the titan folded his legs neatly and then let out a long sigh of steam before transferring his gaze to both he and Mikasa, ears wiggling and giving an eager grunt for them to hurry and join him. Armin smiled in return as several of the soldiers began to dismount their horses and make their way to the source of food – a small buffet resting on one of the long outdoor tables. Despite the fact that the titan was so upset at Nile's insults, the beast looked – excited as ever. And it wasn't the false kind that Rogue displayed earlier. It was genuine. Then again, there was a feeling pulling at him. Rogue would also become enthused if he was planning something. Surely Rogue wasn't foolish enough to try and pull something on Nile!

"You think he will try something, Armin?"

The teen turned to Mikasa who looked on in seriousness at the titan who was watching the higher ups' conversation, still riding toward the small buffet.

Armin dithered. "I'm not sure to tell you the truth, Mikasa. But I do think that Rogue knows well enough that if he tries to do something such as spit on Nile that he's in for serious consequences."

She only responded with a weary nod. "Well – what is your opinion on Zackley? I can't really figure him out."

"Same here Mikasa. However it does seem like he's thinking. Either it's positive or negative, but I'm not sure as of yet. Of course, I think we'll find out after the last trial. All we can do is hope."

"Rogue has been doing well so far, except for a few things, but I think he's leaving a good impression on the Premier. I just hope that Nile hasn't persuaded him otherwise." Mikasa continued as the two teens made their way to the patient – or barely patient titan who was obviously begging to see them, looking like a happy dog who's master just came home. Seeing Rogue nearly bleating in joy instantly made Armin picture the beast with a wagging tail yet again, but the feeling kept pulling his strings. Hopefully the titan's state was not what Armin thought it was.

The two young Scouts then met at Rogue's knee, letting the titan pick them up and place them onto his thigh. The creature patted them gently on the head with his index finger, hair hanging over his face as he smiled down at them.

"You're doing good Rogue." Mikasa whispered. "Only one more trial okay?"

As the titan nodded in reply, Armin turned to look upon the group of higher ups – missing the flash of mischief flicker in Rogue's eyes as the two beheld the small cluster as well. Erwin, Levi, and Nile were dismounting their horses before them and handing their reins to Ness to return to the newly renovated stables. The four were still in heavy conversation.

"So will the next trial be just as dangerous as the last?" Nile spoke sarcastically, receiving a hard stare from Levi. Erwin quickly intervened.

"The next trial consists of what we have come to call recreations of Rogue's capture missions. When we were trying to capture Rogue, we realized that he could be beneficial in teaching us how to avoid being grabbed by titans. So instead of a human instructor for the next trial, it will be Rogue himself as the lecturer. The four of us will ride along his side and observe several teams of soldiers avoid and attempt to capture him. Rogue has shown us the many ways a titan can ambush an unsuspecting Scout. For that, we have formulated many different techniques in how to avoid the grabbing of our wires."

Zackley slowly climbed from his horse, brushing off nonexistent dirt or dust out of habit after handing off the chestnut steed. "That sounds interesting Commander, but the final trial will not be needed."

Armin and Mikasa froze at the man's words, blood running cold as the surrounding Scouts turned to eavesdrop in interest. No! Had Zackley listened to Nile after all?

Completely in sync, Erwin and Levi raised a brow in bewilderment.

"Sir, what do you mean?" The Corporal demanded seriously, eyebrows knitted together.

"Well, I see no point. I've made my decision already."

The teens and the titan looked on, eyes wide in concern. _'Surely he didn't fail Rogue!'_ Armin panicked. _'If so, Rogue is going to be handed over to the Military Police and killed!'_

"You have, Sir?" Erwin asked, surprise in his voice. Zackley nodded.

"Yes, I actually decided Rogue's fate during the first trial. Erwin, Levi – your titan is the most incredible creature I've witnessed in my life. One of a kind. I approve of him going on your 57th expedition."

The two teens instantly sighed in unison. Rogue had done it!

"What!"

All eyes focused on Nile who had thrown his hands into the air in anger and frustration. "Sir! That was against contract! This thing was supposed to preform all three trials!" The MP stuttered before waving a hand at Rogue who had begun to snort softly and rub his nose. "Either way, this vile thing – is not to be trusted! This is an act! Even if it wasn't, this titan is too –

Suddenly, Nile was cut short in his speech, a loud nasally sound coming from the titan. In alarm, Armin turned to see Rogue's eyes scrunch up in what looked to be pain, the creature pinching his nose. Then, before Armin could even question the titan what was wrong, Rogue sneezed. A hard jet of mucus coated the heated MP – covering him in an even more repulsive slime than the titan's saliva. The blonde's heart skipped a beat, glancing back at Rogue who was sniffing and wiping his wrinkled nose. The titan then looked up after recovery, eyes growing in disbelief. Armin gulped, his hunch was correct. Deep in the titan's emerald greens, he could tell that there was intention. Rogue had put on an act, a sly act. The two teens swallowed, holding their tongues in hope that Zackley hadn't caught on and wouldn't change his mind.

Nile simply stood as if he was trapped in ice. His face as well was fixed in a look of sickness. Slowly, the MP turned to the titan, skin tinting crimson.

" **OOOORRRYY. UUUGGG IIINNN NNNOOOSSSE."** Rogue falsely explained, looking as ashamed as he could.

The Commander of the MP's then snapped. Viciously wiping away mucus from his face and uniform. "Monster! Premier Zackley! I beg you! Exterminate this beast immediately! If anything, this is proof that this thing is plotting against –

"Nile." Zackley interrupted bluntly. "I believe you forgot that I requested that you have no outbursts." The Premier spoke level headedly, turning back to Erwin. "Anyways, there is something I would like to address with you and Corporal Levi in private – preferably over a drink."

Erwin nodded. "Yes, Sir. Nile, if you recall – the showers are on the first floor and down the hall to your left. There shouldn't be anyone in there as of yet."

The snot-coated man frowned darkly in response before marching in the direction of the castle's entrance with many of the soldiers snickering and some even brave enough to laugh. Armin sighed a breath in relief knowing that Zackley was on their side. The blonde then looked up to see Rogue grinning widely and almost gleefully. However, the beast wasn't looking down at his two main objects of affection but rather at Levi whom was positioned a few feet from both Erwin and Zackley that were preparing to head off into the depths of the castle. Both Mikasa and Armin's eyes widened at the sight.

Although the man was covering his mouth, they could see the arrogant smile on his face.

**(POV SWAP)**

Instinctively, Levi glanced around Erwin's quarters as the three men entered and closed the doors behind them. The Corporal's nose scrunched in the slightest. Although the Commander's room was relatively in order, with eyes as keen as his own, Levi could still spot a very thin layer of dust over things that Erwin rarely used. It was due for a cleaning but not at the present time. The tall blonde then waved the two over to a small seating area near a personal fireplace that most rooms in the castle had to heat the large structure during winter. For a moment, Levi stared at the three chairs, trying to pick the cleanest looking one before choosing the red leather Queen Ann and parking himself – folding one leg over the other. Zackley sat in the chair facing the two neighboring the fireplace while Erwin sifted through a few bottles of wine that had been carried up from the cellar. Levi frowned. He wanted tea but there was no time to brew it. Then again, the day was nerve wracking and a small amount of wine did sound like a good bit of aid.

Waiting to be served, the Corporal turned his line of sight to the window that overlooked the recreational clearing. Some of the soldiers were still there eating and others remained to have conversation. Of course, Levi's focus was on the titan who was no longer sitting but lying comfortably on his back. Even from where he sat, the short man could see that Rogue was in utter bliss. The creature was purring as usual, green eyes lazily watching Arlert, Ackerman, Petra, Hange, and a few of the other new recruits sitting on his chest giggling and eating. If he had to compare the titan to anything, Levi would say that Rogue looked like a big dim dog getting a belly rub. Admittedly, the titan still amazed him with everything it did. The creature was much more intelligent than his looks credited him. The sneeze was something that Rogue had obviously planned – and planned thoroughly. Seeing Nile suffering from an even more disgusting punishment than he had, it brought out some of his own hidden emotions. With most of what he classified as stupid shit that occurred on a daily basis, the very instance took the cake. Sweet revenge was the perfect phrase for it.

The Corporal then noticed that Zackley was watching the scene as well, expression just as vague as his own. After all the preparations and burning nerves, it was a heavy burden that was lifted from their shoulders that Zackley had seen through Nile's bullshit and processed the reality of Rogue. Even more so was that the titan behaved as well as he did and didn't give in to his judgmental traits. Then again, it was clear that Zackley was thinking of something that had come to light during the trials. As far as the man's preferences and as to what that thought was – Levi had a pretty good idea that he knew what it was and Zackley was about to disclose it to them.

"I think this one suits the impending conversation." Erwin announced as he carried over three glasses of red wine on a silver platter and placed it onto a small table between them before taking the last seat. Just to be polite in the presence of the Premier, Levi took a glass and simply held it in hand as he waited for the conversation to begin.

"Thank you, Commander. I don't drink red wine much these days but it does taste good every once in a while." Zackley spoke as he lifted the clean glass to his lips before clearing his throat. "Like I said, your titan did well today – even though what happened to Nile was cause for suspicion." The man smirked cunningly.

"We had no idea that Rogue was –

Zackley held up a joking hand, cutting Erwin off. "Hey, I just saw him sneeze. Nile was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Zackley chuckled lightly before continuing, allowing Levi to let out a discreet sigh in relief that the man was dismissing the incident. "Rogue is everything people say he is and everything that Pixis has told me. Hell, I would feel comfortable allowing a school of children around the beast." Zackley laughed as he took another sip of wine. "On a serious note, his intelligence and knowledge that he's learned from you says to me that he has the potential to do well on a full expedition with you." The bearded man paused, face suddenly changing into one of dead earnestness. "However, watching the titan has raised one concern that I can't ignore."

"What would that be, Sir?" Levi queried, still ignoring the glass of wine in his hand.

Zackley dithered, looking out in the clearing again to gaze upon the titan to see that he was he was even more sprawled out than ever with several of the recruits, including a caring Petra and an over enthused Hange, scratching beneath Rogue's chin with the titan happily soaking up every bit of the attention before surprising the group by unexpectedly lapping them across the face. "Docile thing isn't he? Does – he do the licking thing often?" Zackley questioned as he gestured to the scene out the window.

"Unfortunately." Levi answered. "Luckily, with as much time he has spent with me, I've managed to avoid his sloppy kisses."

The Premier chuckled, but then grew grim yet again. "That is actually my concern with Rogue. His demeanor worries me. Don't get me wrong it's wonderful, but I greatly worry how that will translate into the expedition."

Levi finally gave in to a sip of wine. He knew it.

"From what I've seen, Rogue is incredibly at home here. He's closely attached to many of you – especially to those two kids." Zackley hesitated, looking to the two of them sternly. "If I may ask, how well does he cope with loss?"

At the statement, Levi immediately thought back to what the two teens had told them the first night they were all together around the fire in Maria, recalling how badly the beast took the Jaeger's deaths that still haunted the creature to the day. Rogue didn't cope well to losing loved ones at all. Either it was full on ballistic rage; wailing in sorrow, or downright pouting the titan wasn't good with the idea of losing anything. Hell, after they had given a small family of kittens away that the beast had cared for, Rogue was more grumpy than he was with seeing that the new recruits had left a mess behind without cleaning it. And that particular incidence lasted for two whole days. To Levi, the titan took the idea of loss like a toddler.

"Well," Erwin began before Levi could reply. "Rogue takes death just like any human would."

Zackley looked deeply into his glass. "I see. However, I'm worried that he will give in to his protective instincts and feelings if he sees trouble and decides to go against your orders. During the first trial, I could tell that he was greatly bothered by Nile's remark. Which is why I'm setting this into play. I will expect a full and truthful report after the expedition. If Rogue doesn't listen, you will report the Stohess district with your titan in tow to be evaluated for a second time."

Levi took another gulp of wine, one bigger than the previous one. The stakes were even higher with the coming expedition merely two weeks away. He would have to brand a lot of their previous conversations together and the risks of disobeying him into the titan's head even more so than before. He was not going to lose someone else. It would be a constant thing, after seeing just how easily Rogue abandoned his own survival instincts in fear that one of their own had been hurt in the previous day's capture session. Then again, Rogue always followed orders and none in particular was given. Not only that but their sudden convergence and body language would probably set anyone off. Levi sulked further in his seat. Hopefully that was the case. Maria would be different – then again Rogue was full of surprises and not all were necessarily good ones.

A vibration then caught their attention. Looking to the window, Levi and the other pairs of eyes watched as Rogue chirped and sat down a stick, another small rock, and a large leaf onto the balcony. The titan purred, fogging up the glass.

"More welcome presents I assume?" Zackley asked.

"Looks it." Erwin replied as Rogue returned to lounge with the recruits, plopping down without a single worry in the world.

The man chuckled. "Like I said, I hate to have you do such a thing. But you must understand that I have to be sure. I don't expect it though. He's a great soldier. A gift to humanity. I'm sure he will do great." Zackley concluded, drinking the last of his wine. "Also, I thank him for his generosity and for subduing Nile's foolishness. Truthfully, as much as I work with him – sometimes it's nice to have a bit of peace."

Erwin chuckled. "Agreed. Thank you Zackley."

"You're welcome. The funds for your coming expedition should arrive within two days. I wish you all luck."

**(POV SWAP)**

The gently melody of the music box swept through the darkened barn, only lit by the dim light of candles. Rogue lay facing the wall in his designated nesting area. The beast purred softly, spine curved as he was curled around his little ones in protection and love. They were both fast asleep in his palm and against his chest, he himself on the verge of repose. The titan watched their chests slowly rise and fall with softly illuminating emerald orbs. He was so happy. He had passed his trials and could now be with and assist his babies and the pack – his new family, on the coming hunt and his job to seal the broken wall. During the past two months, he had been itching to start his work again to make a safer word for those he had cared for. Rogue then snuggled closer, letting sleep slowly blanket over him with a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth and his feet kneading in the hay.

He couldn't wait to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Next time will be chapter 14 and the moment you've all been waiting for! Also, If I'm late in posting just know that it's most likely due to life events and work. I try to make it up to you all by posting really long chapters!
> 
> Yup, shit goes down in chapter 14!
> 
> Also, lots of you asked on both here and Ao3 if I have any more writings. I do have an original work that's a bit more polished that you can find out more details about it on my tumblr (miranda-leek) or on my Da account (RedCoaster) But yeah, if you like monsters and amusement parks you may enjoy it :) GIVE IT SOME LOVE IF YOU HAVE THE CHANCE!


	14. She

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 57th expedition begins...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: AFTER READING THIS CHAPTER SEE THE AUTHOR'S NOTES AT THE END THAT REGARD THE FUTURE OF THIS FIC! Anyways! Here is chapter 14! It's one that many of you have been waiting for! Let me know if I missed anything or if there are errors so I can fix them! I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan.

**Chapter 14**

**She**

His heart drummed rapidly with anticipation and a bit of apprehension while he walked carefully on the brick surface, trailing his pack. The sun shown brightly from the heavens, sky blue and clear as it could possibly be. The titan's ears flickered and faced forward at the sounds of eager and enthused human tongue up ahead. There was a vast difference in the human city compared to the last time he had walked the streets – a time that was a little over two months ago. The human residences and what his friends told him were 'shops' were all but abandoned, people seemingly dropping any task to leave. Their destination and gathering place was just up ahead near the outer gate of Katness. Like the first time he had paraded down the walk with his fellow Scouts, the sidelines were lined with spectators that were whooping and hollering in praise. From his height and distance, Rogue could tell that humans of all sizes were waiting eagerly with eyes glued. His heart fluttered in his chest at the scene. The aura of anticipation was practically radiating from the crowd – all ready to bless the pack with luck on the imminent hunt.

Rogue then welcomed his bulk to shutter as he gradually shadowed the soldiers at the rear. He was torn between two emotions – zeal and tenseness. For the last few days, the titan had been experiencing the two different feelings in light of the expedition. After time away from his purpose and duty, Rogue couldn't help but feel the excitement coursing through his frame at the thought of tearing tissue and coating his tan skin with crimson nectar of his kin. In the recent weeks, it had been like an itch that he wanted to constantly scratch, the need to exterminate the looming pests for the well being of his new family and the rest of the humans was a great one. The fact that he was now part of the flying human pack as a designated member, made him all the more excited – he was to work with the best titan slayers and with their aid, his job would be done quicker. Rogue then swallowed, brow creasing slightly at the clinging tension. Then again, he was admittedly nervous, very nervous. No, he wasn't fearful of making a mistake on the mission. Ever since the trial, Levi had reminded him to follow all orders, which he had to do in order to avoid being judged again. He was confident that he would do well enough. If it was one thing he learned being trained under the iron fist of the Corporal, was that listening was rewarding. By doing such a thing, no matter how much he didn't want to or disagreed with it, Rogue usually escaped the daunting and unpleasant task of cleaning that most of the 'recruits' were usually forced to do. The real source of his nerves originated from his constant concern for his friends and his babies' safety. Rogue often found himself telling him that they were powerful and capable of killing just as he was. However, no matter how strong, fast, and smart they were his closest companions were still small and fragile. One hit from a titan could easily crush them; one bite could easily chop them in half –

Rogue shook his head in the slightest to rid the thoughts from his mind. They were strong. They would survive.

They had to.

"Are you alright, Rogue?"

In light of the question falling on his ears, the titan turned his head slightly to Petra who was to be residing on his shoulder during the hunt. As usual, she looked to him with a warm gaze, the difference being the flicks of concern within her amber irises.

" **Aahhtt?"** Rogue asked softly, trying to keep his deep voice as quiet as possible. Although he was allowed to reveal his voice for people like Zackley, Pixis, and even Nile he wasn't to show his special gift to anyone else for the sake of not startling the still judgmental public.

The redhead's smile grew more tender, small but understanding - reminding him of his Carla for the umpteenth time. "Is something bothering you? Nerves getting to you again?"

Rogue hesitated, monitoring how much further they were from the crowd. " **Esss."** He admitted. " **EEIIii EaAArrr OOSSIngg NNyyy AAiiibbiieess …AAmmmiLEEE."** The titan continued to explain, his heart feeling like a weight in his chest. " **EEEiiii OOOSSSEE OTTss. OOssttt CCuurllla UnnD GRRissaa."**

Green eyes watched painfully as Petra's smile grew smaller still before returning once again and rubbing her delicate hands on the flesh of his neck. "I understand what you're saying, Rogue. No one wants to lose a loved one and nothing can prepare anyone for a sudden loss. Every Scout has that exact thought running through their heads on missions, me included. However **,** you must be strong mentally in addition to physically. We all have different fates Rogue, and all of them contribute to the survival of humanity. Worthy causes."

The titan's ears flickered in intrigue at her words **.** He wasn't quite sure what she meant, but by her tone she had to mean well.

**"** I'm not sure about you per say, but someday,we will all meet our fates. It's the natural order of things. Of course, as we've told you and as you've seen – your little ones are among the best thanks to you. Plus Hange, Levi's squad, the new recruits, and I are either the most experienced titan slayers or graduated at the top of their class. In addition to you, we have an even greater chance of survival and success rate now more than we ever had. So take a deep breath Rogue and just relax." Petra assured. "I bet you're looking forward to hunting titans again aren't you?"

Absorbing her words like a sponge, Rogue let a smile pull at his lipless maw – nodding slightly so to not accidentally toss Petra from his shoulder. The titan's now lively greens then glanced down at his feet. Away from his wake rode his little ones who were talking with Connie and Jean. Though they were in conversation, both Armin and Mikasa looked up to him to exchange quick waves and smiles before returning to trade their human tongue. Rogue nodded to himself. Yes, Petra was right. His allies and closest companions were strong. They would survive.

The titan then turned his attention forward to see that the front of the pack had come to a halt before the gate – the portal to the territory of the titans and his previous domain. Slowly, the horses edged forward before stopping in wait. Gradually, the tail end of the pack edged into the area where the spectators were lining the wide path. Slowly, Rogue edged forward, decreasing the length of his steps. However, though he was trying to not be disruptive, the titan's weighty footfalls reverberated throughout the area – window frames vibrating, loose objects rattling, and provoking a few gasps from the audience below. Like the others, Rogue then came to a halt, letting his eyes wander to the sidelines. The titan then fell to observation, letting his vibrant greens meander and elfish ears become erect. He suddenly decided that it was best not to let his eyes stroll, just in case the signal to proceed was a visual one. Of course, he could not help but let his curiosity tend to his ear's content.

Below, the humans had scrunched themselves uncomfortably together to get a clear view of the towering behemoth, the bravest getting the closest with several of the Garrison blocking them from intruding further. Rogue's ears flickered, rustling Petra a bit as he absorbed the words of every statement.

"So, it's really true then. The papers were correct."

"He must be tame, there is a soldier sitting right on his shoulder! The Rogue is not even bothered by her!"

"Incredible!"

"I wonder which of the soldiers are the two Titan Children?"

"The girl on his shoulder is a veteran Scout. She's on Levi's squad so it's not her."

"The Rogue is not even bothering anyone!"

"With this guy, the expedition should have some real results! Maybe Wall Maria will be sealed!"

"I still think this thing is a waste of time. It's got the brain of a village idiot."

At the jab, Rogue blew a small, but disgusted breath of steam. He always hated it when he was referred to as 'dumb' or a 'moron' – his name discarded and replaced by rude words. Just because he was a titan did not mean that he was stupid. Sure, some things were harder to grasp but he could damn sure understand human tongue and almost everything in the world around him.

"Look Ellie! We can see him here!"

Hearing the enthused but youthful voice, the titan's ears shifted in interest. Gradually, Rogue let his gaze drift to the sidelines to look upon two small humans that were smaller than even his little ones when he had first met them. They were a tiny boy and girl – the boy missing several teeth and the girl's dirty blonde hair was tied up in a style that Krista had fashioned his locks into at one point in time, 'pigtails' as he remembered. They were incredibly young, no older than four or five at least. Green pools blinked in awe as Rogue spotted an object in the girl's arms that made his chest flutter. It was what he had been told was a doll, a plush toy made to look like another human or in this case him. The toy was wrapped tightly in her arms, nude as he was with painted teeth, sewn on tapered ears, wild hair, and emerald button eyes. Giving in to his own intrigue, Rogue turned his head fully to meet their eyes – sparking more excitement in the two children.

"He's looking right at me." The girl spoke in shock, seemingly turning shy. "He's really looking at me!" She smiled widely, revealing a recently lost tooth.

"That's Ellie and her brother." Petra spoke into his ear. "I think that Ellie is your number one fan, Rogue."

The titan made a small grunt in reply as he proceeded to observe.

"He really is looking at you!" The child's brother announced. "Maybe he sees Roguey!"

Ellie's grin brew broader, eyes lighting up in utter excitement. The child then held up her doll for him to view. "You like my doll? My mommy made it to look like you! Thanks for saving us at Trost!"

At her sincere words of gratitude, Rogue instantly gave in to a rumbling purr and let the flesh at the corners of his mouth flex into a tender smile - the titan's eyes warm and grateful. Human young, babies like these, reminded him much of his own little ones. He liked the two; they easily accepted him with no judgment whatsoever. The titan wished that more humans could be this way.

**"** Look – is he, smiling?" An older woman whispered to her significant other.

"Well, his mouth is fixed into a perpetual grin, but looking at the skin at the corners of his mouth – I'd say he is." The man replied. "If I'm not mistaken, I think he's purring too."

The titan continued to keep eye contact with the two young children, taking a bit of pride and enjoyment at their expressions and reactions.

"Ellie! Look! He's smiling at you!"

The girl giggled, jumping up and down. "Yeah! He must like Roguey and me!"

Rogue blinked slowly, eyes half lidded as he grunted as if to confirm her words, watching in amusement as Ellie squealed to herself before turning his attention back to the gate before him at the sound of Erwin's booming voice.

"PREPARE TO EMBARK ON THE 57TH EXPEDITION TO RESEAL WALL MARIA! ALL TITANS CLOSE TO THE GATE HAVE BEEN LED AWAY!"

Rogue swallowed, trying to recede the lump in his chest as the heavy gate moaned at the stress of being lifted. The titan then adapted a determined look and released a breath of steam. This was it. Now was the time to put away his worries and embrace his purpose and the anticipation of the hunt.

"ONWARD!" The Commander ordered, horse rearing and letting out a bellow in triumph. Rogue observed as one by one the pack members released their own battle cries before charging forward. On his shoulder, Petra too, was projecting her own form of dominance. The titan grinned; wanting to join in, Rogue threw his head back and emitted a victorious roar – the great sound projecting across the area and provoking some to cover their ears while the sound shook shingles upon rooftops. Rogue let the roar fade into an excited rumble, witnessing his friends giggle in light of his surprising action. The titan gave a determined nod as the pack charged forward, hooves thundering across the walk. When the distance was acceptable, Rogue then trailed after them, fleetingly but keeping his gate steady and light enough so to not upset any spectators. As quickly as he could, he then ducked and shimmied through the gate, keeping Petra comfortable on her perch as he headed toward the blinding light.

Instantly, as he stepped into Maria, his memories of his long hunts and constant protection of his little ones came to him. The buildings around the closing gate looked disheveled and worn, covered in ivy and looking as if they were about to sink into the earth. It was sad to know the landscape was such a far contrast from five years prior. Rogue quickened his pace in the slightest to join the moving pack, still keeping his stride in check. His nostrils flared, the area reeked with the stench of his kin. The titan sniffed hungrily, keeping his eyes peeled as he searched for any sign of movement within the ruined structures.

A loud crash seized his attention. The beast's eyes flashed to his left to see an approaching ten-meter. It was extremely fat, belly so large that it was a wonder how the miserable looking thing wasn't falling over. Its face was frozen in frustration with its dull eyes locked onto the pack, a low growl coming from its throat. Rogue swallowed. Didn't the leader say that the titans closest to the wall had been steered away?

"Ten-meter approaching!"

"Left flank prepare to engage!"

Rogue watched as two soldiers left the safety of their horse seats and began to fly through the abandoned residences. The titan swallowed, trying to resist the primal urge to slaughter the monster for even daring to get close to his little ones and his family!

"Remember, Rogue." Petra spoke into his ear. "Don't attack unless you are told."

The titan clenched his teeth. Yes, he couldn't break that law. If he charged for the creature with no order from Levi or Erwin, he was in trouble. Rogue balled his hands into fists on reflex, still glaring at the ten-meter with downright hatred. Suddenly, an idea came to him. He could still protect the pack without moving from his position or throwing a punch. Ever since he scared the three titans who were after his babies on their hunting trip four years ago, he sometimes used his bouts of dominance to keep titans out of his territory so it would still look just like it had before the wall was breached. That and he still wanted to mark what were his and only his.

Rogue let loose a slicing snarl, one that echoed among the rubble and instantly grabbed a majority of the Scouts' attention. The emerald-eyed beast hissed and let a growl ripple through his throat. His pupils turned to slits, reflecting his vicious intent.

"Rogue!" Petra yelled over his threats. "Please don't attack! You can't!"

The ten-meter had heeled in its advance, dead eyes looking at Rogue – wide and unblinking. He then roared; rattling unbroken glass and making the others look to him in fear. Seeing the dull thing flinch in the slightest, Rogue projected his rule again – carving his point to 'fuck off' into stone.

The titan growled again, watching as its moronic kin then took a step back in retreat before turning on its heel. However, it was unable to travel in the way which it came as the two pack members went in for the kill – slicing the neck of the pitiful monster and letting the thing fall like cut timber.

At his success, Rogue purred in satisfaction – chest puffing proudly. He then glanced to Petra to see that she was staring right at him in dead shock as they made their way out of the ruined settlement.

"Rogue? What – what just… how did that –

"Rogue!"

At the familiar stern voice of the Corporal and the feeling of him landing upon his shoulder, Rogue fretfully turned his head to see Levi wearing a deep and angry scowl. The titan swallowed. Perhaps he had been incorrect.

"I told you not to –

" **EETT** **OOKKAAAEE EEEVVVII!"** Rogue tried to defend before he could be scolded further. " **TTEEIIITTAANN DDEEAADD NNNOOWW! EEEIII SSSCCAARREE EETT!"**

"Rogue, I told you not to engage –

"Actually, you said not to attack Corporal."

Levi quieted at Petra's words, face difficult to read before the short man let out a frustrated sigh. His superior then unhooked his cables from the titan's flesh – something that Rogue was used to feeling – having been taught that other members of his pack could use him as leverage in an open field. With amazing skill, Levi left his perch and navigated his way to sit back on his horse. Rogue smiled to himself – he loved it when he outsmarted someone, especially a human like Levi.

"SPLIT FORMATION AND ASSUME YOUR POSITIONS! DISPATCH A TITAN IF IT COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE FLEET!"

His heart hammered in his chest as he watched the pack beginning to split and take off across the field. Rogue felt his nerves pull at him again, the fear of his babies' safety coursing through his mind yet again. Feeling his entire concerns surge through him, Rogue immediately looked down to where his two little ones rode. To his surprise, both Armin and Mikasa were doing the same. The two teens were both giving him encouraging smiles, Armin exchanging what humans called a 'thumbs up' a simple gesture meaning that 'all was good.'

"Good luck! Don't worry! We'll see you tonight!" Armin called up to the beast that gave a weary nod in return.

"Remember Rogue, don't do anything unless you are told! Love you and good luck!" Mikasa returned with the titan exchanging his own upward thumb.

For a long and pensive moment, Rogue watched as his little ones slowly receded until they were out of sight. Rogue swallowed, hoping that luck was on their side and that he would soon see them again. Hopefully not in body bags.

* * *

The landscape was quiet, empty without a tree in sight. A few hours had passed since the hunt had begun and the wall was no longer upon the horizon. The titan was still trailing his tiny pack at a respectable and appropriate distance. The Levi squad was alone with the others nowhere in sight – the only indications of their existence being the signals from their flares. Rogue could still feel that he was slightly on edge, concern still occupying a part of him. During the time of the small pack's travels, the titan had been glancing every so often in the direction that his babies were located in addition to his self imposed duty to look out for potential danger – monitoring the kind of signals originating from the particular region. So far, there had been little indications of titans, just a few red signals and thankfully no black ones that meant that a strange one had been sighted. Rogue sighed, releasing a breath of steam that was almost shaky. Hopefully the trend would continue.

"It seems like there hasn't been much action in the outer ranks." Gunter began as he reached for his canteen. "I haven't seen many flares go off. Wonder why."

"Perhaps it is because they are still fearful that Rogue is around." Eld replied. "Hell if I was a titan with any sort of understanding, I'd be damn sure to stay out of this area." He chuckled, giving the behemoth a joking glance. "On a serious note though, it is odd."

"Or it's just luck." Oluo grumbled. "Corporal, how much further is it to the camp?"

Levi kept his gaze ahead, still observing the sky for more signals. "It's still two hours from here. I'm not sure if we are stopping at the first depot though. There has been no word from Erwin." The Corporal replied before turning to the titan. "How are you holding up? Are you still good for a few hours?"

Although Rogue had been lightly jogging after the small pack for quite some time, he wasn't feeling much fatigue in comparison to the time he had sprinted across Wall Maria to get to Trost on the second breach. The titan quickly nodded in response, grunting his stable state as confirmation. As he usually did, Rogue turned to Petra to ask of her condition and how she herself was feeling. " **OOOWWW EEETTRRAA?"**

The redhead quickly turned from her observation of the landscape to the creature's questioning gaze, seemingly surprised that she had been caught admiring the scenery. "I'm good." Petra grinned, sounding a slight giggle to herself. "You know what Rogue? I never thought I'd be riding through titan territory on the shoulder of a titan. I have to say, it's a nice change in perspective."

Pleased at the comment, Rogue wiggled his ears and parted his teeth to allow his tongue to show his thanks. However, before the beast's gentle display of appreciation, the alarming scent of a strange one seeped through his nostrils. With a hitched breath of alarm, Rogue turned his head to see a fast and awkwardly moving fourteen-meter with a false smile etched onto its face coming up quickly behind the small party. Petra then stood from her seat and began to unsheathe her swords.

"Corporal! There is a fourteen-meter abnormal coming up quickly from behind - umph!" She relayed, being cut short on her warning as Rogue suddenly placed her behind the protection of his ears – green eyes hooked upon the approaching target. It was moving too fast – sprinting oddly with its arms cradled around itself like a human sitting in the cold.

"Alright, prepare to anchor and –

However, Levi was cut short by the titan's sudden decision to turn on his heel and charge straight for his opponent. Rogue roared, wild eyes narrowed in sheer determination to see smeared red juices. The Commander did say to dispose of any titan that came near the ranks. So the unwanted trash had to be taken out.

"Rogue!" Petra called out, nails nearly digging into his flesh, but he paid no head. With incredible swiftness like he had never possessed before, Rogue threw himself forward, bringing his fist into a vicious right hook. The megalith hit his mark; knuckles hammering with such force that the abnormal titan's face was torn off. The monster's hot crimson painted the green canvas below, fragments of cartilage, muscle, bone, and even the thing's dead eyes that were severed from their sockets flew through the atmosphere before settling upon the earth. Rogue roared in sheer triumph, experiencing an unexpected surge of pleasure coursing throughout his frame – a feeling that he missed from hunting his own kind. Unbridled greens observed the opposing titan stagger slightly, somehow managing to stay on its own two feet. The fourteen meter surprisingly roared in return, a dull sound accompanied by the monster's own state of choking on its own blood. Rogue's only response to the pitiful attempt to threaten was another hit, a brutal uppercut to the abomination's jaw – dethatching the damaged head and sending brain tissue and the ruined skull several meters away. As the titan began to fall forward, Rogue repositioned himself and sunk his teeth into the nape. Skin was punctured and muscles were torn as Rogue clamped his jaw even tighter in his vice grip. The taste of hot iron filled his mouth as gore spurted from the wound. Unexpectedly, a bit of curiosity came to the titan, remembering Hange's words about his diet possibly and supposedly being titans themselves, Rogue sucked a little bit. Blood glided across his tongue and poured down his throat. The taste was something that perplexed him – he focused on flavor, something that he had never done on any of his hunts; the titan determining that it was actually not bad. Still, it wasn't great by any means and something he didn't want to treat himself with. Deciding that it was enough, Rogue then tore the nape free and spit the hunk of meat aside before letting the body drop to the earth. With manners in play, he reached up to wipe his mouth before placing a rattled Petra to his shoulder.

**"UUU OOOKKAAEE EETRRAA?"** He queried softly, eyes leaving their feral state and returning to ones filled with innocence and concern. Rogue watched as Petra slowly took her seat back onto his shoulder, trying to snap herself out of shock.

"I'm… alright Rogue. Thanks for taking care of the titan."

The flesh at the corners of his mouth pulled into a grin, but before he could express anything further, Rogue's eyes caught the sight of stopped steeds and one furious Levi down at his feet – finger pointing to accuse. The titan's brows knitted together, he didn't do anything wrong. So why was Levi mad?

"ROGUE JAEGER!" Levi yelled up to the towering humanoid – the very scene of the short human shouting at a confused fifteen-meter titan looking like something from a joke. "YOUR STUPID ASS WAS TOLD NOT TO DISOBEY ORDERS! GIVING IN TO YOUR DESIRES IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE TOLERATED! THAT WAS A RECKLESS AND DANGEROUS MOVE! WHY DID YOU DISOBEY!"

The titan grumbled softly in aggravation. Had Levi really forgotten or was the small human incredibly concerned for him? Rogue breathed a long sigh before kneeling down to be more interactive. " **EEVVII… EEERRIIINN SSSAAAIIDDD KKKIIILL IITTTAANNSS EEFFF COOSSEEE OORR EENNN OORRNNNAATTIONN."** The creature corrected with several hand gestures signifying the Commander.

At his words, Levi then changed his tune, face relaxing in the slightest and turning from red to its usual pale tint. The man then huffed a sharp breath and pinched the bridge of his nose – a move that Rogue had often seen the Corporal do when irritated. "Fucking damn it." Levi muttered beneath his breath, making Rogue nearly crack a laugh. Being able to read the minuscule man so deeply, the titan could easily tell that Levi was consumed with concern over he himself breaking any rules. It was a thing that the titan found funny as well as his little ones, Hange, and Petra. Each knew that Levi had a hard outer shell and an ever more bitter filling – but there was a hint that was sweet in the small morsel. Levi would never show or admit how much he looked out for the titan. Never. It was evident that the Corporal was extra scrupulous over his actions in light of what could happen if he disobeyed or fucked up. "Well, at least report what you're doing before taking action. Because of you being- well you, and considering this is your first expedition as a Scout, I might not be able to tell your intentions."

Rogue nodded slowly, only understanding part of what Levi had told him. However, judging by the level of seriousness laced within his human tongue, it most likely wasn't positive. Of course – he probably should have warned his pack that he was going to execute a move. Before the titan could make any sort of apology for his negligence of announcing his plans, the sound of approaching hooves ended the current exchange. The titan looked up with his small pack following to see the short blond, Nanaba, approaching. Rogue naturally tilted his head, recalling Levi's verbal information about the procedures of the formation – how a few volunteer pack members would split from each of their tiny parties to spread messages in their ranks. With the veteran being here, it meant that she had something important to disclose. Rogue swallowed, hopefully it was nothing bad.

Nanaba slowed her horse to position herself next to Levi. For a moment, she was silent as she stared at the still steaming titan corpse scattered around the circumference of the area before turning back to the waiting corporal, pointing at the slaughter before her. "What happened? Did a titan breech the rank?"

Levi remained unspoken for a moment, stare still cold as he climber back to his horse seat. "Yes, an abnormal charged right for us. Rogue took care of it before it was on top of us." The man softened a bit, allowing Rogue to get a small smile in play. "However, what's your business here Nanaba? Directions from Commander Erwin?" He paused for a moment, blinking in thought. "Does he have any theories as to why it's rather quiet out here?"

"As far as the lack of titans is concerned, there are no solid leads. Although this area is still considerably far from Rogue's previous territory, our titan did at one point travel through here to hunt at Wall Rose and the enemy is weary because of that reason. I mean, the ten-meter earlier seemed pretty fearful of him as soon as it knew Rogue was with us. Now, as far as my message is concerned, Erwin is ordering all of the ranks to converge at depot seven."

The corporal folded his arms, Eld and Gunter looking to one another in question all the while Oluo mirrored Levi's reaction. "Meeting there?" Gunter asked in disbelief. It's a bit early to restock isn't it?"

Nanaba dipped her head in agreement. "Yes, but that is not why we're meeting up. The right outer flank came upon the village and storehouse a little while ago during their course. They found something suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Levi queried sternly. "Why is that?"

The blonde wasted no time to dither. "They can't make out much, but they did say that Mike and Rogue may be able to turn up some clues. If Section Commander Zukarious can't get a trace then Rogue certainly can. Right now though, they are not sure what to make of the situation."

The Corporal then rerouted his horse, turning to address the others. "We regroup at number seven."

As they started in the new direction, Rogue stood to follow. The sinking feeling was settling into his gut again. What was so serious that the pack had to temporarily abandon their current trail and make for a new destination – one that they needed his help at? The titan continued to jog with his pack, thinking of what had happened and what was underway. Another troubling thought hit his nerves. In light of the strange one appearing out of nowhere to ambush them from behind, just how likely was something similar in nature to happen where his little ones were located. He had seen Scout members try to take down strange ones in the past on his hunts and even though they had tremendous skill – there was still casualties. He knew that Armin and Mikasa could likely kill a normal titan, but could his babies stand up to a strange one and their unpredictability? Truthfully, he wasn't sure.

* * *

The sun was beginning to lower from its high point in the sky as the titan's small pack arrived in a trivial town, abandoned like all the others, and on the edge of a wide prairie. Its human structures were crafted from brick, worn but in surprisingly good shape. At one time, it had likely been a peaceful and cheerful town full of gardens and flowerbeds. Now however, the vegetables and herbs had been replaced by aggressive weeds while wagons with missing parts were left to rot. Rogue remembered the small village to some extent. The last time he had stepped foot in the town was four years ago when he was searching for food and supplies to feed and nourish his little ones – having to travel further than he wanted from the cove at the time since finding human food was difficult. This was right before he had begun to apparently steal from his pack's stashes. Since then, he only threaded through once just to nail a three-meter – after that he never felt the need to return.

Rogue hurriedly bent down to let Petra off his broad shoulder, almost impatiently waiting as her feet touched the patches of grass while he looked around the scenery of the town for his little ones. Once Petra was free from his embrace, the titan hurriedly stood and sniffed, nose hungry for the two familiar smells that he knew best. Green eyes flashed left and right, examining all of the soldiers that were coming into the small village and dismounting their horses. Rogue whined slightly as he sniffed again – catching their scent and provoking him to smile. However, the fact that the pack would sometimes carry the bodies of the dead with them sent his grin else ware and manifested a sickening feeling in his stomach. Surely that wasn't the case! With his nerves swarming like bees yet again, Rogue quickly but carefully walked to the scents' source only to find that his worries had been for not and his precious beings were tying their horses against an old wooden pole. As he usually did in a relieved greeting, Rogue gave a delighted bleep that instantly captured both Armin and Mikasa's attention. As always, the two looked up into his greens with smiles decorating their faces.

"Hey Rogue, how was your –

Armin however was cut off as Rogue hurriedly bent over and expressed his gladness with an abrupt lap of his tongue. The titan then repeated the same notion with Mikasa before giving the two one more lick for good measure. Rogue then purred, nuzzling his face into the teens' small bodies.

"Three hours and three years is no difference to you is it Rogue?" Mikasa sighed, her words used in a teasing manner. The titan simply gave a pleased little growl.

**"AAAPPPYYY AAAIIBBIIESS SSAAFEE."**

"Yup, and all the new recruits are as well." Armin informed with several of the other small humans coming from their tending of their equines. Again, the creature purred elatedly and greeted the others with several cheerful grunts.

"Well someone looks overjoyed!" Sasha announced. "Happy to see us?"

Rogue nodded, deciding that he should share his enthusiasm with the others by quickly brushing his nose against them as well, nearly knocking Krista over. However, when it came to Jean, the titan teasingly snorted a small puff of steam into the teen's face before returning to his little ones.

"Ugh, I bet you hoped I would be titan fodder didn't you?" Jean grumbled with Rogue only snickering. True, Jean wasn't his favorite person by any means, but he didn't want to lose him either. He liked picking on him too much.

"Well, did you manage to see any titans near you at all Rogue?" Armin queried as he finally tethered his horse. "We didn't see any sneak into our rank."

Rogue dithered slightly, trying to decide if it was best to tell them – but then he realized that his two possessions would hear it from their superiors sooner or later. " **ESSS. OOONN SSTTRRAAANNEE OOONN."**

The two teens nodded, familiar with how the titan called abnormals. "Well that's –

"I hate to break up the family reunion but Rogue, I need you along with Arlert and Ackerman to follow me."

The titan turned to see Levi folding his arms in wait. In compliance, Rogue nodded and gently picked up the two teens in his open palm before trailing after the short statured man. The three kept quiet, simply looking down at the Corporal as they navigated among the soldiers and buildings. He began to think back to his current purpose. What exactly was going on? Why were they here? The creature thought harder, recalling things he knew about the area. Something was odd. Titans were usually all over areas that he didn't claim as his. Why were they not roaming the surrounding landscape? Was it possible that they could have migrated to another area? Could that be his territory or possibly another forest? Maybe they had just returned to the gate, waiting for more humans to leave it like a dispenser. Whatever it was, even he couldn't pinpoint it. It was just off – like whatever the flying humans were currently interested in. Rogue swallowed, a shutter running down his spine. Usually when something was out of place or felt strange to him, something unfortunate was on the rise.

Hopefully, this instance was just a fluke.

Soon, the open village began to merge with the thicket; trees nestled within the brick structures. The area was more overgrown than the other; vines suffocated previous homes and even small timbers sprouted from the floorboards of human residences. Overall, it was lonely and depressing like every town, a ghostly shell of its former glory. Up ahead stood the big leader, Hange, Mike, and a few of the other veteran members. Rogue raised a brow in intrigue. The figures were positioned around a collection of rubble. Bricks were scattered, wood was snapped, and colored glass littered the circumference. Upon first glance, it just looked like an insignificant pile of unwanted pieces, but recalling memories, the hunk of junk was actually the remains of the pack's depot. Rogue blinked, what was going on?

"So this is why we're here then?" Levi began as he placed himself next to Erwin, arms characteristically folding in dissatisfaction yet again. "What do we know?" The Corporal continued as Rogue returned his little ones to the ground and seated himself to overlook the group – waiting on any command to aid.

Erwin left out a pensive breath. "Not much. Molbit, did you see anything when you got here? You were the first to discover this."

"Nothing out of the ordinary as far as anything living, Commander. But we were able to rule out that a storm didn't knock this depot over. The trees surrounding it would have fallen. If it were Mother Nature's doing, there would be trees lying atop the rubble. We don't think it was foundation issues either."

"So this could be a titan related incident then?" Mike spoke, taking a step into the rubble. Hange rubbed her chin.

"It doesn't make much sense that a titan could be responsible. Besides Rogue, titans don't mess with objects or human structures unless people are inside." Hange added as Mike continued to look around. "Then again, this store house was an old church that was built nearly ninety years ago. It was one of the oldest in the area so perhaps the strain of titan footsteps caused it to collapse."

"I don't think that's likely" Armin began, sounding shy to intervene. "It was made of brick, even with vibrations caused by titans, it would be too sturdy. I mean, when Rogue walks right next to buildings here – the only things that shake are the windows and shingles, everything else is fairly sound."

"Three months ago this place was still standing." Levi muttered. "Mike –

"Did we have this depot stocked with nets and cables or was it number eight?" The whiskered man interrupted, looking at Erwin from beneath his bangs.

The tall blonde hesitated, clearly thinking. "I'm certain that both were stocked in light of our capture missions. Why do you ask?"

"Because I don't see them here among the debris. Of course they could just be under something." Mike replied seriously with the others looking to Erwin for a theory or response.

The Commander rubbed his clean-shaven chin. "True. It's either that or they were moved to number eight. In mists of the chaos, they could have been added by an unsuspecting rookie to the shipment that was moved to eight."

Rogue kept quiet, watching as Erwin suddenly turned to Mike, brows knitting together in a mixture of seriousness and question. "Can you smell anything?"

The small crowd watched as the tall flying human began to scrutinize, nostrils flaring in the slightest as the man attempted to pick up any precious scent. Mike instinctively rubbed his nose, sniffing strongly before crossing his arms and staring at the rubble in difficulty. "Whatever happened occurred quite a while ago. Perhaps a month. I can't make out any older scents from that time frame. All I can make out is just the various animals that came through here in the last few days. There's no telling if rain washed away anything from before either."

The Corporal dipped his head in understanding, a small and barley visible nod that appeared strict. "Well then time for plan B." Levi spoke nonchalantly as he looked back to the awaiting titan. "Jaeger?"

Understanding what Levi was asking from him, Rogue dipped his head and lifted himself slightly from his seat. Settling himself onto his knees and bending over much like a tracking hound, Rogue hovered his nose over the ruble. The creature then sniffed aggressively, breath echoing among the tiny clearing. With another deep breath, Rogue's keen sense of smell began to pick up on something that Mike had been unable to retrieve. Needing to go a little deeper, Rogue pressed his hungry nose into the mixture of bricks and pieces – looking a bit like a rooting pig going through slop as he angled his head and snout through the remains. The titan's eyes narrowed at a spot in the middle of the wrecked foundation, sticking his nose in further.

"Do you – have something Rogue?" Hange asked, the titan not paying too much attention with his focus purely on the buried scent.

Needing to go even deeper, like a dog, Rogue lifted a hand and dug deeply into the rubble and with little effort shoved it out of the way. The titan then stuck his head in the small basin yet again, the scent hitting him full blast. Rogue went rigid, hair upon his scalp standing on end. The scent was definitely titan, but like the day's occurrences, it was unquestionably strange. Cautiously, he sniffed again, reflexively snorting. Although the scent was, in truth, faint from time, there was something about the smell that struck a nerve. Rogue grunted in slight irritation. For some reason that he couldn't place, it pulled at him. It almost felt – haunting.

It was just weird. It made him feel irregular.

"What is it?"

Hearing the Corporal's demand, Rogue tore himself from the scent and turned to face the man and his other superiors along with his babies. " **SSNNEEELL IIKKKEE TTIITTAANN."** Rogue informed, brow wrinkling in confusion. " **SSEENNTT RROOMM… SSTTRRAANNGGEE TTIITTAANNNN."**

"You mean – like an abnormal?" Hange asked him, eyes growing wider behind her glasses.

Rogue looked to the folds of skin on his palms. Indeed, it was odd like a strange one, yet there was something just different about it. " **UUHHH… IITT UUSSTT EEIIRRRDD."**

"Is it a 'strange one' then?"

The titan dithered a bit longer, snorting to get the dust out of his nose. " **EHHH… EEIII GGUUESSS. IITT NNOOTT NNORRRNNAALL."**

"Hmm, so it was a titan then." Erwin began, face still remaining stern and eyes glued to the wrecked depot.

"Maybe we're just overthinking things. A dumbass titan was probably walking with an irregular gate and fucking fell into the storehouse." Levi nonchalantly suggested, tone cold as usual.

"I think that's what happened." Mike supported. If what Rogue smelled was a scent mark it would certainly be stronger and in more areas around here." The whiskered man continued with the titan nodding in agreement.

Yes, like the Corporal had said, he had to be over-analyzing things. A titan had probably just fallen into the storehouse. Nothing more nothing less. Rogue then snorted again in attempt to rid the troublesome particles from his nose. However, before he could take another breath to try again, an overwhelming state of alarm raced across his spine, blood running cold. Rogue's pupils shrank, brows arching as his hair stood up again. The titan's heart hammered, ears becoming erect in alert. Unfortunately, there was a reason for the day's strange occurrences. Rogue sniffed, nostrils flaring wide and in sheer disgust. No! This couldn't be!

"Are we still set to get supplies from number eight then?"

"Yes we should be there by –

Rogue quickly began to get to his feet, low branches snapping and breaking around the group. Levi's steel eyes flashed to the titan, both aggravation and fury clear in his face.

"Rogue what –

" **EEEVVVII! TTTIITTAANNSS!"** Rogue breathed rapidly, temper beginning to boil.

"What!"

"He's right." Mike hurriedly supported. "There's a hoard coming. At least twenty, maybe more."

Rogue swallowed. There was more than that. Thirty at the most. A chorus of screams then filed the air, heavy footsteps mixing within the close chaos. His heart lifted into his chest, fear settling into his gut – but there was also the primal instinct to protect spreading throughout his frame. The very same that he had always felt when in titan territory with his little ones. It was one that commanded him to defend and attack. Even as the pack leaders were shouting, Rogue's eyes began to light with flaming green. How dare these vile monstrosities come near his family – especially with him around!

"Arlert. Ackerman. The two of you go forth into the village. Exterminate any titan that has already breached into the town and rescue any able soldier you see."

Rogue watched in befuddlement as the two teens saluted to the Corporal's request and quickly flew into the direction of the impending battle. His green eyes followed them fearfully. He – had been separated from them? The entire pack was together at the moment instead of being strung out in the formation. Why were they not fighting as one?

"Jaeger." Levi spoke sharply as he prepared a set of blades. "Your job is to eliminate all of the incoming titans. Since we're on a damn field for the most part and we're forced to stick to the buildings and trees, that's your job. As you know, not everyone can anchor you at one time, and with this many titans it's nearly impossible for a single person to cover you."

" **EEEVVII… IIITTLLEEE OONNSS SSTTEEII –**

**"** No Rogue. They are needed elsewhere!" The small leader yelled at him, making the titan instantly regret his declaration. "You're the spear and shield here! Do your fucking job! That's an order!" Levi concluded venomously as he quickly left the earth and soared through the trees as nothing but a blur.

Without a moment to waste, Rogue lifted himself fully and charged forward. He understood what Levi meant. Slaughtering the incoming titans would reduce the numbers that the rest of the pack had to deal with. The creature swallowed with dread. As much as he hated the way things had been declared and sat into stone, he was given an order. He couldn't break that solid decree.

Rogue moved through the thin thicket, crushing what was left of ruined human homes beneath his feet before bursting into the wide clearing. However, the sight before him forced the titan to halt at the tree line. As he had predicted, there was clearly over thirty. At least a dozen were weaving in and out of the buildings in search for morsels to satisfy their empty gullets. Sadly, just as the fight had begin, there was already blood shed as the result of the ambush. Rogue's dark rimmed eyes widened as he watched a soldier get bit in half, organs and crimson decorating the shabby shingles and weedy path. The image instantly brought back the horrid memory of his poor helpless Carla – a thought that forced a distressed whine to vibrate in his chest. At the idea, instinctively, the behemoth searched for the familiar shapes of his little ones, hoping that they had not fallen. To his good fortune, Armin and Mikasa were perched upon a high roof that overlooked the playing field, talking strategy with the other teens. He nodded to himself in a pitiful attempt to encourage his state of mind. He had to keep the other titans away. He had an order.

The titan then turned away to initiate his own hunt, spotting a member of his kin emerging from the thicket – an ignorant looking fourteen-meter equipped with a manic grin. Rogue then roared, charging forward with a raised fist. Just as the beast turned to look at the green-eyed titan, Rogue's knuckles plowed through the monster's head. With the sickening sound of collapsing bone ringing through his ears, the fourteen-meter's head flew into a large tree in a pulpy goo with steamy blood spraying several meters. Before the fourteen-meter's mass could fall, Rogue plunged his nails trough the nape. With a forceful tug, the beast pulled the spine free and tossed it aside with no further appreciation of the bloody but beautiful sight. He had an order. He had to move on! He had to protect!

He had to win.

Rogue then turned to another fifteen meter that had snuck past him with its beady eyes set onto its tiny targets. Instinctively, he bellowed, grabbing the other titan's foggy and glazed over stare. Unexpectedly, it took a step towards him, a sight that was a rare one to Rogue. On his hunts, very few titans ever bothered to try and fight him or approach him. The others likely warded away by his radiating anger. Back when he was hunting solo, he admittedly found these kinds of titans interesting. Sure, they were strange ones but Rogue had unearthed that there were two significantly different types of abnormals. Firstly, there were the really strange titans that behaved so drastically different and moved so fucking outlandishly that he sometimes questioned their existence. Then there were other strange ones that would act completely normal one minute and then they would do something very eccentric the next. These titans sometimes even charged at him with the only intent being just to knock him over. Although he found them to be a joy to kill, their presence in the town with his pack was something that planted fear into Rogue yet again.

As he expected, the strange one jogged toward him. Quickly, he knocked the creature's head to the side so violently that the titan's mass crumpled to the ground. Rogue watched as the body tried to lift itself from his crippled position, head hanging awkwardly to one side with the creature moaning in agony. He then planted his foot firmly onto the nape, bone cracking like an eggshell beneath his weight. To his dismay, before he could look up, another large titan barreled into him, nearly knocking him to the earth. Rogue struggled to get his balance, eyes still trying to keep the creature in sight – seeing that it was hooked onto the collection of humans and didn't classify as an abnormal. Hurriedly, he dispatched the plump thing and tried to move on, seeing another titan swipe a grounded soldier who was still adjusting their gear and toss them to the back of its throat. Rogue's green eyes widened as he found himself listening to the chaos. Part of him was saying to charge forward and grab his little ones and as many as he could into his custody while the other part of him said to simply follow the order he was given or he was to be punished. He was conflicted.

His worries began to flood him again, sweeping around him and trying to pull him under. His focus was beginning to shift in the direction of putting both his two babies in his hold so they could at least be with him. There was so many of his kin, his little ones were just two small humans in the middle of the fray. With the number of titans around, could they really go up against them and survive?

As panic began to settle in, another titan approached his position. Consumed by the need to check in on his little ones, Rogue found himself torn between fighting and trying to spot their two familiar forms. Feeling a titan charge into him during its lust for human meat, Rogue quickly spun and threw a fist – missing completely as he tripped and crashed to the ground. Hurriedly, he turned and grabbed the creature by the ankles, concerned greens veering to the nest of buildings in search for the whereabouts of his little ones. Rogue let out another whine. He couldn't see them! Where were they! Quickly, the titan pulled the monster he had in his clutches to the ground – pouncing on it like a hunting cat. To hurriedly finish the job, Rogue plunged his teeth into the nape – taking no time to taste the flavor of blood. He then stood again, preparing to call out to his adopted young. Unfortunately, his neglect caused a twelve-meter to race past him. Rogue snapped, swearing to himself as he reached out and grabbed the titan by the shoulder before shoving it to the ground. Again, the gentle giant looked up in search, his nerves causing his awareness to fade, the twelve meter sneaking away and charging into the town.

Suddenly, Rogue felt a familiar weight on his shoulder, bringing him out of his visual search. He turned to see Levi looking at him furiously, face red like the day that he kept picking on him. The man was not enthused.

"Get your fucking head out of your ass!" He yelled. "You let five titans into the village!"

Rogue felt his breath hitch. He had done such a thing?

"They are fine! Do what you've been told!" Levi parted, flying off to slice the nape of the titan that had slipped from his clutches.

Rogue's jaw trembled, teeth clacking together as he shuttered. How could they be fine! He couldn't see them! With worry taking over reason, green eyes continued to search, having been reduced to the essence of mother looking desperately for her offspring. Suddenly, his wild pupils captured a glimpse of sailing red. Rogue quickly trailed the color to find Mikasa artfully flying among the sea of chaos. He watched as the dark haired teen swooped like a bird after her prey, blades drawn and nose wrinkled in a slight snarl. Before he could blink, she made her move – cutting into the weak point of a lumbering fourteen-meter that fell instantly from her wrath. Rogue's ears pricked forward as he watched her circle with tremendous speed, eyes making their careful selection for her next victim. It was then that he also spotted Armin weaving between buildings. Rogue watched as the sun haired boy skillfully severed a titan's hand and caught a small statured recruit. As the blonde flew away with cargo in tow, Mikasa dived and carved the venerable flesh of the very titan that had the helpless human in its grasp before. He watched as the monster turned into a lifeless lump of meat, bodily fumes leaking into the air while his little ones moved on to their next target.

They – were strong. He knew they had skill, but before he had never seen them take down one of his kin let alone many. Seeing their work, a heavy boulder seemed to have lifted from his shoulders. Yes, they were trained to perfection, talented, as his friends had told him. A small smile tugged at his skin. They were capable of surviving – they were deadly just as he was. In truth, the feeling was bittersweet knowing that his little ones could hold their own – he liked bracing them close and behind him as he lashed out. Of course, he loved the fact that they could fight with him. Fight for each other. Determination swept through his bloodstream, burning with hot passion. He had their backs. He had to reduce the numbers to make their job easier. He had an order.

It was time to hunt.

Renewed and rejuvenated, Rogue threw his head back and announced his white hot fury with a vengeful howl – the landscape rattling and nearly falling silent in the cry's wake. Others looked to the green-eyed titan as he began to adapt a sense of savageness. His breath grew heavy, steam billowing from his nostrils, teeth, and small pores as his emerald eyes transformed into a feral glow. Rogue's heart thundered, brows narrowed, and his tapered ears folded back as he let a vicious snarl rip through his esophagus. Giving in to the primal need to conquer his prey, Rogue roared and lunged forward in a dead sprint. No titan would get past him. He would make sure of that.

He threw his knuckles forward again, clenched hand obliterating the face of a ten-meter. With sprinkled crimson and fragments of cartilage scattering, the monster twisted and exposed its bare nape to predator of the game. Roaring his battle cry, Rogue grasped the tender spine, the sound of tearing flesh causing a sickening hush to fall over many. The hunter grinned at his work, eyes glowing bright and in glee as his pupils gazed upon the gorgeous red. Rogue thirsted for more of it. He then motioned for a crawling five meter, simply punting it into an unsuspecting titan. The fifteen-meter charged for the two, swiftly crushing the small monster and kneeing the taller one just below the ribs. The eleven-meter screeched, bowing forward in agony as its stomach was punctured by Rogue's knee. With the window open, Rogue dug his nails at the base of the titans skull and began to pull. He watched in amusement as flesh broke, exposing muscle as he continued. Tendons snapped, fraying like strands of worn rope as blood splatted his chest and face. With a final yank, Rogue tore the head free and tossed it aside before throwing the eleven-meter's carcass into a group of small three and four meter titans – flattening the succorless cluster. Rogue let loose a growl again, green eyes angrily watching as one of the small titans struggled to stand, one of its legs still trapped beneath the steaming bodies. Without another second to waste, the megalith reached down and encased the three-meter in hand. With a loud snarl, Rogue lifted the small titan to his mouth and bit down on its upper half. With a smooth shift of his head, the titan ripped the other in half similar to the way one would strip tough chicken from bone. Although he contemplated swallowing to experiment with the meat, he decided that he would rather not be incapacitated later and simply spit the head and torso to the ground in distaste. Rogue then bellowed another invitation, blood and steam spraying from his maw. He would kill them all! No one was going to eat his babies or his family! If they wanted to attempt getting their greedy hands on them, they would have to go through him first.

They would have to face his fury!

Rogue moved onward to face the titans in the clearing surrounding the human village. By now, his invitation was received and the incoming party of titans were accepting his challenge. He smirked, ready to use the new skills that he had acquired from Levi – ones that where called 'mixed martial arts' and other dirty moves that the Corporal had formulated when living and surviving in the underground. The great titan roared again, ready to put his new skills to the test.

His first target then ran straight for him, provoking the predator to get into a prepped position, his signature stance with fists before him. Once again, he threw a powerful and devastating punch, knocking a thirteen-meter's jaw clean off. However, before he could pursue the dazed titan, another grabbed his right arm, holding it in a near bone-breaking grip. Before the titan could think to do anything else, Rogue lifted his leg and kicked out the twelve meter's shin. The monster hunched over, spine arched crookedly as Rogue raised his arm high and brought down his elbow upon the naked nape – caving in the vital area beneath the exerted force. The titan's ears flickered to alert him to his next foe, a hulking fifteen-meter with a limp. Quickly, Rogue pivoted on his heel and threw an uppercut that landed beneath the chin. For a moment, he watched in awe as the head ascended toward the heavens, crimson raining upon his tan skin, soaking it red. Oh how he relished in the feeling! The scent was sweet, the vibrant hue glistening in the sun like the rivers he loved to watch.

He wanted more.

He wanted to protect.

He wanted to kill.

Another titan stumbled into his frame like a drunk in the streets. Rogue wrestled the creature into position, the abomination looking as if it were kneeling to a god. The titan threw his head back to preach a loud roar before unhinging his jaw and encasing his teeth around the monster's neck. Blood poured into his mouth – the taste hot and boiling but like nectar. Innately, Rogue found himself suckling on the red liquid again. Though it was not preferred, it was like the physical form of revenge. The warmth pooled into his stomach, feeling good for once but signaling him to stop his thirst and finish the vile monstrosity off by ripping out the nape and spitting it to the ground. Hopefully it would evaporate and not haunt him later.

With blood dripping from his well-shaped chin, Rogue got himself ready again. Practiced eyes scanned and scrutinized his enemy as they made their approach. Three were challenging fate; coming quickly while the others still crept toward him at a shelled lizard's pace. Once more, he launched himself forward with a roar and burst of speed. His fist planted itself past a ten-meter's ribcage before curving through muscle as he launched the titan into the air only for the creature to crash into the ground. Rogue then lifted his large clawed foot and brought it down into the titan's face. Blood and brain matter exploded in a ring while the nape was crushed beneath his heel. With his prey down, he spun to face his next victim. A ghoulish smirk painted itself onto his determined and terrifying façade, seeing that he had the perfect opportunity to try out one of his new moves. Before the twelve-meter could pounce, Rogue leaned and threw his leg forward. To his good fortune, his foot hit the titan on its mark – sending the beast crashing into the ground with the severed head and nape snapped and smeared. He nearly purred at his achievement. He didn't loose his balance and his prey was history. Before he could advance to the incoming fourteen meter, another titan akin to his size snuck up from his rear.

' _ **FUCKER! I… WILL… KILL YOU!'**_

Rogue abruptly grabbed the titan's long and lanky arm, pulling the abomination into an inescapable hold around its neck. With great strength, the green eyed titan threw his opponent into the grassy earth before pulling the nape free in his palm. Steaming blood dripped like candle wax down his grasping fingers, the meat sizzling as the evaporating began. With the goal to protect in mind, Rogue flung the tattered flesh into the fourteen-meter's face. His ears flickered in pleasure as the titan screamed, sounding like a sweet melody as the burning crimson began to scorch the monster's corneas. While the creature was too busy screaming to itself, Rogue ran forward and with a powerful thrust launched himself into the air. Dirt and blades of grass flew as he bent his knees and angled his body into perfect position. Right in way, Rogue then devastatingly planted his feet against the titan, one on the pelvis and the other on the chest. He pushed, forcing the fourteen-meter back to earth. A crater formed from the great impact, ground vibrating the village and Scouts. Just as the titan tried to wiggle from beneath, Rogue quickly lifted his foot and crusted the vital region – taking pride as life's juices bubbled beneath his toes. He nearly hummed in delight. However he kept the action at bay for he had an order. A declaration to defend and hunt.

He studied the scene again, there were four close and at least ten more coming slowly in. His nose wrinkled in both rage and frustration. Why couldn't the creatures just go back to the hell in which they came! A low, guttural, but weak roar projected from the throat of charging fourteen meter. Rogue let his fist fly, hitting the titan's head and shaving the top part off – taking pride in the level of gore as its brain tumbled to the earth with its body. He simply planted his heel on the neck to finish it, finally kicking its steaming corpse away to keep his uncaged arena free of obstruction. The green-eyed titan then turned, feral greens glowing brighter in favor of the red stained field. His nictitating membranes slipped over his eyes for the steam from the dead was strong. This wasn't good. Although he could see through the opaque atmosphere, his little ones and pack could not. He had to punish and slaughter his enemy quickly. There was no time to waste.

Suddenly, a heavy weight fell upon Rogue, causing him to nearly tip over. From the corner of his black ringed eyes, the teeth of a ten-meter abnormal was trying to bite his face off, most likely angry that he was in the way of the thing's next meal. Rogue let out a bellow in displeasure and arched his elbow, hitting the titan square in the face. The earth thundered as it crashed. With the titan's throat open and vulnerable, Rogue ginned, watching its thyroid bob as it tried to make a sound of agony and shock. Set on protecting his family from the monster's jaws, Rogue bent over and sank his teeth into the tender flesh – tearing out the titan's throat. Blood coated his face, hair plastered together by rapidly evaporating crimson. Greatly entertained, he sunk his teeth further into the open gash, red forming a lake beneath the two supersize beings. With a final bite, Rogue ripped the nape free from his unworthy opponent. Then, two large titans were at his side, screeching stupidly. Quickly, he spun, hooking both their forms beneath his muscular arms. Incorporating a move that Levi had shown him, Rogue snaked his hands up to the monsters' napes. With a powerful thrust, Rogue hoisted the two off their feet and slammed their faces into the earth – skulls cracking like melons. His fingers then encased the flesh, the doomed titans' napes freed as Rogue tore them from their homes – blood flying in all directions. The great titan then stood upright and tilted his head back to release another booming roar so loud that it sounded as if it could be heard by the humans in Katness.

**'** _**THEY…ARE…MINE! MINE!'** _

Rogue's echoing howl then reduced itself into manic snarl with his back arched and hair nearly standing straight. Burning emeralds then fell onto the rest of the incoming enemy. However, before he could charge headfirst into the impending brawl, the titans had stopped and begun to go back which they came. Rogue kept his threatening stance as the beasts moved in what appeared to be nervous hesitation, looking back with unblinking eyes over their shoulders before walking away unwillingly. A sense of triumph washed over him as they grew further away, a cunning smirk wiping itself across his face. They were foolish and ignorant to think that they would feast on his family and babies with him in their midst! In the end, they wouldn't challenge his anger.

After a final snort in disapproval, Rogue welcomed back his need to nurture in open arms. The titan then turned to the village, unshielding his eyes for the steam had dissipated. Seeing the sight of splattered blood and a few severed minuscule limbs, Rogue's heart began to pound in panic. Desperate, he whined loudly, calling for his little ones and his new found allies. Surely –

"We're right here Rogue!"

Hearing Armin's familiar voice, the titan turned to see the teen with his other baby perched on a nearby tower. To his relief, on the rooftop below was the rest of his family – his closest allies unharmed. With great relief, Rogue rumbled his likeness and held out his open palms for his little ones to leave their perch with no strain. Once they were secure, he cradled them in his hands and nuzzled them lovingly.

" **AAAAPPYY SSSAAFE."** He purred. " **ARRRNNIINN NNIIKKAASSAA IIGGHHTT GGOOD!"** Rogue beamed as he protectively cradled them close to his chest. He was so proud of them!

"Thank you Rogue." Mikasa smiled softly up at him. "And thanks for keeping the titans at bay."

He nodded, trilling in glee.

"A little sloppy at first, but he came through." Hange spoke as she teasingly elbowed Levi who simply stood with his face as disinterested as usual. "Right Levi? It was amazing how the titans just ran from him at the end!"

The short man only pulled himself from her, letting his signature 'tsk' slip from his lips. Rogue found his smile sinking in the slightest. Hopefully Levi wasn't to chide him later.

"Now that the titans have retreated we need to move." The Commander began. "We don't know how soon they will be back so we depart immediately. We must reach depot number eight by nightfall. We will camp there till morning. Move out."

Rogue then began to trail the pack as they got into formation again, leaving the village as discreetly and as quickly as they could – completely missing the pair of glowing blue eyes watching them from a distance.

* * *

The sky stained itself onyx once again, bringing forth the common sights of the night. Crickets chirped, fireflies sent their messages, and bats feasted on insects high above the canopy. The pack had settled eagerly in their current campsite – another old mill with a running stream deep in a forest similar to his own. Long ago, before the breach, Petra had told him that the mill was used not for washing clothes but rather used to make their garbs from this thing she had called 'cotton'. Now of course, it had been transformed into a structure to store their tools just as they had done with several others in Maria. The titan sat quietly against a large tree, keeping to himself as he observed his family's activities before him. A large fire had been produced, allowing the humans to cook their meals and gather around its glow that illuminated the wide clearing. Hange was discussing things with Molbit while Erwin and Levi were looking over maps. His smaller humans were divided between eating something called porridge and talking about the day's occurrences such as the ambush and how he brutally took down the titans. His eyes shifted to the other side of the clearing to see both his little ones and Petra tending to a few of the wounded, smiling inwardly as they shared their kindness.

Feeling another uncomfortable ripple in his stomach, Rogue unobtrusively lifted his hand and gently rubbed his belly. A mere few hours after they had left the village, he had begun to feel the effects of his mistake – regretting his strong curiosity to ingest a little of his foe's blood. At first, his discomfort was limited to abdominal cramps that usually came first when his 'disposing process' began. Now he was incredibly queasy with the addition of early contractions and a bubbling in his stomach that wasn't going away. Admittedly, he had held back on notifying his little ones, Levi or Hange about his current predicament. It was a stressful situation already and he didn't want to worry them. His pellet would pass soon anyway. Damn he was ignorant. So much for thinking that the blood would just evaporate.

Rogue's stomach reminded him of his idiocy with a low sloshing complaint. He gritted his teeth as the angry organ rebelled with a slight compress before slacking up and continuing to produce little waves within its walls. The titan sighed stiffly, pressing the tips of his fingers into his abs before guiding his hand in a small circular motion. While still continuing his attempts, Rogue looked up to see if anyone had noticed his discomfort. To his surprise, he had thankfully not caught their attention. He really didn't want them to fret. He didn't want to alarm them when the time came to rid the bloody contents from his fussy stomach. His little ones had never seen him do such a thing and Hange would be asking countless questions. Of course, how could he keep his misery a secret when he had to vomit? It wasn't like he could just sneak away. Another sickly grumble sounded from his beaten belly, forcing Rogue to cover it with both of his large hands to both apply pressure and attempt to muffle the inner complaints. Once again, he cursed himself for his stupidity.

"Hey brat."

Hearing the ever-familiar address, Rogue lifted his head to see Levi approaching his bulk casually – the titan hoping the man hadn't heard his suffering. The Corporal looked fatigued, brows somewhat relaxed from his scowl and green cloak dangling loosely from his shoulders. In his hand, he held what smelled and looked to be a bowl of soup. Rogue swallowed; surely Levi wasn't going to eat with him. To the titan's relief, Levi stopped a few feet from his thigh and simply stood, nonchalantly taking a bite of his soup. Rogue gulped nervously, not only did he not really feel like speaking, but he was fearful of how Levi would judge his performance. Realizing that the Corporal was expecting some sort of answer, Rogue gave a soft grunt – still trying to keep a lid on his nausea.

"I have to say that I am impressed by your performance Rogue." Levi began, making the titan wonder if he had been wrong. "You disposed the incoming titans as ordered and even warded the others off. You executed the moves I taught you with good skill but not without adding your own brutality." The man paused, taking another bite. "However, I have to give you critique. Rogue – do you remember what I said to you the day before Zackley and Nile came? At your loss during the capture exercise?"

The titan felt his ears and shoulders sinking. When Levi had first told him the statement in question, he wasn't entirely sure what the man had meant at the time. It wasn't until recently when Rogue was finally explained what 'mother hen' instincts were that the titan understood. Finally the titan nodded, curling his hands tighter over his stomach as the fluttering sensation continued.

"Alright then. During the first five minutes of the attack, your concern over Ackerman and Arlert caused you to be stiff and distracted. If you hadn't snapped out of that state, we would have been overwhelmed and our losses would have been devastating." Levi paused, eyes suddenly breaking contact and staring into the burning fire, obviously entering a state of deep thought. For what seemed like ages but in reality was mere seconds, it was quiet between the two. Finally, Levi's eyes adverted back to him, ice blue suddenly growing darker. "In truth, in most cases following orders is the right choice. Of course, there are those rare few instances where a judgment call has to be made. You can either do one thing to save masses or the other to save those you love. During those instances, you must do what you will and regret the least. However, this was not the case at the village. By following orders, you saved nearly all of us. The only soldiers that weren't as lucky were those that had a gear malfunction at the wrong time or were simply stepped on. If you had rushed in to our position to save those you cherished, a lot of people would have been killed. Understand?"

Rogue nodded slowly, absorbing Levi's words. By the man's behavior, the titan could tell he was referencing the incident that his own two friends had went through before joining the pack. As far as the full message as to what Levi was trying to convey, Rogue was only able to receive part of it instantly. He would have to dwell on the other parts further.

"Well then. As far as the expedition goes, it will take us another four days to get to Shi –

Before the Corporal could finish, Rogue's stomach announced its deplorable condition with a deep gurgle, the vast organ constricting stronger than it had previously and forcing Rogue to whine inaudibly. Insistently, the titan removed a hand and began to massage his belly yet again in a sad attempt to coax himself through the contraction. Recalling that the Corporal was next to him, Rogue looked up sheepishly. Hopefully now that Levi knew, the man wouldn't grab the other's attention. Levi raised a thin brow, directing his gaze from the creature's abdomen to his face.

"Rogue… you better hope that wasn't gas. Heaven forbid, there's nowhere for it to –

The titan quickly shook his head. " **Nooo."** He replied as quietly as he could. " **UUsstt uurrrtts. EELL Siiccck."** Rogue informed as the tightening receded and he was able to uncoil his fist.

Levi blinked, looking almost unamused, but the titan could clearly sense a twinge of concern. "So, your stomach hurts?"

Rogue nodded almost bashfully. Wincing again as his stomach starting bubbling.

Corporal Levi dithered, shifting his weight on his heel. "Why does it hurt Rogue?"

He hesitated; he did not want to share the real reason for his agony. " **EEiii allllooww NNaaape."**

To the titan's dismay, Levi only glared in suspicion. "Rogue, I deal with young recruits every day that are foolish enough to try and give me the slip. For that reason, I'm good at being able to tell if people are lying. Even here, in the dim light of the fire, the tips of your ears are as red as apples. Now, what is the real reason?"

Rogue adverted his eyes to his belly, hands hugging it in shame. Danm he was dumb. The truth was unavoidable. " **Eiii SSaalllooww OOdd. AAnnnggee SsaaEEii EEIII NNiigghtt EEaattt IITTAANNS.** " He paused, hoping that he was making some sort of sense to an already outlandish statement. " **AANNTTeedd TTeesst IITt OOuut."** Rogue concluded in utter embarrassment as he buried his gaunt cheek into his knee. How was Levi going to react to such a thing.

"So, since shit for brains told you your kind most likely ate titans, you decided to ingest a little blood to try it out? Am I right?"

Rogue nodded regretfully, his belly producing another rumbling growl that made him rub his tender abdomen more attentively.

"And… If I'm not mistaken what will happen is –

"Hello you two!"

The titan's brows knitted together all the while Levi let out an aggravated sigh as Hange came to them with a wide smile upon her face. However, that expression vanished as soon as she spied Rogue's strained appearance and Levi's scowl.

"Levi, what's wrong? Rogue – he looks almost like he's pale." Hange spoke shakily, eyes blown wide in sheer concern. The titan sighed. As much as he loved the woman, he didn't feel like being interrogated at the moment.

"He's not feeling well. Rogue swallowed some titan blood out of curiosity in light of what you told of him about a diet of titan meat."

"Ohhhhh." Hange began as she turned to Rogue and as if to confirm the words of the Corporal, his stomach produced another sickening series of gurgles – muscles in the lining swelling as the organ contracted. The titan expressed his discomfort with another whine yet again. The messy haired woman, despite the apprehension of the situation, smiled tenderly and rubbed a small hand on his thigh as a comforting gesture. "I see. So our titan has a tummy ache!" The scientist squealed softly, thankfully not catching any attention. Rogue shut his eyes as he battled both the pain and embarrassment, groaning quietly at his misfortune. "Ah! Well, looks like Rogue will soon cough up a titan pellet! Isn't that something Levi?"

"Disgusting."

"I've never seen a titan vomit in close proximity Levi! I have to say, I'm excited to help him on this!" Hange smiled, eyes still sparkling up at him.

"I'm not holding back his hair while he pukes, Hange." Levi paused, eyes narrowing. "You could at least be a little bit less over enthused here. I've seen a few titans cough up pellets before, but they never show any sign of strain like Rogue is obviously under."

Hange grew silent; smile fading as she looked back to the uncomfortable creature. "You're right. From what I've seen at a distance, titans just suddenly throw up and move on like it never even happened." The scientist paused as her eyes observed the titan's muscles stiffen as more complaints came from the rowdy organ while another moan came from the depths of his throat. "Rogue here however looks like he's almost experiencing something similar to early labor pains. Hmm… if I had to hypothesize why that is I would say that perhaps the reason why is because his body isn't used to such a practice yet as far as the nausea feeling goes or it's related to his species." Hange spoke as she watched his abdominal muscles of his stomach finally relax and his fingers loosen their grip upon his skin. "That's intriguing, producing a titan pellet looks to be very similar to active labor since he's really having what looks to be genuine contractions, Levi. Much like how a woman's contractions gradually push out a baby, a titan's stomach does the same to force a pellet up and out. What an incredible mechanic!" Hange beamed as she knelt down to his lowered hand and began to encouragingly pat the top. "Don't worry Rogue, we'll get you through this and you'll be better in no time!"

Although he was now feeling incredibly nauseous, Rogue let out a small grunt in thanks before thinking back to his preferences. " **DDOoonn't EELLL IIttllee OOnns."** The titan requested quietly as he tried to get comfortable for the time being. The two humans looked to him in both shock and question. Rogue sighed; he had probably thrown them for a loop.

"You mean, you don't want to tell Armin and Mikasa you're sick?"

He nodded to the incredibly baffled Hange." **EEII OONNTT AANNTT Orrrry AAIIBBIIEES. AARRNNIiinn Unnndd NNIIkkaasssa NNEEvveRR SSEEE NNNEE SSIIKK."**

"Oh, but I'm sure that –

" **NOO AANNggee."**

After his declaration, silence fell upon the three. The titan continued to keep his gaze, even though he was growing even queasier, on the two to harden his point. He watched in fear as Levi glanced from his little ones to Erwin before turning back to the titan and a waiting Hange. "It's probably best to have as little commotion as possible. We don't need the whole legion going into panic. If he doesn't want Ackerman and Arlert to see him this venerable, then they don't have to. I'll just tell Erwin that I decided to go over a last minute move with you in light of today's battle." Levi sighed as he turned to inform the Commander. "I'll be back momentarily."

Rogue dipped his head in thanks and tried to settle again for the meantime as he watched Levi approach and address Erwin from a distance. The titan released a shaky puff of steam and leaned softly into Hange who was now perched on his shoulder and rubbing his cheek tenderly. Green pools drifted to his abdomen, blinking weakly. Hopefully his misfortune would end quickly.

* * *

No sooner after Levi had shared his intentions with the Commander, did Rogue's nausea and discomfort return nearly full force. Luckily the three were able to sneak off into a secluded area near the stream with no set of eyes following them. He had been so embarrassed that he could have sworn that he was steaming at the time. As he was hunched over and wrenching his stomach contents, Hange was positioned next to him. He was fine with her rubbing his arm in comfort, but her childish librettos that she cooed made him feel all the more displeased with himself. The woman would constantly say things like 'there there, it's almost out Rogue' or 'oh you poor thing' as well as making observations about his disposing process and noting how different his pellet was – which was more malformed than normal and contained enough blood to fill a small pond. Levi, as usual, was not at all entertained by the situation. Despite a previous comment, he had indeed reduced himself to holding back Rogue's hair because he didn't want his locks to be surfaced in vomit – which had a much slower evaporation rate along with a pellet that didn't evaporate but instead would wither away by time. When Rogue had completed the revolting task, he was sadly mistaken that the moment would be the last of his embarrassment. Levi had made sure that his mouth was clean by forcing him to take water from the stream, swish it as best as he could in his mouth to get him of any straggling particles before spitting it out. Then, for nearly a half hour as he recovered, Hange voluntarily made it her duty to rub his recuperating belly and continue to comfort with her immature but nonetheless kind words all the while Levi complained about how disgusting the experience was. When the ordeal was over, Rogue had felt so humiliated that he wanted to crawl into a hole and hide for hours.

Because of the treatment and the illness in general, Rogue didn't wish to consume anything from his kind ever again.

The titan, now back at the campsite, leaned casually against the trunk of the giant timber trying to appear as if nothing had ever occurred. Shortly after arriving, Rogue had willingly proposed that he take a shift in watching the camp. While his little ones and the others ate or set up their resting perch, the titan kept his ears, eyes, and nose peeled for any intruder that had the guts to ambush just in case. Rogue was excruciatingly vigilant; any foreign noise besides human tongue grabbed his attention. After the ambush previously, he felt that it was in his best interest to watch over the humans that were in one of their most vulnerable states – one exhibited while they fed. If they were somehow attacked now, the odds of survival were not great even with his aid. Thus, the reasons for his sudden need to assist. The titan understood that and he understood it well.

Rogue watched as his babies and family members began to roost in their green sacks up in the trees, finding sturdy limbs to attach their cocoons. The titan watched as both Armin and Mikasa began to sort out their belongings, noticing how slow they were going until they were finally lifting themselves into the cloth wrap. Sensing that there were still no signs of an unexpected intruder, his emerald greens danced around the tree's thick branches. Up in the canopy, his closest friends were settling in. Petra was wrapping her frame in her blanket and Hange held a small flame to her notebook, eyes greedily scanning the pages. The sudden feeling of want hit Rogue, making a soft whine vibrate his chords. He was tired; his body was beginning to shut down. He wanted to trade his shift to another so he could join all of them and be in their tiny embrace.

"Hey Rogue?"

Hearing his name below, the titan looked down to see Ness at his feet. The creature tilted his head to question what the man wanted.

"You look exhausted so I'll take over." The man beamed up at him.

At the words, his heart instantly lifted as he let out a quiet little squeal. The titan dipped his head in thanks and then turned to face the tree, seeing that Armin and Mikasa were grinning tenderly at him.

"We'll see you in the morning I guess." Armin began as he scratched his scalp. "Good ni –

Before he could let the teen finish his declaration, Rogue abruptly grasped the tree's trunk and began to scale up the towering plant, the pulsations jolting a few souls awake and took others' attentions away from whatever they were doing. The titan trilled gleefully as he came to the thick basin of branches nestled in the center between his little ones, his smaller humans, Hange, Petra, the other veterans, and Levi.

"Did you decide to join us?" Mikasa asked with a small smile on her face.

Rogue nodded at her request before flopping down carefully in the organic cradle with a cheerful croon. The titan wiggled his ears in delight as he lazily held out his hand as a silent beckon for his little ones to join him. As usual, without hesitation, they came aboard and Rogue carefully angled his arm and hand to set them down on the top of his collarbone. Before the two could settle against his flesh, Rogue took it upon himself to show his affection and his pride of the two with several loving but dry licks.

"Rogue! Do you have to!" Armin joshed with the titan merely purring in amusement while adding a few final displays before stopping and nestling his chin against their two small bodies in favor. The towering behemoth continued his gentle hums, tired eyes watching with utter warmth as the two settled into him. He was so happy with their progress.

"I'm jealous! I'm coming over!" Hange announced enthusiastically as she struggled to free herself from her cocoon. The unkempt woman then carefully dropped down onto his chest, landing ungracefully onto the hard muscle and dropping her book, matchbox, and blanket. Spirited, Hange then got to her feet and made her way to the dip between his pectorals. The scientist then positioned herself to lie on her belly between the two broad muscles. Next, Hange opened her book, lit a match, and pressed her writing stick to the parchment to scribe her notes. She then looked up to him with an almost dopey grin on her face. "This is much better! Not to mention with the slight chill tonight, your body heat is pretty soothing!"

Rogue smiled softly and gave a grunt in reply, dipping his head slightly.

"It does feel great after using the gear." Armin added. "One thing about it, Rogue is awesome to stay with if you're sore from work or training."

"Really?"

The titan looked up to see Connie and a few other small humans looking upon he and his current occupants. Their eyes were wide in expectancy, some rotating out of their cocoons.

Hange nodded. "Yup! The heat feels great on your joints and muscles!"

"Well in that case I'm swapping beds." Connie declared as the teen quickly left his perch and descended down onto his flesh followed by both Sasha and Krista. Rogue felt his chest flutter as more of his little family settled upon him, sighing in great relief from their day's exhaustion.

"It's so warm…" Krista exhaled as she lay out comfortably.

"I'm not sleeping in my hammock again." Sasha giggled, gaze looking back to where Jean resided, the titan noting how the teen was discreetly watching him. "Come join us Horseface, you know you want to." The girl smiled teasingly with the other teen rolling his eyes.

"Yeah right. He'd just push me off or blow steam in my face."

"Come on Jean. Don't be chicken! He won't hurt a fly!" Connie exclaimed provocatively.

"No."

Rogue, deciding to ignore his fatigue, began to mockingly make several clucking noises, knowing what chickens sounded like from observing farm animals at a respectable distance. The titan's joke immediately brought a few laughs and Jean's face colored red. To his surprise, Jean sat up and stepped out of his cocoon – throwing his pillows down onto Rogue's stomach.

"Fine. If it will get all of you to shut up." The teen spoke gruffly as he irritably scaled down to his stomach, flopping down without another word. Rogue felt himself smiling in cunning, although Jean's face still appeared rather grumpy – the fact that the male's muscles had relaxed told him that the long-faced teen was secretly enjoying the heat.

Understanding that he had more company than he originally had intended, Rogue cupped his arms around the group of humans in protection just in case they were to fall. He continued to purr softly, completely content with the extra companionship. The titan closed his eyes slowly, nuzzling his chin against his little ones as he prepared to sleep.

"Well I'm not going to feel left out!"

At Petra's voice, Rogue unshielded his eyes to accept the redhead on his hide as well. With great care, the titan guided the woman to sit on the opposite side of his collarbone. Like he had with his own, he welcomed Petra with a small lick before resting his jaw against her as well. Petra giggled at his gesture, willingly stroking his leathery skin with appreciation.

"Thank you Rogue. You jealous Hange?" The redhead laughed with the scientist revealing her pouting face, teeth biting her upper lip and cheeks puffed out before the woman released a sigh.

"Damn! I would have sat where you were if I wasn't taking notes! This works though! I got some great information earlier that I need to write down before I forget!" Hange replied, eyeing Rogue coyly – the titan knowing exactly what she was implying and hoping that the others wouldn't pick it up let alone look at Hange's journal.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Eld asked with both Gunter and Oluo in tow. Rogue shook his head as he settled further, purring in likeness as the company grew.

"He's pretty popular this evening isn't he?" Petra directed to his little ones. Mikasa nodded.

"I have a feeling when winter rolls around Rogue is going to get all sorts of attention. He was Armin and I's primary heat source when we lived out here in the winter. When he curls himself around you blankets aren't needed."

"He's a living heater really." Armin added with a laugh as Hange looked up from her task yet again.

"You know Rogue, I think Levi needs to join us." Hange spoke mischievously, the titan not missing Hange's evil smile – one that she always adapted when she was trying to pull the man into something that there was no chance in him doing. "Levi!"

"No." The man groaned from within his cocoon, not even shifting to look around at the titan or his cargo. Despite the reply, Hange only kept her smile.

"Come on Levi! He's really warm!"

"No."

"Levi…he really wants you down here!" The woman begged, putting words in Rogue's mouth while she was trying to coax the man as if he was a child – something that seemed to annoy the man even further.

"Hange," Levi began sternly, this time peeking over the cloth of the pouch. "There is no way in hell that I'm laying on his naked ass."

Hange chortled. "You're not laying on his ass Corporal! You have the option to bunk on his chest or tummy!"

Levi hesitated for a moment, scowl growing darker before turning over to wrap himself in his cocoon again. "Shut the fuck up Shitty Glasses."

Rogue watched as Hange sighed loudly, obviously trying to not lead the man on as she thought of another plan. The messy haired woman then turned back to him, eyes lighting with an impish glint. "Rogue?" She whispered. "You want to help me out?"

As much as the titan felt like Levi should just be left alone – a rare consideration since he normally liked to lightly tease the Corporal, Rogue decided that it might be a bit of fun for both he and his occupants. Not to mention, Levi might end up liking the change in sleeping arrangements. Rogue then nodded to Hange and looked up at Levi's cocoon. Deciding to play the 'sad and innocent card' in light of the scientist's statement, the giant humanoid carefully lifted a finger and let out a pitiful whine as he gently tapped the hammock with several of his occupants snickering.

The titan watched as Levi stirred in the slightest but refused to exit his cocoon. "NO Rogue."

With Hange and a few others silently urging him on, the titan emitted another loud whine and poked the hammock again. Once more, the stubborn individual stirred but did not emerge.

"NO BRAT."

Rogue smirked, letting out a third whine that was by far the loudest as he pushed the cocoon to where it was swaying back and forth. This time, the hammock violently jerked as Levi struggled to reveal himself – signaling Rogue to put on what Hange had called 'the look.'

"THE FUCK DID I JUST –

However, the man, now in view of the crowd, stopped mid-sentence as he stared at Rogue – the creature looking the saddest that he could possibly manage. Not unlike a puppy, the titan's ears were lowered with his chin. His brows were arched upward with Rogue's line of sight looking to Levi, pupils large and innocuous. The titan trembled slightly, but barely upset his occupants. To engrave his want and take the things one step further, Rogue made a pleading whimper – eyes still sad but waiting to see if he and Hange's plan would work.

"Aw! Levi!" Hange playfully groaned. "Look how cute he is! How can you say no to a face like that?"

The Corporal continued to glare, looking constipated as usual. "Hange his face is seventy percent teeth and a hundred percent horrid. So no, he's not adorable and he can quit playing the part of a sad little puppy just for you. I'm done. Good night." Levi paused, turning to the titan. "And if you whine or poke me again I'm taking off your fingers." The stern man concluded as he receded into his cocoon again.

Rogue looked back to Hange who wore a look of disappointment, the others too, seemed to accept the man's decree. However, he wasn't done yet. He wanted one more laugh before he succumbed to his dreams. Before the scientist could announce her surrender or share another plan, Rogue lifted his arm and carefully stuck his fingers into the cocoon.

"WHAT THE!"

The titan beamed crookedly as his fingers found Levi's legs. With care, Rogue plucked the short leader from his cocoon and dangled him the wrong way up over his frame. The others unknowingly let themselves laugh as Levi continued to swear and thrash all the while the titan rumbled in amusement.

"ROGUE! You dumbass, put me down! That's an order!"

Of course, instead of obliging by the Corporal's orders, Rogue gently plopped the man's small bulk onto his chest. The titan watched in enjoyment as Levi scrambled to his feet, haphazardly dusting himself off out of habit.

"Welcome aboard Corporal Levi!" Hange cheered as the man folded his arms with repugnance.

"Fuck you." The man growled, but surprisingly left his stance and seated himself against the titan's bicep and chest. Rogue leered awkwardly at this, as he had thought – the man's minuscule or rather microscopic soft side had given in.

"You're not going back to your hammock?" Hange asked, just as spellbound as several of the other humans. Levi looked at her as if she had said something really outlandish, and probably had.

"Does it look like I can just fly up there, Shitty Glasses?"

The woman giggled, now seemingly too preoccupied to finish scribbling with her writing stick. "No." Hange replied, smile still plastered on her face.

"It's not bad Corporal." Petra grinned, joining in on the convincing. "It feels good."

Rogue observed as Levi remained silent, glancing between the three of them with his expression difficult to decipher. However, the titan was keen. He could tell that Levi had given in. "Tsk, whatever. At least he didn't give me a fucking good night kiss. Heaven forbid, with the day's occurrences, I'd rather be wedged in the crack of a titan's ass than that." The crude Corporal eventually replied, obviously meaning the event from earlier that he had to unwillingly attend. Levi leaned his head back and shut his eyes in both aggravation and exhaustion.

For a moment, the titan considered going against the man's wishes, but decided against it for the need of sleep was slowly seeping throughout his body. Several minutes seemed to tick by once again, but were merely seconds of silence before Mikasa broke the chain.

"You know Rogue, this kind of reminds me of the night we spent with you up in the trees taking shelter from the rain. You know, the night before we left?"

Thinking back to that moment brought an easy smile to Rogue's rough mug. He remembered the evening well – the sounds of thunder, pouring rain, and the surprising comfort from his little ones and their sharing of past tales. The beast purred. He didn't have his music box to lull him into a peaceful sleep, so perhaps a swapping of stories would be a fine replacement. " **EEESS."** Rogue beamed, hoping that he could ask his question without anyone complaining about just wanting to sleep. " **ANNNTT – SSAARREE SOOORRIIIEES?"**

The titan watched as his little ones exchanged tender looks. "Of course we can swap a few short stories before going to sleep, Rogue." Armin began with Petra and Hange setting up and giving their attention.

"So you three told stories that evening? That was a great way to reminisce." Hange alliterated as she rested her chin in her palm as she prepared to absorb any word.

"Do you mind if we join you?" Petra added. "I'd love to hear some stories about your childhood with Rogue, particularly the one with the ducks."

Despite his exhaustion, the titan let out a small huff in humor, recalling the event that used to make his little ones laugh to no end.

Armin chuckled. "Oh yeah that's a good one."

"I want to hear it too!" Krista called from the group of recruits with a few of his other occupants joining in – all except for Levi and Jean who were pretending to be asleep or not paying attention even though they were really attentive.

"Is this the story you mentioned with the ducks?" Sasha asked with the blonde teen nodding.

"Yes. A few months after we met Rogue, we were eating lunch in the cove while Rogue was watching the water in his pond. That was when he found a cluster of eggs on the banks – and that moment was when they unfortunately began to hatch. From that moment, the eight ducklings followed him around constantly."

Petra continued to smile. "What did he think of them?"

"Ah well, Rogue was as one would expect when faced with a situation like that. At first, he was pretty uncomfortable with the fact that the ducklings trailed him wherever he went in the cove. Rogue would always try to get away from them by climbing into his nest, but when they even followed him there, he tried climbing up the cove's rock wall and everything. Of course, it wasn't long until he began to feel sorry for them – having watched the ducks fall over themselves trying to go after him up the rocks or lift into the air with each of his steps. Rogue then began to 'mother' the ducklings as Mikasa and I like to put it. To avoid stepping on them or anything, he would walk softer and slower and if he lay down with us, Rogue welcomed the ducks to nestle against him or sit in his hair."

Hange laughed. "His parental instincts even span to other species!" She giggled, writing in her book again.

"That's hilarious! Picturing a fifteen-meter titan with teeny tiny ducklings is just funny!" Krista giggled. "What happened to the ducks when they grew up?"

Mikasa smirked. "Well… if you ever find some flightless ducks in Maria you'll know why."

Even though his little one spoke her words with a nearly straight face, many of his pack members began laughing.

"Is that really how it happened?" Petra queried, trying to keep her giggling at bay.

"Well," Armin rubbed his chin. "When it came time for the ducks to migrate, Rogue took them and tossed them into the air, the birds gaining the experience to fly at that point. They migrated with the flock somewhere far beyond the walls. As far as we know, every spring they still come back to Rogue's forest. Of course they aren't attached at his hip though but they still keep close if he happens upon them."

"That's so cool!" The scientist exclaimed, writing down her notes furiously. "It's kind of like how Rogue decided to care for the kittens in the barn even with their mother present!"

"I still can't believe how badly you fucked up that incident, Shitty Glasses." Levi suddenly interrupted, bringing a few surprised faces to his unexpected involvement. Rogue tilted his head; Levi had never done anything of the sort. "For a whole entire day, you made the entire regiment think that we had a fucking fertile titan."

The titan's face instantly reddened at the mention of the embarrassing event. They were always pulling this joke on him.

"Hey! It wasn't totally my fault Levi! I told you, I just mistranslated what Rogue had said!"

"Tsk, and we were almost to the point of having to report that bullshit. We were in hell for twenty-four hours trying to figure out what the fuck we were going to do." Levi retorted. Although he was wearing a heavy scowl, there were still others snickering and trying to hide their sin of doing so.

"Aw, well in a way it was good that it happened! We got to teach Rogue some new words!" Hange paused, smiling from ear to ear. "Still… it would have been fun to see a bunch of little Rogues running around."

Levi's palm went to his face, the man groaning. "Hange, one giant brat is way enough."

Rogue snorted in amusement, finding the man's words that weren't even a joking attempt funny. To his surprise, a few others found the man's dry comment funny as well. At the display of mirth, Levi simply adverted his gaze and attempted to go back to sleep.

"Ah well, a girl can dream."

The titan purred, patiently waiting for another story.

"Do you remember that day of the first snow after the breach?" Mikasa questioned the blonde teenager. Armin nodded.

"Oh yeah. To cheer Rogue up we tried to show him what a snowball fight was."

His little one nodded. "Yeah, I think we learned that day why you don't have a snowball fight with a titan."

Petra tittered, giving in to a yawn. "Oh boy, I have to hear this."

"Okay." Armin sniggered, eyes sinking in fatigue. "As you can guess, Rogue wasn't like he is now back then. He was pretty depressed and up tight at that time so Mikasa and I thought we'd try to make him feel better. When the first snow of the winter fell, we brought Rogue out of his nest and showed him the basics of the game like how to actually make a snowball and that he was to throw it at the other team. However, the two of us forgot one crucial detail when we started our match. When it came time for Rogue to counter attack our snowy assault, he just picked up a wad of snow in his hand and held it over our heads before simply letting it cascade over us. So in the end, no fort you make will protect you from Rogue at all."

The titan listened lazily, struggling to keep his eyes open as the others laughed.

"If we ever have a snowball fight at headquarters, he's on my team!" Connie declared.

"It will be the recruits and Rogue verses the veterans. The use of gear is optional but encouraged." Sasha added; giving the buzz cut teen what was called a high five.

"No way in hell is that going to happen."

To the groups' surprise, Levi had spoken again, but this time he still kept his position of rest, eyes closed and brow furrowed. Once more, few found his involvement funny.

Feeling his eyes shut briefly before reopening, Rogue decided to welcome the idea of sleep. Calmly, he nudged his chin into his little ones to grab their interest.

"What is it Rogue?"

The titan yawned, his rumbling groan echoing throughout the canopy. " **EEEII SSEEEPP NNOOUU. UUU CCAANNN SSTTEEYY UUUTT."**

**"** Oh alright Rogue. You can go ahead and fall asleep, of course I think we might too." Armin yawned in return.

Hange sat aside her book, carefully inserting her pen in the spine for safekeeping. "He does look like he's about to pass out." The woman added, giving in to lying onto his flesh. "I think I might just go to sleep anyway. We have a long day tomorrow."

"That's true. I'm going to hit the hay as well." Petra agreed as she gradually grabbed a lock of his thick but surprisingly clean hair, titan blood having evaporated from it, and draped it over her. "Good night, Rogue – everyone."

At the show of gratitude, Rogue dipped his head and gave the redhead a gentle lick before turning to the two frames of his little ones to share his undying love for them as well.

"Good night Rogue." Armin addressed as he leaned against the titan's warm flesh.

Mikasa, after mirroring Petra's decision to wrap in his hair, pressed herself into him as well. "Goodnight brother."

At her words, Rogue purred yet again before snuggling into his tiny and precious cargo. Slowly, he let sleep overcome him, sinking ears listening to the sounds of the night as he submerged into his final thoughts. He loved his little ones, Petra, and Hange to death, the others as well. Hopefully the following day would fair better than this one. He treasured being with them. He didn't want to be torn from the opportunity.

**(POV SWAP)**

Fingers held leather reins in a strong hold, fresh eyes scanning the surrounding vegetation on the plain and the nearby batches of wood. Armin, although crisp into the corps, beheld a good understanding about the landscape's current state. It was quiet in the middle rank. There hadn't been much action as far as he was able to tell. His current jobs consisted of firing flares and keeping watch on a spare horse that was tethered to his assigned steed. The morning had faired well. After eating a filling breakfast, the teens had bid temporary farewell to Rogue who seemed much more lenient about their leave than before. This surprised the teen at first, knowing just how protective the titan was, but he figured that Rogue's behavior was due to what he had witnessed at the village. Admittedly, it warmed the teen inside to see the titan as proud as he was. If he had to guess what it was like for the beast, he would say it was like a parent sending their offspring off on their first day of school – proud, slightly anxious, yet with firm belief that they would be great. In truth, Rogue's demeanor made Armin feel better as well.

The boy exited his thoughts once again to examine his position. Scrutinizing his surroundings, a troubling fact came to him. It was too… quiet. The birds weren't chirping nor flying. Everything seemed to be grounded. Armin swallowed, hand reaching for his signal flare just in case. From his classes' teachings, the teen knew that a quiet landscape usually signaled trouble in the form of a man-eating titan.

He gulped, feeling his heart rattle. All his ears seemed to hear was the breath of his galloping horse, one that sounded stressed. Suddenly, another troubling thought crossed his mind, an undisputed fact that he couldn't ignore. He hadn't seen a signal flare in the last hour. His muscles tightened in fear, something was off. ' _The right wing spotters should have signaled by now…'_

Suddenly there was a small blast and a black trail of smoke appeared above the trees. Before Armin could even acknowledge the signal, let alone lift his own flare gun to fire, a barrage of heavy footsteps, hooves, and shouts erupted from the tree line ahead of him. Realizing what was about to occur, Armin tugged on the reins and forced his horse out of the impending path of destruction. Ness and another soldier burst from the brush followed by a twelve meter abnormal. Like all abnormals, the titan was strange. It walked with what he could define as a proud waltz with both arms straight as sticks and out to its sides. Its face was fixed in a grimace with its dead eyes looking straight ahead, not paying any mind to the two soldiers as it charged. Quickly, though fear was heavily present in his body, Armin changed the direction of his horse knowing that two soldiers, although experienced, couldn't possibly take down an abnormal titan in an open field. The teen pushed the equine further, hooves pounding the earth relentlessly as he neared the two Scouts who were currently strategizing how to bring the strutting beast down. As the blonde caught up with the two, he gained Ness's attention – the man looking surprised and stressed to see him. It then dawned on him, why was Ness here and out of position?

"Arlert! What –

"Squad Leader! I'm here to provide assistance!" Armin replied, his voice sounding much more shaky than he expected. However, the man's eyes only narrowed.

"No! I'm not letting a rookie take this one! I have an order for you to carry out! You need to pass it on to the next messenger!"

He hesitated, caught off guard. Was that the reason why Ness and the soldier were out of position? "Wha –

"I'm sure you've noticed the right wing spotters haven't signaled in a while right?" The other soldier began hurriedly. "That's because they were ambushed by another titan horde! They were overwhelmed when at least thirty titans bombarded them. Without our asset, they didn't stand a chance. Only about a dozen soldiers got out of there."

His heart skipped a beat. There was another horde? He swallowed back a lump that had immediately formed in his throat at the news. Titan hordes were a rare thing. Only single titans or small clusters of three to five usually attacked at a time. Hoards, in comparison to other attacks, happened once in every five expeditions. To happen twice in forty-eight hours was unheard of.

"It's likely that the horde is still in the right wing and feeding. It's also very likely that they will be heading through the formation. That's the message we need you to pass along Arlert! Now, let us handle this so you can get going before it's too late!" Ness concluded roughly as he propelled his horse faster.

After a moment in the fog, Armin pulled on his reins and navigated his horse in the other direction and toward the center rank. How? How was it possible for another horde to show up! If they advanced further, they would loose a large number of Scouts! If the numbers were too great, it was likely that the Scouts would either have to take time to gather more willing soldiers or the less expensive option of disbanding the entire regiment. His blood ran cold. If that occurred, what would be the fate of Rogue? What would they do with him? If he couldn't stay with them, would he be turned loose or just executed without a further thought? His hands gripped the reins tighter, knuckles going white. No! He had to prepare the others! If the titans came, Levi, his squad, Mikasa, and Rogue would certainly cut them down!

Concerned for Ness and the soldier, Armin looked over his shoulder just in time to see the two beginning to execute their plan.

' _To slow it down they'll have to slice the tendons of its ankles. That's the only way they will be able to take it down on this terrain.'_

Armin watched as Ness lifted himself from his saddle and aimed a cable into the titan's hip – the creature not even noticing as it trudged along. The man then pushed himself forward, a large amount of exhaust coming from his gear as he pushed it to its limits, allowing himself to fly through the air as far as he could before touching down to the earth. As if he was skiing on the surface of water, Ness planted his feet firmly into the grass and dirt, dust flying as he moved – the sole of his boot flying off with the force. With blades angled appropriately, Ness cleanly cut a fleshy chunk from both of the titan's ankles. Without a single cry in agony, the towering creature fell face first into the earth, dirt plowing from the impact. As the creature shockingly began to lift itself to its elbows, the other soldier swooped in and ended the monster's miserable existence with a single swipe. The abnormal's head fell unceremoniously to the grass, blood amalgamating with its foggy eyes still in a dead stare. He let himself take a short breath in relief at the men's success. Abnormals were considered among the most dangerous titans simply due to their unpredictability and the fact that they seemed to ignore single or small groups of humans and charge straight into the area with the largest concentration of human scent. Ridding this titan was a great liberation in light of the possibly advancing horde.

For a moment, he watched as the two remounted their horses and engaged in slight celebration before advancing behind him. Armin let out another breath in release before turning his attention back to the stretch of land before him. However, the blonde teen caught something from the corner of his eye, movement. Alarmed, he turned his head to peer behind him.

His eyes widened instantly in terror as he saw it.

Behind Ness and the other Scout, a titan, a fourteen-meter was sprinting full tilt toward them - its speed tremendous. Feeling the vast rumbling of the earth, the two soldiers spun around to see the titan just as it was right on top of them. Reflexively, the two tugged sharply on their reins, horses moving just enough to clear themselves from a giant foot as it planted itself between them as the titan kept running. Armin's jaw dropped in utter shock. It was another abnormal.

A skinless abnormal.

He blinked in disbelief. If he knew anything about skinless titans – like the Armored and Colossal, it was that they were extremely dangerous. Turning back behind him, Armin watched in terror as the solder planted a hook into the titan's bicep while Ness repeated his action of embedding a hook into the titan's hip.

_'Hopefully they can take it down! They have to take it down! It's dangerous!'_

The solder rocketed himself through the air, blades aimed for the nape while Ness was low and ready. Then, before steel could meet muscle and flesh, the titan raised its arm and swiped with precision – capturing the man in its hand. Blood and innards sprayed in all directions as the monster's fingers enclosed around its victim. Completely frozen, Armin watched as the titan swiftly reached down and grasped the other attached cable in hand, Ness now within its clutches. The seasoned Scout cried in mercy as he was violently swung up over the beast's head of blonde hair and thrown at the unforgiving earth. Within seconds, the man's bones shattered upon impact just before the titan's foot reduced Ness to a large red smear painted across the grass.

Sheer terror flooded the teen from all sides as he realized that he was alone with the skinless titan. The beast looked in his direction, and charged. His mind snapped, brain commanding him to push his horse to its limits.

_'I'm dead! I'm so dead! I can't defeat that thing on my own! I'll never see Mikasa! I'll never see Rogue ever again! I'm done for!'_ His mind screamed. The blonde's face paled, vision blurry as he began to go rigged. Armin shook his head, not daring to look back at the titan that was trailing after him with the intent to slaughter. Suddenly, it hit him, making his pupils shrink to nearly the size of pen tip. The titan didn't eat Ness or the other soldier after it killed them, not even pausing to lick the blood from its fingers. The way it moved… the way it grabbed the cables and used its agility to -

His heart nearly flat lined.

' _Oh god, is it really what I think it is?_ ' Armin's mind screamed. ' _I have to hide! But where! This is a damn field! Where! Where can I get –_

However, before the teen could finish his frantic thought, he felt his body being lifted into the air and his horses' screeching as they were separated from solid ground. A series of pains erupted through his body as the sky and earth began to trade places over and over. Like a rag doll, he rolled until his momentum finally receded. His heart thundered, dizziness crippling his crooked body. Instinctively, the teen tried to move from his current position, luckily discovering that nothing was broken. Armin blinked rapidly, noticing that he looked much worse than he appeared with blood leaking from scrapes and cuts all over his body. His heart hammered. The horse he was just riding on was lying a few feet from him; its neck broken severely with bone protruding through fur and the spare was nowhere to be seen. He panicked, his last lifeline was gone. There was no chance at survival now. He would never see his family again.

Never.

Suddenly the earth shook all around him, lifting his petite frame a few inches before dumping him to the earth again, forcing a whine to sound through his teeth. A large shadow descended over him, an awaiting death. However, the realm of eternal blankness didn't sweep over him. Confused, Armin opened his eyes to look in the face of the reaper.

All the color drained from his skin as he saw it. He had been right.

The titan was kneeled over him, golden hair cascading over its face like a spider web wet with dew. Its eyes, eyes that were far clearer than the dead gaze of a normal titan, glowed a menacing blue that reflected a satanic aura. The skin on its face was pale, nearly white with slits on either side of its cheeks – the corners meeting a pair of perfectly sculpted lips. Framing its burning blues were more cut outs, simply ornate muscle. Armin blinked, eyes dancing down to observe the titan's frame – spotting a detail that he had missed and something he had never thought possible.

The titan was clearly female.

The teen's breath shook in his chest. In all of his studies as a trainee and as a Scout – in any of the records that he found in the castle's library and in any archive, there was nothing to suggest that female titans even existed. Yet here he was in the shadow of one, a titan with a feminine build with nearly every feminine asset right down to its bust. But the undeniable fact that was even more alarming what that the titan was indeed intelligent.

She – was like Rogue, but had no shred of his goodhearted soul.

He was dead. So very dead. Far from any help, he was done for.

' _I'm so sorry Mikasa and Rogue. I'm sorry that I can't come home. Sorry that I'm weak.'_

He continued to remain, waiting to be put into any sort of grave. Memories flashed through his head, ones of happiness and long days spent with his two closest companions. Armin blinked again, eyes looking back to the Female Titan in question. Why wasn't she killing him or eating him? Slowly, the titan's lips peeled into a smile, one of cruelty – one of satisfaction. To his surprise, her expression shaped into one of no concern as she gave an uncaring snort of steam. Slowly, she stood, lively blues leaving his beaten body and setting onto the landscape before her. Without wasting another second, the Female Titan motioned forward in a jog, leaving him behind.

Seconds passed before the teen found any sort of courage to sit up. Although he was sore to the bone, he barely paid his body mind as he continued to race among his thoughts. "Why… why did it let me live?" Armin muttered. "It just… did it just leave me here because it sensed that I was wounded and didn't look like I was to survive? That has to be it, she didn't feel the need to bother with me further." The blonde continued, his brain going a million places at once.

' _Wait, she came from –_

"Armin!"

Shaken from his thought by a familiar voice, Armin turned to see Connie and Jean dismounting their horses and coming to his aid. Immediately, the smaller teen began to lift him to his feet, Armin's eyes glancing back to watch the titan as it continued to put distance between them.

"Dude! Are you all right? You look like hell!" Connie declared as Armin got his footing and stood in shock, noticing the two's looks of concern.

"We found your horse not to far from you." Jean began, tone slightly more flexible than it usually was. "What happened? Do you know what's going on with the right wing spotters?"

Suddenly, he snapped out of his current shaken state and seeped into one of urgency and fortitude. As much as he hated to approach the monster, he had to know more from it. Deep in his mind, hypothesizes began to spawn. Armin then shook off the agony, placing it away as he pointed to the running beast. "That titan, we have to follow it!"

Simultaneously, the teenagers' brows rose in question before turning to look in the direction of his outstretched finger. When they saw the very same that he witnessed, the two entered a state of bewilderment themselves.

"Is that a – female titan?" Jean stammered. "How is that –

"No fucking way." Connie spoke, jaw slack. "Armin – please tell me I'm just looking at –

"No, it's female! I saw it up close. Come on! I'll explain it to you as we trail it!" Armin concluded as he grabbed his secondary horse and waited for the two to mount. Prepared, they then threw themselves forward in pursuit, hands still shaky on their reins.

"So what the hell are we going on Armin? Why are we trailing this titan in particular?" Jean demanded; brow furrowed as he adapted his usual personality once again.

"Please tell me it's not because you think it has a nice ass." Connie added, making the blonde teen exhale harshly.

"No. To start, the right wing spotters have nearly been wiped out, another titan horde ambushed them and only a few made it. The Female Titan is the cause of it! She came from that direction!"

The long faced teen raised brow. "What makes you think that?"

"This may be a bit overwhelming, but she's like Rogue. She's intelligent." Armin laid out, the two's faces reflecting their shock with their own spellbound looks – Connie looking as if he was going to piss himself and Jean looking like he had just learned someone's darkest secret. The older teen's eyes then narrowed once again.

"You've got to be kidding me. What made you think she's intelligent?"

Armin swallowed, thinking back to the grizzly scene. "The way she killed Ness and what was left of his squad. She moved with precision, everything was calculated not just reckless swiping. When she knocked me from my horse, she saw my injuries and smiled like she was pleased – showing expression. She also took note of the extent of my wounds and thought I was too impaired to continue, so she left me for dead." Armin paused tying knots together.

"So… she's like Rogue then – but with a bloodlust?" Connie interrupted. The blonde nodded.

"Unfortunately. Since she's intelligent – I bet she knows how to corral titans like Rogue. She's the one that rounded up a horde of titans and used them to destroy the right wing. I'm willing say it as well, but I think she also did the same technique to us yesterday."

"Holy, why is she –

"I haven't seen her eat anyone yet, she just killed Ness and another soldier and left them behind along with me. So far, she's just intent to kill. The question is why." Armin hesitated, biting his lip. "We have to – keep her from getting any further and perhaps we can find out more –

"So we need to try and kill her?" Connie queried with great alarm. Armin nodded, movements restricted by nerves.

"Either that or we have to at least slow her down… preferably kill her. If we slow her down though, it would give us time to warn the others and have the veterans or Rogue deal with her." Armin informed, eyes still hooked on the titan. ' _If it comes to the point of releasing Rogue on her, which hopefully it won't, I'm sure she can be dealt with easily. Rogue is stronger and he's got training to back him up.'_

Jean's eyes narrowed further with resentment as his gaze locked onto the Female Titan. "So Armin, do you have the slightest idea how we can achieve that with the huge lack of trees around?" The teen spoke, obviously meaning his statement to be of a sarcastic nature.

For a moment, the blonde was stunned by the behavior before deciding to just push the teen's attitude aside. There were far more serious things to take into account.

"Yeah Armin, they didn't teach us how to subdue a titan on open fields. How are we supposed to safely pull this off?" Connie inquired, demeanor the opposite of Jean's and more like his own.

As a habit he often engaged in, Armin sucked on his lower lip, eyes studying the skinless titan before him. "When Ness made an attempt to kill her, it was when she was on top of them and they didn't have a real strategy. However the Female Titan was gifted in snagging wires just as Rogue is. I think the best way to tackle this is using means of distraction before we aim for the nape. Two of us can distract her at once, that way she has to struggle to keep us both in sight. "Jean – since you're the most gifted with your gear and your blades out of the three of us, you need to be the one that makes the fatal or impairing blow. Connie and I can serve as distractions." Armin lectured, turning to Connie who was looking at him with deep solemnity. "You're the best at making tight turns, so you can be the one that distracts her from above. I'll do the same from below. I'll tangle up her feet." Armin finished, trying to read his two friends' faces. After several moments of consideration they nodded.

"As much as I don't like the idea of engaging this thing, I'll do it." Jean sighed with the other teen nodding in alignment.

"Alright then, let's move quickly. She can't head for the center rank."

In favor of his plan they propelled themselves faster, trying to gain ground on the titan ahead of them. Wind whipped across the open plain, relieving part of him from his nervous sweat. Armin blinked, the feeling of dried blood pulling his eyebrow present. His mind was processing at a much faster pace, shoving the titan's reason aside and placing the plan to execute or subdue before him. To the teen, it was clear that the Female Titan had slowed quite a bit from her previous approach – running now in a jog. Armin swallowed, they had to get moving, it was likely that the creature was saving its energy for another charge later.

"She's decreased rapidly in speed. While she's trying to conserve energy, that's when we nail her!" Armin informed as his eyes focused onto the titan again, mind churning as he began to calculate the monster's speed. "Alright let's spread apart so she can't target all of us at once as we make our approach. Connie, when you get fifteen meters from her, make your approach. I'll swoop in from the side. Jean, depending on her position when the window opens, take her out however way you see fit. Let's go!"

The three rode across the moor, splitting like cells to get into their positions. Armin steered himself aligned to the titan's right, eyes observant. Connie was approaching The Female from behind while Jean navigated within the small clusters of wood and rock. His bright blues scanned the titan further, sky pools studying the Female Titan's face. The teen's breath hung in his ribcage, seeing the titan peeking slightly over her shoulder. Armin swallowed. She was monitoring them. Then the beast did something else that sent a string of horror all throughout his tiny frame.

The Female Titan lifted her hand and covered her nape. She was like Rogue – she knew of her weakness. Intelligent indeed.

Before he could relay some sort of warning to his two other comrades, Connie leaped off his horse and aimed a cable right for the titan's bicep. However, before hook could meet flesh, The Female Titan pivoted on her heel, spinning to her right – hand swinging around to catch Connie's cable. Armin's mind blew up in panic.

_'She… caught his cable! She must have listened like Rogue! Connie! She snatched him so easily and directly on point! It's like she's been doing this for a long –_

"Connie!"

With a newly acquired adrenaline running through his veins, Armin threw his horse forward to continue his plan. He had to distract her before she could kill Connie! The Female Titan smirked as she held Connie in hand, the teen simply dangling in the air with glowing blues staring surely at him – but also with shades of amusement. The vile creature was mocking them. It was like the buzz cut teen was nearly a plaything. Armin whipped the leather reins; he had to get there before she slaughtered him! To his unfortunate luck, The Female Titan then quickly launched the teen straight into the air, but to some miracle, Connie had found that his gear and cables were still optional and released another hook, one that the titan caught yet again. As the creature began to swing Connie in a way where if he was released the teen was doomed, Armin planted a cable into the titan's ankle and began to guide the mare around her opposite foot – cable rubbing profusely against her hot muscle. The titan snarled, a warning much different in pitch than Rogue's – tone higher but seeded with malicious intent. Quickly, Armin circled, but before he could carry on, his horse was violently forced out from beneath him – the impact breaking the animal's legs and sending it flying across the field as useless meat. Again, his body hit the unforgiving ground, tumbling relentlessly until he came to a stop. Fearing that he was to be crushed, Armin struggled to move, only able to shift onto his knees before letting out a choked breath. His ribs were definitely badly bruised, but thankfully not cracked. Attempting to blink away the dust and blurriness from his eyes, Armin watched as The Female Titan yet again tossed Connie into the air – the teen heading nowhere near her giant frame. The teen descended to the plain, shooting a cable into the earth – his only option as he released the gas in his gear's chambers to slow his speed before hitting the earth. Luckily, the teen didn't roll, only stumbled roughly with his loss being a tooth as his knee bent into his chin. Still, Connie struggled to stand due to the wind being knocked out from him.

_'She's so fast!'_ Armin thought frantically. _'Her movements, they're faster than Rogue's! I never even saw her hand coming when she swatted away my horse! What she makes up for her lack of strength is speed! The way she runs! The way she snags our cables – she's faster!'_

The Female then prowled slowly to the buzz cut teen, face wearing an almost disinterested look with the goal of simply stepping on the downed Scout. However, before she took another step, the titan paused and swiftly and effortlessly lifted a hand to catch an incoming Jean directly into her palm.

"Jean!" Armin cried weakly as he watched The Female Titan lower her opposite hand from her nape – feeling no other need to cover it. "Jean no!"

The long face teen gasped for breath as the titan began to squeeze tighter, mouth pulled into a barely detectable smile in pleasure as she viewed the teen's furious and reddening face while he wheezed for air. The titan then tilted her head in entertainment, slowly lifting her thumb and pressing it roughly onto the male's scalp – the creature unmistakably humming in boredom, blue flashing to the two other teens before looking back to her captive.

_'She's mocking both of us! She's killing him slowly and making sure we're watching! She's torturing us! Jean! I have to do something!'_

Before Armin could conjure up even the slightest plan, he reflexively lifted the handle to his gear and aimed a cable – the hook implanting itself into The Female Titan's eye. The monster screeched with agony and dropped Jean to the ground. Armin quickly pulled the cable out just before the titan lifted a hand to her steaming eye socket. His blood ran cold as she immediately looked to him with her good eye – one that was completely corroded with rage. Armin became still as stone like an interrupted deer as The Female Titan snarled and raised her fist to bring it down upon him – most likely deciding that he was worth killing after all.

_'Goodbye Mikasa and Rogue. Thank you for your love and friendship. My time has come.'_

Armin simply sat, accepting his fate and waiting to be plunged into the realm of eternal blackness – ready to search for the light at the end of the tunnel. However, nothing happened. He went nowhere. Curious and scared as to why, Armin gradually opened his eyes to see something that he did not expect.

The Female Titan was just as frozen as he was, a few meters from him and looking into his own Caspian irises with hers wide in what the blonde could only determine as bewilderment. All was quiet as her hand still hung in the air – stopped from its assault. Armin blinked in disbelief, why did she –

Suddenly, the titan lowered her hand and leaned forward to where she was less than a meter from his body – making him cringe and nearly soil himself to know that she had decided to make a meal of him. To his surprise however, The Female Titan only sniffed – nostrils flaring wildly as she pressed on, ruffling his hair and causing his skin to prickle all over. Armin watched tensely as her irises shrunk as she suddenly lifted to her knees to sniff the air, head quickly rotating to the west, eyes hooked in the direction before turning her attention to him once again. Seconds passed, the titan looking almost conflicted. He stiffened. What was going on? Why did she stop in her attack?

Hearing a familiar sound of several lumbering gates, both the teens and the titan looked behind them to see one stumbling normal headed their way. Armin watched as The Female Titan smiled widely at the sight before looking upon him once more in satisfaction. The skinless titan then lifted herself upright and turned to run in the direction of her interest.

Armin slowly arose, eyes wide as fruits as they continued to watch their mysterious foe vanish from their sight. His heart pounded.

_'Is she doing what I think she's doing? Did she smell him? My god, she had to have – wait. Rogue, he looked the same when he smelt the scent at the church. Could it have been The Female's? Hold on. Could this really be what I think it is?'_

Feeling himself being lifted by both a battered Connie and Jean, Armin turned back to the advancing seven-meter; mind still submerged in swarming thoughts.

_'She's so smart. She left us here to die by the jaws of that titan so she could get a head start.'_

Still lost even as Jean shoved him up on Connie's horse and forced himself upon the steed as well, Armin shivered as the possible scenario and facts settled in.

They were all in grave danger.

* * *

"Damn horse! Why the hell doesn't she come back! She's alive, I saw her run off!" Jean muttered angrily as he whistled for his horse for the umpteenth time, saliva gliding down his fingertips and chin while he produced an echoing note.

"I can't believe that just fucking happened!" Connie muttered shakily as he pulled another roll of fresh gauze from their first aid. "I thought she was going to eat you!"

Armin swallowed painstakingly as he instinctively rubbed away the dried blood on his brow that had leaked from a large cut. They narrowly escaped the incoming normal – all of them piled onto one horse that could barely hold their weight. Now, still upon barren land with each of them having repairs to do to their gear, the three of them had taken refuge among a small patch of short trees and thankfully away from any incoming titans. Since The Female's departure, Armin's brain was caught off in a flurry of explanations and specifics. Could his current hypothesis really be true? Or did she have other intentions? He winced as Connie began to gently wrap the gauze around his head; from unwillingly and roughly meeting the earth three times he most likely had a small concussion or a nasty bruise.

Jean then pulled an emergency flare from Connie's saddle and fired the round, solemnly putting the tool back. "Well, hopefully someone will see that emergency signal – of course I doubt that they'll have two extra horses in tow. We barely made it on Connie's. We can't escape any large titans with three people on one little horse." The teen sighed. "Most likely we're screwed."

"I wouldn't say we don't have a chance Jean." Connie cut in as he still attended to Armin's wound. "We're not at the rear of the rank so there has to be someone behind us."

The blonde swallowed, catching a hint of blood from a busted lip. He opened his mouth to speak but Connie intervened.

"Hey Armin, why did The Female Titan not kill you when she had the chance? Do you have any ideas why?"

Feeling that the other teen was done with his aid, Armin slowly got to his footing, facing the two with the most serious and stern expression he could muster through his panic. "I… know why. But before I get to that, I've realized something else about her."

"What?"

"The Female Titan, she didn't only corral the titans from yesterday on us – she led us to that village so she could have those titans kill all of us at once. She set a trap. She destroyed the depot on purpose. My guess as to how she did so was that she lay in wait from a distance where Rogue couldn't pick her up. She remained there for some time until she smelled us coming and then made her move. Of course, she may have seen us on the expedition where we united with Rogue – she most likely saw him at the very end of the mission when he went behind Wall Rose with us. In other words, the reason for her actions is to get the Scouts out of the picture so she can get to her real target. The Female Titan knows we can kill her and knows that we are the only ones standing in her way."

Jean folded his arms, shifting his weight. "So – you're saying that she's after Rogue?"

Connie raised brow. "Wait, why is she after him?"

Armin found himself looking to his shoes, knowing his next statement would be hard to understand. "As far as that's concerned, I have just one theory right now. It's probably going to sound ludicrous but just hear me out. When The Female Titan wrecked the storehouse, she left some sort of concentrated scent that only Rogue was able to pick up. When he smelt it, he reacted in a similar way she did – at the time he looked almost stimulated and bothered in some way by it."

Armin watched as his words gradually began to seep into the two recruits before him, the statement slowly gaining meaning. Simultaneously, their brows rose in disbelief and their jaws went slack.

"Armin… you're telling us that The Female Titan is –

"It's the only clear theory I have now Jean." Armin added. "It does make some sense if you think about it. Of course, we're dealing with a whole new thing to humanity here – so there is always the possibility that this could be something else en –

Before the blonde could finish a loud bang could be heard from behind them, provoking the small party to turn and see a relieving signal flare. Hurriedly, Jean pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked to the source – mouth transforming into a broad grin.

"It's Mikasa and Krista!" The older teen informed with enthusiasm. "They also have two horses in tow!"

"Thank god!"

Armin gulped, as thankful as he was to see his friend; he feared how she would react when he told her. Mikasa was very delicate when it came to troubling topics concerning Rogue, most likely due to their strong bond ever since they first met. In terms of emotion – Mikasa was much more touchy when it came to the titan's well being.

Immediately upon approach, the dark haired teen dismounted her horse in shock. As quick as her feet could carry her, Mikasa came to address him and the rest of the group with Krista gathering the horses close behind.

"Armin?" Mikasa asked, voice laden in concern. "What happened to all of you?"

"Yeah, Armin you're hurt pretty bad!" Krista chimed in. "Connie and Jean – you're pretty banged up too!"

He hesitated, heart drumming just as fast as it was during his first encounter with the relentless titan. His legs felt weak beneath him, but he had to do what needed to be done. "Mikasa, we were ambushed by another intelligent titan, except this one wasn't friendly like Rogue and had a bloodlust."

The girls' faces fell, Mikasa went pale.

"W…what? Another intelligent titan like Rogue?" She stammered, athletic build stiffening but hands visibly trembling. Krista too, looked spooked to the point where it appeared as if she had seen a ghost.

"It was skinless!" Connie quickly lectured. "But the biggest difference was that it was –

"Female." Armin interrupted, knowing that they were losing precious time. "The titan was female."

Mikasa's eyes widened.

"A female titan?" Krista stammered. "I've never heard of them existing."

Armin nodded and quickly mounted one of the spare horses. "Yeah, The Female Titan was the cause of the ambush at the depot yesterday. Today she also corralled a group of titans to all but take out the right wing spotters. The group has stopped advancing as far as we know due to the lack of a large number of them." He paused; taking a deep breath and making sure all of his signal flares were ready. "Mikasa, Krista – there's a lot to explain that I can fill you in on the way, but I can say that The Female Titan is targeting Rogue for a reason that could be a natural one or another entirely."

"She's after Rogue?" Mikasa spoke, expression quickly changing into one that looked dark and deadly – one riddled with a sense of overwhelming determination. The teen's eyes narrowed as she quickly climbed back into her saddle and guided her steed to neighbor his own. Mikasa continued to look at Armin firmly, a fire seemingly lit in her grey eyes. "Let's go then. We'll get the bitch taken care of before she comes into contact with him." The young woman muttered enigmatically, speaking in a tone that would make the cowardly produce a bead of sweat.

Armin looked into the direction that the titan had gone, nodding to himself. "I'll explain the details for her reasons as we go. Erwin needs to get this message and fast. However, The Female Titan has phenomenal speed that I can say surpasses Rogue and I doubt that we will get there before she does. Of course, it is a possibly that Erwin could already know. But we must still hurry."

**(POV SWAP)**

From behind the translucent shield of her glasses, Hange gazed at the open field nervously. They had been riding for hours now and the landscape had grown barren and quiet. There was no wildlife to be seen, the birds were grounded from the open sky. Hange blinked in her analysis. Something wasn't right, it was comparable to a calm before a storm. Neither she nor the rest of Erwin's squad had seen anything but the occasional emergency flare and the black tendrils of smoke signaling an abnormal from the right flank. Something was very wrong.

Hange looked to the Commander to see that his head was high, brow furrowed and face molded into a look of sheer urgency. It was clear that he too, knew that something was deathly amiss. The man was like a stone, but eyes still moving in search of a sign – anything to provide a clue or answer.

"Sir," Nanaba began, cutting the tenseness that hung heavily between them. "Something is up. We haven't seen much response from the right wing spotters. The only communications we've received are emergency and abnormal signals."

Erwin looked to Nanaba, nodding once before gazing forward, clear that he was secretly plotting their next move. Suddenly, the form of Mike manifested from the corner of her eye. The large man quickly brought his horse into the traveling party to become between both a confused Hange and discreetly spellbound Erwin. Mike quickly gained the Commander's full attention, wasting no time in a process of disclosure.

"Erwin, I have urgent news. The front right wing spotters have nearly all been wiped out by another horde of titans."

Hange's face immediately fell. How? How could another horde of titans gather and attack?

"So it was another horde then? Like yesterday?"

Mike quickly nodded. "Yes, but Sir – I and several other witnesses saw that they were corralled by another titan. Erwin, this was another intelligent titan – a skinless one that was clearly female."

The entire squads' faces then matched the scientist's – completely awestruck. A skinless female titan? One that was intelligent – one that was unfriendly? Hange felt her heart pound in what she couldn't decide as excitement or terror. On one hand, the titan was like Rogue and she could be open to experiment on it, but on the other hand the Female Titan was violent unlike their titan companion. One thing that was for sure, if the info was true, they were in serious trouble.

"This new titan – is female?" Erwin continued to question, tone sounding as if he was almost quizzing the man.

"Yes. As hard as it is to believe, it's true. I saw it. Not only that, but I and a few of the other accounts believe that she may be targeting Rogue, Sir."

Hange's eyes widened further, forgetting to steer her mare and almost running into another soldier if not for a quick reaction. Was the Female Titan really heading for Rogue? What could she want with the gentle titan? Did she want his territory or something? Then again, why was she attacking them if she wanted to get to their titan? While her mind was lost in possibilities, Hange continued to observe Erwin – waiting on a crucial judgment call.

The Commander's brows drew together at the news, directing his gaze further upon the horizon – one that was infested with a thick patch of forest filled with giant trees. All eyes were hooked to the man, awaiting his view and any sort of order. "Nanaba?"

"Yes, Commander?" The blonde woman replied, almost surprised by Erwin's calm but serious tone.

There was a slight pause, the man's eyes still on the route before him. "Go message the supply wagons. Tell them to ready the large gauges three miles into the green."

"Yes, Commander. What do you want me to tell the Levi squad?"

Oddly, the tall man kept quiet, face carved into the same look and never changing. "No. We can't brew any further tension. Levi is loyal and I have total confidence that he will know what to do. If Rogue is really the last of his species, he is only to be our final resort."

It was a long moment before Nanaba seemed to understand and departed from the group. Hange cringed at the thought. Hopefully the plan would go off without a hitch. The scientist continued to look beyond at the coming woods. In her head, she began to replay events and scrutinize details of why this particular titan was – wait. Hange's eyes widened.

_'Could that really be possible? Is that the reason why? Or is there something beneath this that we are blind to see?'_

She swallowed, not knowing how to feel.

**(POV SWAP)**

Something… something was off. Everything felt wrong. He thought he had felt a slight twinge of unease poking a nerve ever since he had risen with the sun. Of course, upon his little one's departure, he had chosen to ignore it in sake of not promoting worry. Nonetheless, the uneasy feeling wasn't as strong then as it was now. Rogue shuttered in the slightest as he examined his surroundings yet again, taking note of the lack of life and titans. It was just like yesterday – not to mention the flying humans' colored smoke had been few and far between. The only sign of direction that he had seen was the pack leader's green flare fired straight up before them, meaning that their small pack was to keep heading forward. The titan rotated his head to face their path, eyes taking in the view of a forest of giant trees. It wasn't his own woods, but it was slightly comforting to see something that would surround his body and provide leverage for his squad.

Still, he couldn't shake the severe agitation pulling at his strings, unable to cut it away at all. Rogue was reminded of the situation once more as he felt his flesh coat itself in subtle chills, the hair on his scalp rising with his nerves. He looked into the landscape again, trying to capture any movement with his keen hunting eyes – but spotting nothing. The titan stifled a whine. What if something bad had happened? What if his babies were hurt!

What if they were dead?

Rogue tightly closed his eyes, shaking his head in the slightest to burn the thought from his conscious. No. They were fine. He had seen how strong they were yesterday. Deep within the titan, something told him that they were all right – but he hoped that the words of comfort weren't his imagination. Rogue looked down to his advancing pack, noticing their slight looks of question and the Corporal still focused forward – he couldn't see his face. Could they have perceived something was up or were they just wondering why there hadn't been a change in direction? Deciding that it would be best to share his concerns, Rogue turned to Petra who still rode upon his shoulder. " **EETTTRRAA?** " He asks, quickly grabbing her full attention. " **ONNNTTIINNGG RRROONNGG."** Rogue paused, trying to conjure up words to describe his distress. " **OONNTT NNOO AAHHTT RRROONNNGG… UUTT TTIINNGG NNOOTT RRREEIIIHHT."**

To his surprise, she nodded instantly in agreement. "Yeah Rogue, I can tell as well. Something is not right here. We haven't seen a signal from the front lines yet."

Rogue swallowed at her statement. The front lines – a term often used to describe the outer rank. Was it possible that they could have been ambushed by his kin again? If so, that would mean that the titans had broken through the formation and could have gotten to his dear little ones. Then again they were pretty far back in the rank. The idea brought a whine to his lipless maw. They had to be all right! They had to!

"What is the brat whining about now?" Levi queried mutely, finally having broken eye contact with what lay before them.

" **EEVVII!"** Rogue initiated, wasting no time is sharing what little he knew about the situation. " **SSSOONNTTIINGG RRROOONNGG!"**

To his surprise, the man hesitated; lips in a firm line and brows knitted together – nearly touching. "You're correct." He finally responded, tone shockingly the same as always despite the dire situation. "There's some sort of threat to the right of us. Right now, I believe Erwin is having us pass through the forest up ahead to try and shake it off." Levi concluded, muttering something else beneath his breath that Rogue couldn't make out or translate.

Rogue found himself entering a state of confusion. Why were they not being rerouted so they could intercept the mysterious threat? There had been no message to switch to just a traveling state. So why were they not formatting to attack? The titan's thoughts halted for a moment as they entered the forest of towering pines – the feeling of having something organic and green high over his head almost surreal. It felt so secure but it lacked the serenity that he had once known. Like the vast plains, the forest was deathly quiet. Looking around, it was clear that the area was a previous human settlement. There were the usual run down residences and the occasional platform up in the trees – the titan concluding that the town was once used as one purely for visiting. The path that they were currently running on was certainly one that used to be like those in the human city made of brick, but now the path was overgrown with a layer of grass and the bricks were either smashed into the earth or horribly misplaced. Rogue swallowed, this was an area where titans had roamed heavily due to unpleasant stale aroma from his kind. More fear settled in. The titans had obviously gathered elsewhere – possibly in the outer rank? The titan looked down at Levi, seeing that the man was only focused on the road before him. However, the others looked just as spooked as he was.

"I don't understand the point of trying to shake the threat here of all places." Oluo argued. "We won't see a titan until it's right on top of us!"

"Erwin had us come through here for a reason. Look at all these big ass trees. In case the treat ambushes us – we have a way to escape." Levi roughly answered. "Thing is, the Commander is most likely up to something. We were not informed of any plan for a reason."

Eld raised a brow. "What do you mean he purposely didn't inform us?"

Rogue watched in suspicion as Levi delivered a hard glare to the blonde pack member who quieted quickly. Rogue blinked, wanting to quiz why but ultimately getting subtracted by something else. The titan looked over his shoulder, ears picking up the echoing sound of vibrations. A loud bang went off, black smoke rising from just beyond a layer of trees, barely thirty meters away.

"It's right on top of us!" Gunter announced. "Corporal, your orders!"

"It must be an abnormal or a whole shitload of them!" Oluo added.

However, Levi did not reply or gesture any order. Much to Rogue's as well as his pack's surprise, the man still kept his eyes on the road.

Suddenly, a strong surge of trepidation rocked him to the core – feeling just like he had the day before. Instinctively, Rogue sniffed to locate a swarm of incoming flying humans, but the other smell was one that chilled his blood. The incoming titan scent… it was the very one he had smelt the day before. It was the exotic musk and something else he couldn't quite place. His heart pounded. He knew something was up! What was going on! Where were his babies! Why wasn't Levi giving him the order!

An extra set of feet pounding the earth joined his own – the earth trembling even more as their pace quickened. Horses threw themselves faster and his hand reached up to place Petra just behind his ear for safekeeping. Swallowing in fear of what was to come, Rogue slowly turned his head just in time to see a lone Scout flying through the air with his back facing them. Everything seemed to be playing out in a slow pace. The soldier's face fell into a look of shock – limbs frozen as he floated with no cables attached to a single surface. Leafs went flying as a collection of trees toppled over to expose a large figure – its hand swatting away the flying human as if it were a lazy fly, blood spraying in all directions. Rogue's emerald eyes grew wide in horror as the titan then sharply turned and leaped through another set of trees – wood falling like rain as the creature landed and then began its pursuit behind him. From his restricted view out of the corner of his eye, he was only able to discern the flash of golden hair, two burning blue orbs, and the titan's lack of tan flesh.

"Rogue! Look forward!" Petra shouted into his ear. "We have to keep running!"

Finding himself doing as she had said, the titan looked forward to see that the small pack had propelled their horses as fast as their legs could carry them, nostrils of the equines flaring wider than he imagined possible. With the titan's mass close behind, Rogue lightened and sped up, making sure that he didn't accidentally step on any ally. His mind went into full terror. The monster behind him was one of the skinless titans, and what he had previously exhibited from their kind – they were nothing but bad news and sheer trouble. Fear continued to sweep through his veins with each step. This titan, since it was the one at the depot, could it have been responsible for the horde? Wait, that would mean that it was –

Like him.

Rogue's pupils shank to pinpricks. The beast behind him was intelligent, capable of thought and planning just as he was, but instead of his caring demeanor this titan was just as bloodthirsty as the others. Hearing a loud hiss, Rogue peeked from the corner of his eye again to see a flying human shoot a cable forward – only for the monster to snag it in the blink of an eye and smash the helpless soul into a tree with its weight, bark painting red. Then like lightning, the creature turned and caught another soldier's wire – yanking the human back into its palm where its death came in the form of hunk of bloody pulp. A green pool watched as the creature simply tossed the remains aside without further consideration and kept on with its charge.

Traumatized, Rogue forced himself to look away. It was so fast. By far faster than him – his pack did not stand a chance! The titan's brain began to feel as if it was caught in a raging current. The skinless titan had used some of his moves. It grabbed a Scout and pulled them back to its greedy hands. It had also skipped on indulging from human life juices – what was it doing? Was it after someone? His breath suddenly hitched. Could it have come into contact with his little ones? Surely not! He would kill himself if something had happened to them! Rogue turned his focus forward; they had to take action! They could all die!

"It did the same thing Rogue did! It's catching their cables!" Gunter spoke above the chaos.

"It's a – BITCH!" Oluo declared. "Corporal!"

"Corporal Levi –

However, despite his pack's pleas and the tempest around them, the man remained still and emotionless as stone. Rogue's eyes widened to what he assumed was their furthest limit. Why? How on earth could a man like Levi not be giving a single order nonetheless bat an eye? What was he doing! Did he not have any clue as to how to react?

"Corporal Levi!" Petra called from his shoulder. "What do we do!"

The short male below finally peered over his shoulder, narrow eyes briefly glancing at the group before facing forward again. Much to their surprise however Levi only moved forward.

"So our plan is to just outrun the bitch!"

Levi nodded. "At this moment, yes."

"What!"

"Sir! What are you saying! We surely can't be going through with this!"

"DO NOT DISRESPECT MY ORDERS." The man spoke sharply, tone like a knife. "We go foreword. In past contexts – we've done the same thing before but different circumstance. Think back. You should all know this."

Rogue observed in confusion as the members of the Levi squad looked at one another in utter seriousness, the tension so great between them that he could sense it. Finally they nodded to one another and flapped at their reins, urging the horses faster. Rogue grunted sharply with abundant puzzlement. Had they thought up a strategy or something? If so, why keep running! It made more sense to fight! From his brief viewing session just minutes ago, the titan looked small and was certainly agile. He himself on the other hand had both brawn and brains to back him up! His frame was excessively muscular and built to fight! Living among humans and learning combat skills, their culture, and teaching him to speak – he was most certain that he was smarter! He could take the vile creature so why hadn't they given him the order to do so! Why were they just running! If they didn't fight – they couldn't win!

The perplexed titan turned to Petra, opening his maw to demand her why and that he needed an explanation. However, she quickly cut him off with a hand.

"Rogue! No matter what! Keep on running! Don't stop!"

His eyes narrowed in resentment. " **EEHHYY EII NNOOT ATTACKKK?"** He demanded.

"Rogue, you need to run!"

At the lack of response, the titan snorted and glanced over his shoulder yet again, just in time to see the titan grasp a woman and forcefully drag her against the trees – reducing her to bony stumps that the monster simply tossed aside and continued its charge. Rogue looked on in horror as the titan took a hold of another flying human and threw them against the ground to create a puddle of red. The creature moved quicker, lightening its body even further as it charged straight for them – its face looking almost manic. With the monster clearly covering its nape on purpose to avoid its own slaughter, it was clear to the titan that something needed to be done.

" **EEVVII! NEEDD TTOO SSTTOOTT IITTAANN!"** Rogue pleaded. " **IITT KKIIIL SSCCOOUUTTSS! EEE EELLPP EEVVII! EEE EELLPP SSCCOOUTTSS!"**

The man only did so much as glance, making Rogue's heart pound. If he broke his promise he would have to see Zackley and that foul human Nile again and would possibly be put out of the Scouts. He couldn't do that. He couldn't be away from his little ones again – especially with all three of them being part of the same profession. Recalling his intimidation tactics that usually sent titans heading far away from him, Rogue decided that it was worth a shot, perhaps the titan would get the message and go back to whatever hell it came from. With his decision made, Rogue peeked over his shoulder yet again and let loose a rippling growl, pupils morphing into slits and nose wrinkled in rage. With his ears pinned back and irises feral from the folds of flesh, Rogue snarled viciously. How dare this titan kill off members of his new family! How dare it even make itself known to him!

Seeing no change, Rogue let out an even louder and disgusting growl. Why wasn't the creature registering his message! Again, he snarled, but then gave in to a threating low roar.

"Rogue!" Petra screamed, hand gripping tightly onto his ear. "You have to keep moving forward! Don't stop no matter what! Trust us! Trust us Rogue!" Petra pleased urgently.

" **UUTT –**

"Rogue! Just listen for once! It may sound ridiculous, but you have to trust us!" Eld called up to him.

The titan's eyes narrowed in aggravation. Their plan didn't make any sense!

"Rogue."

Hearing the unmistakable voice, the titan directed his attention to Levi. Although the man's experienced layers kept his devotion to what lay beyond, his words were clearly addressed to him.

"Rogue, I hope you remember our brief exchange about choice and judgment calls last night. Listen, you can either charge headfirst into a battle with unforeseen circumstances or you can trust your comrades and hope for the best. Personally, I never knew which was better. But I suggest that you make the choice that you will regret the least."

The titan absorbed the Corporal's words like a sponge. Of all the lessons that Levi had given him, this one seemed to be of the most importance. It was the very one that put life and death into perspective. Rogue's green eyes darted back and forth as he weighed his options. Sure, he could just charge and kill the creature, but he had never been up against another titan who could very possibly have his same level of intelligence. His humans below him though, it seemed that they had a plan. Not only that, but they were considered the best team of titan slayers that ever existed in the Scouts. Rogue gave a quick nod to himself. As much as he was worried for the titan getting to his little ones, he decided to follow the simple order for the sake of keeping all of them alive.

Rogue looked over his shoulder yet again to see the beast beginning to reach for his shoulder, so close to him now that he would consider it a titan's arm length. He flinched, quickly repositioning the redhead so that she could rest safely on the dip between his neck and shoulder. No. This monster was not going to get Petra, his babies, nor the rest of his adopted family. For a moment, he considered taking the small pack in his broad arms and carrying them off himself until a familiar odor swept through his nostrils: one that he could clearly identify as a human gathering within the trees. From his training, he knew what the Scouts were planning to do. It was brilliant.

"Cover your ears." Levi quickly ordered as he pulled a flare gun from its holster and set the only round that didn't have a color to code it. Rogue recognized the round – a very unpleasant one to his ears that the flying human pack usually used to warn or signal one another in such a wooded environment – a round that Rogue had scarcely seen used. Knowing how sensitive his hearing was – far greater than that of a human's, Rogue carefully encased his ears in his hands just seconds before the Corporal pulled the trigger. A high-pitched ringing echoed throughout the wood – his weak protection making his eardrums vibrate with irritation. When the single note faded, Rogue glanced behind him to see that the titan was shaking itself from its stupor before bounding forward, hands reached out angrily at him.

Rogue instinctively roared another warning without the shadowing creature responding to his whelm. The titan's flesh prickled, he could practically feel the heat from his attacker right upon him. However, before the other titan could lay a finger to his taught skin, his small pack passed through a barricade of hidden soldiers – feet carrying him away in the nick of time as many loud blasts met his ears followed by a beastly cry of sheer agony. With the sounds of cables penetrating flesh, Rogue forced his head to turn around the view that where the titan had been before was shrouded in opaque dust and smoke. Hundreds upon hundreds of cables held their foe in place. Rogue nodded to himself in satisfaction. From his teachings to the flying humans, they had opted to have the barb and barrel cannons placed at all levels. The tactic was so well done that he admittedly didn't doubt that he, if in a similar situation months prior, wouldn't be able to free himself from the trap. He was positive that this titan wouldn't get away.

"Alright, I'm leaving for a bit to discuss a few things with Erwin. Petra, you and the others take Rogue to a safe place in the forest and leave your horses." The man concluded as he quickly launched into the air from his saddle and went into the direction of the fray.

"Yes, Sir!" Gunter exclaimed as he began to lead the way, leaving Rogue questioning again. Why were they not including him the capture? He could easily kill the monster while it was caught with no effort whatsoever. He blinked, trying to replay the edgy moments of the chase yet again – coming across a thought that made him wonder. This titan – was it targeting someone in particular?

**(POV SWAP)**

Levi angled himself through the maze of trees as he made his way to where Erwin had set up the trap, trying to decide if the knot in his chest was bewilderment or anger. Looking upon the pursuing titan had made him do a double take. In all of his years on the Corps, the man had never seen or heard of a female titan before. It was just one of those things written off long ago as impossible. Yet here they were with one in their clutches – one that was clearly intelligent. Levi's eyes narrowed further as he began to make out soldiers among the branches – searching for the veterans and the Commander. He was displeased about being left in the dark about Erwin's plan to use his squad as bait. Then again, he could understand why. It was clear that The Female Titan had a specific target in mind. That much was evident the way it just killed and tossed bodies aside – like they were just in the way and had zero value. If The Female Titan treated humans this way, it meant that there was only one possible target in his squad. As to why the titan would target him, Levi had not a single clue.

Finally, Levi spotted Erwin, Hange, and Mike perched upon a high branch observing the scene below them. They acknowledged his arrival with a brief glance and a nod before looking back to the titan ensnared below. The Female was oddly quiet, gaze fixed forward but the creature clearly listening. Instead of thrashing, the titan was mostly still, only shuttering in the cables sticking out from every part of her body. His brow stiffened, seeing that the titan's hands were cradled over its nape protectively. He glanced to the many cables and traps, studying them. Yes, there was no way this monster would be escaping.

"My apologies, Levi." Erwin began without sparing him a glance. "But I'm sure you understand why I had to make the decision to not tell you the plan of luring this titan into our trap. I didn't want to risk Rogue overhearing and acting too quickly. I suppose you get the reason why we couldn't have that happen."

He only exhaled sharply, although the explanation was firm and withheld itself, he still felt peeved. Deciding that the fact wasn't worth worrying about, Levi brushed it aside and proceeded to address the question at hand. "So, do we have any idea why this bitch is after Rogue?"

"I'm thinking that it's some sort of territorial issue." Erwin replied. "This area used to be Rogue's domain, but during his absence The Female could have taken it over. Her assault could just be her way of defending her territory and keeping Rogue from reclaiming it."

"It's our only solid theory so far, but if feels like it has lots of holes in it." Mike supported.

Realizing that Hange had been rather quiet, Levi glanced to the woman who was looking to the titan in what appeared to be a trance. His brow rose in slight confusion, seeing that her body was stiff and her breathing was restricted. This was highly unlike Hange, especially in light of a newly discovered titan. She should have been screaming in joy. He wasn't sure if he should be thankful or worried.

Hearing the sound of grappling hooks retracting and leaves rustling, Levi turned to see Nanaba and Molbit approaching them, taking one long look at The Female Titan before turning to both he and the Commander.

"All of the recruits are accounted for including Ackerman and Arlert. They are perched on the border of the forest to keep other titans from entering. Sir, Arlert gave me a –

"I think I know why The Female Titan is after Rogue."

Surprised to hear the woman break her silence with such a serious tone, the five turned to look upon Hange who was now facing them, eyes wide and looking more serious than Levi had ever seen her.

The Commander raised a thick brow, stunned by the scientist's abnormal behavior. "What's your suspicion?"

To Levi's further surprise, she dithered, bringing her palm to her chin before facing the others. "Well – it will sound very barbaric at first, even I thought it was impossible at first. However, the more I thought about it and compared the situation with the present facts – the more my theory started to make perfect sense."

Levi blinked almost tiredly, folding his arms to lean against the tree. What could possibly have been so bizarre that Hange herself would react in such a way that he could compare to sharing news that a mother's son or daughter had died by a titan attack. "What?" He demanded, sounding much more cold than he intended.

Hange glanced back to the Female Titan, observing the creature's eyes shift to view them before looking away. Suddenly, the messy haired woman bore a big smile on her face – Levi knew her silence was too good to be true. The woman giggled a bit before positioning herself like a teacher lecturing students, ready to address the news in her usual annoying manner.

"Ah! The reason why The Female Titan is going after our lovely Rogue is because she is looking for a desired mate!" The woman spoke almost proudly.

At her ridiculous statement that just trumped all of her other outlandish statements, Levi instantly lifted himself from the tree. "What?"

"Squad Leader – do you realize just how –

"Hange – what makes you think –

"Just listen! I know this sounds silly, which is saying a lot, but hear me out!"

Levi's scowl deepened. "Fine. I want to know how in the hell you came up with this bullshit. Of all the theories you've ever come up with – this one takes the cake for stupidity by far."

However, she only kept her blissful smile. "Well, to start I'll add to the obvious fact that we are dealing with a male and a female titan." Hange addressed as if her crowd were four year olds. "In some species of animals, it is the female that seeks out the strongest of males to sire the strongest offspring. The Female noticed our lovely and handsome Rogue and decided that he would suit her fancy."

"Oh god, Hange."

"Oh yes Levi! At the depot, she left her scent for Rogue to find and that only a male titan could smell. If you noticed Rogue's reaction to it, I'd say he got a little aroused by her scent! The Female Titan wants nothing more than to mate with our gentle giant! Using her intelligence, The Female herded the titans together to take us out of the picture. She didn't want to tire herself out for the mating process once she reached Rogue!" Hange squealed, only making the short-tempered Corporal grimace at her accusation.

"So Hange, the reason why we're in this fucking situation we are in now is all because this titanic bitch is in heat and wants Rogue to bend her over?" He growled, not giving a single damn how explicit he was sounding. As he expected, Hange only seemed to get even more enthusiastic.

"You don't have to say it that way Levi, but yes! For the first time in humanity's history we are going to experience firsthand just how titans reproduce! Oh I'm so excited!"

"Hange, in case you haven't noticed – titans lack genitals –

"Visibly Levi! Visibly!" Hange denied happily. "For all we know, titans could be like lizards and their sexual organs would be on the inside of them!"

His hand glided across his face. Hange had just broken a new barrier of weird.

"Just think everyone! Titans mating and titan babies! There are so many questions! I wonder how they exactly mate? If their genitalia is on the inside then perhaps like nearly all living creatures, the male mounts the female."

"Hange –

"I wonder how the gestation process goes?" The woman continued, speculating with the most blissful look upon her face. "Do they lay eggs or do they have some sort of pregnancy like mammals? I wonder how long the gestation period lasts, a few months or maybe just a few weeks? Oh! I wonder if titans are like these things called seahorses where it is the male that carries the fetus till full term? It could be possible since there is obviously a lack of females in the titan population. Ah! I wonder if it would just be one baby or a litter of them! Litters seem possible because the titan count is so great!"

"HANGE." However, even though he had raised his voice, the woman still continued.

"How could the babies be born? If they do things like mammals, then I bet it's some sort of live birthing process! With their anatomy, maybe it's similar to humans or perhaps they just throw up the babies like they do pellets…

"SHITTY GLASSES!" Levi yelled, finally halting the woman's rambling with Hange looking at him like she had just discovered the cure for cancer. "First of all, shut up. Second, if this is some sort of sick fantasy of yours that you've brought into all of this, I will be very glad to do the honors of feeding you to a titan. And if this _is_ the slightest bit true, I'm not sticking around to watch two titans have a romantic dinner or fuck beneath the sunset."

"Actually Corporal," Nanaba began level headedly. "When I spoke to Arlert he even suspected the same thing."

His face fell. Armin Arlert had said the same?

"Now that I think of it," Mike intervened. "I remember a lesson in school I attended as a kid that talked about how some females of certain species travel great distances just to find their perfect mate. Maybe titans have the same premise."

The Corporal remained still, completely spellbound. Even Mike and Nanaba agreed as well? It was so insane! Yet, the more he went over things that had happened – the more he realized that Hange had a valid point and what could be a true theory.

"Even if this is true Section Commander, it would be very unwise to allow such a thing to happen." Erwin started, making Hange's motivated face turn into a look of disbelief.

"Wait, what do you mean? This would help us find out more about the titans Erwin!" Hange spoke pleadingly, for the first time arguing against the man.

The Commander remained impassive. "I do realize that Hange, but with The Female Titan's less than docile demeanor, I cannot trust such a thing to take place with Rogue. If he is indeed the last of his kind, then we cannot risk it. For all we know, titans could be like black widows and mantises after the process of mating – devouring the male afterwards. This is a shot in the dark that I'm not willing to take."

Levi watched, remaining reserved while Hange looked as if she were to burst into tears as she gave a shaky nod, severely disappointed. He sighed. "What's your call Commander?"

Erwin looked to the titan who had her eyes upon them for the entire duration of the awkward conversation. "We have no other choice but to kill it. It's a threat to us so we cannot use it. If this titan were the opposite, then I would consider otherwise. Levi, if you would, cut the thing's hands away and strike her nape. Let's end this so we can get back on the right route to Shiganshina."

"Yes, Sir." He concluded as he revealed his blades and came to the edge of the limb. The Female Titan was just as she was, blue eyes still angrily staring at them with her body trembling in rage – the creature knowing what was coming. He then began to judge the angle of his approach, knowing it was best to cut at her wrists to sever the hands entirely. Like with all titans, he would have to impact forcefully to sever a limb. Calculating his execution, Levi shot forth his cables and launched himself from the massive branch. Pulling the trigger on his hilts, the release of gas propelled him at frightening speeds, the g-force pushing at his chest. He then began his signature spin that not many soldiers were capable of doing – an attack that sliced flesh from bone without fail. Without so much as blinking, his blades met the wrists of the titan.

However, instead of the satisfying sound of smoothly ripping flesh beneath steel, a violent vibration swept up his blades and up into his shoulders. The man flew unbalanced, hitting a neighboring tree hard and knocking the wind out of him. Immediately, Levi peered down at his blades, cursing loudly as he saw them.

Or rather what remained of them.

Both of his blades had been shattered, barely leaving half in tact. His eyes narrowed in frustration, it was as if his blades had been shattered like glass. Angrily, he looked up to the source of the cause, seeing something that he had not expected. Covering The Female Titan's hands and nape was a blue tinted, but translucent and hard surface. It caught every ray of dappled light like a gem. Crystal, hard crystal that had somehow formed on the titan's skin, the substance looking similar to the plates covering The Armored Titan's body. This wasn't good.

Before Levi could yield his blades and shout up to Erwin that the cannons would be needed, the Corporal spotted The Female Titan's smug smile, one that transformed into a nasty grin as the crystal covering began to spread and grow all across the titan's body.

"What the hell!"

"What is the bitch doing?"

"Is she – is that crystal?"

"The Female Titan – is hardening her skin?"

His eyes narrowed. Why was this thing putting up a struggle when it knew it had nowhere to go! Levi then propped himself back up safely on a branch to replace his blades and begin a strategy – but he was halted by the sight of the crystal rising up from the titan's pores – pushing several of the cables out with ease.

"My god! The cables are coming out!"

"Prepare the cannons!" The Commander yelled from somewhere above.

However, the order was too late as The Female Titan's body was covered completely in a translucent sheen, every cable holding her previously stripped away and laying upon the forest floor below. All watched in horror as the crystal shield broke away into thousands of pieces, imbedding themselves into the bark of trees and a few unlucky legs by force. Before Levi could finish filling his blades, The Female Titan hoisted the cables in hand and pulled, tearing many of the barrel shots and barb cannons from their crevices. The sound of cracking wood and a barrage of screams sounded among the trees. A thick screen of steam appeared in the air as The Female Titan then charged back into the forest, vanishing completely from the Scouts' view.

Several seconds passed before the air became clear and visibility was restored, revealing the aftermath of what appeared to be the destruction of a gale. Levi cursed loudly just as Erwin came to rest on the very branch, expression difficult to read as he glared into the direction that the titan had disappeared.

"So, do we pursue?" Levi forced trough his teeth.

The taller man exhaled, one that was laced in both discomfort and augmentation. "Yes. We are to pursue and execute. If what Hange said was true, then we cannot let that occur and if this is a territorial dispute – then it is crucial that we stop her from getting to Rogue. With that hardening ability, I don't know how he will fair. Of course Levi, her reasons for going after Rogue could be something else that we have missed or that we cannot see at all."

Levi's brows narrowed even further. "I guess it's true what they say. In some species, the female is the most dangerous."

**(POV SWAP)**

Deep in the forest, the afternoon sun peeked through the gaps in the spotty canopy. It was quiet, the animals were beginning to settle but the tenseness of the situation still left a stiffness that he couldn't explain. The small pack was gathered at a large tree, Rogue leaned casually against the trunk, arms folded and legs crossed while Petra sat next to him on the branch, stroking his ear affectionately. Gunter and Eld were seated nearby, drinking from their canteens while Oluo rambled on about things that the titan didn't truly care about. Truthfully, his mind was lost. Why was that titan not eating the humans? It was smart, so did it have a reason for killing them? Why was it so interested in someone in their pack? Perhaps it was trying to get to Levi? It could have wanted revenge for all the titans the man killed. Then again, why was it reaching to him? Could it have wanted Petra? His sweet Petra? No that couldn't be, even so he would have never let the creature have her – and just like he would for his little ones, he would fight to the death to protect her. He loved Petra, the redhead reminding him so much of his Carla.

Rogue's brow creased as he thought deeper. Could that titan have been after him? If that was the case then why? Did it want revenge from him? Did that monster want his territory? The titan shifted, leaning into Petra's soothing touch further. It did make sense. They were on the outskirts of what he used to patrol. Perhaps the titan liked his hunting grounds or simply just wanted his nest. He couldn't say for sure, but the reason felt likely.

"Are you thinking about something, Rogue?" Petra questioned kindly, pulling him from his stash of thoughts. "You look like something is bothering you."

Rogue dithered, debating yet again if he wanted to share his worries in sake of disquieting others. " **AAHHSS TTIITTAANN CAASSEE NNEE?"** He gave in, tone innocent.

The young woman looked into his shining green orbs before rubbing her chin. "Yes, it was."

He nodded, taking her answer into account. " **TTHHOOTT SSOO. NNAAYYBBEE TTIITANN AANNT NNYY NNEESSTT."**

"That could be." She speculated. "It sounds very likely doesn't it?"

"Meh, I think the bitch was somehow attracted to him." Oluo cut in, propping a boot upon a knot in the branch. "He's got all the qualities of a good suitor."

Petra scoffed. "Yeah, unlike you Oluo." She beaned curtly and cunningly. "Don't you agree with me Rogue?"

Getting the pass at humor, the titan nodded, forcing a small grin to form on his abnormal facial structure that in turn had Oluo roll his eyes.

"I wonder if the deed has been done yet." Eld began. "We're too far to hear them out here."

"I would suspect so." Gunter replied. "They had the thing tied up good so it couldn't put up a fight."

"I bet the titan was dealt with and they are just taking down the canons so we can be on our way." Petra added before turning to Rogue, a smile present upon her face as she stroked the cartilage of his ear again. "I think Levi said that in a few days we should be in Shiganshina. Just think Rogue, once we seal the wall and clear the remaining titans, we can probably set up another headquarters! Maybe it could be in the cove!"

The titan smiled crookedly, not caring about his look of ignorance as he let out a rumbling purr and nuzzled his cheek into her small body. He loved the idea of his little ones and new family living together in his cove. It was a moment he looked forward to. Of course, at the thought of Armin and Mikasa and their whereabouts, he froze and all the worry swept back over him. " **EETTRRAA… EEERRREE AAIIBBIIEESS AATT?"**

Noting his tone, the young woman was quick to soothe. "Don't worry. Most likely they are perched high up above the tree line making sure that no titans enter the forest." Petra paused, looking to Eld. "We should be getting the signal to move out soon so we can reunite shouldn't we?"

Eld looked up through a large hole in the canopy. "Yeah, we should be getting another signal soon from the Corporal. I wonder why they haven't said anything. Do you think they could be taking the time to examine the thing? I bet Hange wouldn't let them kill it before she took down notes and got samples."

"Psh! Yeah that's probably the case. Hange always has to let her fetish for titans get in the way of things" Oluo spoke smugly. "For science as she always says!"

Not pleased with Oluo's brand of fun, Rogue snorted in defiance.

" **HHANNGGEE NNOORREE SSNNAARRTT DDAANN YOOOUU."** He replied, making the others laugh and Oluo turn a shade of crimson – a sight that pleased him.

"Rogue does have a point." Petra beamed, the man producing a sweat.

"Well, he's the one who thought that the Corporal was a teenager and that a potato was a heavier loaf of bread!" Oluo defended, using Levi as leverage yet again in an attempt to impress Petra. Rogue sighed, but letting a devious smile pull at the corners of his mouth.

" **EEETTRRAA IIKKKEE NNNEE NNOORREE."** Rogue said with cunning, watching in pleasure, as Oluo's face only grew redder.

"Suck up." He muttered, turning away leaving the titan to smirk and gloat in his little victory.

"Eh, don't sweat it Oluo, there are plenty of birds to roost with out there." Gunter teased. "Petra is just interested in tall guys with a lot of muscle right now." He laughed with Eld snickering beside him.

Knowing just who Gunter was referring to and what he was meaning, Rogue let out several cavernous huffs of laughter, making Oluo's face redder still and Petra give in to more healthy humor. However, their merriment was halted by a clear signal flare rising up over the canopy.

"Well, it's about time." Eld began as he readied his gear with the others. "Looks like they want us to move out."

"To converge with them?"

"I guess so, the formation had to be broken before so it looks like we're going to regroup."

"We best be heading out then." Petra agreed as she settled herself onto his shoulder. "Rogue and I can lead. He'll be able to locate Levi pretty easily."

"Sounds good, lead the way you two."

Rogue nodded in compliance and started off. The titan sniffed, able to easily gather the smell of the Scouts from the westward wind. His senses then began to extinguish the scent of bleach and other disinfectants that came with Levi's musk. Rogue then informed he others with a firm grunt and began to jog forward through the trees. His mind began to wander again, thinking back to the mysterious titan. Never before had he seen a titan with a single shred of intelligence like him. Could it have come from far beyond the giant walls like he apparently did? Since it was skinless, perhaps it came from the same place as the Armored and Colossal ones. He blinked pondering harder as he followed the scent of the Corporal. Perhaps when it came to intelligent titans he wasn't as alone as he thought he was.

"My kill count is higher than yours so it doesn't matter that I pissed myself on my first expedition!" Oluo continued, taking part in an odd conversation that Rogue had ignored for the past five minutes, but quickly understanding the underlining meaning of it.

"I know I didn't during my first time outside the walls." Gunter smirked from the rear. "But I can't say the same for Petra!"

"WHAT! GUNTER!" The redhead perched on his shoulder retaliated. "I can't believe you!"

"Hey, don't fret, I think pissing yourself the first time you see a titan is kind of tradition with the Scouts!"

" **DDIIDD EEETTT GGOO DDOOUUNN OOONN EEVVVRREEOONN?"** Rogue queried, trying to picture a visual of what his pack was speaking of. Of course, instead of a serious answer, they began laughing.

"I think the Corporal's toilet humor may be rubbing off on him!" Gunter joked from the rear. Petra sighed.

"They're idiots." She groaned, but then gave in to a smile. "But I think the answer is something I really should keep to myself."

Taking her reasons into account, Rogue gave a friendly grunt and focused forward. Suddenly, the wind shifted, blowing from behind and forced the titan to establish Levi's location once again. He sniffed in search of the familiar sterilized scent, nostrils flaring fully with his expanding lungs.

His blood ran cold.

Rogue's eyes instantly widened as the realization hit him like a giant cannonball. How! How had it freed itself! Why was it not dead! The monster had hid itself! The breeze had carried its scent away from his nose! It knew that! With panic overcoming his body, Rogue quickly looked over his shoulder to warn his pack.

But he was too late.

A large and skinless hand cut through the foliage and sliced the air. Gunter's face transformed into a frozen fixture of terror – entire body unable to obtain movement as a giant palm encased around the young man's body. Crimson flew trough the air, splattering the green canvas as fingers closed. The skinless urchin then carelessly tossed away the remains of Gunter's form – nothing but a battered corpse with its head nowhere to be found. Burning blues then sat themselves upon the rest of the unlikely alliance and charged forward, the monster set on its remaining prey.

"GUNTER!"

"SHIT!"

"I THOUGHT THEY KILLED THE BITCH!"

"FUCK!"

His heart pounded so fast that it felt as if its impact would shatter his own ribs. Feelings began to flood. That – thing had just killed one of his small pack members! A friend! Gunter! That monster was making them their prey! They – he had to do something! That vile creature could kill all of his friends! What if it had killed many of the ones that had captured it! He had to kill it!

"We'll have to intercept it! We cannot let the bitch go for the others! Petra! Tell Rogue to go and check on the others! He's faster than the three of us! We can slow it down and take it out!" Eld ordered, tone far beyond urgent.

His eyes peeled wider, they were wanting him to go ahead? He couldn't protect them that way! He couldn't let them! This titan was too strong! It was too fast! They wouldn't stand a chance! Rogue looked to Petra with frightened greens, seeing that she had taken on a more determined form, preparing herself for battle. No! He wouldn't let her! He couldn't loose her! He couldn't!

" **EEETTRRAA! YUUUU –**

"No Rogue!" She forcefully denied, face angrier looking than he had ever witnessed. "We can handle this! We're the elite squad! You need to go see Levi, Erwin, and Hange! You have to protect them!"

" **NNOOO! EEIII SSRROONNGG! EEIII SSTT –**

"ROGUE!" Petra cried, voice more urgent – a slight amount of eye water gracing her cheek even, evidence of a wetting anger. "YOU MUST GO ON! YOU ARE OUR HOPE! YOU ARE HUMANITIE'S HOPE! ROGUE, YOU'RE ARMIN AND MIKASA'S HOPE! WE'LL BE ALL RIGHT! JUST GO!"

Despite the thunder of feet, the forest seemed to go silent for Rogue. His mind was yet again conflicted. Many lives were at stake, but he didn't want to leave his pack! Yet – there were others that were not as strong as his squad. If the strange titan were to get to them, get to his little ones – he was sure that there would be nothing. This must have been what Levi had spoken of. He had to go with a choice – hopefully one that he would not regret. Warily, he returned his gaze to Petra who was more than ready. He had to.

" **EEEII TTTRRUUSSTT YUUU."**

Her eyes widened, Rogue nodding for her to proceed into the chaos. He watched as she glanced at the pursuit before looking back, face twisted into a dangerous smirk, one filed to the brim with both fortitude and certainty.

"Thank you."

With that the upbeat redhead flew from his shoulder to join forces with both Eld and Oluo. Rogue then turned and headed for the others, struggling to keep his over stimulated nerves at bay. But he had to keep going. He had an order. However, he couldn't help but monitor the scene unfolding behind him. Without so much as a word, Eld signaled to his two other allies using a hand movement that he could classify as vague. He watched as each of them then approached the racing creature. He swallowed. Head first? They were attacking head first?

However, before he could make any further or ignorant decision, the three seasoned individuals got into a completely unforeseen formation – Oluo dropped and aimed for the titan's face with both Petra and Eld aligned like a flock of geese. The standoffish man readied is blades, steel glistening in the dappled light as the titan hissed and barred its teeth – ready to bite. But before Oluo could swing the deadly instruments, he unexpectedly dropped in altitude – going right in between the creature's legs. Before the skinless titan could comprehend or follow, Petra and Eld made their move. The two bodies dived at incredible speed – smoke spilling from their gears as they angled themselves in a dizzying spin. Before the creature could put its foot down and halt, cold steel symmetrically cut through ligaments, muscle, and corneas – a perfect execution that rid the monster of one of its most vital senses, sight – the biggest requirement in any sort of combat. Hearing the creature screech in both rage and pain brought a smile to his face.

The titan quickly covered its nape and pressed its back protectively against the open refuge of a towering tree. Steam billowed from the beast's eye sockets, as it simply stood unmoving. Blinded, his pack had the advantage. They could take the monstrosity! They could win! Still running, Rogue couldn't help but to watch further as his allies began their work.

"Remove the arms then take away the tendons in her neck! Let's rip this bitch apart!"

Emerald hues viewed as another equivocal hand signal was given. Like beautiful acrobats, Petra and Oluo climbed into the canopy and then let gravity take them – falling like hailstones with their blades cutting deep into the titan's shoulders. The beast flinched as blood flowed like a lazy waterfall to the lush grass while the three dove in again – removing chunk after chunk of steaming and foul meat from the monster's bicep. After a final nasty slice, the titan's arms could no longer support themselves. Unceremoniously, they fell to its sides, the creature slumping slightly as if it was contemplating surrender.

Rogue's heart lifted as he watched them. They were so skilled! The executed coordinated moves without verbal commands! It was a practice that was only mastered with time. They were in Levi's squad for a reason. They could do what most others failed to do!

"Now let's work our way to the nape!" Eld ordered in triumph with a great amount of controlled rage.

The team of three went into action once again, becoming blurs against the forest backdrop. Petra swooped, blades cutting deep into a tough tendon with Oluo mirroring her attack. He watched as the titan's head lowered, looking almost heavy as if it could hold up its skull no longer. Rogue let loose an excited rumble. The monster was done for! With just a couple more slices into the pale flesh and exposed muscle, the titan would be defeated! They were going to win! They would be victorious!

Eld then positioned himself, coming in for a third assault of the beast's neck, blades drawn, brow stern, and speed great – this would be all that they needed to reveal the nape.

But the unexpected happened. A bright blue eye suddenly revealed itself from beneath golden bangs.

The blonde Scout had no time to react as the titan abruptly turned its head and encased its teeth around Eld's helpless body. With hardly any force at all, giant humanoid teeth caved through delicate skin and bone – severing the poor man in half. At the unbearable sight Rogue immediately stopped in his tracks.

"ELD!" Petra called to her fallen comrade, the titan simply disregarding her and nonchalantly spitting the deceased soldier's legs back to the earth and swallowing the upper torso – a pink tongue gliding across the monster's lips to clean the blood.

Every fear then came back to him, overtaking his body. First Gunter and now there was Eld that had been taken from him. How! How did that titan regenerate so fast! It wasn't even thirty seconds! He had never been able to do such a thing! It was as if the titan had focused all of its energy into repairing a single eye! Rogue let out a hollow wail. There was no way that just Petra and Oluo could defeat the skinless fourteen-meter! He had made a bad decision!

Rogue stilled as the chaos continued, feeling sick to his stomach. Levi's words then floated back to him, meanings taking hold. He had a judgment call – one that he would have to make on the very spot. He had to go save his two remaining squad mates and kill the titan before it got to the other members of his family – before it got to his babies.

So he turned and ran with the intent to aid, making his own path. Consequences be damned. He was going to save and slaughter.

Petra swerved, barely navigating away from a speeding swipe as Oluo launched himself from the canopy, cable implanting just above the titan's nape. His face was placed into an indomitable state, blades ready to pierce.

"DIE YOU BITCH!"

However, as forged weapons met skin – they shattered like translucent barriers covering human abodes, he himself unable to see what could make that possible. The failed impact sent Oluo through the air, body trapped in turbulence – twirling like the ballerina inside his music box. Just as he found himself able to take hold of his hilt and pull the trigger, a fleshless leg curved in a powerful kick like his own – a perfectly executed kick that he had never been able to achieve. Seconds later, Oluo's body was smashed, innards painted across the trees.

All that was left was his Petra.

Rogue charged forward, nearly flying over the brambles and moving as fast as his legs could carry him – all being crushed in his wake. No! No! NO! Petra couldn't die! He couldn't lose her! He had to get there! He had to hurry!

The woman's face coated itself in pure terror, no other emotion becoming present as the titan's blazing blue orb met the human's – ones that were the same shade of amber like his Carla's and held so much love. The titan hissed and charged forward in a sprint, giving Petra no other choice but to flee. However, from her position as she flew awkwardly mere feet above the earth, there was no possibility that she could gain altitude. Rogue watched in horror as Petra cried an ear-piercing shriek, eyes adverting to him for a brief second before a massive foot came crashing down on top of her. Blood shot up the tree and seeped through the gaps of the titan's toes. The monster then slowly righted itself, looking at its work as if it was a great masterpiece – like squashing a bug. The area went silent as death and Rogue stopped.

**'** _**NO! NO!'** _

His heart fell straight through to his stomach, his throat tightening as his eyes filled with heavy tears. Petra, his precious Petra was gone. He would never see her again! Those days of telling each other stories, her scratching behind his ears, her teaching him ways of the world, and their little promises – all of that was no more! He had made the wrong choice!

Water streams down his gaunt cheeks, collecting at his chin before falling to the ground below. A piece of him had just been taken away, another piece that he loved dearly and never wanted to lose or let go. All he had were memories – memories of him making her laugh, letting her prank him during breaks in their sessions, and the feeling of her touch when he was trapped in his nightmare. It was all because he had messed up.

_**'NO. IT… WASN'T MY… FAULT.'**_ The words echoed deep in his mind, rattling against his skull as he made his realization. No, he wasn't out of line. The only one responsible for the damage done to him, to Petra, his squad, possibly the others – was the skinless titan. Sorrow and self-loathing was then replaced by rage – a powerful surge of anger shaking him to his core. Rogue's beautiful greens grew savage and feral, pupils shrinking to thin slits like a venomous serpent. His dark hair rose and furrowed upon his scalp, ears pinning back similar to a ravenous wolf's. Heat pooled into his belly, heart pounding and his nose wrinkled in resentment. Muscles bulged beneath his skin; steam billowing out from his flaring nostrils and clenched maw. Rogue then announced his wrath with an earthshattering roar infected with malice and his lust to kill. It echoed among the forest, shaking the canopy and sent the small innocent creatures into hiding. To call it grand was an understatement. The ground-shaking howl was nothing but pure concentrated fury. Finally he charged, his prey looking to him in disbelief.

The skinless one quickly rose to its feet just as Rogue's fist powerfully swung, but it caught nothing but a few stands of sunny hair as the fourteen-meter shifted. To his surprise, although the titan was still heavily impaired, it planted a well-placed kick into his abdomen, sending him backwards and a torrent of stomach acid out of his mouth. The ground unearthed beneath his feet until his bulk came to a stop. Rogue snarled ferociously as his wild green eyes stared at the titan before him in pure hated, able to see the monster with clarity.

He became petrified catching a detail that he had been blind to see. The titan was truly unlike any he had ever come into contact with. Recalling the body shape of Mikasa in comparison to his own and Armin's, it was clear. The titan before him was a female. It's facial features, slender build, and busty chest represented a lady's through and through. Rogue's face loosened, falling into complete awe, fists uncoiling and head rising a bit as he continued to look upon The Female Titan. There was something, something else about it – about her that made him chill. He shook his head and continued his spooked gaze. A fragment of something began to spill in his head, something so short that he barely absorbed it. He couldn't explain it let alone place a finger, but The Female Titan felt – so familiar.

It was as if he somehow –

The skinless titan then smiled cunningly.

" **HELLO AGAIN… COORDINATE."**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE:
> 
> Hange... I don't think you're right on this one.
> 
> OH, SINCE SOME OF YOU ARE MOST LIKELY SCRATCHING YOUR HEADS, NO - THERE ARE NO PAIRINGS IN THIS STORY. SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION! 
> 
> PLEASE READ TO KNOW ABOUT FUTURE CHAPTERS IN THIS FIC!
> 
> Hey guys! I'm overwhelmed with the amount of views this story has received (like holy crap almost 80,000 on alone!) and the great reviews! SO! I thought I'd let you all know a little something about the UPCOMING CHAPTERS.
> 
> This is actually PART ONE of Rogue. There are TWO chapters left for it. AFTER PART ONE, I have decided to do several bonus chapters that consist of side stories mentioned in this fic! (Such as the Jaegers meeting Rogue for the first time, a few Armin, Mikasa, and Rogue childhood moments, Hange's mistake, etc.) Length of those will vary.
> 
> NOW PART TWO of Rogue is of course the continuation of the main storyline of this fic! HOWEVER, since this fic is closely following the Anime (a bit more than the manga) I have decided to do that for when season 2 of the anime comes out since I like to get ideas and visuals for the setting. (of course there is an extremely rare chance that it will start before) Of course, there is still going to be quite a difference..
> 
> I just thought I'd tell all of you this! I hope I answered some questions!
> 
> Next is the big brawl! Whoo! Stay tuned!


	15. Struggle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rogue encounters The Female Titan and his emotions begin to tear him apart... plus Hange has a vivid imagination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Sorry this is a bit late! I had a busy month! But here is chapter 15! Let me know if I missed anything or if there are errors so I can fix them! (I just kind of skimmed this quickly) I fell in love with SNK/AOT and Titan!Eren/ Rogue Titan - so I decided to write this story. This was mostly inspired by a few prompts on kinkmeme along with a few ideas of my own, but mostly on the idea that Eren never existed - just his titan.

**Chapter 15**

**Struggle**

Confusion, it was certainly no stranger to him. As far as he had known, he always experienced it in his life. He could remember the feeling of being lost before he had met his little ones and his humans. The titan spent his days simply wandering and partaking in observation – amazed at what the world presented him, before retreating into his hideaway to wonder how the world worked. Just when he was beginning to understand the simple inner workings of the area outside his cove, he met his Carla and Grisha that made him embrace the confusion again. At first, his perplexity was the kind that he could call nervous, always wondering how the two were not afraid of him even after they shared what he was. As time wore on, his confusion had grown to be the good kind that he endured during his sessions of learning and partaking in speech. As time passed to where he was presently, he found that he was better rounded, but there was still a bit of confusion that crept up on him and seemingly controlled him. Shock was another thing that had always been present in his life. Perhaps it was a bit more common than confusion. Much like misconceptions. His shock would come in different forms being those of fear and sometimes-pleasant news.

However, what he was enduring now was a different form of confusion and shock. The two emotions had been merged into one that he couldn't name or properly define. Beneath the thin layer of the mixture, was nothing but boiling rage that reflected that of a savage darkness that swept through every inch of his body. The fury itself felt familiar, almost welcoming – but the flame igniting it was nothing but a spark of grief. Woven within the very emotions was an overwhelming sadness and the idea that he had failed. Petra was gone forever, hopefully to the heavens that his humans had described long ago. She would never be with him, they would never talk, and she would never comfort. Petra was lost. He was extremely unstable with his fuse lit - the titan a loaded cannon ready to fire. He had felt the same only once before.

Rogue glared at the monstrosity before him, emerald greens ignited in a menacing glow. Steam steadily rose from his pores and his mouth, spilling from his wrinkled nose with each heaving breath. His brows were knitted together, wild hair messily hanging from his scalp – rising slightly like the ruffled fur on the back of a crazed dog. His appearance was rabid, ears pinned, spine arched, saliva trickled from his chin, and pupils thin as paper. As much as his mouth structure could allow, the titan's maw was sculpted into a brutal snarl – looking as if he was ready to lurch forward and tear his prey apart limb by limb and piece by piece. However, although instinct was screaming at him to rush ahead and kill, his mind was somehow still attached to his confusion and full of questions that he desired to have an answer for. This Female Titan – why was it here? What was its reason for slaughter if its true interest related to him? Most importantly though, why did it claim to know him? He had never come across this titan! Never! He needed an explanation, and since this titan possessed the ability to speak, it had the power to give to him what he wanted. As much as he fancied to plant his knuckles into her cut face and crush her skull – he had to temporarily bottle his lust for blood and ask. If he couldn't get any sort of straight answer – he would then force it from her throat! Once he got that answer, he would demand the others! Because this monster had killed his friends, including his precious Petra, he would rip her apart regardless!

A snarl left his lipless maw as he straightened his spine and swallowed deeply, feeling his brow twitch as he focused on his desire and keeping his ferocity at bay – muscles convulsing as he struggled. The Female Titan still continued to remain where she was, eye socket still heavily steaming and stance tight but not in a position to defend with her calm but cunning expression mocking him.

It only added fuel to the fire.

" **OOOO AARRRRR YYUUUU!"** Rogue yelled; voice corroded with both rage and sheer pain, query echoing among the trees. " **OOO AARRR YYUUU!"**

To his surprise, The Female Titan changed her expression into one he hadn't been expecting. Her brows arched and her jaw hung open slightly for several seconds in what he knew as shock. Of course, the look didn't last long as her face fabricated into an aloof look yet again. Casually, though she was still holding her eye, The Female lifted her free arm and placed her hand into her folded elbow. " **YOU… SPEAK… NOW?"** The titan answered, her words correct but not said without difficulty – a slight pause nestled between each raspy word that sounded forced. " **THAT IS… SURPRISE. YOU… WAS… ALWAYS – STUPID."**

Rogue clacked his teeth in aggravation, body shaking with rage. Furious that she had not answered him, he pointed a finger to accuse. " **OOO AAARRRR YYUUUU!"** He roared, on the edge of his personal barrier.

The Female Titan only tilted her head. " **CAN TALK… A LITTLE. BUT… NOT…WELL."** She smiled. " **YOU… SOUND LIKE… SMALL HUMAN. STUPID… HUMAN."**

Ravenous greens narrowed into slits in light of the titan's verbal abuse, he did not wish to be reminded of his speech impediment nor was he fond of the titan making fun of human young. She was stalling, attempting to dodge the answers. " **OOO** **ARRR YUUUUUUU!"** He demanded, clawed toes digging into the soft and blood stained earth – ready to go in for the kill. " **ANNNNSSSEEERRR!"**

The skinless titan's blonde head lowered, single blue eye staring intensely at him. " **DO … YOU,"** The Female Titan continued, mouth forming into a wicked grin. **"NOT… REMEMBER?"**

Primal instinct suddenly manifested within Rogue. There was no time for him to waste, he had to trap her. She was wounded – still in the process of regenerating. Now was the perfect time to pin her into an inescapable corner. His patience was no more; he would make her give him what he wanted. Rogue opened his mouth to give off the feeling that he was going to ask his question yet again, but instead a savage roar erupted from his throat as he propelled himself forward – the earth rattling beneath his weight. The female's eyes blew wide as he raised his fist – aiming right for her head. Before he had the pleasure of seeing blood and sinew decorate his flesh in red, the skinless titan skillfully shifted her head to the right and in the opposing direction of the impact. Like before, he missed only to catch strands of her hair. He growled in sheer displeasure at the result, it was the first time a titan had ever dodged one of his attacks – and still remained in his wake. Rogue continued to push his body assertively, making The Female Titan unwillingly backpedal in retreat. Once more, he threw another devastating punch only for his fist to miss her pale flesh by mere inches.

He was furious! She had avoided him for the third time! How dare she! How dare she commit the crime that she had! How dare she break his heart! With a piercing howl, Rogue continued to embrace his appetite to separate her head, repeatedly; he threw more hits that would have been instantly fatal or heavily impairing to the common titan. Each time he was only able to met air or sunlight locks. Several trees passed by, limbs shaking in light of the duel. Rogue roared again in irritation. How was The Female Titan able to successfully move away from impact? Humans had never trained her! Unless of course – Hange had been correct about combat skills being woven into DNA. Even before he was under the mentor of Corporal Levi or had looked upon the pages of the fighting book, he had always felt comfortable throwing his fists in devastating punches. This titan, the way it was moving and the actions that she had performed earlier – was it true that she had the natural gift of fighting as well? He performed another missing blow. Yes, The Female Titan was a fighter; she was reading his moves and reading them well. Her skill certainly showed when she was ensnaring cables. Rogue's eyes narrowed even further. He would have to do something unexpected that would catch her off guard before her eye and arms finished healing. With The Female still looking into his angry orbs, he succumbed to chance. Rogue threw yet another punch, one that he purposely performed off target to distract. As the skinless titan shifted to the right, Rogue aimed at her ankle – catching her legs and causing the fourteen-meter to topple. The ground rumbled as she fell like great timber, the sight pleasing to him. However, to his dismay, The Female Titan gave no look of shock or surprise let alone any sound of pain as she rolled. Rogue watched as she forced herself upright and began to run deeper into the forest. A bloodcurdling bellow of rage sounded from his aching chest as he began to pursue, body light as he could make it. He was not going to let her get away so easily.

With each step, he veered further and further from his family. He had to take care of the threat before it could come to them again. With The Female after him, he knew it was not too wise to return to the humans. He had witnessed how she had hunted earlier, killing anything and anyone he held dear in order to get her prize. To forbid such a tragedy, he had to remove her from the equation. As he ran with The Female Titan in close proximity, the hunter began to evaluate his prey. She was different, yes. She would be the hardest opponent yet for him – no other titan had lasted this long in the game of cat and mouse. Rogue tried to recall every move that she had made, but sadness took his reins once again as he suddenly visualized Petra and how she had been crushed by the skinless titan's foot. Even though the glimpse into horror was short, the wound was still open and fresh – the infection spreading quickly across his better judgment. Instead of a perfect execution, Rogue fell into an overwhelming primal desire once again.

He was going to get what he wanted and then beat her to a pulp, turning her into a pile of bloody flesh just as she did Petra.

His heart pounded as his muscles bulged, chest heaving as he ran faster. Dried tears stung his cheeks as he roared viciously – the female titan just meters from him. The two titans then burst into a wooded clearing where the sun did not shine, opening a window for the hunter. Close enough, Rogue threw himself airborne with a powerful kick. His skinless prey had no chance to monitor over her shoulder as his weight slammed into her frame, sending the two rolling over in a locked and snarling mess. As the two slowed their momentum, Rogue angled his weight with his back to the canopy and grasped The Female Titan's broken shoulders in a stronghold. With a powerful shove, Rogue forced the titan to the ground – making sure that she faced him. The hunter then mounted himself over his catch, clouded with the overwhelming need to torture and maim, Rogue roared and plunged his teeth into The Female's left shoulder. The screech she produced was music to him, urging him to bite down harder. Teeth then punctured through the layers of skin down to the muscle, blood quickly leaking onto his tongue – the taste of revenge amazing. Suddenly, Rogue began to regain part of his awareness and recall his job. Abruptly, he released his grip to view the large teeth marks decorating the titan's flesh and muscle. His angry greens narrowed. He had been foolish to do such a move from the start – she had to answer his question first. Only then could he proceed in tearing her to pieces.

Rogue then met his gaze to The Female Titan who was still, eye looking up to him – face forming into a look of mild surprise. He didn't like the look – he wanted to see and listen to her screams again. **"OOOOHHH AAARRRR YYUUUUU!"** He bellowed, raising a poised fist as he waited. To his unfortunate luck, the Female only remained neutral, face relaxing in the slightest to not overly expose her nerves – made apparent by her shuttering breath. However, she made no move to answer. Witnessing her resistance, he gave into another heated surge through his network of veins. With incredible force, Rogue plunged his fist dangerously close to her head. The great impact instantly broke his arm into two pieces, elbow going through his leathery hide. Due to the adrenaline, pain was nonexistent for Rogue; he simply pulled his ruined arm back, skin hanging off in shreds while his dangerous glint was still aimed at his adversary. With saliva dripping from his maw, he decided to take a slightly different approach. " **EEHHYYY YYUUU KKIIL DDEEEMMM! EEHHHYYY!"** He yelled, face just a few meters from hers.

This time, The Female's expression changes into a completely neutral one with no hint of surprise let alone remorse. " **THEY… WERE… IN…THE WAY."** She spoke without care.

Her response only made him angrier and persuaded him to launch his other fist into the soft earth next to her cheek. A sickening sound of cracking bone sounded throughout the clearing as his knuckles shattered – the skinless creature only flinching in the slightest. Rogue roared again as he sat up, still staring and growling heavily at The Female Titan beneath him. With both of his arms broken, he couldn't interrogate like he wanted, and it would be stupid to go in for a good bite for if her arms healed she could so easily reach for his nape. So he sat, letting anger and every unhappy emotion course through him.

**'** _ **I…SHOULD HAVE… ATTACK HER… EARLY!'**_ Rogue pondered darkly, heartstrings being pulled again. _**'PETRA… I... MY SMALL PACK… I SHOULD HAVE LET… THEY NEED TO GO TO… OTHER PACK!'**_ The titan continued to think in a fury, muscles twitching and eyes blinking back water. ' _ **NO. I SHOULD HAVE ATTACK… WITH LEVI! WE COULD… HAVE GOT HER! I… SHOULD HAVE… THIS… IS… MY FAULT.'**_ Rogue continued to think further, another tear sliding down his neck. ' _ **I DID… NOT… PROTECT THEM! THEY… ARE SMALL! THEY…'**_ His mind continued to word, going back on himself and only causing him to become chaotically confused, body shivering all over. ' _ **STILL… THIS… BITCH… KILL THEM! THIS IS… STILL YOUR FUCKING… FAULT!'**_

Agitated more than he could fathom, Rogue bent over and roared loudly in her pale face. The angry cry was deafening with a good amount of saliva sprinkling her skin. The Female cringed strongly at the sound, turning her head in cowardice as he roared again, teeth inches from her. He then sat up, eyes glowing a solid green in the dimly lit clearing. As he continued to look at her, he was only growing more and more on the verge of insanity. ' _ **I WILL… BEAT HER TO PULP! I… WILL… RIP HER… TO SHREDS!'**_ Rogue thought furiously, conscious more sinister than it had ever sounded. ' _ **I WILL… KILL HER! KILL HER! I WILL… GET ANSWER! THEN… KILL… NO! I… WILL… EAT HER! I'LL… EAT HER! HER… MEAT… BONES… I'LL EAT… ALL OF IT! DO… NOT CARE… IF I… SICK AFTER! DO NOT… CARE… IF I… FAT AFTER! I'LL… DEVOUR HER… I WILL… LEAVE NOTHING!'**_

**"OOOOHHH ARRRR YUUUU!"** Rogue bellowed, words carrying into the depths of the forest.

The Female Titan slowly turned to face his wake yet gain, eye unfavorably narrow. She exhaled heavily, clearly showing her own frustration. " **I AM… A WARRIOR."**

Before Rogue could even contemplate what she had meant, the titan's other eye shot open. Just as his breath began to catch in his chest, The Female wrapped her hand around his arm in a near bone breaking hold. Beginning to realize his error, Rogue reflexively reached around to her nape – but the move was a wrong one as the skinless titan quickly pulled her legs from beneath him and rotated – her feet planting themselves strongly into his stomach and sending him flying across the clearing. A sharp shriek came from his throat just seconds before his back slammed into the hard and unforgivable bark of a towering timber. However, he wasn't down for the count, the fact that the female titan had sipped from his clutches only made him all the more angrier.

Quick on his feet with anger fuming, the hunter surged forward just before his opponent could turn around. As her chin crested over her shoulder, Rogue's fist aimed at her cheek. To his dismay, she avoided his move at the last millisecond crouching to roll among the earth. However, he was there before she could fully stand. With a loud snarl, Rogue swung, but The Female leaped to dodge – his fist plowing through a cluster of low trees. Angry at his failure to meet his mark, the titan charged yet again. This time, his prey positioned herself into a fighting stance, giving him the invite to challenge. Rogue continued his assault with a left hook, followed by a right – still missing. He would have cursed himself for his repeated errors, but anger held the reins and any sense of tactic was shoved to the side. Normally, he would have fought smart, now he was just relying on sheer aggression.

With another roar, Rogue and his adversary continued to launch their own moves at each other. At another one of his attempts to jab, The Female Titan aimed low, her sharp knuckles crashing against his ribs, cracking and fracturing several of them. Her other fist then came for his chin – hitting its mark and knocking his jaw loose from its socket, his long tongue rolling out. Adrenaline coursed through his body, making the larger titan barely feel the agony that came with the blows. The behemoth bellowed with ferocity laden in his threat. How dare she! Angry that the damage was done, Rogue swung a fist at the skinless titan's face. Although she had seen, she wasn't quick enough in her avoidance. He instantly broke her nose and nearly ripped it clean off her face. With no celebration of his success, he returned a low blow, impacting the titan's abdomen and sending her flying high into the air. The Female Titan then landed at the base of a tree, body trembling with the discomfort of the collision upon the wood and earth. Mind nearly covered over, Rogue seized the opportunity and ran full tilt toward his target, satanically grinning on the inside as he thought of the image of The Female's splattered brains and crimson shooting up the trunk and painting the area. Rogue then raised his leg to make the crushing blow, but yet again his prey bolted. This time, he felt the severe pain of breaking bones and tendons as his knee slammed into the hard surface of the standing pine. The shattering of his kneecap was enough to snap him out of his primal state. Instinctively, he grabbed his steaming injury and held it in his firm grip. His green eyes then flashed from his current predicament in an attempt to locate The Female Titan, only to see her bounding into the forest.

' _ **YOU… ARE NOT… GETTING… AWAY!'**_ Rogue thought angrily as he attempted to move forward in pursuit – only to let out a loud yelp as he tried to put weight on his injured appendage. On reflex, he held it again as he stared heatedly into the foliage. Damn it. He would have to heal before he could carry on. Finally, he swore at himself at his lackluster performance. He had allowed himself to get too lost. With this titan, he couldn't just blindly attack. He had to be aware and smart with every move. Tears glided down his jaw once anew. He would have to temporarily put his emotions away. As Levi had said, he couldn't let his emotions control him in battle – but with his heart aching tremendously, Rogue wasn't sure if he could keep that agreement. In order to protect the others, he had to rely on his judgment call.

_**'I AM… GOING TO… HUNT YOU… DOWN. THEN… I AM … TO… DEVOUR YOU. I… PROMISE... THAT.'** _

**(POV SWAP)**

Laden beneath his stoic face was a sense of unmistakable worry. Ever since they had heard the familiar booming roar that was laced in fury, the Scouts had been thrown into a state of high alert. They had abandoned their idea of the teams converging to regroup and rethink, instead deciding that they were to search for his squad. In light of Rogue's vengeful howl, they knew they had to take everything into account and expect the worst.

Galloping on horseback in a large group of veterans, Levi kept to himself – not even caring that he was riding next to Hange. His mind was lost in thought as they moved through the forest. The Female Titan had more than likely found his squad and they had done battle – Rogue's roar did support that. Then again, he had heard the titan roar repeatedly for a while, a sound that was filled with unbridled rage. He swallowed, for Rogue to be that angry – something terrible had to have occurred. The Corporal Continued to think. In the past several minutes however, it had been eerily silent. Levi had three theories as to why. First, The Female Titan had somehow seduced Rogue with some sort of fucking feminine scent and the two titans were currently partaking in a series of sexual needs. Second, was that the two were truly fighting with no interest in mating what so ever. The Female Titan could have easily slipped past Rogue and he was currently hunting her. Or lastly, Rogue had been killed. God how he hoped the last one wasn't true – let alone the first one.

"We should be getting close!" Hange addressed the Commander. "Rogue's roar came from somewhere around here!"

The Corporal continued to listen to the two's exchange, Hange still firmly believing that the mating was the reason for what was transpiring – Erwin and the others even considering the same bullshit too. Although he himself thought the idea was ludicrous, he couldn't rule out the possibility that it was true with all the facts presented. More trees passed, any animal that usually thrived was all but absent, warned away by clashing giants. Suddenly, Levi's sharp gaze caught sight of something red and a dark hump. At the view of crimson, he yanked the reins of his steed without a word, the horse rearing and the Corporal catching the others attention – making them slow as well. With his face frozen, he gradually dismounted from his saddle. Erwin, Hange, and several of the other veterans remained quiet as Levi knelt down and bushed away several blood splattered twigs.

His heart skipped a beat and his breath caught in his chest, several gasps coming from behind him.

There, lying in a crumpled mess was a headless soldier, but it certainly wasn't a new recruit – the body too tall. Delicately, he leaned forward and lifted up the crimson soaked collar of the soldier's tan jacket – a place where every soldier wrote their names so to not mix up their uniform with another during laundry sessions. Levi then looked at the blood soaked tag, trying to ignore the intense amount of gore and blood getting on his hand. Scrutinizing, he then made the discovery that he had been dreading.

"Who is it?"

He sighed, pulling off the patch before standing upright and remaining still. Outside, there was a hint of despair on his face, but it was mostly still. "It's Gunter." Levi finally replied, searching briefly for the man's head with a quick glance, only to find that Gunter's head was nowhere to be found.

"Levi," Hange began as he climbed back on his horse, instantly rubbing his tainted hand on a handkerchief. "I'm so –

However he didn't let her finish as he started his horse foreword without another word. If Gunter was dead, then the brawl must have been bad and the probability of his squad's complete survival was incredibly slim. Although the man was never emotional, the very thought of a friend's death was mind numbing and made his heart beat irregularly. His horse then burst into a clearing, but before he could turn to survey the surrounding landscape, he found his body being thrown into the air as the hoof of his horse caught an object. The earth met him unforgivably, his petite frame rolling and pants gaining grass stains. Levi blinked dizzily after coming to a stop, holding his aching head. Blinking again, he observed his horse struggle to get its footing, its leg clearly broken. Curious as to what in the hell had caused him to fall, he turned in search of the source – only to find another body.

Or rather all that was left of one.

The corporal's eyes widened in alarm, jaw slacking in the slightest as he viewed the partial corpse. It was just a pelvis and a pair of legs – torso, head, and arms completely gone, the body clearly having been bitten in half. Levi swallowed as the others came into the clearing and began to dismount. Traumatized, he looked at the name inscribed on the shoe.

Eld Jin.

Levi barely felt Mike hauling him up to his feet. He stood, still dizzy as he glared down at the partial corpse, face frozen and full of regret. First Gunter and now Eld. Where were Oluo, Petra, and Rogue?

"Oh my god –

"Shit."

Hearing the soft words of shock, Levi turned to bare witness the rest of the clearing – seeing something that would always haunt him. The glade was painted in death, red was everywhere. Several low trees were uprooted and bushes were flat, but his silver eyes were only hooked on the smeared crimson. The bark of several pines was soaked in blood – showing that a body had been forcefully thrown against it. The evidence of the event was lying nearly ten meters from him – the broken and dismembered body of Oluo with dead eyes staring at the bloody blades of grass. Levi swallowed back a wad of vomit, desperately trying to keep the bile from rising back up his throat. Where was –

"Levi?"

Hearing the sincere and hitched voice of Hange, the Corporal turned to meet her gaze. He opened his mouth to question, but he found that his thin lips wouldn't work. Even as she took his hand and began to guide him across the clearing, he didn't chide or complain – just remained unspoken and in shock. The two then came to stand with Erwin at the base of a large oak and at its base was none other than what remained.

Petra.

His entire body felt at if it was shutting down as he continued to stare. The redhead's small frame was leaning awkwardly against the tree, spine arched painfully with blood brushed across her soft and pale cheek. The lower half of her body had been crushed. His caged feelings were starting to pull strongly at him again. He had never told any of the Scouts, but he was thankful to have had Petra on his squad. She was a talented and kindhearted soldier. He had also been aware that she had quite the crush on him – an idea that he didn't quite get because he had always considered himself unattractive and was a rather rude individual. Finally, he could stand no longer to look at her body, so he turned, incredibly sick to his stomach as he finally threw up what little was in his belly.

"Corporal?"

"Levi! Are you al –

"I'm fine." He swallowed, wiping away bile from his lips as he turned to the two before motioning to Petra's body and retrieving the blood stained Wings of Freedom patches and teaspoon from her uniform. The man then tucked her belongings away to join Gunter's and took a deep breath to compose himself. They were in a desperate time. He would have to mourn his loss later.

"Erwin, Sir – please have my squad's remains gathered and put with the others so they can receive a proper burial." He swallowed, trying to rid the taste of vomit from his mouth. "Then put down my horse – its legs are broken." Levi sighed with the taller male nodding with understanding.

"Will do, Corporal. I'm very sorry for your –

However, the man was cut off as Mike hurriedly approached, face reflecting his utter seriousness. "Commander, we found some evidence as to where Rogue may be."

At the news, the four converged at the opposite side of the clearing where Molbit, Nanaba, and several others stood. Before them, was a tangle of wrecked trees and an unmistakable clawed footprint presented itself in the dirt – another distinctively different one just a foot away from it.

"We found Rogue's footprint." Molbit began as he pointed to the imprint and then the other one. "This one is The Female Titan's."

"So – he's alive?" Erwin quizzed, Mike giving a confident nod.

"Yes, if he had been killed his scent would have vanished with his body. As far as I can tell, he and The Female are headed into the deepest part of the forest."

Hange nodded, Levi noticing how ascetic she was – which was a first. "If my theory is true, then judging by the debris and the carnage left behind – the titan mating process must be a violent one like several other species that I know of. Going by what I see, I don't think this will fare well for Rogue in the end. It's likely that the mating is already underway."

"If the mating process isn't true and this is just a territorial dispute like we had originally predicted," Erwin pressed on. "I don't think Rogue will be able to stand The Female Titan's hardening ability."

A wave of silence swept through the group, commanding Levi to gulp fretfully. Erwin's words were horrifyingly true. The skinless titan's ability was like nothing he had ever seen. Rogue was in serious trouble. Then again, recalling the story of the Jaeger's fates, it was highly likely that Rogue was encased in a full on rage. The gentle titan was incredibly close to Petra – even considered her as a motherly figure along with Hange. He loved her dearly. After viewing her death, Levi couldn't fathom as to how angry and feral Rogue probably was at the moment. He could imagine the vast amount of pain that had come to the beast's delicate heart. The amount was most likely more than he could count.

**(POV SWAP)**

A low growl reverberated through his chest as his feet pounded the earth – the forest around him nothing but a blur. Green eyes cut through the dimming light as the sun was beginning its destination back behind the wall. The predator's nostrils flared, inhaling the scent of his prey that was growing closer. Soon he would have her in his grasp and his tongue would taste her blood. With his lightened body, he moved surprisingly swiftly for a fifteen-meter behemoth, the trees not complaining with their trembling leaves and brittle bark as much.

Since his body had healed and he began his pursuit again, he had succumbed to his emotions on and off again. The idea that his friends had been slaughtered before him strongly lingered within his mind. If anything, he was nearly cresting over the borderline of insanity. The strong purpose that he had branded in his mind was what was currently driving him to do nothing but hunt. She would pay for what she had done to him!

Rogue ran faster, his ears hearing the sound of water and his own rapidly beating heart. During his minutes that the titan had spent healing, he briefly reflected on The Female Titan's words and actions. She seemed to know him, but how? He had never seen her wicked face before! Was she just bluffing to confuse him? She certainly was cruel enough to do so. How dare she call herself a warrior as well! As far as he knew, warriors, according to the books that his little ones had read him, were heroic beings that fought and protected humanity. This titan was no warrior. Not even close. She was a monster. She was a murderer. Scum of the earth. Why had she also called him by the strange word that she had used when she first opened her mouth? What the hell was it? Could it have been in some sort of strange tongue that she had made up? Perhaps it translated into an unkind word that Levi had spoken before? Maybe it was a human word since the skinless titan spoke human tongue just fine and it was a phrase that was far too advanced for him. He wasn't sure. However, he was even more confused as to why she wanted his territory of all things – what would she even gain? All of the thoughts had made his head ache uncomfortably along with the sickening idea that he had failed to protect the ones that he had held dear.

Overall, it just made him unstable.

The titan then burst into a slight gap in the trees where a wide river cut through the dense forest. As he planted one foot into the cooling and easy flowing water, he stopped. Rogue's eyes widened in alarm at the realization. With his nerves soaring, he sniffed, finding that The Female Titan's scent had faded. Instantly, he snarled in absolute frustration, cursing he creature that had been clever enough to dull her sent by using he water. No! He couldn't lose her! Quickly, he scrutinized the area only to notice something that he had overlooked due to his burning anger. Rogue simply took a few steps in advance to cross the river and bend down just before the bank. A cavernous growl vibrated deep in his rib cage. The patchy bank before him was wet, the result of liquid cascading over the frame of a large figure. Suspicious, Rogue then made his way out of the river to look at the surrounding vegetation. Above were several snapped limbs and twigs that was the result of a large titan passing through the area. His feral greens then flashed to the forest floor to find a clear imprint of a titan's foot. With his focus fully on tracking his prey, Rogue hunched over for a closer examination. Delicately, he ran his index finger along the heel of the print before studying its anatomy. Compared to his own, this footprint was much more slender than a normal titan's. A ghoulish smirk crossed his face, a dangerous and ravenous glint sparking in his eyes. Rogue then hungrily sniffed the compressed dirt, pupils blowing wide before he stood to sniff a few overhanging limbs. Yes. It was her. His brow furrowed and he peered darkly at the path before him. The Female Titan was heading west still. Although he didn't stay in this forest as often as his own, he was familiar with it since he had always passed through on his way to the wall. He could cut her off just ahead, surprise her and gain the upper hand.

The hunter then bolted forward without another second to waste. Trees passed by him quicker than before. His heartbeat accelerated. The scent of any human life was fading as he traveled even deeper into the wood. Deep past his anger, he knew that he was growing further away from his family. Truly, he hated to do so. However, this was a move that he had to make, for the safety of everyone and especially his little ones. As far as he was concerned, ridding his enemy from the world was the best option. It was a necessity.

Rogue snarled, eyes and breath ravenous as he rounded the corner. Her scent was strong, telling him that she was closer than ever. A manic smile pulled at his gaunt cheeks. Oh, how he looked forward to breaking his prey's bones and blanketing himself in her blood. It would be oh so satisfying. He couldn't wait! Rounding another bend, Rogue navigated his bulk up a steady knoll. Green eyes blew wider as he spied the recognizable golden hair of his skinless prey. She was moving quickly, head focused forward. With his feet abusing the ground beneath him, it was clear that The Female Titan was unaware of his exact approach – the creature only looking over her shoulder behind her. Rogue beamed further. It was obvious that his target lacked his incredibly acute hearing. Hunting didn't seem to be her purpose.

But it was definitely his.

With a booming and furious roar, Rogue launched himself into the air, frame rocketing from the overhanging cliff. The Female Titan turned in surprise, but her reaction was far too delayed. The hunter's body collided with hers – sending the two large titans over a sheer drop off. The two forms tumbled relentlessly, dislodging boulders and cutting through trees as they fell further. His vision was scrambled, the rocks constantly bruising with the dark blemishes healing over and over. Instinctively, Rogue forced his flailing arms over his face and nape in protection. The titan gritted his teeth as the sharp edge of a rock sliced his hip. Steam mixed with the heavy cover of dust as the two giants continued to fall. Wood splintered, snagging his skin – nerves constantly realigning as he healed. The sound of destruction echoed throughout as the titans finally slammed into the bottom. With his anger fully fuming, Rogue lifted himself to his feet, completely ignoring his healing lacerations as his feral greens searched for his prey. The Female Titan was pushing herself up, pulling a small birch from her side before standing wholly. Rogue growled deeply in his throat, allowing his translucent membranes to glide smoothly over his eyes. He couldn't afford to blink in this fight.

Rogue's irises burned a menacing green beneath the darkening canopy. The earth trembled as he surged forward. His prey barely had the chance to blink as he swung. This time, he was granted the satisfaction of meeting his mark, his fist making contact with her pale cheek. The blow sent The Female Titan to the ground yet again. He then approached for a second attack, but his prey was somehow able to get back to her feet. The Female screeched with heated resentment, quickly aiming a blurry jab. However, he was ready – forcing up his forearm to block her onslaught. Before his opponent could counter, Rogue encased her arm in his free palm, gripping tightly and breaking the small strips of nearly porcelain skin before twisting. The sickening sound of breaking bone and a dislocating shoulder sounded throughout the wood. The titan roared in crazed pleasure as The Female cried in anguish. The predator snarled; he was far from finished.

But he was going to work quickly.

He then kicked himself into overdrive, his anger fuming but still stable enough for him to have control. Efficiently, Rogue planted a well-placed kick into the skinless titan's side, sending his prey several feet into the ominous obstacle beneath the leafy roof. Another message of rage flew from his vocals as he stalked his foe menacingly, circling her like a starving vulture with eyes hooked onto its presented meal. As he expected, The Female Titan got to her feet, making the grave mistake of even doing so as he rushed in again. He aimed a catastrophic uppercut into the skinless abomination's chin, breaking the tip of it off and busting her rose lip. In return, he was gifted with The Female's sharp knuckles to his mouth. Although he unwillingly sacrificed a few teeth – the pain didn't faze him. With adrenaline soaring through his veins, he aimed an open palm into her jawline, knocking her somewhat senseless as he brought his elbow down into the venerable dip between her neck and shoulder. Rogue then kicked the back of her shin, foot gracefully curving to meet its mark. She stumbled, but caught herself. She swing, but again he was quick to foil her plan as he simply redirected her blow with a fluid motion before swinging his open hand with the soul goal of bringing forth precious crimson. Rogue's sharp nails cut deep into the female titan's face, tissues separated, ligaments severed, and an eyelid tore in half in the path of the hunter's deadly claws. She screamed, the sound pure motivation upon his tapered ears.

Rogue inhaled, the smell of her sweet blood intoxicating, before letting out another brutal bellow. His carnivorous instincts and rage blended into a dangerous mix, his sanity slowly slipping from him as he went in once again. Rogue forced his body weight forward, tackling his prey to the ground and sinking his teeth into The Female's undamaged arm. With a single jerk, his powerful jaws tore the limb free, blood painting his face in a red baptism. The taste itself was so very sweet; revenge had never been better. The Female Titan kicked her legs in defense, pressing her feet up into his belly. With a powerful thrust, she was able to knock Rogue from his prey. He shook his head, displeased, but as he saw her get up and come for him the titan prepared himself. The Female Titan then aimed her kick, a perfectly placed high one that he envied her for. However, he knew what to do, Rogue skillfully reached and took hold of her foot. Her look of surprise pleased him very much so he wrapped his other hand around her ankle as well. With a great heave, Rogue hoisted The Female Titan into the air, slinging her in a perfect arch before letting her weight slam into the earth, a crater forming from the impact. However, he wasn't through with his act of brutality. With a savage roar, Rogue propelled the skinless titan into the air in the same fashion. His muscles bulged beneath his tan flesh, skin coated in sheen from the dampening of steam. Ligaments tore in his arms, but he paid no mind to discomfort as his prey's body impacted the earth. The Female Titan let out an angry but crippled hiss; a threat to stop that went unheard upon his ears. Again, Rogue pulled her from the forest floor and into the air yet again, listening in satisfaction as her bones cracked.

Over and over, he slung her beaten frame. With another pull, Rogue screamed. He wasn't sure if it was in agony or sadness. Truthfully, he didn't know anymore. As his muscles began to pull and strain, the flashes of happier times flowed through his head – propelling his rage even further. A salty tear glided down his blood-splattered face, green eyes blinking for the first time in minutes to dispose of the eye water.

' _ **I... WILL… KILL… YOU… MONSTER!'**_

While the words burned through his head, Rogue roared and diverged from his pattern, slinging The Female Titan across the tight clearing and into the trunk of a great pine. His arms, muscles pulled beyond use, fell to his sides with his chest heaving forcefully. Sinister emeralds watched as the skinless titan struggled to move. Her entire frame was heavily damaged. Both of her arms were missing and several ribs were broken, one even puncturing through. Steam enveloped her body, blue eyes still locked upon him, ignited in a sense of fury that hadn't faded. He snarled, watching as steam billowed from her body. Rogue knew all too well what she was doing. She was healing herself to go in again. Unfortunately, so was he. His arms stung and hurt terribly, feeling like the limbs of a rag doll. Rogue gritted his teeth as he felt the tendons slowly reform. Damn. How was it that his opponent could accelerate her healing? Her bones were already starting to grow back. No matter. He didn't have much to fix. His legs still worked.

Howling tremendously, Rogue rocketed forward and punted The Female Titan as if she were a ball. A loud moan escaped from her throat as she met the face of the earth for yet another time. He paused, gasping for a breath while his eyes remained locked onto his target. The fight was taking a toll on him. He hadn't exerted himself so much before aside from lifting the boulder. Fatigue was pulling at his strings like a marionette, but he wasn't quitting. Sure, he would be feeling the strain for several days, but it would be worth it. Feeling that his right arm was fully functional once again, Rogue roared in triumph and wrapped his hand around The Female Titan's throat. With strength still left to spare, he lifted her from the dirt and roughly pressed her against the bark of a towering tree. With anger fuming, he bellowed with his teeth just inches from her nose, saliva spraying her face. With his eyes glowing and ears pinned against his skull, Rogue scrutinized his prey's façade. Her expression was vexed but obviously reflected her pain, blue irises staring deeply into his as if she were searching through his soul. The thing he loved the most was the fear present in her body. The hunter relished in it.

The forest grew terrifyingly quiet, as he kept his glare upon her. Still, he wanted to know why. This titan had a purpose that she wasn't revealing to him. Rogue tightened his hold, taking pleasure as she gasped at the feeling of his sharp nails puncturing into her first layer of muscle. He could kill her so easily now, but he still wanted answerers. Her attack meant something.

**"YUUUUU NNNOOOTTT AARRIIOORR!"** He yelled, making her wince. " **AAHHTTT… YURRR… NNAANNNEE!"** Rogue shouted, voice echoing off every available surface. " **YUU… YUUU… NNNOONNSSTTTERRR!"**

However, his victim only remained still, silent with her blue eyes sparkling in dislike and brows narrowed – mouth not opening to reply. Angry, Rogue roared and shoved The Female higher, eyes illuminating with resentment. He tightened his grip, watching the skinless abomination gasp at the contracting of her esophagus.

Rogue growled, mouth watering as he struggled not to plunge his teeth into her throat. He would have his meal later. He wanted a few answers before the slaying. If she wasn't going to tell him her name, then so be it. 'Bitch' was suitable enough. He then moved on to his next query. " **EEERRRREEE YUUUU CCCOONNEE RROOOOMMM!"**

This time the Female hissed in response, but kept quiet otherwise. Furious that she was not complying, Rogue roared in her face yet again, unaware many of the titan's injuries had mostly reconciled. " **EEEERRRRR YOOUUU CCOONNEE RROM!"**

Rogue asked, tone booming but more sinister and dark as if his question was meant to tear apart any sort of personality his prey had. He then waited for a reaction, the move a grave and devastating error.

Before he could make his demand yet again, a _hard_ and incredibly potent force hit between his legs. Pain shot from his groin all through to his spine. Rogue could barely comprehend what had happened as his legs flew out from beneath him – suddenly feeling like they were as brittle and weak as a newborn fawn. Another blow impacted his chest, sending him into an old log. His head hit hard, bouncing off the wood. Rogue ears rung and black dots spread across his vision, the beast blinking to clear them and the tear that leaked from his eyes. Instinct screamed at him to retaliate, but he could barely move. Rogue whined desperately, gripping his throbbing pelvis in a stronghold. His mind swarmed in panic as he realized that the vital bone was more than likely broken if not all the way through. He had never had an injury like it before, but he knew that the healing process was greatly delayed in the region due to his observations of titans hurt by his hand. Rogue wined again, he could barely move his legs without great pain coursing all throughout his body. Unable to stand, he was in serious trouble. Forcefully, Rogue looked up at his opponent who stood several meters from his resting spot. His teeth grinded against one another in irritation. The hit she had made was so powerful – the hardest he had ever felt in his lifetime. She hadn't done it before, so how could she have –

Rogue's heart skipped a beat as he spied the reason for his suffering.

Upon The Female Titan's leg was a rock like surface that he had never seen before on a titan. It was a pearly blue, translucent like ice, and reflecting every ray of the pale afternoon light. Rogue's brows rose in disbelief. The blue surface looked just like the crystals that he and his little ones would find inside the geos that they used to collect. Was it really crystal? How was that even possible? It certainly explained the increase in his opponent's strength. The titan swallowed as the skinless female's fist encased itself in the hard surface before she slowly made her way to him. He was doomed – broken and helpless. He couldn't generate crystal like that! And with his pelvis broken and mending slowly, he was unable to do a thing!

The thought of his own death sent a spark of anger through him. He wasn't ready to leave this world! He promised his little ones that he would always be there for them and protect them! Damn it! He hadn't finished fulfilling his oath! He wasn't ready to give up his life! He had to kill her. Everyone would die if he failed! He had to try! He had to get up!

Gritting his teeth, Rogue forcefully began to right himself, pain causing him to yelp and fall to his face. No! He wouldn't give into death! For a second time, he brought his arms beneath him and began to will his beaten body to obey. Pain surged into his pelvis as he forced his right leg to support him. He breathed harshly as he ushered himself through the agony, finally placing his left foot onto the earth. Rogue cried loudly as he stood upright, shakily holding his fists up in defense – a sad excuse for his signature pose. Feeling the hot liquid run down the back of his neck and the pain greaten in his head, Rogue determined that his skull had been split as well. The titan was extremely vertiginous. The world around him tilted and doubled. He stumbled, legs struggling to hold his weight up. The pain in his body was great, his concussion not helping. Still he stood, somehow upright and growling ruthlessly with determination to keep fighting.

With The Female Titan closing in, Rogue took a step forward to throw a punch – but one step was enough to ignite the discomfort and sent him falling forward. To his surprise, his face didn't hit the ground, but he was rather hoisted by his hair to look up at his foe's burning blue orbs. Without even having the chance to roar a warning, The Female Titan's fist met his mouth. Skin split, muscles tore, and bone was disconnected as his bottom jaw was severed and he was sent to lie upon his side. The taste of is own precious juices graced his tongue, the feeling truly unwelcoming. Seeing that The Female Titan was coming, Rogue gurgled and forced himself to stand yet again – tongue embarrassingly hanging out of his mouth. Immediately, he held up his fists in protection yet again as his jaw raced to heal. If his pelvis didn't mend soon – he was good as dead.

The skinless titan sped toward him, arms encasing in the hard surface yet again. With his vision fairly decent, Rogue swung – only for The Female Titan to counter and send his right arm across the mass of trees. Before he could make a further decision, the titan kicked with a low sweep – her hardened shin severing his leg and sending him on a short trek back to the forest floor.

' _ **NO!'**_

Without his leg, his death sentence was practically executed.

The Female Titan grasped his locks with her greedy fingers and then slammed his head against a wide tree trunk, crushing his right side of his skull – and repeating the same thing several times before ceasing. Rogue whined and fell on his back. The Female stood over him, simply looking down at his mangled form with an expression he was unable to read. With bloodshot, and swollen eyes, Rogue looked up into the canopy overhead, dull greens staring into the soft orange heavens. He had lost. His battle was over.

His life was over.

A low moan of defeat sounded through a healed jaw, smoldering greens blinking slowly as he thought about everything he had went through. He had lived a good life despite the tragedy. He had been loved dearly, treated as a family member – as a beloved brother and friend as well. He had failed to kill their enemy, but they were far away so perhaps they were out of harm's way. At least his little ones wouldn't see his death – at least their last visions of him wouldn't be his slaughter but rather his heartfelt nuzzle and kiss goodbye.

' _ **I'M… SO SORRY.'**_

Rogue shuttered, waiting. However, he then noticed the delay. Confused, he looked up at The Female Titan who was glancing from him to a direction far off before returning her gaze to his maim frame as if she was trying to make a decision. His heart lifted higher, if she was trying to decide something – then perhaps her hesitation could work to his advantage! However, that shred of hope was lost as she suddenly knelt down and rotated him onto his belly. Rogue then felt her hand brush his hair from his nape.

He was done for. He would never be able to love his little ones or anyone else ever again.

Silently accepting his fate, Rogue braced himself and listened, his ears picking up a low whisper from The Female's lips.

" **IT… WORTH MORE. HE… NOT NEEDED."**

Perplexed, Rogue glanced at the titan in wonderment at her meaning only to see her slowly open and unhinge her jaw – flesh tearing as The Female Titan fully expanded her mouth into a horrifying display. Her head then lowered to his posterior, hot breath spilling onto his neck. Rogue held his breath, hoping that it would be quick as her teeth touched his skin.

' _ **I LOVE… YOU ARMIN AND MIKASA. PLEASE… BE SAFE. I'M… GOING… TO MEET MY… HUMANS NOW.'**_

However, the fatal bite never came. Without warning, The Female Titan's weight lifted off of his and she cried an angry shriek. His eardrums vibrated as a great calamity echoed around him. Alarmed, Rogue used his good arm to shove himself upright, the pain still crippling his weak body in a stronghold. The titan flopped against a tree, chest heaving, breath rigged as he slowly forced his beaten head to turn. Instantly, Rogue's eyes widened at the sight playing out before him.

Doing battle against The Female Titan was Levi himself, alone without the pack. Wanting to aid and warn the man of what she could do – Rogue tried to will himself to move and give a verbal signal, but alas – his body was still frail with the great amount of pain forbidding his wishes along with his lack of required limbs. His warning was ceased as well, Rogue only managing to cough up a bit of blood. He whimpered; his organs had likely been damaged on the inside when the titan had slammed her foot into his chest. To a human, if they were in the same condition, they would have been dead minutes ago. Sure, he would heal, but he was severely weak – the result being that the regeneration process was extremely slowed. He was a sitting duck as they say. All he could do was watch and hope along with fighting unconsciousness.

Rogue watched in desperation as Levi moved in a nauseating blur. The titan listened as the normally reserved man yelled furiously, face drawn up into a snarl. Artfully, Levi dove, tucking himself into a tight ball as he spun – turning into a human buzz saw as he curved and navigated along the skinless titan's outstretched arm with chunks of meat falling to the bloody grass below. The Female snarled, her fingers swiping only to catch air. Again, the short male dived into the chaos, spinning relentlessly as he swirled all down her frame and carved deep lacerations into her body – steaming crimson now coating pale skin.

Blackness briefly flashed before Rogue's eyes, the titan blinking rapidly to keep awake. Levi swooped again, burying his blades into the skinless vermin's eyes. The Female screamed, quickly covering her nape with her good hand and reinforcing her weak spot with the crystal generating over it. His heartbeat quickened. Yes! With her blinded, Levi could take her out! Not only that but she had slowed since their duel! He could take her!

Like an acrobat, Levi spun around and made a deep cut into the titan's shoulder with the obvious plan to slice her arm away that held her nape. Over and over, the man continued, nothing but an onyx blur against the deep green of the wood. The scent of blood was heavy in the air, reminding him of his still lingering desire to consume his prey in revenge. If Levi was successful – injured or not, he would still fill his belly with her bounty.

Suddenly, The Female Titan opened her newly restored eyes and swung at Levi – her action catching him off guard. The man dodged, but his leg caught her outstretched finger – shin obviously breaking. Rogue gasped as the Corporal few uncontrollable before righting himself at the last second before hitting a tree – shooting his cables up into the canopy before collapsing upon a high branch and hurriedly attempting to stabilize his injury.

The Female Titan then huffed cruelly and turned to face him yet again.

Rogue's blood ran cold. His hope was diminished. Seeing her take a step closer, he let out a pitiful growl as he shifted, still far from healed and unconsciousness creeping over him. His heavy head twitched, nearly falling with the black dots littered his vision again. Forcing himself, Rogue swallowed and faced his impending fate. He was truly going to die now.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

At the voice, Rogue's eyes flew fully open, his heart hammering against his rib cage. No way. No. Could it really be…

Rogue urged his head up to see a sight that made his heart nearly leap from his body in sheer terror. A soldier had flown in and severed The Female Titan's nose from her face – the soldier none other than Mikasa.

His little one.

His precious baby.

No! No! NO! She couldn't fight that monster! It was too dangerous! The skinless titan had wounded both he and Levi, strongest pack members! The Female would surely kill her!

**"NNnnnnIIKKaaaSSAA!"** He reached toward her as if he could pluck her from peril from where he lay. " **NNOO!"** He coughed as he struggled to sit up fully, only falling back to the tree. He had to save her! She wouldn't survive! " **NNNIIIKKAAA!"**

His little one swooped in from above, digging her blades into the creature's shoulder to finish Levi's work – narrowly missing a swing at her. He cried loudly, begging for her to just abandon the fight and run, but Mikasa wouldn't have it. Her small frame circled the beast, steel cutting through tissue, muscle, and veins. Emitting her own brand of battle cry, Mikasa spiraled downward – swords aimed for the crystal-covered nape that she couldn't crack.

"Ackerman!" Levi called from somewhere overhead. "Don't go for the nape! She can harden!"

Rogue watched as his little one absorbed the warning and veered, the female titan narrowly missing her – the close call making Rogue cry louder. It was too risky! Mikasa then quickly set herself on a new route, going low. Skillfully, she managed to wrap a set of cables around the heel, set on toppling the creature. With the cables cutting into exposed muscle, The Female Titan screeched and fell to her knees. However, any sort of celebration was short lived as the beast's burning blues captured the girl's movement. With a lightening fast swipe, The Female Titan took Mikasa's cables in hand.

For a moment, the world froze before slowly reanimating as the skinless titan slowly stood upright with a stunned Mikasa dangling within her grasp. The sight was enough to send Rogue and his emotions into overload. He squirmed against his organic support, howling in desperation with his leg and steaming stump digging into the moist earth. No! NO! Mikasa! No! No! He couldn't lose her too! He couldn't let his sister die in the hands of his foe! He loved her! He loved her!

As if to mock him, The Female Titan lifted Mikasa higher into the air, looking at his baby in mild interest. Everything then began to flash before him again, memories of that first night when he kept her warm to when she would gently stroke his nose when he was stressed. He couldn't let the memories end! They had more to make together! They had to see the ocean! She had to live!

The Female Titan… he had to get up and kill her! How DARE she hold his little one! His baby! His! His emerald pools then watched as the enemy lifted Mikasa even higher – mouth slowly opening to consume. Although battered, beaten, and barely healed, Rogue forced himself to lift his head.

_**'I'LL KILL HER! DEVOUR HER!'** _

His little one squirmed as she was hoisted higher still.

"Ackerman!"

_**'KILL HER!'**_ The sinister words swarmed in his skull. ' _ **KILL!'**_

"Shit!"

_**'KILL HER!'** _

The Female Titan then tilted back her head and prepared to drop his little one down her throat.

' _ **KILL HER!'**_

Before he could attempt any invite, something deep within him surfaced. His dulled irises ignited with a flash of green before shielding themselves behind the thin flesh covering of his eyelid. Rogue then opened his mouth and released a screech unlike any other that had come from his lipless maw. The powerful wail carried for miles, its tone unique. It was fairly high in pitch, excruciating to small sets of ears and sounded almost primitive. Wind rippled leaves as the shriek prolonged; finally fading with Rogue's weighty head falling feebly back to the trunk of the tree. Black dots crossed his vision again, forcing him to shake his head before focusing on his prey and his little one, seeing something that he didn't expect.

The Female Titan was frozen in her stance, looking at him with blue eyes ignited in horror. Her breath quickened in what appeared to be panic as she fretfully looked all around the small glade. Suddenly a deep rumbling vibrated all around them, causing The Female to look at him before letting her focus on her surroundings yet again with a gasp of surprise. Unexpectedly, the skinless titan dropped Mikasa, whom managed to steer herself straight to where he lay, before taking off into the trees. Rogue struggled to watch her, vision now blurred into a mixture of shadows and color. Why – was she running?

Breathing in, he discovered why. Titans – coming from every direction at top speed. The number was substantial, and with him still impaired, feeble, and almost unconscious – he couldn't protect Mikasa and Levi. They weren't going to make it.

"The hell! Ackerman! Get to high ground! There's a damn stampede of titans heading right for us!"

"Rogue!"

Feeling a small weight landing on his shoulder, the titan looked over to see his little one hysterically attempting to urge him up, pushing against his gaunt cheek and too worried to take his injuries into account.

"Rogue! Please! You need to get up! Stay awake Rogue!"

He whined, slowly slipping into blackness as a horde of mindless titans burst into the clearing. Seeing that Mikasa was too stubborn to leave, he lifted his good arm to cover her – providing whatever protection he could.

"Ackerman!"

"Rogue!"

The ground thundered as the titans came forth. However, they didn't make a beeline for his little one behind his hand but rather changed course – going in the direction of The Female Titan, running right past all of them without taking notice.

"What?" He faintly heard Mikasa whisper. "Why are they –

Rogue watched in confusion as the horde gradually disappeared into the thicket, followed by a fearful and pained scream that was unmistakably from The Female Titan. Seconds ticked by, the forest full of sounds related to stress, anger, and colossal steps before falling silent. The forest grew still, the only evidence of the brawl lingering behind.

"What just happened?"

An intense wave of faintness and dizziness swept over him, every muscle becoming slack and body limp. Unable to hold himself no longer, Rogue slid down the rough bark and collapsed onto the earth, dark locks cradled over his face in a dark veil. Blackness crept over his vision as a fluster of human activity surrounded him.

"ROGUE!"

"Rogue!"

"He's healing too slow!"

"Shit!"

"His hips are out of line – his pelvis is definitely broken."

"Quickly, send three squads to retrieve the titan transport wagon and lift system from number ten."

"We have to get him back."

"Rogue!"

The titan relaxed, letting unconsciousness claim him into its black void.

* * *

A soft red light illuminated through his shadowed eyelids, bringing the womb like feeling back. The sounds of a coming storm sounded all around them. The sensation of a gentle floating and the resonances of creaking wood and deep sighs in disappointment became apparent as his body began to slowly reawaken. The beast stirred, becoming aware of his complete, achy, but exhausted body beneath a morphing cloth surface. Rogue groaned in discomfort as he stretched his neck in the slightest. He then settled, too fatigued to sit up.

"Armin, he's waking up."

The titan rumbled softly, green eyes slowly unveiling to see a mess of his chocolate locks draped over his brow. Rogue blinked again, fighting the dry feeling as two pairs of small hands pushed the strands of hair from his view. His little ones were seated neatly before him donning severe looks of concern and loving relief. The titan then noticed that he wasn't floating to any heavenly destination but was rather lying upon the large wagon that the flying human pack used to transport titan captures beneath the security of a cloth tarp. Around the wagon rode the rest of the pack, all wearing looks of depression and simply staring downward with the occasional glance to check for the enemy. The silence between all of them struck a nerve within him. It was uncomfortable.

Feeling Mikasa's familiar touch upon his brow, Rogue returned his gaze to his two little ones. " **Nnnniikkasaa?"** He spoke, voice hoarse. " **AARRnnniin?"**

The two teens smiled tenderly, but clearly hiding an emotion of sadness. "Don't worry Rogue," Mikasa continued as she lovingly rubbed his toasty flesh. "Armin and I are here now. We're safe."

"Is he awake? How's he doing?"

His little ones acknowledged Hange's voice as she rode up next to the wagon and hoisted herself up to sit with the two fresh recruits. As his babies had done, the scientist stroked the bridge of his nose in affection. However her soft smile didn't last long with a worried frown soon replacing it. "Hmmm, he still looks pretty disheveled. But he's improved over the last day in a half. The exertion of everything took a serious toll on his regenerative abilities. I guess when titans are low on energy they take longer to heal. I'll be doing a full examination when we get back to headquarters this evening. Although his limbs have regrown and his pelvis is healed – I will still have to assess his condition." Hange paused before placing her eyes onto his. "It's nice to see those pretty green eyes of yours again, Rogue!" She beamed. "How are you feeling?"

The titan sighed, blinking slowly. " **SEEEPPYY."**

The three smiled. "I bet you are!" Hange continued. "I think you'll be your old self by tomorrow!"

Rogue gave a slight nod, settling again and welcoming the gentle touches. Naturally, the titan purred, not as deep or loud, but still giving in to showing appreciation.

"So how's the Corporal?" Armin spoke up with the messy haired scientist getting comfortable.

"Well, the medics said that his right leg is fractured. Thankfully, it's not a serious break and it should heal completely within six weeks or so. He'll be on crutches for some time so I'm expecting him to be grumpier than usual."

Rogue's eyes opened wider in the slightest, in the forest – the brawl…

"Rogue?" Mikasa started softly. "What – happened back in the forest? With The Female Titan?"

At his little one's anxious words, everything that had happened dropped upon him like a giant boulder. Fighting the skinless female titan, getting beaten senseless by her crystal defense, chasing after her, trying to ask her why, the initial meeting – then the slaughter. Petra. His poor, poor Petra. He couldn't get to her in time to save her. Tears suddenly began to surface from their ducts, streaming down his face and bringing looks of alarm to his three companions' faces. Like his Carla and Grisha, Petra was gone forever. Sure, it wasn't his fault by trying to follow the order to run or make a judgment call, but it was his fault for not getting to her quick enough – or turning around soon after their split.

His fault.

"Rogue…"

The titan then let his emotions take the reins, shutting his watery eyes tightly and pressing his face into his little ones' bodies. Rogue didn't care how pathetic he appeared as he whined loudly, gathering an awkward audience. His body trembled, shivering with each hard sob as Armin and Mikasa attempted to mend the situation.

"Oh no, Rogue. Please –

"I think it's best if we don't ask him yet." Armin cut in, the front of his shirt now damp. "At the moment, he's too traumatized. Whatever happened between him and The Female Titan must have been bad. I mean… he just lost Petra."

Hearing the teen's last word, Rogue sobbed, lifting his hand and gently curling his fingers around the two's backs and pressing them closer. He had screwed up.

"Armin." Mikasa sighed in annoyance. "Don't say her name."

The blonde stiffened at his error. "Sorry about that. As much as we want to know, now isn't the time. He's not ready."

" **IITTT NNYY AALLT!"** The titan winced.

Hange shook her head, patting the tip of his snout. "No Rogue, I'm sure that it's not."

" **IITT IISS."**

Mikasa sighed painstakingly. "Rogue – please. Don't blame yourself for whatever happened."

The titan looked down at the wood grain of the wagon. He knew very well that his little ones and Hange were lost for words. How could they have decided that it wasn't his fault when they didn't even hear or see what had occurred? He knew they were only trying to make him feel better.

"Look Rogue, we're sorry that it happened." Armin spoke kindly. "But you really need to rest right now and give your vocals time to heal. We're getting ready to enter the gates of Katness so we'll be home soon. The mission had to wait."

Rogue blinked, tear streaks stiff upon his face as he continued to shutter in their company. They had to abandon their mission? How bad had he done his job? How many of his family had been killed by The Female Titan?

Suddenly, the large wagon stopped along with the pack. Forcing himself to break out of his loathing for the moment, Rogue turned his head to view the great wall looming over them once again – a reminder of his failed task. He watched as a cart lowered from the top of the wall to where the lead of the pack stood. The familiar bald human, Pixis, then stepped from the wooden box in clear alarm. Rogue observed as both Erwin and Levi exchanged a few words with the older individual before Erwin began to show the man in their direction with the Corporal following on horseback. As they came closer, their hushed conversation began to become clearer.

"So you say he's pretty shaken up still?" Pixis asked, Erwin dipped his head.

"Yes. Just moments ago he broke down. We don't know exactly what happened except that Levi's squad was decimated along with many others by the adversary."

"I see." Pixis exhaled deeply. "I am truly sorry for your loss. So – your theory as to why this happened is because this female wanted to breed?" He asked, the titan not understanding.

"We think. It's the only logical explanation we have, Commander. There was substantial evidence leading up to the point, but as far as seeing any intimacy or anything of the nature, we didn't catch it happening. Rogue and The Female Titan were far separated from us."

The older individual nodded, taking a sip from his flask. "I only wish that your circumstances would have been better. Hell, if The Female Titan was as friendly as she was intelligent, you could have had some great little additions to your regiment if you know what I mean, Erwin." Pixis prolonged with the younger blonde letting out a small huff at the elderly officer's attempt to lighten the mood – Levi only rolling his eyes. The trio then approached the wagon – looking at him in worry like the others had done. "Well, in spite of all this, I'm very glad to see humanity's hope still kicking." Pixis addressed him before returning to the two leading Scouts. "Right, you'll have to enter Katness as I say. I don't believe the public will take your early return so well." The man paused, looking up and down the titan's frame. "Is he able to walk?"

Hange shook her head. "Although he's fully healed up, the strain on him was great. So no. I don't believe he'll be able to walk through town at this present time."

"Can he sit up at all?"

She dithered, rubbing her chin. "Probably at short intervals."

"Why do you ask this?" Levi grunted, hand instinctively holding his temporarily stabilized leg.

"Good question, Corporal. No one likes to see a hero at his or her weakest. Thus we can't stir up the idea that Rogue is a loss. We just need him to appear that he's healthy. If the public asks what transpired, in this case, it's best to make something up. The idea of a friendly and intelligent titan is hard enough for some people to grasp – adding another of the opposite sex that nearly took down humanity's greatest hope is taking that idea to another whole new level. Besides Commander, we don't know the entire story anyways. Of course, as you may have figured out, Zackley will be aware of the faux story once he looks at the report and sees your return date. Besides, I feel that it is something that we shouldn't keep secret from them anyways. In the long run, it might serve you well." Pixis paused, glancing at the landscape and wall before returning to Erwin. "So, what is the current status of The Female Titan?"

"We're pretty sure if not positive, that The Female Titan is deceased."

Pixis nodded, taking their words into account. "Ah. Right then, we need you ready for entry now."

Hange dipped her unkempt head in response and placed her hand to his jaw in an encouraging gesture. "Rogue? Can you sit up for us? You don't have to for long, just to get through Katness. Can you do it please?"

Rogue lay in silence for a moment, listening to thunder from a nearing storm. Finally, he shifted upon the wagon, body feeling incredibly heavy as he pushed himself up. The titan faltered in the slightest, body tipping noticeably before righting itself. Rogue groaned softly as he steadied, sitting with his legs crossed to retain a good balance. Completing the small routine, Rogue then pulled the cloth tarp up and over his head as comfort from both the coming shower and as a bit of self preservation. The titan then gently scooped up his three good companions and placed them into his lap beneath his bodily shelter, keeping the small droplets of rain from hitting them. Still, his head felt heavy and his limbs even more so. Secretly, he pressed a palm to the wagon to brace himself.

"Is that acceptable?" Levi asked, voice mellow as he looked upon the clouding horizon in distaste.

"Yes, just make sure he keeps himself upright. I also advise that he keep silent as well. Now, let's get this over with. By looking at him, you don't have long – especially since a good rain is coming in. I wish you the best, Commander. The Garrison will back you us as usual." Pixis concluded as he and Erwin began to make their way back to the front of the pack. For a moment, Rogue watched as the older man began to board the lifting crate and signaled the other flower backs on top of the wall before Levi cleared his throat.

"Rogue – if anyone says something mean or does something vulgar to you, ignore them at all costs. Just keep to yourself."

The titan hesitated before nodding in understanding. Hopefully Levi would be wrong. Right now, he wasn't in the mood to hear insults with his feelings as fragile as they were.

"So, how's the leg Levi? Are you still stopping?"

The man groaned in fatigue. "It hurts like a bitch. I'm still going to see a professional medic here and get a proper cast." The man sighed. "I want to get in and out of here as quickly as possible. I'm in no mood." He concluded with the titan watching as Levi's hand snaked up to his breast pocket and gripped the canvas tightly. Rogue's heart plummeted even further as he realized what the Corporal was grasping.

Rogue blinked rapidly, trying to keep the level of eye water low and undetectable. His chest tightened as the thoughts began to hang over him like a heavy cloud. The titan trembled slightly, not in weakness but rather in solemnity. As a loud horn echoed among the regiment and the sound of a tired old gate opening up met his ears, Rogue hung his head lower, letting the tarp cover more of his face – casting it in a deep shadow with only his greens peeking from the darkness. He didn't want the public to look upon him, especially those two small humans that had seen him before and were enthused by his glory. He was a failure. The humans had looked up to him as their savior. With the loss of his team due to his negligence, Rogue felt that he wasn't even close to that title. He was a fool, idiot, and the word 'dumbass' that the Corporal had often used to describe those that were utter morons. In his eyes, the humans did not deserve any more disappointment.

The titan had no idea as to how confused he was.

The sky began to gift the earth with light water as the flying human pack and the wagon entered Katness. Rogue's heart began to ache painfully in his chest at the sight. The aura was one that he would have avoided at all costs, the air heavy with question, misconception, anger, and sadness. Like the day that they embarked on their mission, humans were lined up the brick streets with all eyes on the brigade. However, this time none wore a single smile. Every face was either fixed in a look of mild surprise, wearing a grimace, or frowning in upset. Rogue cringed; ears sinking lower with his eyes staring down at his three family members. His fingers curled around his little ones tighter, silently telling them that he didn't want to be there and that he wanted to go home. Quickly.

"They're back already?" A man spoke from the crowd. "Something bad must have happened."

"Guess so. They don't look to be as spirited as they were when they left."

Rogue kept quiet, keeping his dizziness at bay by trying to focus on Mikasa's gentle massage to his ankle. However, as they rode further into the district, some of the comments forced through his invisible shield that he had surrounded himself in.

"I knew this expedition was going to be a failure. The titan's worthless." Another man said, making a lump grow in Rogue's throat.

"It was just another ploy to get our tax money." An elderly man speculated.

"The stupid thing probably didn't follow orders. The MP's should have put that thing down months ago."

The titan's breath hitched, going rigged at the spiteful comments. Sure, most of them were ludicrous statements, but there were a few that Rogue felt were on point. However, tired and by rule, unable to run ahead, the titan was forced to sit and continue to endure. He could feel his tear ducts filling and jaw clenching tighter as the remarks grew even more cruel.

"That thing is a piece of shit like all the others."

"They should just get rid of that fucking monster. Complete waste of time."

"The creature is so ugly and stupid. If the Scouts were courteous enough, they should just slice its nape to save them the trouble."

At the statement, Rogue stiffened – letting out a quiet whine as he tapped his little ones' shoulders. He wanted to go home. NOW.

Mikasa growled, giving a deadly glare at the group of men who had spoken such words. "Don't listen to them, Rogue. They are nothing but squealing swine."

The titan shifted, nearly losing his balance on the wagon. The sprinkling rain grew slightly heavier, but it didn't ward away the spectators like he had hoped. Several minutes crawled by and the titan continued to unwillingly listen to comments. Most were in a stunned silence or were disappointed, but there was still a good amount of people who expressed their apprehension.

"Something bad must have happened on the expedition. Poor thing, he looks so worn out."

"I wonder why The Rogue Titan isn't walking."

"Is he hurt?"

"I wonder what happened."

"Why is The Rogue wrapped up?"

"Aw, it looks like he's upset."

"He's an amazing creature. Some of the stuff that people are saying is disgusting."

Rogue swallowed through another wave of weakness, he would have gestured a sign of thanks for the support, but he didn't feel like it. He just wanted to go to the flying human territory and climb into his nest.

"Worthless."

"Monster. They should have killed it when they had the chance."

"Our tax money just went to waste."

"Is there something wrong with him?"

"Corporal Levi! Corporal, Sir!" A masculine voice sounded.

Rogue watched as an older and taller looking human with short brown hair came to Levi's steed. Unlike most people, his face was full of optimism. However, beneath the thin layer of buoyancy laid a great amount of worry. To the titan's surprise, the Corporal unexpectedly halted in his path – the wagon and the rest of the soldiers stopping with them. The short and injured man waited, dour expression clearly plastered onto his face.

"What is it?" Levi asked, tone nearly bored but definitely affected by the pain in his leg. Rogue blinked. From Hange, he knew that Levi usually never acknowledged anyone when they shouted his name.

"My apologies for bothering you, Sir. I'm Mr. Ral. My daughter, Petra, is on your squad."

At the introduction, the Corporal's face fell and Rogue was thrown into a serious sate of alarm. This man – was his Petra's father! The titan hung his head, pupils shrunk down to pinpricks. Her father – how could he tell him that he was the reason for her demise? He could barely face him!

"My daughter tells me all about being in your squad every time she comes to visit. To tell you the truth, Sir – she speaks very highly of you."

Rogue watched as Levi's Adam's apple bobbed, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. "She – did?"

The man nodded, missing the past tense. "Yes. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that my daughter has a romantic interest in you." Mr. Ral chuckled. "Who knows? Perhaps I will be talking to you about marriage soon!"

Rogue watched as Levi's face paled even further, looking ill at the man's words. The titan wasn't very knowledgeable about how mating for humans worked, but marriage had something to do with it. His heart thundered, another wave of fatigue hitting him. Petra could have mated with Levi, she could have lived a happy life – but because of his mistake that wasn't going to happen.

"Corporal Levi, may I ask you where Petra is? I saw you and the titan so I figured your squad was nearby."

The shorter male swallowed, the bottom of his lip twitching in the slightest as he gradually reached into the inside of his jacket. Rogue held his breath, nails digging into the wagon as Levi pulled out a bloodstained Scouting insignia and the tiny spoon that Petra had once shown him – the miniscule utensil now bent and twisted. All was quiet as the Corporal placed the two objects into the father's open hand.

"Mr. Ral – I'm sorry. But she didn't make it. She and nearly all of the elite squad were decimated." Levi spoke, voice more sincere than Rogue had ever heard it. The titan felt sick, stomach knotting as his fearful eyes watched Petra's father. He couldn't rip his eyes away no matter how much he wanted to.

The man's face sank; grin fading completely into a look of severe disbelief. He was silent. Suddenly, his body trembled, eyes looking down into his aged palm at the remnants of the kind soldier, friend, and daughter. Tears streamed down his face, teeth chattering as the rain began to fall harder – a roll of thunder echoing off in the distance. "She's – dead." The man muttered to himself, repeating the phrase with his words running together. "P…Petra. No. No!" Mr. Ral sobbed, suddenly falling to his knees. "My daughter… my beautiful daughter…"

Levi hung his head, noticeably gripping his horse's reins even harder. "I'm sorry. She was a great soldier."

Rogue cringed, shutting his eyes tightly to keep the tears at bay, but he quickly failed as the salty streams began to glide down his face yet again. His back arched as he curled his head even further inward – trying his utmost best not to scream in agony. He wanted to go home! He didn't want to see this! He wanted his Petra back!

Unexpectedly, Mr. Ral shakily got to his feet, but instead of continuing with Levi – the older man turned to the titan, a hand held out in a pleading gesture – Petra's belongings held tightly to his heart. "You," the distraught father spoke to the titan, gathering numerous sets of eyes upon them. "You are Rogue Jaeger aren't you?"

He immediately raised his head with a sharp gasp, the tarp slipping off his dry head and falling loosely around his shoulders. Despite that the man had called the titan by his real name, Rogue wasn't shocked by the amount of knowledge the man had but rather the fact that the man was directly addressing him – the one responsible.

"Rogue," Mr. Ral continued with his voice as shaky as a newborn fawn. "Petra – she would always tell me stories about you and how kind you were." He uttered, the entire crowd deeply intrigued with the current scene. "She told me of the times that she trained with you, helped you through a nightmare, and when she was teaching you." The man swallowed with another choking sob. "Petra – she told me about when the two of you made conversation. Rogue… I know you can speak. Petra said that you could. Please – if you were there, was it painless? Was it quick?"

Rogue froze completely, spine stiffening. All eyes were now upon him, waiting to see if the man's allegations were true. The titan let his eyes travel downward, spying Levi's stern and cold gaze before looking onto Hange and his little one's faces. The scientist looked completely spellbound along with Armin. Mikasa however looked almost terrified, shaking her head in a bid for him not to reply. Rogue lowered his head further, more and more fat tears leaking from dim pools of green. The titan whined, trembling in extreme dejection. He wanted to say something, even though it was against orders, he wanted to give the father the answers he wanted, but he didn't want to lie. He wasn't sure how much pain a human experienced when they passed on, but it had to be excruciating right? Saying the truth would be too much for the both of them. He deserved to be screamed at and punished for his deed, but he couldn't do it. It was his fault though, and he still wanted to convey his apologies and sorrows. Riddled with both confusion and sadness, Rogue acted on comforting instinct. Carefully, while still balancing himself, the titan gradually lifted his hand and extended his index finger to the disturbed man – intent on rubbing him with his knuckle to express his apology. If he were allowed to speak, he would have taken his apology further by speaking the truth.

However, before Rogue could even act out his gesture, a hard and wet slap hit his cheek. The titan paused, pulling his hand back and lifting it to his face. The impact was harder than a raindrop, so what could it have been? Perplexed, Rogue lifted his hand to his cheek, feeling a mushy wetness that definitely wasn't rainwater. The titan then held his fingers before his emerald greens, his heart instantly dropping to his belly and his face heating up in embarrassment. From his teachings and observation of birds, the object that had come in contact with his skin was an egg – one that had been thrown at him.

"How dare you!"

Hearing the threat, Rogue looked from the mixture of egg yolk and shell to see a tense standoff. His companions were on their feet now, Armin looked astounded, Hange's face appeared to be drawn into a snarl, Levi's scowl was deeper than ever, and his little one Mikasa stood with a dangerous glint in her grey eyes with blades drawn. The four of them were all facing a man that looked to be in his early thirties. The man's face was twisted into a look of sheer dislike, overall looking like a very unkind individual.

"How could you have thrown that!" Mikasa chided, fingers wrapped tightly around the hilts of her blades. "He hasn't done a thing!"

The man huffed. "Are you Scouts blind or just stupid! That thing is probably the reason why you have returned from the expedition! You guys are a bunch of liars! That titan obviously cost you a third of your regiment! He's a failure, a monster that needs to be slaughtered like all the others!"

"Sir, you need to get back!" A Garrison soldier ordered as he placed himself between the man and the Scouts, but the fool still continued, pushing the officer out of the way.

"This is bullshit! All of it! That titan is worthless! Hell, I bet he's the one responsible for the death of your daughter, Sir!" The man directed at Mr. Ral who looked completely mortified. Rogue grew woozy, fighting the urge to faint. He felt sick at the reminder of what he had done. If there were something in his stomach, he would have surely thrown up.

"Sir, you need to get back and be quiet." Mikasa hissed. "He's done nothing of the sort." She spoke darkly, shoulders shaking in rage.

"Shut up you stupid bitch."

At the man's words, Rogue felt a spark of pure rage swell in his chest. No one was to insult his little ones! No one! The titan quickly cupped Mikasa into his hand and pressed her close to his chest in protection. Rogue then shot the man a dangerous glare, feral hues seeded with hatred. Steam jetted from his nose, ears pinned back against his damp locks. However, before a growl could slip his throat, Levi navigated his horse between the two opposing forces. The corporal stared down at the man, face away from Rogue so the titan and his companions couldn't see, but Rogue could clearly smell the anger radiating off the five foot three Corporal.

"Take my advice," Levi began, tone bitterly cold and stern. "Shut the fuck up and go home. Trust me, it's better than me having you arrested for assaulting a soldier that's fighting for your miserable life. And yes, I mean the titan and not myself. Hell, if the Commander gave me the order and if it was allowed, I would park my foot right up your sorry ass. Now get back." Levi concluded, leaning over in his saddle with his line of sight locked onto his target.

The egg throwing man looked as if he had seen a ghost, face paled and his frame petrified. To the titan's relief, the individual stepped back into the crowd without another word. Levi then sat up and turned to the onlookers, nose wrinkling in distaste and brows drawn together in absolute irritation. "To clear things up among you, I need to bare this news. True, we were unable to reach Wall Maria to make the needed repairs. This is due to the fact that we were ambushed by one of the biggest titan hoards the Scouts encountered to date. Most of our supplies were destroyed and there were many lives lost. However, our entire regiment, myself included, would have been completely wiped out if it had not been for The Rogue Titan. He fought as valiantly as our men and women did. He was able to kill nearly forty titans and ward off dozens more in the last forty-eight hours. That number is substantial. On average, it takes a veteran Scout to kill that much in a single year – sometimes they don't even make that number. So please, sit back and think before you speak. The Rogue's help has made our regiment a true threat to the titans. You all should be incredibly grateful. If he hadn't come during the attack in Trost or didn't exist entirely, all of you would be dead, starving, or living in squalor without sunlight in The Underground of Sina. So you best be thankful." Corporal Levi concluded as he quickly turned his horse and began to follow the other half of the regiment who had paused to wait up ahead. Without another word, the wagon then moved forward once again – leaving the crowd and a distraught Mr. Ral behind.

For what seemed like ages, the four sat in silence as they continued to make their way through the district. Feeling another swell of fatigue, Rogue slumped over, nearly collapsing and giving into sleep. His eyes hurt, felling agitated and swollen by the salty tears – the sensation only making him more tired.

"Rogue?" Mikasa whispered from her position in his palm, hand rubbing the warm flesh of his chest. "Are you okay? How are you holding up?"

The titan dipped his head, letting his hair fall over her – blinking slowly with half lidded eyes to express his exhaustion. Rogue groaned softly, lifting his thumb and brushing it over Mikasa's scalp to question the same. She nodded.

"I'm fine. Words can't hurt me remember?" The dark haired teen smiled tenderly and patted his finger. "Thanks for protecting me though."

He nodded, lowering his little one to be with his other baby. The titan then rested his brow into his hand, reflecting on what had just transpired. Words could not express how bad, guilty, and humiliated he felt.

"Look Ellie, we can see him from here!"

Recognizing the familiar whisper, Rogue turned his head to see the two small children, Ellie and her brother, perched upon two large wooden crates to see over the crowd. Amazingly, the two still wore looks of wonder and anticipation.

"Humanity's strongest, that Levi guy just said that The Rogue killed like a bunch of titans during the mission!" The girl's brother boasted. "Like more than most Scouts do in a year's time!"

"Wow…" Ellie trailed off, hugging her doll of him even closer. "He's amazing."

"Yeah! Tough as nails!"

Ellie continued to look on, eyes scanning him over. "He looks so sad though. Maybe – he lost a friend or something?"

Rogue quickly directed his gaze to his feet, cringing. He couldn't stand to hear more, so he pulled the tarp back over his head and over his ears in hopes of blocking out the little but impactful conversation. Of course, the thin layer of cloth did no such thing.

"You're right Ellie, he looks unhappy maybe something did happen."

"Yeah, I hope he feels better soon."

A tear slowly fell down Rogue's face as the wagon left them behind. Painfully, he sat through the district, teeth clenched until they exited into the countryside. He contemplated screaming, but instead he barely bottled everything up for the time being. He just wanted to go home.

**(POV SWAP)**

Click – click – click.

Levi huffed in irritation as the sound echoed across the courtyard, the product of his crutches making themselves known as he walked. Damn how it annoyed him and made him feel absolutely stupid. The whole afternoon was nothing but torture to say the least. Finding a doctor of the edge of Katness was demanding, especially when he had to listen to constant blabbering of the man as he wrapped his fractured leg – the doctor never shutting up about 'Humanity's Strongest being in his care' or 'What's it like working with The Rogue Titan?' Levi groaned at the thought of this, he would have rather sat through his visit with the doctor asking the same old idiotic questions of 'How have you been? How's the family?' or the all too common 'The weather is nice isn't it?' Of course, the hell had started even before that. He knew that Rogue was currently torn apart due to the incident with The Female Titan. Petra was one of the people closest to Rogue and her death was substantial. The titan did not cope well with loss at all. Meeting Petra's father in Katness only made the current situation worse. On top of all that, some fucker had thrown an egg at the traumatized beast. No one deserved that, Rogue included.

At the particular hour, the courtyard was empty. The only company was the chirping crickets. The barn ahead was open, door cracked with soft yellow light shining from the inside. Levi hobbled faster, trying to avoid the incoming sprinkles. Grunting in discomfort, he placed a hand onto the barn's door and with great effort, pushed the barrier away just so to get past. Inside the barn was warm as usual. A gentle snoring reverberated throughout the large space. Rogue lay in his designated side of the room, body loose and completely sound. The titan's face was different from his usual look when he slept, the skin between his brows bunched together in the slightest – hinting at a troubled sleep or a lingering pain. The beast looked completely worn out. Surprisingly, Rogue's 'babies' were nowhere to be seen. The barn's only occupant was of course, an overly excited Hange. The enthusiastic woman was gathering things and sorting instruments in a work space that she had set up before the slumbering titan. For several seconds, Hange continued to look through a metal chest before Levi cleared his throat. At his intrusion, the scientist looked up immediately, dorky grin spread across her face as usual.

"Evening Levi!" Hange began as she pulled out what the Corporal had known as a stethoscope. "Feel any better?" She spoke cheerfully, completely ignoring his look of discomfort.

"Well, my leg is fractured in two places and I'm stuck using crutches for the next six weeks. Tell me how you think I feel?" He deadpanned with Hange only tittering softly.

"If I had to put it into your words, I'd say you feel pretty shitty."

Levi merely rolled his eyes at Hange's whit, the woman using his strange sense of toilet humor against him. The man's steel eyes traveled to the lounging Rogue again, watching as his ear flickered like a sleeping sow. "So where is Arlert and Ackerman? It's rare to not see them next to Rogue at this hour."

"Ah, well as soon as we got here, Rogue went straight to sleep so those two took the time to go eat dinner and get cleaned up." Hange informed. "They might be back in about thirty minutes or so."

Levi nodded and motioned over to seat himself upon a barrel of hay, signing in relief to be off his feet. He then observed Rogue again, listening to his cavernous snoring and watching a muscle in the titan's hip twitch. His mind briefly flashed back to the recent occurrences, giving in to a bit of concern. "So, how's he doing?" The Corporal inquired quietly as if not to wake the beast.

Hange exhaled meticulously, laying a hand onto Rogue's bent knee. "He should make a full recovery by morning with all of his energy included." Hange paused, biting her lip. "Of course, I don't know how bad emotionally he will be when he wakes up. Truthfully, I'm picturing something a lot worse that the cat ordeal, possibly to the level of when he lost the Jaegers."

Levi bent over and placed his chin into his palm, absorbing the woman's words. "How bad was he when I left?"

Hange dithered, turning to look upon Rogue's distressed face. "Not good. I could tell he was getting worse just after the incident with Petra's father. There were points on the way back that he almost lost it. He – kept muttering that it was his fault and he was making himself so uncomfortable that we had to stop several times. Levi – he's claiming that he did something but I think the trauma of all this just has him confused. I feel so sorry for him."

The man sighed, running a hand through his raven hair. "You're right. His emotions are just mixing things up." Levi paused, instinctively gripping his leg. "I still can't believe some idiot threw an egg at him."

She suddenly smiled. "I was amazed when you stepped in and defended him. That speech had me chilling. And the guy looked like he was about to piss his pants!"

"I think if I didn't step in Rogue would have let his overprotective instincts take the reins. He could have done something that attracted all the sorry MP's to us like flies on shit. Sure, he wouldn't have killed the guy, but he probably would have tried to roar at the top of his lungs to scare the moron off."

Hange shrugged her shoulders. "Either that or spit on him."

"I can't decide what's worse, him blowing your eardrums out with a roar or his saliva drenching you to the skin."

The scientist chuckled as she placed the stethoscope onto her neck. "Well either way, I'm sure he's grateful for your help!" Hange concluded as she motioned for the resting creature.

Levi then watched as the woman then proceeded in what he guessed as the examination, but soon becoming suspicious as Hange stood before Rogue's torso. Still beaming from ear to ear, the scientist placed both hands onto the titan's lower abdomen – pushing slightly and barely making an indent due to the creature's muscle mass beneath. Hange then preceded to press the scope to Rogue's belly and listened in intrigue with her lips curling in what he could call a strange form of pleasure. Levi sighed harshly. Was Hange really doing what he thought she was doing?

"Hange – what the hell are you doing now?" He grunted as he gradually got to his feet and placed the crutches where he needed them. "Hange you –

She immediately shushed him, holding up a finger for him to wait. Although he was impatient, Levi postponed for the Squad Leader to complete her observation. Hange then pulled the scope away, nodding to herself and writing down something scientific into her journal. She then returned to the titan's lower abdomen and began to run her hands across the taught flesh. "I'm glad you asked Levi! I'm actually looking for any significant evidence that some sort of mating activity took place!"

At her statement, Levi's palm met his face. "Hange – no."

However, the woman only continued merrily. "Yes Levi! As of now, the mating possibility is still a strong candidate for the truth. Since titan reproduction is a subject with no material, I'm starting my experiments with the known ways that animals reproduce as well as a human's. Right now I'm testing the characteristics that strongly support our current findings about the titan population itself. I'm starting with the weird ones first – the plant theory, the seahorse theory, and the reptile theory."

Knowing that their conversation was taking a dark turn, Levi groaned his disagreement. "Hange –

"My plant and seahorse theories kind of merge. What makes me lean towards these theories is the fact that the male population of titans is so great compared to the female. This brings up the idea that perhaps the male titans are the ones who carry the offspring. Fertilization is obviously needed in the equation thus both sexes are needed for reproduction to work. Now, at this point everything is hypothetical since the idea if titans reproduce or not is still up in the air."

"Damn it, Hange –

"Flowers and plants absorb sunlight for energy as titans do. For example, a flower has both male and female parts. One idea is that a male titan has both male and female parts and somehow fertilizes eggs. Since the female titan is necessary, perhaps she is the one that still creates the unfertilized eggs and then transfers them over to the male during the mating. Of course, there is the other way of reproduction that maybe the female titan transfers her womb with unfertilized eggs to the male and then he fertilizes them and goes through the gestation process – both ideas kind of like a male seahorse." Hange continued, speaking a mile a minute as she prolonged with her strange observation. "We can assume that titans also 'give birth' to multiple offspring at once due to their sheer size in numbers. And I imagine that the gestation process, or pregnancy if you will, doesn't last long either. Perhaps the intelligent titans actually raise the young – it certainly would explain his parental instincts."

"Hange, what the fuck." Levi intruded, but the scientist still went on as if he hadn't said a single word.

"Of course," She snickered. "The reproduction process could be the standard law of nature where the female bares the young. Taking the Female Titan incident into account, I'd say that it is entirely possible that the female does travel to find her perfect suitor. Rogue was her best option if she wanted the strongest offspring. After the mating takes place, the male and female split and the female bares the babies. This leads us to my other theory!" Hange said excitedly as she pulled out a magnifying glass and began to look, much to the Corporal's horror, at Rogue's loins. "Reptiles have their genitals internally. And looking at Rogue, he shares the nictitating membranes trait as reptiles do. Maybe titans just keep the goods inside of them." Hange pressed on as she began to scrutinize the skin upon the lump between Rogue's legs. "With reptiles, there is usually some sort of small –

Unwilling for Hange to continue, Levi quickly lifted his crutch and pressed it into the top of Hange's foot – the scientist yelping and dropping her magnifying glass.

"Hey!"

Levi's unamused scowl deepened. "Hange, I'm not going to sit here and watch you molest Rogue or some shit. Besides, I highly doubt –

"Levi!" Hange whined. "I'm _**experimenting**_! There's a difference!"

He quickly shook his head in denial. "Hange this is just one of your weird titan fantasies. Besides, even if a fucking of some bizarre sort was what was supposed to take place, I doubt that it even happened."

Hange raised a brow. "What makes you say that Levi?"

The short man sighed. "When I arrived, Rogue nearly had the life beat out of him and The Female Titan was just about to bite his nape from his body. The area itself was nearly torn to pieces in the brawl. The brat may have difficulty in spotting the difference between an apple and a tomato but he's stubborn and not the type to let something overpower him. Plus, when Rogue doesn't want to do something, he really doesn't do it. The only exception is me telling him what to do."

Hange shook her head in denial, sighing heavily. "Levi – we didn't see what happened. For all we know, female titans are indeed like black widows and eat the male after they're impregnated. Of course, what you say could very well be true. When I looked at him I didn't feel anything abnormal and the only sounds I heard were his organs at work. As far as anything to suggest hidden genitals – I'm not completely sure. You decided to slam your crutch in my foot." She smirked, but then frowned. "I guess we'll find out the truth once he awakes and we question him. It might be really rough though Levi. I don't expect it to be a pleasant morning."

The man sighed, pushing away Hange's nonsense and let his gaze rest on the titan in repose. Rogue was deep in sleep as he was and perhaps more than he had ever been. The titan's ears flicked at the gentle sound of raindrops falling onto the glass skylight above. The beast exhaled a large amount of steam that ruffled the hay, a sliver of drool running down his chin – Rogue obviously completely spent. Hange was most likely right about what was to come during the morning. The thought quickly brought a crucial detail into play, one that if it were revealed to Rogue – it would only make the beast severely angry.

"Hange."

"Yes?"

He sighed, pulling out Petra's breast patch from his jacket. "No matter what, don't tell Rogue about what happened to Petra's body. Tell the others that as well. We don't need to fester the wound further." Levi muttered, remembering their departure from the forest, being trailed by two titans, and having to sacrifice some of the bodies to slow them down – Petra's being one in the bunch. If that fact were revealed to the creature, they would suffer his wrath.

"Right. We can't let him know that. Although Rogue looks far stronger than an ox or a dozen titans, deep down he's just as delicate as a child."

The Corporal sighed. He wasn't looking forward to sunup.

**(POV SWAP)**

_Darkened lids slowly opened to reveal his emerald greens. He blinked rapidly and with irritation. Everything was bright – too bright. Almost painfully bright. He closed his eyes hard and reopened them, but the lightness remained. The light finally began to dim a bit, letting Rogue irreversibly get a grasp on his surroundings._

_However, the titan quickly became alarmed as he made a frightening discovery. His body – he couldn't move it at all, at least not on his own will. He could only look out at the landscape. Water rolled and lapped against his body, cooling to his hot skin. The teal water was murky and complemented by a fog. However, it was still bright and difficult to look at._

_Rogue blinked again, becoming alarmed to see that he had been whisked way to find a different landscape yet before him. It lacked the comfort of tall trees and other assorted leafy greens. Its pallet was a deep brown and red – make up of rocks and cliffs that scaled as high as the pines in his forest. It was intriguing to say the least; he had never seen such a place. It looked like something out of his little one's book. Before he could attempt to make an objection, Rogue blinked again._

_This time, the landscape was much more familiar. It was a lush forest like his own and just as beautiful. Rogue stood in a clearing that would take anyone's breath away. In it's center was a large river that was clear as crystal, every fish and even the riverbed visible. A large waterfall fed it, making everything serine. In the distance he could see a range of mountains that pierced the heavens themselves. His head turned a bit, allowing him to alter his viewpoint. His heartbeat quickened as he spotted the other elf eared titan from before. Knowing what he wanted to do, Rogue attempted to open his mouth to ask a slew of questions, but he was unable. The only thing his body did was blink._

_Opening his eyes once again, he had to blink to adjust. Once the brightness dulled, Rogue focused, his line of sight at his feet. Instantly, his heart jumped. The earth where he stood was stained red, moist with blood – human blood. Internally, his mind was swarming in panic. Scattered in the puddles of crimson were bare and snapped bones that were woven together by guts and other smashed organs. He blinked, but this time went nowhere. Finally, his head lifted to see the horror beyond. The air was hot, smelling strongly with the stench of death, innards, and decay. The plain stretched for miles along with the carnage. Ruined human structures were no more – wood and rock splintered and scattered in all directions. Bodies of both man and animal were laying everywhere like discarded ragdolls. His breath grew rigged. Who could have performed such genocide? Deep inside, he was in full alarm. He wanted to run. He wanted to get far away – run to his family and little ones. Yet, there was a strong part of him that wished to hunt down and slaughter those responsible. With the vast amount of carnage, this looked to be the product of a titan horde._

_He was torn, he wanted to go and save those he loved just in case they were in the path of destruction, yet he hadn't a clue as to where he was. The ruined buildings, they looked much older than those he knew well in Maria. Was he somewhere outside the walls?_

_Before he could decide on any telling decision, his head turned yet again to look forward. Emerald eyes grew wide as they discovered a towering form on the other side of the large glade. The skinless giant was none other than The Female Titan. Her hair blew in the gentle breeze, pale skin looking even lighter in the bright light – making her lithe figure look almost ghostly. Her hands and feet were soaked in bright red, her pale pink lips glistening with the crimson fluid. Rogue then recalled that this titan had taken a precious being from him, and seeing the mess before him – he could only assume that this monster was responsible for it as well._

_With anger fuming and a primal need surging down his spine, Rogue tried to will himself to push forward and sink his teeth into her nape – but he still couldn't move. His body was frozen, only permitting him to look forward. Anxious, Rogue watched as The Female rotated slowly to look upon him, face looking nearly bored but with burning blues glued upon him._

_When their eyes met, all she did was form a cunning smile._

With a quick breath and a sharp beat of his heart, Rogue's eyes flew open to view the cozy interior of the barn. It was morning, or perhaps midday. The strong scent of fresh hay circulated around the wide interior. The birds sang outside despite a coming rain, but there was a melancholy aura in the air.

"Well, it's nice to see you awake."

Rogue looked up at the source of the voice, surprised to find Jean standing next him. The young man held a pitchfork, moving hay where it was needed along with Connie who was struggling to carry in a fresh barrel. The titan raised a brow in suspicion, looking down at his palm to check for his little ones only to find that they were absent. Why was Connie and Jean in his nest and his little ones elsewhere? Rogue whined softly, calling for his two companions without a word.

"Hey, don't worry." Jean continued, oddly sounding nicer than his usual arrogance. "Armin and Mikasa are just finishing up lunch. Hange – well I think she's going over some things with the two of them. Not sure though."

"The both of us were told to come keep you company!" Connie called over from where he sat down his barrel and began to shovel hay. "You were freaking us out for a minute. You were starting twitch and whimper in your sleep. We thought your were starting to have another nightmare."

At the word, Rogue sat up and let his hand curve from his cheek into his scalp. It had been a dream – the gore, it had only been the beginning of a nightmare. The blood, bones, and –

His other hand snaked up to his head, fingers clutching a wad of locks with the titan's nails digging against his scalp as the realization settled into him. Rogue's body began to tremble and quake as everything began to replay.

The Female Titan.

"Uh, Rogue?" Connie muttered as the titan's pupils shrunk and the beast's body shook more noticeably. "Are you –

"Connie… go get Hange, Mikasa, Armin, and the others." Jean spoke, voice low and serious. "This doesn't look good."

Rogue did not take notice of the shorter teen leaving from the barn, too lost in his thoughts. The Female Titan – their brawl in the forest. He was outmatched, foolishness to blame. She had nearly killed him, crushing part of his skull, and almost tore his nape out. He shook harder, moaning as the entire event began to unfold in his head. The blood, there was crimson everywhere – smeared on nearly every surface. His eyes widened further. His small pack: Eld, Gunter, Oluo, and –

Petra.

His sharp claw like nails punctured the skin of his scalp, blood decorating the tips of his fingers. Petra, his poor Petra! She was gone! The Female Titan had killed her! Smeared her against the bark of a towering tree like an insect! Her scream echoed in his head, rattling his skull. He couldn't get to her quick enough! She was dead! It… it… it was his fault. If he had denied her request, she would still be talking sweetly to him, training with him, and teaching him! He had lost her! And it was his fault!

He had caused Petra's death!

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin blew on his spoonful of porridge in an attempt to change it to a manageable temperature before sticking it into his mouth. The blonde seized the moment to steer away from a current conversation he was having with Mikasa and Hange to examine the occupants of the mess hall. Usually, the room was full of some sort of life, but since they had returned from the expedition the day before, the mess hall was eerily quiet and depressing. Everyone spoke less and at a low volume, some even sniffled. Armin and many others fully understood why. Almost everyone in the room had at least lost a friend in the expedition. Petra too, was also another reason. Every Scout was incredibly fond of her and her caring personality. The veteran always lit up the room whenever she entered. Armin swallowed. Rogue and Petra were extremely close. In fact, the teen discovered that in the recent weeks, many people had taken to calling Petra the 'Titan Momma' or 'Momma Petra' for Rogue's relationship with the gentle woman was the very kind that some would say was a 'Mother and Son' kind of bond. Indeed Armin agreed to the fact. The titan spent most of his away time from both he and Mikasa with either Petra or Hange. Rogue had done some things with Petra that he had only ever reserved to Carla. There was no doubt about it; Rogue was going to be incredibly upset when he awakened.

"So Hange, during your examination last night, did you find out if Rogue – really mated?" Mikasa suddenly spoke from the lip of her glass.

The scientist, hair messy and eyes tired looking from what was most likely an all night event, spun her fork in her soup. "Well, like I told Levi last night, I probably won't know for sure until I can speak with Rogue. Of course, while he was asleep I did look for any signs that mating activity took place. However, those results too, were inconclusive. Any internal activity was just his organs and his abdomen felt perfectly normal. I even looked for a hidden male reproductive –

However, Hange was interrupted by a long hollow wail that bounced off the walls and the outside corridor. Armin dropped his spoon. He knew the cry so well.

"Hey guys!"

The two teens and many others watched as Connie sped toward them, eyes wide in fear.

"Armin, Mikasa, Hange!" He breathed. "It's Rogue! I don't think he woke up well!"

* * *

The two teenagers and a team of others raced toward the open barn, narrowly avoiding Connie as he stumbled over his own two feet. The blonde swallowed in fear. The distraught titan's cries echoed across the courtyard and rattled nearby windows. It was just what he had feared, an episode similar to when Rogue had lost the Jaegers. Armin had known that on their journey back to headquarters in the previous day that his titanic friend was incredibly unstable and emotionally damaged. Now it seemed like Rogue had finally snapped.

Upon entering the barn, both Armin and Mikasa were treated to an unwanted sight. In the corner where the titan always slept, sat a moaning and groaning Rogue. The titan was hunched over with his face pressed against the barn floor with his hands gripping the hair on his head, nails digging so deeply into his scalp that slivers of blood steamed down his jawline. The titan's body shook violently as he whined and whimpered like a wounded animal. From memory, this was indeed one of Rogue's emotional breakdowns.

Around the titan stood several other spectators, including he and Mikasa's friends from the 104th, Hange, Levi, and Erwin. It was obvious that they were spellbound, looks of extreme bewilderment upon their faces. Rogue suddenly released another hollow wail, one that sounded like a sad and lost child. A repetitive clicking noise met his ears, Armin turning to see that Levi had positioned himself next to the teen – face nothing but serious.

"Arlert, Ackerman." The Corporal began in a low-key tone. "Do you have a suggestion of how we can fix this?"

He hesitated watching as Hange took a weary step toward the upset behemoth. "Sir, um – Rogue is –

"He's having a breakdown." Mikasa chimed in. "The first thing we have to do is calm him, but it's a challenge. The best way to do that is get mostly everyone out of here since he's pretty delicate in this state. A lot of people will probably stress him out more. If he gets too upset he'll start throwing things. After that, we have to approach him gently."

"Understood." Levi sighed as he hobbled over to Erwin, awkwardly moving on his new crutches to the taller male. The two teens watched as their superiors exchange a few words before Erwin cleared his throat.

"Everyone." The Commander began in calm manner. "Please leave the barn." Erwin concluded with many of the Scouts departing. The Commander then followed the recruits from the building, pausing at the Corporal's side. "If you need any assistance, we're right outside."

The short male nodded in reply before looking back to the two teens – standing back as to wait for the problem to be resolved. Rogue whined again, breath rigged and strained. The titan shivered harder as if he was a poor dog left out in the cold.

"Rogue?" Mikasa began as she approached the fifteen-meter megalith warily. "Settle down now." The teen spoke earnestly. "We're here now." She pressed on as she slowly approached the shaken titan, hands up and outstretched – using the correct approach that Armin had formulated to deal with Rogue's extreme breakdowns.

Following the teen's lead, Hange got in the same stance and slowed her approach. "Rogue my dear!" The woman began sweetly as if she were a grandmother. "It's Mama Hange! Why don't you calm down and tell us what's bothering you?"

At the scientist's final sentence, Rogue's body stiffened with the titan's shoulders shuttering. " **NNNNNNN…NNNNNNN…NNYYYYY AALLTT! EETTT EETT NNNNYYY AAALLTT!"** The titan muttered loudly, words jumbling and running together at points.

Making his own approach, Armin cleared his throat. "Come on Rogue! Settle down! Me, Mikasa, Hange, and Levi are here!" The blonde reassured, but his statement only fell on deaf ears.

" **NNYYYY AAALLLTT!"**

**"** Rogue, it's alright." Mikasa continued as she laid a hand onto the titan's scalp, not paying attention to the slight oils in the beast's hair. "Shhhh… settle down so we can talk." Mikasa spoke tenderly as she massaged Rogue's head. Although the titan's shuttering body stilled with the touch, he continued to utter gibberish.

" **AAALLTT. EETTTAAALLL NNNYYY ALLTTT…**

Catching up to par with what the titan was saying, Armin opened his mouth to deny, but was quickly surprised and distracted by the Corporal making his way to the ongoing crisis, ignoring his fractured leg. "Jaeger, it's not your fault that Petra was killed –

However, at the mentioning of his companion's name, Rogue suddenly lifted his face from the floor and let out another hollow and ghostly howl before sitting upright upon his rump. The titan sobbed harder, rocking back and forth on his rear with his head buried into his hands. The sight indeed was a pitiful one; loss was certainly no easy thing to deal with for the titan.

Armin watched as Mikasa let out a long sigh and motioned to the titan's leg. As she usually did and with the kind touch of a maternal figure, the teen rubbed the titan's thigh to gain his attention. "Rogue?" Mikasa began carefully. "Calm down. We're trying to help you." She smiled softly. "Can you please tell us what happened?"

He felt slightly reassured at her tone; if anyone could coax Rogue out of an episode it was Mikasa. From the very beginning, it had always been that way. Eyes watched as the titan slowly raised his head from his hands and wrapped his arms around his broad shoulders. Armin swallowed fretfully. Rogue's face looked like one of absolute defeat. His face was damp from tears and the whites of his eyes were bloodshot and eyelids puffy. The titan's brows were drawn together in anguish as his lowered ears shook like wobbly newborn animal. Rogue's hands clenched his shoulders even harder as he looked to the barn's occupants. The titan then lowered his head in the slightest, whining through his clenched teeth.

"Come on Rogue!" Hange encouraged. "You can tell us anything."

Armin gulped yet again, looking at the titan now; he knew the beast wasn't going to be able to speak about what had occurred that day in the forest. Not very well at least. Rogue sniveled again, hands traveling to his scalp to grip his hair.

" **UURRGGHH… EEIII… EETT AASSS NNYY AALLTT!"** Rogue started, giving in to a reply.

Mikasa continued to tenderly rub the titan's skin, face hiding any sort of emotional pain. "I'm sure you're wrong Rogue. Please, tell us what happened."

Rogue gave in to another series of tight shivers. " **EEII… EIII… AAASSS EENN OOODDSS."** The creature forcefully breathed, words nearly gibberish. " **TTIITTAANN… BIIITTCCHH AASS… AATTTAACCCKKK UUSSS. DEENN… NICCH! SSQQAADDD IIEEE!"** Rogue roared pathetically, the titan suddenly plunging his hand into the piles of straw and throwing a wad of it across the room – hay flying everywhere like a heavy snow. The titan bellowed loudly again, the cry strained as he picked himself up and propped himself on the balls of his feet before falling to his knees and nearly doubling over.

"So, The Female Titan attacked you and my squad?" Levi questioned, putting Armin on high alert. In truth it was probably best if it was only he and Mikasa dealing with Rogue. Both Hange and Levi were not fully aware with how easily some words tripped up the titan in this tantalizing state.

Rogue withered at the man's query, moaning loudly enough to make the floor vibrate beneath his feet. The titan raised his head, hands grabbing at his long locks once again. " **EETTTrRRAAaa."** Rogue continued, voice as shaky as fall's last leaf. " **EEIII NNOOTTT AASSTTT EEnnoUUGHH.** **EEIIII NNOOTTT AASSSTTTT…"**

"Rogue –

" **EIII NNOOTTT!"** The titan whined, words slowly becoming unclear. The creature shifted again, removing himself from his knees to sit upon the heels of his feet once more. Rogue placed his palms into the hay **,** fingers curling and twitching as the titan arched his back. **"EETTRRAAA… EETTRRAAA… DIIIIEEEE CUUUUZZ NNEEE!"** Rogue wailed, rattling the barn's rooftop. " **EEII NNESS UP! EI NOTASST! ETRADEEDCUZ RRRRRRRR! STTUUTTIIDDD NNOOUTTHH!** Rogue luridly cursed his mouth structure, bringing a hand to his bottom jaw and pulling much to Armin and everyone's horror.

"Rogue stop!" He called, sounding much more stern than he ever had with the titan, perhaps more stern with anyone else.

Thankfully, the titan ceased with detaching his jaw. However, before a single soul could say a word, the titan produced a desolate but aggravated howl and slipped between the small spell bounded group. Armin observed painfully as Rogue scrambled, moving awkwardly on his hands and feet beneath the roof of the barn and began to throw hunks of hay in all directions. In any normal circumstance, Rogue chucking hay would have just been seen as the beast playing, but with the titan's extreme sounds of distress it was evident that Rogue was using the straw as a supplement for something to take his anger out on other than himself. Of course, the behavior told the two teens that knew the titan the best that Rogue was incredibly unstable and was likely to throw things other than harmless hay.

"Rogue! Please calm down!" Hange called.

"Rogue Jaeger!"

The party of Scouts continued to beg the beast to stabilize, but nothing of the sort happened. To their dismay, Rogue continued to move around and throw hay all over the room, shaking the walls of the barn with each weighty shift – making the wind chime that Hange had gifted him jingle uncontrollably. The noise caught Rogue's attention, but instead of the simple instrument promoting whimsy, it only mocked the beast. Snarling, Rogue reached up and gave the object a good swipe, knocking the wind chimes from their hanger to send them flying towards the wooden wall and landing in a crumpled and tangled heap.

"Shit. Rogue!"

With a throaty moan and a high-pitched drone, the titan set his eyes onto his collection in the corner and clumsily shuffled to it. Before Mikasa, He, or the others could open their mouths – Rogue dug into his not so secret pile of objects and toys and flung a handful of them all across the barn. Several of the titan's possessions now lay broken at his large feet, including many things that Rogue had snuck into his pile without asking. Armin swallowed, to see that the titan was upset enough to break his own things that he had loved and cherished pulled at the teen's heartstrings. At the moment, with Rogue nearly harming himself and throwing projectiles, he was almost unapproachable and in such cases Mikasa and Armin could do nothing until Rogue ran out of steam.

"Rogue! Please calm down!" Mikasa called desperately.

Unfortunately, the girl's plea didn't register as Rogue turned and exited out of the open door, the gasps of several Scouts being heard from within the barn's interior.

"Damn it!" Levi cursed loudly as he hobbled forward as fast as his working leg and crutches could take him. "If he accidentally harms someone, the fucking MP's will be on our asses!"

Hearing a loud commotion outside, Mikasa bolted from the messy interior of the barn with Hange trailing close behind. Mirroring their notions, Armin left Rogue's nest to witness quite a scene unfolding before the Scouts. All stood watching in worry as the titan crumpled to his knees in the center of the worn brick courtyard, the impact making the wood of the barn shutter. For a moment, it was silent, leading Armin to believe that all had passed, but the teen was wrong as Rogue threw back his head and released a long, and loud bellow from the pit of his stomach. Unlike his usual warnings projected to the earth and the heavens, this one was no warning. The sound of it was more hollow than the devil's heart and more sad than a slow playing violin. This cry was one that just begged the question of why.

"Rogue." The blonde teen muttered to himself. "Please."

The titan's tragic roar then dulled to a mere rumble in his throat as the grey sky began to shed its tears. Rogue then slowly hunched over once again, body shaking in the rain without the cold embrace. The creature then lifted his fist and brought it down upon the bricks, the sound of crackling stone echoing across the weedy courtyard. Rogue lifted his fist again and brought it down upon the same spot, over and over until steam began to elevate from bruised skin and a small crater had been formed in the wide walkway. The titan then sat still, muttering beneath his breath that the situation was somehow his fault.

Mikasa took a step forward, bravery and love pushing her. "Rogue?" She began with her tone of voice sounding soft but laced with anguish. "Please settle down. It's – raining." The dark haired teen continued, going with a different approach. "Why don't you come inside?"

With the titan's back still turned to them, Rogue slowly raised his head at Mikasa's invitation. However, the titan was still caught in his own storm of self-pity as he suddenly let out another heavy bout of sadness and picked up a nearby bench and threw it nearly fifty meters. Rogue then proceeded to pull up patches of long grass and hurl them into the nearby field – his behavior similar to what Armin read as a rampaging gorilla. The titan's spectators remained nearby and without any gear, most likely trusting that they were not targets of Rogue's guilt fueled wrath. If an actual titan had been placed right in front of the beast at the very moment, Armin didn't doubt that the fifteen-meter behemoth would slaughter it in the most torturous way possible.

"Rogue! Please stop!" Mikasa yelled again, voice pleading now and almost sounding as if tears choked it.

This time, the titan paused in his tantrum of sorts and let his body loosen. For a moment it was quiet with nothing but the gently falling rain and the sound of Rogue's exhausted breath to soothe. Then, without batting an eye to each of them, the titan slowly lowered himself to crawl on all fours back into his nest. Armin swallowed to rid the knot in his throat and force it past his stomach as Rogue sat back down in his corner. Much like a young child, the creature drew his legs up and buried his face into his knees, wrapping his arms around his body in security. He sighed, hopefully the titan had calmed.

Several minutes passed as Armin, Mikasa, Hange, and Levi stood close to the titan, monitoring his breathing patterns and his quiet noises of distress. Finally, Mikasa approached the sulking creature with a tender touch to his shin, saying no words but simply massaging the particular spot. Seeing that Rogue appeared to be rather calm, Hange cautiously edged forward, stepping on the soles of her boots.

"Rogue my dear? If you could, can you please tell us all what happened? We're just trying to help you." The scientist spoke with her tone placid as a serene lake.

The titan didn't lift his head, still keeping his face hidden behind his knees. " **Nnnooo."** He hushed, however, as usual, Hange let her eagerness steer her.

"Please Rogue. We're very worried about you. Please just –

" **NNNOO."** The titan responded a little louder than before and pulled himself in tighter.

"Rogue. We are just trying to give you some relief. Please let all of us help –

" **NNOOOO! NNOOOTTT NNNNOOOHHH!"** The beast yelled suddenly as he placed his fingers beneath Hange's workstation and with quick reflex, flipped the long table over to spill its contents onto the hay floor. Glass beakers shattered and boxes of supplies became lost into the straw. Hange's face was completely mortified, but oddly she wasn't staring at her own belongings. Armin's jaw dropped in the slightest as he discovered what the object was.

The music box.

"Oh no."

Indeed the titan's favorite thing that wasn't an object meant for play was the antique music box. Ever since they had given it to him, Rogue had cherished the thing. Every night, the titan listened to the soothing wordless nursery rhymes until he fell asleep. When Rogue had revealed to them the reason for his fondness of the object, saying that it helped keep the nightmares away, Hange had offered to place the music box into her desk so Rogue could open it whenever he wanted. Like a child's plush toy, the titan hardly ever went to bed without it. Now, it lay soundless in the straw – the side of it cracked, a leg missing, a spring visibly loose, and the ballerina's arm missing.

As carefully as he could, Armin picked up the pieces along with Hange, noticing the alarmed green eyes of Rogue watching them and never veering. The titan's eyes then began to water again, the beast moaning with the sound scratching his throat. Armin felt himself sweat. The titan was bound to initiate his tantrum yet again, the trembling of his broad shoulders saying as much.

"Don't worry." Hange articulated sincerely. "I can fix it. Just give me a bit of time…

" **GGG… GGG… GGEEEETTT OOOUUUTT."** Rogue unexpectedly forced past his teeth. " **GGGEEETT OOOUUTTT!"**

Bewildered by the titan's request, the teens and veterans remained in their current spots as they watched Rogue lower himself onto his back and turn over to face the corner – curling into the tightest ball possible without snapping his spine. If it weren't for the circumstances, Armin would have said that the titan's position was somewhat cute. But of course it wasn't whatsoever. It was clear that the creature wanted some peace.

Silence covered the barn before Levi cleared his throat.

"Let's leave him be. It's obvious that he wants some time alone. We'll have to continue with our efforts later. I may not be an expert on reading him, but it's very vivid that he wants some quiet." The man concluded as he turned to hobble out of the barn. Mikasa sighed.

"He's right. In situations like this, sometimes he's better on his own."

Armin nodded in agreement. Hoping that Rogue would be better and stable enough soon. It was clear that the titan was confused and the blonde desperately wished to know what happened, not only would it put a theory to rest but it would also help the poor creature.

**(POV SWAP)**

Thunder rolled overhead with rain pounding against the rooftop of the barn. It was quiet, eerily peaceful in his nest. The sun had not shown its face for three days and neither did he. Nearly seventy-two hours after his outburst, Rogue still refuged inside the warm interior of the barn. His nerves had been horrid during the days that had passed. Even when he was ordered to or had been asked nicely, Rogue refused to leave the nest. He would growl and project his desire for alone time each and every attempt the pack made to coax him out. The titan had only ever wished for solitude once before when he had lost his humans. There were many times that Levi and a few of his new small humans tried to enter and speak with him, but he only responded with a hiss – wordlessly telling them that he wanted to be left alone to his memories. For a time, he even wanted his little ones to leave him alone for the titan knew that they would try to comfort him and question him to make 'him feel better' but it just made him uncomfortable. Made him feel stupid. Recently however, he had grown more lenient. In the last day and a half, Rogue had allowed his babies and Hange to visit with him for brief intervals. To the titan, it was evident that they knew he was depressed for they didn't query about what had happened but rather made small talk with added humor.

Rogue lay across the length of the barn, loose and in a different spot other than his usual resting place. The titan breathed steadily, green pools looking at the large spoon that Petra had given him as a welcome gift. Rogue held it carefully between his forefinger and thumb, looking at his reflection in it. Although it was an object that was merely meant to serve human food, to Rogue it was a treasure. It was all he had left of Petra. Her death haunted him still – the idea that he wasn't fast enough or smart enough to save her lingered in the back of his mind. However, since his self assigned isolation, Rogue had begun to actually focus on the events and occurrences that transpired during his encounter with The Female Titan. At the time, he was too furious to absorb their meaning, but now some of them stood out completely. One of them though mounted above all others. Somehow, the skinless female knew him and the itching feeling that she was familiar was too strong to just set aside.

Was it really possible? Could he have known her before he had lost his memories as Hange and his little ones had said? The Female seemed to know him. So perhaps it was true. She had called him 'Coordinate' or something like that. Was that supposed to be his name or something? It didn't sound like a name. The Female Titan had called herself a Warrior so perhaps the term was like a job or something. He couldn't say. Maybe… maybe his little ones and Hange could help him.

Rogue whined softly, letting his head fall back to the hay and tucking an arm up to his chest as his eyes still looked at Petra's spoon. He had so many questions about The Female Titan such as how did she produce the hard crystal on her body, where had she come from, but most importantly why was he worth killing over? He groaned, all the questions made his head hurt.

Suddenly, the titan's ear flickered at the sound of the opening barn door, a loud creaking sound that always echoed throughout the big room no matter how gently one tried to peel away the entrance. As he had done for the past three days, the titan kept his ear erect and inhaled quietly to see just who had entered his domain. Thankfully, it was Hange and his little ones coming for their visit, the second of the day. Hearing them whispering to one another, Rogue kept his breath normal and pretended to not notice as he listened.

"Hopefully this will cheer him up. I feel so sorry for him." Hange informed. "I hate seeing him like this."

"True, we've never seen him this depressed since the Jaegers. Of course he was probably the same way when Mikasa and I left."

"He was a little better this morning, he let us eat breakfast with him."

"Oh yes, hopefully this time there is progress and we can bring him out of his shell."

Rogue then loosened further just before he felt tiny hands and feet scaling over one of his ankles. Emerald hues then shifted to his approaching companions, eyes half lidded as he studied them. Their approach was slow and easy, wearing only their leisurely nightwear and not their traditional uniforms. His little ones held their own covered dishes of food while Hange advanced with her hands holding something behind her back. They wore tender smiles as usual as if they were dedicated nurses. Perhaps in this scenario they were. Feeling the need to acknowledge them, Rogue produced a small and feeble trill in greeting – the first form of hello he had made in days.

A wide smile spread across the messy haired female's face at the massive titan's little rumble. "Well now! It's nice to finally get such a greeting from you Rogue!" Hange chuckled. "Armin, Mikasa, and I thought we would come and have dinner with you! Is that okay sweetheart?" The scientist beamed, showing more kindness.

Admittedly wanting their company, Rogue gave a slight nod in return and allowed Hange to sit on a bale of hay and for his babies to sit on his tucked arm. If he decided to share what happened, then the situation was ideal. Although he was leery and hated to speak of the day, he really wanted help in trying to figure out the answers. Perhaps the flying human pack had learned something about the titan that he hadn't.

"Thank you Rogue!" Hange continued as she pulled the object from behind her back and placed it onto her lap. The titan couldn't help but to lift his head in curiosity as he studied the item wrapped up in a white cloth. "We actually have a surprise for you!" Hange started as she began to unwrap the linen to reveal his music box – his very one that had completely healed up. "Armin and I spent a few days fixing it. Sometimes we were in town searching for the right parts since some things had to be completely replaced. It's now like new again!" Hange spoke excitedly as she opened the lid to expose the little dancing human and the sweet melody. "It even sounds great too!"

"What do you think, Rogue? Are you happy to have it back?" Mikasa inquired as she placed her own dinner into her lap.

Rogue's ears perked up as he stared at the mended music box in awe. When the beautiful thing had broken by his hand, he felt nothing but remorse and even more so that he had broken some of Hange's things in his tantrum. To see his treasured possession like new again brought a slight smile to his face – a small purr slipping from his throat in gratitude. Hange nearly squealed.

"A smile! It's nice to see that after so long!" The woman articulated as she placed the music box on her desk. "It's also wonderful to hear your signature purr too! Even if it was just a little one!"

Rogue nodded shyly in agreement and let his head rest back into the plush of his other folded arm, still debating if he was ready or not to speak of his encounter with The Female Titan. For a moment, the four listened to the pitter-patter of rain hitting the roof and window overhead. The titan observed quietly as the three indulged on their delectable veggie soup, waiting to see what conversation was going to surface next.

"I heard that it's supposed to be sunny outside tomorrow." Armin began as he dipped a bread roll into the soup's broth. "I looked at an almanac in town."

"That's nice to hear." Mikasa responded, voice at ease and relatively quiet. "I'm sick of all this rain."

"I think it actually flooded in some parts of Wall Rose – probably the river." Hange added as she crammed a large spoonful into her mouth.

The small blonde laughed wholeheartedly. "It would be a good day to go to the lake again. Rogue, you could come and sit in the sunlight or maybe even swim with us." Armin addressed the titan. "It's probably the last time this year we can swim before the weather starts to change."

Rogue grunted a small and irresolute reply, blinking slowly before turning his attention to the blades of hay beneath him. Maybe it was best to go with his intention of sharing his story with them while they had just begun their dinner. That way they could spend time to help him before they went in repose. Nodding inwardly to himself, Rogue emitted his usual questioning grunts, easily gaining his family's attention – faces reflecting their surprise at his involvement.

"What is it Rogue?" The dark haired teen inquired, suddenly setting down her spoon.

He lifted his head, biting his tongue slightly in substitution for a lip as his eyes glanced from the hay to his captive audience. " **EIII… AANNTT – AALLLK NNOWW."**

At his words they looked stunned – Hange nearly dropping her plate. "What? Do you want to talk to us about something, Rogue?"

He dipped his head, trying to summon up a bit of courage. " **EESS. EEEIII AANNTT AALLK ADDOOUT TTIIITTAANN DDIITTCCHH."**

The scientist's brows rose even higher than the frames of her glasses. "Titan – Bitch? You mean The Female Titan?"

Rogue nodded. " **ESSS. EEIIII SSAAEE UUTT AAAPPPEEENN."** He informed, preparing to dish out a heavy amount of human tongue to communicate his story.

"Oh my… Please! Do go ahead Rogue! If it's possible – please include as many details as you can! Oh! Would you like Levi to hear this?"

The titan dithered before shaking his head in denial. Although seeing the Corporal wasn't a bad thing, Levi would most likely put his 'two cents' in every sentence or so. At this point, Rogue wanted to say what he knew quickly and get it over with. Besides, Hange would always pass the news along later.

"Okay then." Hange understood. "You can start whenever you want to."

Rogue nodded. " **EEEEIII SSIITT UUTT EEAASSE?"** He asked with the others heeding to his desire to get into a new position. Free for any tiny frame upon him, Rogue sat up in the barn and folded his legs neatly. A nervous hand snaked up to his scalp, giving it a slight scratch out of habit before laying his arm in his lap. Hange and his little ones sat patiently with their eyes pleading for him to begin. " **UHH… LOOTT AALLKK AABBOUUTT."** The titan warned, hoping that his companions really had a free schedule. To his relief, they only smiled.

"It's alright, we have nothing better to do anyway. Take all the time you need."

The creature inhaled deeply to tame the butterflies in his belly before letting out a jet of steam, welcoming a gentle pat to his foot as encouragement. " **EEEIII UUNNDD SSQQUUAD SSIIT INNN OORREESTT AAFFTTERR EEVVII EEAAVVEE."** Rogue began, trying to keep any emotion at bay. " **SSAAWW FLLAARRE UNNDD EEFT. TTIITTANN BIIITTCCHH AATTAACCKK UUSS EENNN BBAAAKK."**

Armin nodded slowly as he absorbed the titan's statement. "So the Female Titan attacked you from behind?"

" **EESSS."** Rogue paused, gritting his teeth as his hand balled up into a fist while he prepared to deliver the hardest part of the story. " **SSHHE KKIILL GGUUNNTRR IIRRSST. UUTTHHERRSS AANNTT GGOOO HHUUNTT BBIITCH."** The titan hesitated, breath hitching in his chest as he struggled with saying her name. " **EE…EETTRAA TEELL NNEE GGOO EELLPP EEVVII, AANNGGEE, UUNNDD IITTLLEE OONNS."**

"So when Gunter was killed the Levi squad decided to go after The Female Titan and Petra told you to go and aid me, your babies, and the Corporal." The scientist assessed with the beast indicating that she was correct.

" **EEII… NNOOTT AANNTT TOO GGOO TOOUUGGHH."** Rogue admitted, a small tear leaking from the corner of his eye before he stubbornly wiped it away.

"You didn't want to leave her but you followed the order anyway." Mikasa translated as she sat aside her soup. "You followed the order because you didn't want to get in trouble right?"

" **EESSS UUNNDD EEIII BEEELLEEAVDD EENN DDEMM."** The titan sighed shakily. " **EEII AASS RROONNGG TTOOUUGGHH."** The beast's voice crackled, emotions constantly pulling at him – his state apparently visible to his tiny companions as Mikasa lifted herself up and rubbed his palm along with Hange.

"It's okay, Rogue. Would you like to keep going?"

Rogue shut his eyes tightly, swallowing a large wad in his throat, before reopening them. " **SSQQUUAAADD IIGGHTT TTIITTAANN. DDEENN SSHHEE KIILL EELDD. EEIII… DDEENN NNAAKKEE GGUUGGNNEENNTT CCAAL."**

"You decided to make a judgment call and go and help." Armin decoded. The titan nodded, ears sinking.

" **EEAAHH. DDEENN OLLOO AASS DDEED. EEII… EIII… DDIIDD… NNOTT GGEETT TOOOO… EETTRAA EENN IIMMEE."** Rogue whimpered, throat tightening and heart sinking to his stomach. The titan sighed, grabbing his arm tightly to snap him out of his emotional pit. " **DDEENN EEII GGOOT AANNGGRRE."** Rogue paused, trying to figure how to deliver the strange words he had exchanged with The Female Titan. **"DDDEEENN EEEE IIGGHHTT."**

**"** And then during your brawl, The Female Titan nearly killed you with her incredible crystalizing ability just before Levi and Mikasa stepped in." Hange articulated, the titan noticing that she was scribing her findings in the journal that she had been making about him.

" **ESSSSSS…"** Rogue trailed off, looking at the details of his skin for a moment before staring at his listening family below. " **DDAAT… NNOOTT INNPPOORRRTTANNT DDOOUGGHH."** He corrected, watching their faces light up with both extreme concern and interest.

"Are – you saying that something happened during the fight between the two of you?" Armin questioned, putting his bowl away as well.

The titan nodded, fingers coming up to scratch his chin like many of his companions did when they were deep in thought or trying to figure human things out. " **EEHH… DDEERREE IISS LOOTT TOOO SSAAAEE."**

"It's alright, Rogue!" Hange intercepted quickly. "We need to know this."

Rogue shifted on his rump, trying to decide what he should reveal first. " **SSHHEE… EEEIII… SSHHEE TTAALKK."**

At his declaration, Hange's writing stick fell from her hand and his little ones gasped at the revelation. "The Female Titan – she could speak?"

" **EEAAHH. NNOTT EERRFFECCTT LLIIKKE UUUU. EETTEERRR DDAANN NEE DDOUUGGHH."**

**"** Shit! What did she say!"

Again, Rogue dithered, trying to come up with the correct way to put things. " **EEII… TTIINNKK EEEIII NNOOHHH ERR."**

The barn grew silent with only the rain and uneasy heartbeats speaking.

**"** WHAT!" Hange gasped, his little ones now fully alarmed. "You know her!"

He shook his head. " **EELL – SSHHE ASSSS,"** Rogue dithered; trying to remember the correct word he was looking for. " **AAHH…AANNIILLIAARR?"**

**"** You mean that she felt familiar to you, Rogue?" Mikasa quizzed. The titan nodded.

" **ESSS. TTIITTAANN BIITTCCHH SEEENN TOO NOOHH NNEE."**

Armin's mouth fell agape"My god, so you're saying that The Female Titan knew you?"

He grunted. " **SSHHEE SSAAEE SSHEE SOOCCKKEED TTOO EEARR NEE AALLK. SAEE EEII ASSSS AALAAIISS STTUUTTIID."** Rogue continued, going over his foe's words. " **SHEEE… CCAALL NEEE,"** The titan stalled, trying to figure out how to pronounce the word that had come from the female's pale lips. " **CC…CC…OOORRRDDIINNATE."**

Once more there was a definite pause. Hange rubbed her chin just as he had done while his little ones looked at one another in question. Did the word really mean something in human tongue like he had thought?

"Hmmm… very interesting." The scientist pondered aloud, the ghost of a smirk pulling at her face.

" **AAHHTT OORRDD NNEEAANN?"** Rogue innocently inquired, watching as Hange wrote something in her journal.

"Well, the word coordinate has a few different but mostly similar meanings. The definition that is usually listed first is 'a harmonious combination' it also means 'to combine' or to 'put together' Rogue." Hange informed, suddenly unable to hide her smile - a completely devious smile that he had witnessed several times during his sessions with the messy haired flying human. "Very intriguing indeed."

The titan raised a brow in confusion. What was Hange thinking?"

"Hange, do you really think that's what the female titan meant?" Mikasa cut in with Hange nodding.

"It's a likely theory." The woman responded before looking to him in a way that Rogue could call animated and almost disturbing. "Rogue – do you know what mating is?"

The titan sat back, head tilted in disbelief. Mating, he didn't know much about it but he did know that his humans were mates. " **ERRR… IITT NNNEEAANN TTOOGETTERR?"**

Hange bit her lip, tossing her head to one side and staring at a fixed point before looking back to him. "Well, to be more correct scientifically, mating is a process Rogue. It's – when a male and female, a boy and girl, get together and do… a series of maneuvers against one another – in order to make babies."

Upon hearing Hange's explanation, Rogue unknowingly emitted an odd grunt and tilted his head in serious question – his facial expression a nearly priceless one. Was he hearing her right? He had seen his deer do something like what Hange had described before giving birth some time later. Did Hange really think – was that the reason why The Female Titan went after him?

"Rogue, when The Female Titan encountered you, did she try to – make you do anything? Did she get on you in a non-aggressive way or did you feel your body doing something weird like feeling funny? Did you have any strange urges?"

The titan's solid stare in disbelief begins to look nearly comical as she continued to list a series of odd moves that he had seen animals do. He never felt what she called arousal. All he felt at the time was the urge to slaughter and consume his prey. " **NNOO… UUSTT NNEED TTOO KIILL ERR."** He corrected. Armin sighed.

Hange, not to sound rude or anything, but I think we need to see if anything else happened before we come to that conclusion." The blonde articulated with the scientist sighing in defeat.

"Ah, you're right. Rogue, was there anything else in particular that The Female Titan did?"

He nodded, thankful that his little one had said something. " **ESSS. SHEE CCAAALL HHERR AAAHH OORRIIORR. SSHHEE SSAAYY EEEII NNOTT INNTTOORTTAANNTT AANND SSHEE AANTT AA TTIINNGG FROONN NNEE."**

**"** Hmmm… perhaps her purpose really was conception and female titans really are like black widows and mantises. In other words she could have wanted Rogue's fertilization before she intended to kill him." Hange continued to speculate, the titan noticing Mikasa's face tint slightly crimson.

"It does make some sense." The dark haired teen agreed.

Armin's brows drew together in contemplation. "Maybe, but why call herself a warrior? It doesn't make any sense. It just seems so random."

"Well she was just fighting Rouge. Maybe it was to get him to submit or something like that. Who knows?" Hange sighed, sounding vanquished yet again. "Well, is there anything else you noticed Rogue?"

The titan thought deeply, chewing on his tongue slightly with ears cocked back as he contemplated. There was one other thing he did feel was important enough to bring up, although it was probably unneeded, he did kind of want to know why he was experiencing such a thing. " **ETTT ODDD. EEEIII AVVVVEE EEIIRDD DRREANS."**

"Dreams?"

Rogue nodded sharply. " **ESSS. DDEEII OOOODDD. DDOONNTT NNOHH HIIII AAVVVE DDENN."**

**"** What are you dreaming about, Rogue? Can you explain?"

" **DDEEII – EELLL SSOO RRREEAAL. EEIII SSEE OOCCEEANN."**

Armin's golden brows rose. "The ocean?"

" **ESS. EEIII SEE PLASSESS. SSEE AA TTIITTANN IIKEE NNEE. AASSSTT DDREEANN EII SEEE TTIITAANN BIITTCCHH."**

"So in your dreams, you're seeing other places like the ocean? And you recently saw The Female Titan in one of them?"

" **ESSS. EETTT SSCCARREE. EEII AASS INNN FFEEEILLD IITTHH ERR. AASS LOOOD UUNNDD DDEETTH – AALL ASSS RRREEED. SSHHEE… UUSSTT OOKK AATT NEEE."**

Suddenly, Hange sat up, eyes wide as she stared at his little ones before slowly turning to him. "Rogue – I think those dreams and maybe the nightmares you've been having recently are actually memories. Rogue, I think you could be starting to remember things from your past!"

The titan sat back in awe. So, his weird dreams were actually things that really did happen in his past?

"Rogue, how long have you been having these dreams like these?" Armin demanded sternly but with good intention.

" **EEWW EEEKSS."**

Mikasa nodded. "Okay, when did you have the dream about The Female Titan?"

The titan counted the days in his head before holding up the correct amount of fingers, giving his tired vocal chords a rest.

"So The Female triggered a memory soon after your meeting." Hange continued to think aloud. "That's really incredible. But I do wonder about your previous encounter. If this is really all about mating, then perhaps she tried to do the same to you decades ago, but you wanted no part of it."

Rogue tilted his head, considering the idea. The more Hange spoke of the notion, the more it sounded logical.

"Still, it could be something else." Armin explained. "It just seems like there are a few loose ties in the equation that don't make much sense."

"True Armin." The scientist sighed. "We can't rule that out either. For now though, the mating theory is the only one we have to go off on." She yawned. "There is just a lack of evidence here and I think Rogue will have to 'dream' more so we can begin to put some missing pieces into the puzzle. With that being said Rogue, you will need to report any dream you think could be a memory to me or your little ones."

He dipped his head, mind beginning to swarm with thoughts. Was this really true? Did The Female Titan really kill his squad and Petra just so she could mate with him? The titan snorted softly in disgust. If the idea was indeed true, then the act that she had committed was completely disgusting!

"Well Rogue, do remember anything else that you think we should know?"

The creature sighed. In all honestly, he didn't really remember much after seeing his Mikasa tangle with his prey. " **NNOO. ET LLURreeee."** Rogue choked, speech cracking harshly and causing the titan to cough deeply with the cavernous sound echoing in the barn. His voice was spent.

Hange chuckled softly, patting his knee. "Ah, yes I wouldn't expect you to remember much right before you passed out. Plus it looks like you've talked yourself hoarse this evening!" She laughed before growing sincere. "Now, since you told us this I want to make it clear to you Rogue that you should not hold yourself guilty or responsible for what happened to Petra. If anything or anyone is to blame it is The Female Titan. And if my theory is true, also the nature of things as well. Not you."

Rogue's gaze shifted to his toes. It – wasn't his fault? The titan blinked, green irises dancing back and forth as he scanned over everything that his humans had helped him with. He felt sick to his stomach knowing his prey's possible intention.

* * *

An hour after his conversation with his little ones and Hange, Rogue lay in his usual resting spot in his nest with his body curled around his babies just like always. However, although Armin and Mikasa were both submerged in repose, he was wide-awake despite the present moon – visible now since the rains had ceased for the moment. He couldn't sleep. His mind was furious like bees in a hive. If what Hange said was true, then The Female Titan's reasoning just made him all the more angry. If the scene in his dream was really a memory and recalling what she had done in the forest, it was absolutely foul in his view that what he had to offer was worth far more than human life. Even if that wasn't the case, what she had done left a permanent scar on his heart.

Rogue lifted his head slightly, rotating his neck to retrieve one of the old pillows that Hange had given him before nibbling at the cloth corner – tearing the object in search of something to take out his frustration on. Something about the mating idea didn't quite sit with him right. As far back as he could remember, he had never seen two titans engage in any sort of mating and his humans had always said that titans didn't reproduce. Rogue thought harder, spilling more feathers from the pillow. Then it dawned on him. All the titans he had ever seen were male. Not female. Maybe Hange was right. However, deep down something was telling him something else. He just didn't know what.

Dropping the pillow from his teeth, Rogue looked out beyond his nest's open door and at the full moon illuminating the dark sky with a calming blue – the hue not even fazing him. Damn how he wanted answers! The skinless titan had known him and therefore knew of his past. He wanted to know if mating with him was her true intent, territorial issues, or something bigger. He wanted to know everything! She had the ability to tell it all to him! Rogue wanted resolution and revenge now more than anything – it was all that his currently crippled mind craved. He wanted it. Wanted it and her meat so badly that he was willing to go forth and retrieve what he desired.

Maybe, maybe he could. He was fast, and a great hunter. Sleep wasn't pulling at him, eyes still burning brightly in the dark. Perhaps he could sneak away for a while, find her, question, and kill her when she was in a venerable state and be back by morning. No one would know he was gone, every soul was asleep and if he were late they would just figure that he wanted to go bask in the sunlight somewhere since he had been spending days inside the barn. To the titan, this sounded like a possible success.

Then again, this also sounded like a horrible idea considering the consequences. He was so conflicted. His mind was a complete storm of ideas, which left him overlooking facts. Rogue was so confused, but there was just something that just didn't set right in his stomach. He had to make a decision. The moon would only show its face for so long.

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin's eyelids quivered, the teen shifting slightly in his light sleep. He swallowed, brows bunching together in annoyance of his dry tongue and scratchy throat. His body demanded nourishment, but he didn't feel like getting up. He sighed, deciding that he would suffer until morning. He didn't want to get up, go outside to the pump and get what he needed all for the sake of sleep – something that had been hard to achieve for him lately.

However, despite his desire for a lasting relaxation, his scratchy throat was unbearable. Exhausted, Armin rolled over and braced his hands beneath him to help him to his feet.

Something was off. His skin only met the prickly hay floor of the barn and not the warm flesh of Rogue's palm. Puzzled, he slowly opened his crusty eyes, could he have accidentally rolled off the creature's palm?

Unfortunately, his prediction was wrong as he noticed that Rogue was nowhere to be seen in the barn's dark interior. Alarmed, Armin immediately sat up in fear. As long as he had known the gentle titan, the beast had never left them once they were curled up at his side – especially at night. Never.

The teen then turned to Mikasa, seeing that she was in a much deeper sleep than he had been. In light of the emergency, Armin quickly grabbed her shoulder and shook her frame. Something was very wrong.

"Muughh… Armin what –

"Mikasa! Wake up! Rogue's gone!"

**(POV SWAP)**

"Wait, what did you just say, Shitty Glasses?" Levi perked up from behind his spotless desk, face evolving slightly from his resting scowl with an eyebrow raised in serious question.

Hange felt herself give in to a smile. "When Rogue was opening up to me, he told me about some dreams he was having, ones that showed him places outside the walls. While talking with him I was able to make an astounding discovery! Rogue is remembering things from his past! It's incredible! Against all odds, he's gaining some of his memory back!"

The scientist watched as both the Corporal and Commander looked at one another in light of the news. For the hour that had passed, Hange had been sharing every detail that the stressed titan had told her to the two men. Although all of them had been fighting an awaiting sleep, the concern about Rogue and his current situation had to be settled. In fact, Levi had been waiting right outside her quarters with Erwin once they heard that she and the titan's adopted children were going to attempt dinner with the beast. Upon hearing that Rogue had actually shared with her what happened, Levi demanded that they all retreat and speak at once. Disclosing the crucial facts about The Female Titan alone brought forth more emotion from Levi and Erwin than she had seen in quite a while.

"That's a big development." Erwin trailed off.

Levi characteristically folded his arms, the muscles in his face softening. "Indeed it is. Rogue himself is like trying to read a map is written in invisible ink. What else did he say about these – 'dreams' of his?"

"Well, Rogue stated that in his most recent dream he saw himself with The Female Titan."

At her words, Erwin leaned forward in his seat, setting aside his tea and looking incredibly alert. "So, since these dreams are memories, he's encountered her before?"

Hange dipped her head as confirmation. "Yes, but he did say that the setting was a bloodbath."

"Not a romantic date then I suppose." Levi commented mutely, using his own form of extremely dry humor yet again.

"No." She promptly agreed. "Although it does tell me that something similar happened then as it did with the event in the forest." Hange continued, watching as Levi shifted uncomfortably in his seat. To her and many of the other Scouts that worked close to the short statured man could tell that mentioning the recent expedition around him was obviously an encumbrance upon him. Of course, in this situation, Hange could not avoid it. "What I'm saying is that nearly all of the evidence we have points to some sort of titan mating."

Levi sighed deeply and almost strained, the room suddenly silent between the three of them except for the popping of embers in the burning fireplace. "Although your theory is on the table still, there are a few details that are making me look else ware."

The scientist raised a brow, perplexed by the statement. Even after what she had presented – Levi still had doubts? "What do you mean?"

The man tensed in his chair, taking a sip of his tea out of habit before placing the cup on the saucer. "When you were talking to Rogue, how much did he remember from the last few minutes before passing out?"

"Well, not much. He said it was foggy."

"I see. In light of me going to get my damn leg wrapped, I forgot to mention something to you, but first – did Ackerman mention anything about this scream that Rogue made?"

Again, Hange's brows rose. On their way back to return the dishes, Mikasa did mention a bizarre screech that had left Rogue's mouth. "Yes, she mentioned it briefly before going to sleep. Why do you ask?"

The man leaned back in his chair, gaze directed at his cup of tea as if he was looking for any evidence that there was dirt upon it. "This is why I'm dwelling on something else. Most of it is probably a long shot, but right before the skinless bitch was about to kill Ackerman, Rogue made a screech that sounded so unlike any other roar or noise he has made. For some reason, The Female Titan was spooked by it. Also, just a few seconds later was when the stampede of titans came through to chase and eventually kill The Female Titan. Another meaning to the word coordinate is 'to order' and we've seen Rogue ward away titans by growling, roaring, and snarling at them. Now this is just a guess, but what if that weird screech called the titans to him? To attack?"

Hange took a seat in shock. "Do you mean like an alpha male thing?"

"Maybe. Maybe so. It's just strange that those titans completely ignored Ackerman and I. Then again, it's odd that all those titans were so close, especially for another horde. It makes me think that The Female Titan was luring Rogue to her so those titans could either kill the rest of us or overwhelm Rogue with a scent deposit, something to slow him down with intent to injure, or maybe some other shit like that. It is clear to me though, Rogue has some sort of ability or alpha status to give orders to other titans – not intelligent ones, but mindless and abnormals."

Hange sat back in shock, this was unreal. "This is – maybe that was what The Female Titan was after – to get rid of Rogue to gain his position. She could only herd and gather titans, not order them around!"

Levi nodded. "It does make a lot of sense. Still though, there are some things that are not matching up. Like missing pieces. One of them is if The Female could talk, then where did she learn to?"

It was quiet again, fire continued to burn. Finally, Erwin cleared his throat.

"Well Rogue is over a hundred years old and says he recalls her in a past memory so perhaps The Female Titan is ancient as well. A century ago, humans were still outside the walls so she could have picked up the language from them just as Rogue has harvested some words from hearing us."

"That's true. As of now, this is either a damn mating thing or a fight for status. However, there are still things that aren't adding up. Like why did the titanic bitch call herself –

Before Levi could finish his sentence, a cluster of chaos erupted from the hallway. The three higher ups paused in their conversation as they directed their attention outside, listening as a barrage of footsteps echoed in the hall. Hange stood from her seat, preparing to make a move at the realization that the sound was heading right for them. Before anyone could make the decision to check or scold any soldier, the door to Levi's quarters swung open so forcefully that the door bounced against the wall itself. Both Armin and Mikasa stood in the archway, chests heaving and out of breath as if the Corporal had them run endless laps. Hange felt her heart beginning to pound, witnessing the looks of terror painted across their faces.

Erwin stood from his seat, looking at the two with stern concern. "What is it?" The tall man spoke, voice showing his level of seriousness. Hange swallowed timidly; there was only one reason that she could think of for the two recruits' panicked presence at this hour.

"It's Rogue!" Armin exclaimed, still trying to catch his breath. "He's gone!"

At the news, all three of the teen's officers were now standing. "Missing?" Erwin queried. "At this hour?"

"Shit." Levi grumbled, quickly grabbing his cloak off the chair. "Fucking idiot." He spoke beneath his breath, managing to avoid a glare from Mikasa. "Why the hell is he running around?"

"We – don't know." The small blond stammered. "He must have left shortly after we fell asleep."

"Was there anything wrong with him that you could see during your visit?" Levi demanded.

Hange bit her lip as she thought, feeling a little weak in her knees. "I'm not sure. He was a bit – backward and nervous at first but he seemed to warm up to us quite a bit. Of course he was pretty emotional when he was talking about what had happened. At the end though, he did seem a little distant."

"Just what in the hell could he be doing then?"

"I'm not sure, but I do know that as of right now, the trauma of the forest incident has his emotions, mind, and common sense completely scrambled. Right now he's dealing with a lot of confusion and turmoil." The scientist put forth, knowing very well that Rogue's condition was making him incredibly sensitive.

Suddenly, Levi halted his address and turned to the others in the room, eyes cold and grim. "Ackerman, Arlert, Shitty Glasses – does Rogue actually know that The Female Titan is dead?"

She could practically feel the color draining from her face. Then again, Rogue was there when Erwin informed Pixis that the threat was eliminated –

"He was awake and alert when we told Pixis she was deceased." Mikasa answered.

Levi hesitated looking at the floor in disgust before snapping his head back to them. "Hange, does Rogue know what 'deceased' means?"

Her eyes instantly widen, jaw going slack. During their sessions, and from the Titan Children's teachings, Rogue only knew the definition of passed away as dead or death. Deceased wasn't an entry in his small by human standards dictionary.

"Oh my god." Armin uttered. "He doesn't. He's going after her. Something we said must have made Rogue want to find her and kill her as quickly as possible! He probably left thinking he had the advantage of being able to sneak upon her at night! His emotions are making him really unstable!"

"Shit! That means he's headed for the wall!" Levi hissed. "If he goes past our property and someone sees him the MP's will surely be on us like a bunch of starving wolves."

"He could be anywhere by now." Mikasa pressed on, fear mixed in her tone. "We went to sleep nearly an hour and thirty minutes ago. Knowing just how stubborn he can be, I'm sure he's moving quickly."

"That is indeed true, but we do have one factor that may aid us." Erwin suggested, collecting a few raised brows.

"What is it?"

"Hange may be aware of it, but Rogue's been in that barn for three days without leaving plus it was raining during that time as well. That means that Rogue is likely incredibly slow due to the lack of sunlight."

The scientist nodded. What the Commander had said was likely true. Rogue was probably in a state that felt similar to someone that was incredibly malnourished. Hange couldn't help but feel so sorry and remorseful knowing that the powerful titan had fallen into a deep hole.

"Wake everyone up and split into squads." Erwin continued as he grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "Ackerman and Arlert, take Blouse and Lenz and pair with Corporal Levi. Hange, you split everyone else evenly with at least someone who's good at tracking. Normally, I would just have Mike smell him out, but with the recent rain and more coming, I think his nose won't serve us. After you're done splitting everyone up, join me. We have to find Rogue quickly at all costs."

**(POV SWAP)**

Small droplets of fragile rain fell through the cracks of the shallow canopy, catching upon leaves and leaving most life below untouched. The small creatures of the forest were romping about with the sky's brief relief. Bats were feeding, opossums were scurrying, and the flashing bugs signaled one another their hellos. It could almost be called peaceful if it weren't for the deep rumbling making its announcement constantly within the wood.

Insects retreated and scattered as his feet met the mossy and damp earth. The titan walked throughout the dense forest with the strong intention to carry out his plan, his mind still swarming with frustration and his mind mostly clouded. Rogue grumbled softly to himself in irritation as he lifted a foot to continue forward – cursing himself. He had neglected to absorb the sun's bounty in the past days due to heaven's tears and his own seclusion, which in turn made his body feel so much heavier than it really was. Each of his legs felt as if they were led and his arms felt as if they were going to just fall from his shoulders. His head too, appeared light – making him feel a bit faint. However, Rogue's stubbornness still propelled him foreword.

Hearing a nearing grumble of thunder, Rogue snorted in disgust – displeased that there was likely a stray raincloud coming in that would drench everything below it. His mind was telling him that he couldn't be slow, but his body and weight wouldn't allow such a thing. Rogue wanted to run badly so to get to the wall and return without notice. Not only were his legs protesting, but also if he ran it would certainly draw the attention of both his pack and the other humans. So walking it was. It wasn't as fast as sprinting but it would do as long as it propelled him further to his goal.

Of course, rain or not, he was too set on his destination to give up as the sprinkles became more frequent. Getting his body drenched and his hair soaked would be worth it as long as he felt the breaking of her bones and the taste of her blood. As soon as he scaled the wall, he would find the bitch and slaughter her, beat her within an inch of her life to see her spill the truth and suffer from the unbearable agony of having her limbs ripped off one by one and nearly all of her organs pulled violently from her body. The thought of seeing her bloody and exposed innards made him shutter in slight pleasure at the visual. Oh how he looked forward to the moment!

Rogue glanced down at his feet, thankfully still keeping his footing after a slight stumble. Below, tangled with ivy and rusted from the seasons, was the barbed wire fence that circled the Scout's territory and warded away unwanted entry. For a moment, the titan paused, sighing deeply, before taking the first step over it.

**(POV SWAP)**

Hange swallowed, secretly holding her chest to try and keep her heart rate down as her horse raced next to the stoic Commander and a slightly buzzed Molbit. She squinted, trying to see the muddy road outstretched before the squad. The rain had returned, intensifying from its steady sprinkles to a light and airy downpour, the wetness making the terrain and environment less than favorable for locating a moody fifteen-meter titan.

With the humidity in the atmosphere fogging her goggles, Hange took her hand off her heart to reach up and quickly wipe away the wet film that had accumulated on the lenses. After several repeated tries and only getting her eyewear somewhat clear, the scientist let out a breath of aggravation and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head in hopes that it would help. Unfortunately, the technique wasn't as great of one as she had hoped but it would have to do. As bad as her eyesight was without her lenses, Hange could not afford to ride her horse in the rain and darkness with her vision as blurry as a drunken man's. With her heart continuing to pound, Hange narrowed her eyes and scrutinized the surrounding field as best as she could. Even with the glowing lanterns that some of the soldiers held, Hange couldn't make out any large shape among the grass.

She swallowed, nerves eating away at her. Rogue leaving in the middle of the night was something that she had never pictured the gentle beast doing. Sure, the titan was often very mischievous and would be finicky about doing certain things – but departing with the intent to kill an already defeated enemy was so unlike her titanic child. Hange lowered her head in shame. Armin and Mikasa were absolutely right about how Rogue grieved. It made her feel so bad for the poor creature. Never in her life had she known someone so poignant.

"Anything?"

Hange glanced from beneath her hood to see Erwin's focused eyes looking at her for an answer. She shook her head. "Nothing, just the grass and a few trees."

The man dipped his head, not answering and making her gulp. Hopefully Rogue was just up ahead. He couldn't have gone far, not in the condition that he was in at least. For a moment, the scientist let her gaze wander around, eyes falling to the muddy earth beneath them. Her brows scrunched together, something was odd, but at the moment she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Halt!"

At the deep command, Hange yanked her horse's reins roughly, the steed rearing and thankfully not sliding in the mud like several of the others. Following the light of the lanterns, Hange discovered that the squad was standing below the stone and wood archway over the entrance to the Scout's property. Her breath shuttered in her chest. The last time that Rogue had ran off, the titan had stopped at the very spot. This time however, Rogue was nowhere to be seen.

"He's not here." Hange muttered. "He' – he's not –

"We wait here." Erwin announced sternly. "Nanaba should be meeting us here any minute now. While we were paring groups and retrieving horses I sent Nanaba and Gelgar ahead to do recon in Katness to see if Rogue was already there. Mike's squad should be meeting us here as well."

Hange took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she continued to stare at the muddy road. Something was incredibly odd about it. Blinking again and wiping off the fog on her lenses, Hange's mind then collected and she realized what was strange. The trail was incredibly muddy; any animal could leave a footprint. As moist as the earth was, a titan of Rogue's size would have left a giant and very deep imprint. Riding up to the entrance, Rogue's tracks were nowhere to be seen. Sure, the titan could have walked in the knee-high grass, but with the view atop her horse – the only thing that rustled the organic blades was the wind. Before Hange could announce her finding, the galloping of hooves demanded her attention ahead. As Erwin had stated, Both Nanaba and Gelgar had approached them, pulling on their reins to slow to a halt with a dour look upon their faces.

"Well?"

"We made it to Katness, but the district is quiet. We didn't see Rogue anywhere. On the way there and back we never passed by him." Nanaba reported. "We even checked with the wall and there's been no evidence of Rogue even scaling it."

"Yes of course," Hange began and gaining the attention of her peers. "That's because Rogue didn't come through here. It didn't dawn on me until just now but Rogue would have left a series of tracks in the mud or ruffled the grass if he had taken this route."

Hange watched as Erwin let out a goaded sigh, amazing the woman how he somehow managed to not lose his cool in the direst of situations – not even cursing. "Alright, this means –

However, Erwin cut himself off as Mike and his squad approached the Commander, like both themselves and Nanaba's team, they looked exhausted.

"We searched the west forest and training grounds – including the gorge." Mike began tiredly. "Rogue was nowhere to be found so he isn't hiding." The man then sighed, sniffling and wiping bead of rainwater from his nose. "I apologize, if it wasn't raining I would have located him long ago. Any scent has been washed away."

"It's like he's vanished into thin air." A soldier remarked with Mike nodding in agreement.

"He picked a hell of a good night to disappear that's for sure."

Hange gulped for the umpteenth time, thinking about the soldier's words. Could Rogue have actually… let his depression control him and he had killed himself? Vaporized into thin air? The very idea made Hange feel faint. Despite the theory, she knew it was an unlikely one. Rogue had been through the Jaeger's deaths – something that was at the level of a child watching his parents being murdered in the most gruesome way possible right before them. Yes, he had been through hell before, but most of all he would never permanently leave the two teens that he had so eagerly taken under his wing in the darkest of times.

"Okay, unfortunately this means that Rogue has taken a completely new route than where he usually goes. This only leaves one other direction for him to go in, of course our theory could always be wrong and Rogue could indeed be walking off steam somewhere in the northern part of our property. We'll split into four groups here. Also, we have to be aware that Rogue could have left our grounds. With that in mind, we must find him quickly before he wanders into an area he shouldn't. Otherwise we might not ever see him again."

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin gripped the reins of his horse in a nervous stronghold as the small party of fresh recruits and the Corporal charged through the forest. He was shaky, limbs feeling like jelly at the possibility that Rogue could meet his demise if he was seen violating the Scout's contract with the government. The titan was so very unstable, making him recall the time just after the Jaegers were killed. In circumstance, Rogue's behavior at that time was much worse. The titan would at least go into a mental fit every hour – sometimes even just sit and scream for a whole day until his voice was lost and there was no screech to leave his open mouth. This time however, the stake of things was much higher. If seen scaling the wall or passing through, Rogue was to meet the reaper's scythe with no questions asked.

To distract himself, Armin looked around the passing landscape for any signs that the titan had passed through. Of course, the time was not on their side for a whole different reason other than how far Rogue would put distance between them – their lanterns would only light up so much in the dark. Not seeing anything of value, Armin let his gaze wander off to his friends and comrades. Levi as usual, led the group with a firm hand, the expression on his face showing both his aggravation and worry for the missing beast. Since their search had begun, Levi had been nothing but determined – keeping his cursing and comments to a minimum and ignoring his leg. Next to the man rode Sasha who was their best chance at this point in finding Rogue. Not only had Sasha hunted with Rogue to catch the local game, but the gifted teen was one of the only people capable of tracking the titan. Unlike Mike and his keen nose, Sasha was using mostly her instincts – having gaining the skill from hunting in her village as she had told them over a meal while stuffing her face. In front of him was Krista and Mikasa, the small blonde girl clearly trying to keep the indifferent teen in promising sprits. Armin swallowed as he examined his longtime friend. If someone were to point out the more distraught of the two, Mikasa was currently the best candidate. Her body was shaking visibly in the more than tolerable temperature and rain. The girl's knuckles were white as she griped the scarf around her neck tightly. Deep in her grey eyes, Armin could see the slivers of terror interlaced with the lines of her irises. He could very well understand her reactions to the various situations. When it came to relationships – Rogue was really Mikasa's only official sibling. Thus, it explained her sometimes-overbearing nature over him. Of course, Armin too felt the same. Rogue was his best friend against the odds – one of the only two he had grown up with and he didn't want to lose him now.

The teen blinked, deciding that it was not the time to waste in his thoughts but rather focus on the task at hand. Suddenly, Sasha yanked on her reins, causing her horse to rear and neigh in protest.

"What the! Blouse!" Levi scolded as he followed her suit, the others halting as well.

"Did you see something?" Mikasa demanded; sounding harsher than Armin was sure she meant.

Sasha didn't reply as she quickly dismounted her horse, looking up into the canopy. The brunette then pointed upward with all eyes trailing her finger. "Yes, if you look closely you'll notice the broken twigs and limbs."

"Wait, could that be a opossum or something, Sasha? Krista questioned, squinting in the darkness in an attempt to see what the keen tracker had found.

"No. Those limbs up there are far too large for an animal like an opossum could break. Of course, that's not the only evidence I see here." Sasha trailed off as she motioned for a moist patch of dirt. Armin and the others watched as the teen knelt down to a slight indent in the mud. Carefully, as if she were examining a wound, Sasha ran her hands along the crescent shaped gouge, fingers deciphering each groove and dip.

"Is that his –

"Yes." Sasha informed. "It's Rogue's footprint – or at least part of one. It's a heel print technically."

"So he's defiantly been through here." Levi acknowledged. "Anything else?"

"It's a relatively fresh print so he's not too far ahead of us. Also, judging by the unevenness of it, it's clear that the Commander's hunch was a correct one. This print shows that there was an uneven weight distribution – meaning that Rogue is most likely stumbling." Sasha delivered as she stood back up. "He's definitely weak."

Levi let out a long and irritated sigh. "This is the reason why I resent his stubbornness." The man muttered as he ran a sweaty palm over his face, sighing before letting his cold eyes fall onto something before them, the object making the Corporal flinch. "Shit."

Armin's heart began to pound even faster as he realized that his superior was looking at the fence that ran around their border. He swallowed, feeling sick to his stomach. He didn't need to glance at Mikasa's face to know that she felt the same as he did.

"We have to move, there's only a few miles of forest from here before it thins out into residential farmland. We'll have to hurry."

( **POV SWAP)**

Thunder echoed in the distance, the sky lighting up briefly to illuminate the landscape before darkening yet again. Rogue hissed to himself in aggravation as he stumbled for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. To forbid falling against the earth, the titan caught himself on a thin tree, nearly uprooting it. He growled. In the last hour, his energy had depleted greatly and the titan was nearly tripping over himself trying to stay upright like a heavy drunk. Not only that, but sleep was pulling at him strongly. There had been several times where he nearly had passed out, but much like a stubborn toddler, Rogue fought to stay awake.

For a moment, the titan paused to examine his surroundings. The forest was definitely thinning. The trees were growing smaller and shorter to where his head was partially over the canopy. Also, it felt less peaceful and more like a creeping shadow that was about to descend upon him. This was because the land was unfamiliar; he had always felt the same when treading through new titan woodlands – like the constant feeling that he was to be ambushed. Rogue looked harder, seeing several human residents at least two miles across the adjacent plain. It was dangerous, his instincts told him but his heart was too upfront for him to listen to reason.

With his hair soaked to his scalp, Rogue naturally shook his head to rid it of the unneeded. However, the simple move threw him majorly off balance. The world spun around him and pulled him to the earth, landing in a cluster of small birches. Rogue snarled, the malicious sound echoing across the small area as he struggled to get back to his feet. The titan gritted his teeth as he slowly stood upright. Every muscle in his body felt like it had been worn ragged and beyond use, making him almost regret staying indoors for days. Rogue let out a snort, tired or not, he was going to defeat his enemy no matter what.

Again, he started forward in hopes of reaching the wall before the sun rose. The creature's ear then twitched, following a new sound that had caught his direct attention. Rogue stilled, turning his head in alarm with ears erect and absorbing a barrage of sounds that he knew instantly.

The clamor belonged to the sounds of invisible wings and the pounding of hooves. They had found him.

Seeing the lanterns and the shapes of horses coming through the pine, Rogue quickly turned and hobbled foreword. No! He had to get to the wall! He had to do his job! He had to protect them!

"Rogue! Stop right there!"

The titan groaned deep in his throat at the very clear and familiar voice. Turning his head, he found that it was just a small patrol of very memorable acquaintances: Levi, Sasha, Krista, and none other than his own babies. Rogue gritted his teeth in aggravation, of all humans that had to find him it had to be those closest to him. At least with a group of flying humans that he wasn't as close to he could pull off being unruly without feeling incredible remorse.

"Stop right now brat!"

"Rogue!"

Following his need, Rogue gave a warning hiss, waving his large hand as a bid for them to leave him be as he trudged forward. With a sense of weakness suddenly flooding his limbs, Rogue's legs crossed and he fell to his knees. Roaring in frustration, the titan struggled to push himself upright.

"Rogue! Stop this pointless shit at once!"

" **NNNNRRRAAAAHHHHH!"** He bellowed at them, finally able to reach his walking stance.

"Get you bare naked ass back here!" Levi ordered from somewhere below just as Rogue stepped out from the trees into the open plain.

" **NNNOOOO!"**

Starting forward again, Rogue felt a sharp sting in the muscle of his shoulder. From the corner of his eye, the titan watched as Levi swung from horseback to perch on his skin, completely ignoring his casted leg. Like a feuding toddler, Rogue turned clumsily and waved his arm to send his wishes to be left alone, but Levi didn't heed to them.

"What the hell are you doing!" The Corporal spoke coldly into his ear, speaking loudly enough for it to break through the titan's grumbles and whines.

" **EEII KKIILLL TTIITTAANNN BIITTCCHH!"** Rogue shrieked defiantly, walking pattern now completely all over the place. Feeling another anchor bearing into him, Rogue turned to shout an obscenity at Levi but before he could make such a projection, the small frame of a flying human landed upon his face, holding his hair and straddling the bridge of his nose. The titan blinked, growling until he realized that it was none other than Mikasa hanging between his crossed eyes. The look on her face alone made him pause, snapping him out of his current state. Her normally stoic face was fixed into a look of terror and concern that was so deep that it chilled him to the bone.

"Rogue? Please stop. We need to talk with you. Can you please calm down?" Mikasa beseeched, the titan sensing the painful strain in her tone.

The beast hesitated, eyes sinking to his dirty feet. What – what on earth was he doing?

"Rogue? Let's sit down and talk about this. There's something we need to discuss. Will you listen?"

The titan droned loudly, shoulders sinking in defeat. He couldn't. He would have to give in, submit like a dog in the wrong. Rogue then collapsed to his knees, head hung low with water filling his eyes. He couldn't go forth and protect them from The Female's wrath. For a moment, all was quiet as both Mikasa and Levi scaled from his bulk to the wet grass, listening to the patter of rain before Levi cleared his throat.

"Now, I ask you again, what were you doing?" The man demanded, voice still stern but less aggressive than before.

Rogue dithered, green pools looking off into the trees beneath a lowered brow. He didn't exactly feel like disclosing the truth. " **NNEEEDD AAHH AAALLLKK."** The titan said simply, hoping that they would buy his story.

Levi's eyes rolled. "Yeah and I'm six feet tall." He retorted, unamused in his false claim. "You just told me what you were doing a second ago, Rogue. Where you off to hunt The Female Titan?"

The titan's shoulders bunched together, eyes looking at the bits of mud beneath his toenails. " **EESSS."** Rogue forced between his incisors, tears starting to leak from their ducts as he thought of his failed objective. Looking back at the group's clear worry, made regret settle deep into the pit of his stomach. Why was he even doing what he was doing? He was so immature and foolish to think let alone leave his position. Exposing his little ones or the others to The Female Titan, if she ever scaled over the walls, without his close company and fortification was the dumbest move he could make.

He was so fucking stupid.

"Rogue – The Female Titan you encountered is dead."

Wait? Did he hear his superior right? The skinless titan was dead? How? He looked to the man and his little one in question. Who? Who had –

"If you're wondering how or who Rogue it may come to you as a shock but it was by your hand." Mikasa educated softly.

The titan raised a brow, completely confused. He was broken and weak so how was he able to commence his slaughter? " **EEEIII AAAASSS UURRRTTT TTHOOHH. AALLNNOOSSTT ASSSLLEEP. NNOOTT NNOOVVEE?"** Rogue queried, trying to understand what he could not fathom. This couldn't be true could it? " **AANNTT DDEE. SSHHEE NNUUSSTTT DDEE OOUUUTT TTEEEREE."**

"I know Rogue," Armin began as he hopped off his equine. "It's strange and there is several theories as to how she ultimately met her demise, but it is for certain that you somehow set a horde of titans to kill her."

The titan sat up at this. He had what? He knew he could ward away titans, but telling them to kill another titan? How? He didn't recall doing anything but trying to stay conscious. " **EEEEIII – OOLLDD DDEENN TOOO?"**

Mikasa dipped her head to comply. "Yes, Hange, Levi, Erwin, Armin, and I think it was this weird scream you made Rogue."

" **SSCCEEENN?"**

"Yes. Soon after you did it there was a stampede of titans that completely ignored you and us and went straight for the bitch." Levi informed. "Talking everything over in my office when you were out on your little adventure, we are not a hundred percent certain if mating with you was her true intent either. We also wonder if she wanted your status. Arlert and Ackerman say that you are familiar with wolves and the way things work in their packs. The leading wolf is known as an alpha – it tells the others what to do and they listen. Since titans seem to listen to you, we think The Female was fighting you for that control you had. Understand?"

Rogue nodded, playing out the events in his head.

"Of course," Levi prolonged. "It's just an educated guess. The Female still could have wanted you to ride her long into the night. It's up in the air, but it doesn't matter now. What counts is that you're still kicking and annoying the hell out of me." Levi deadpanned, folding his arms – the titan sensing the underlining caring gesture in the short man's crude speech.

"Erwin briefly mentioned The Female Titan's death when we were entering Katness. We were stupid enough to not explain what he said to you Rogue. We apologize for thinking that you perfectly understood." Armin sighed.

At the news, a new sense of mortification fell over Rogue, making his body tremble and a few more tears grace his already wet cheeks. Everything that they had just shared with him was so overwhelming. There was his ignorance of understanding complex words, that he had left on a still stupid mission even if he didn't know the truth, and the fact that he had worried them all. In addition, there were still the lingering emotions about Petra and The Female Titan's intentions and actions. Rogue was so very distraught.

"Rogue?"

At the innocent question, the titan slouched forward and began to weep openly with his face pressed into Mikasa as he usually did when seeking comfort. " **EEEIIII SSOOO SSTTUUTIID! EEII NNOO IIIDEEEAA AAHHT DDOOINN!"** Rogue wailed. " **OORRYY EEEII RRUUNN AAAHHHAYY!"**

Mikasa rubbed his nose, the titan suddenly feeling the presence of a few other hands rubbing affectionately along his face and jaw as well. "Shhh… you need to settle down." His little once coaxed. "It's alright. Everyone makes mistakes."

"That's right, Rogue." The beast heard Sasha chuckle. "You don't need to be mad at yourself!"

"Sasha and Mikasa are right Rogue!" Krista encouraged cheerfully. "It's okay!"

The titan slowly unveiled his green eyes to see his little ones and fresh recruits gathered around his face with Levi standing close by. His heart was knotting up at their kind words.

"You can't hold yourself accountable for everything that was bad, Rogue." Armin rubbed his brow. "You can't let things haunt you forever. Just remember what we said about keeping those you love close to heart by storing only the good memories you had all right? Don't hate you or who you are. Forgive yourself."

Rogue shyly nodded, giving into a deep and affectionate purr as he nuzzled into his little family. They were right. He couldn't treat himself as the scum of the earth. Despite the cool rain, tender warmth settled into his body. Everything was okay.

"Well, since that's all said and done, we need to get back." Levi began, staring at his soaking cloak in distaste. "I don't want any of you catching pneumonia or some shit like that." The man commented before turning to the titan. "You're friends are right, brat. When shit happens, you can't pity yourself. Take it from me; you'll suffer a lot of grief if you keep holding on to shitty events. Petra would want you to think of the better."

Rogue blinked at the Corporal's heartfelt message, amazed and thankful at he sincerity. Taking a risk, the titan decided that his ultimate message of thanks was needed to be shared by abruptly pressing his brow and nose into the short man's face and crest – purring loudly in gratitude.

"Rogue – this isn't necessary." Levi grumbled, but still remaining against him even though he had the space to pull away and the others were now snickering.

Taking his show of appreciation further, Rogue gently licked Levi on his brow before sitting up, taking amusement in the man's baffled expression and the others laughing.

The Corporal sighed, face returning to his characteristic scowl. "You're very lucky that I'm already wet."

**(POV SWAP)**

Levi stood in the fresh combines of the warm barn, keeping to himself in his now clean clothes. Expressionless, he observed the titan curl tighter around his sleeping little ones as the beast lay in repose. Rogue was purring softly, the rumbling sound filling the barn with a strangely relaxing feel. He was so very thankful that the troubled titan was now back where he should be and that no other soul saw the incident unfold. He was relieved to say the least.

"So I hear that Rogue showed you his thanks for encouraging him."

Seeing that Erwin was now standing next to him with a smug look on his face, made the shorter male roll his eyes. "Unfortunately." Levi replied, hearing the Commander give in to a chuckle before falling serious.

"I was going to tell you before all of the commotion happened, but this afternoon we had a letter come in from Zackley. To say the least, he wants to put Rogue on trial again."

Hearing the man's words, Levi instantly felt rage heating up his veins. "What!" He whispered. "Why!"

"Because the mission was ultimately a failure. Not only that but I'm guessing Nile read Rogue's sudden act as disobedience rather than your permission to defend as need be."

"Great." Levi uttered sarcastically. "When the hell is it?"

Erwin swallowed, watching the titan snuggle into the two young recruits. "In about a week. We have to escort Rogue into Stohess to stand trial outside the courthouse. Since he's going through the district, the government requested that he be restrained not to alarm the people by walking without a leash per say. Of course, that isn't all. Along with us, Rogue will have to testify on the stand about the reason for his actions."

"Fucking hell. This is bullshit. Rogue has already been through enough. Knowing that he has to defend himself just makes this worse. If we loose and they want to kill him – I'm telling him to run, Erwin."

The taller man was silent for a brief second before continuing. "I understand. But I think we have a strong chance, certainly stronger than last time. I wouldn't worry about that too much."

Levi glanced at the man, shifting his stance. "I damn sure hope you are right."

"Levi – one other thing."

He raised a brow in great suspicion. "What?"

"Looking back at what happened with Rogue and The Female Titan – I have a hunch that we are missing a major piece to the puzzle and we could be wrong."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Chapter 16 will be the final one in part one before I get to a few bonus chapters! As for part 2 of this story, I'm still gathering my thoughts of how it will go and how it will tie in with the anime and manga. I'm thinking of making a few tweaks to Rogue's past that you will learn about in part 2. Anyways... stay tuned!


	16. Wrath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes... the beast has to come out of its cage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Ah! Hey everyone! SOOOOOOO sorry that this is really late! I've been really sick for a while! To make up for it, this is the longest chapter BY FAR! It's almost 50,000 words! This chapter is also the final one for part 1 of this fic! Next we'll have bonus chapters and later start part 2! Since I was so late at this and not feeling up to snuff, I just skimmed over this chapter in a hurry so if there are any errors I missed, please PM me! Enjoy the final chapter of part 1! Also stay tuned for a bit of special news at the end of this chapter!
> 
> HEY GUYS! I ENTERED THIS STORY IN A FANFICTION CONTEST OVER ON INKITT! I'D BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD ALL VOTE FOR IT! (YOU'LL FIND IT UNDER 'FANDOM 2'

**Chapter 16**

**Wrath**

"Rogue, no you have to wear it."

**"NNOOO."**

"Come on! It's not bad Rogue!" Hange continued with eyes sparkling in excitement and nearly squealing as usual. "It's actually quite cute!"

" **EEIII NNOO IIKKEE."** The titan put bluntly, neck straining and chin buried in his clavicle as he tried to look upon the _thing_ that was now around his neck. Growling like an irritated feline, Rogue reached up to bat at the thick leather band around his neck. He wanted it off. " **NOOO."**

Armin sighed; frowning with his shoulders slumped as the titan continued to project his displeasure in short hisses and disapproving grunts. "Rogue, you're going to have to get used to the collar. You can't go to Stohess without it."

Rogue groaned, fingers still pushing themselves behind the band with strong disapproval. His misfortune began nearly fifteen minutes ago. He had been practicing Hange's teachings in the courtyard with his little ones when Molbit and the mad scientist herself had approached him with what she said was a 'present' in a wooden crate that had just arrived at the castle. Knowing that the word 'present' was a good word that meant gratification, Rogue had been elated to see what he was getting. When Hange opened the box and held up a big leather strip that was stitched neatly with a metal loop and buckle, the titan instantly recognized what the object was. From his times roaming in his forest, he knew the object to be a collar – something that a canine wore when it was owned by a man and walked on a rope. Normally, he didn't mind when his family messed with his hair and styled it into ridiculous ties and braids –it served as amusement for lots of stressed soldiers and he liked making people laugh. However, the collar was unsettling to him. A seeded instinct told him to refuse and be weary, so when Hange, Molbit, and his little ones attempted to bestow it upon him, Rogue had given in to his own nature and ran in avoidance – pitifully hiding around the castle grounds before being cornered in his nest. It was then that he had no choice but to submit - his friends constantly saying that it was only a temporary thing and he needed it for their trek to Sina the coming day.

That was another thing that Rogue didn't understand fully. The morning after his brief disappearance, Levi had approached him to deliver the news that they had to go to the inner wall of Sina to see Zackley and Nile again to stand trial. According to the Corporal, the Government didn't like him and was on the constant edge that he himself, for any reason, would turn against humanity. They would do anything to get him out of the picture. Since the mission had failed, they had to go and explain why and he was supposed to state his reasons for acting as he did with the exception of a few statements that Levi had warned him not to disclose. But was the collar really needed? Everyone, to his knowledge, knew that he had no intent to prey on him or her whatsoever. So why? Wanting the infernal thing off, Rogue pled his case with a sad sounding whine, lowered ears, and beseeching eyes – a trick that always worked on Hange, usually. " **OOFF EEAASSEE."**

Unfortunately, Hange shook her head teasingly. "No! No! You're going to have to wear it Rogue! We need you to get used to it!"

The titan snorted, he was going to have to take matters into his own hands. Rogue quickly reached up to run his fingers along the buckle, pulling and tugging in an attempt to remove it. How on earth had the others put it on him!

"Rogue!" A voice shouted through the barrage of troubling sounds that had left his throat. "Rogue!"

" **AAKKEEE OOFFF!"**

**"** ROGUE!"

At the sharp scold, the titan dropped his task and looked down to see that Levi had entered the barn to stand near Mikasa, arms folded and scowl present as usual. The man's eyes looked long and hard at Rogue before turning to Hange who still had a smile on her face. "Hange, what the hell?"

The creature's heart lifted; maybe the Corporal would help him!

"Do you like it Levi? I think it looks pretty good!" Hange addressed, the man giving a sigh.

"You didn't have to go all out on it. We only needed it for this one excursion in Sina."

At Levi's words, Rogue frowned. Apparently his superior was intent on him wearing the thing as well.

"Well, I wanted it to be durable Levi! I hired a great leatherworker and blacksmith to make it! I even had our insignia pressed into the leather as a nice detail!" Hange laughed, the only person doing so in the room. "I think I should have also requested a nametag and maybe a bell to put on it!"

Rogue observed as the man continued to stare darkly at the jumpy woman, finding absolutely no humor in her statement. His little ones too, had their palms over their faces – the titan could feel his own tinting red in embarrassment.

"No." Levi spoke flatly. "And if you did put a bell on there, hell no. I would have fed you to titans myself. If there was anything that you could have considered to put on it, I'd say a few spikes so he wouldn't fucking mess with the damn thing." The short male continued.

Hange frowned, but suddenly perked up. "Well, either way it's kind of a good thing! If you really think about it, that collar could protect his nape or something –

Aggravated and recalling his current irritation, Rogue growled low in a nonthreatening manner and resumed in trying to dethatch the collar, fingers trying to pry the strap from the buckle. Damn he wanted the stupid thing off!

"Rogue, STOP."

The titan looked up to see Levi still wearing an angry scowl, arms folded neatly and tightly across his chest. " **EEEVVII, EEII AANNTT OLLARR OOFF."**

The man sighed, taking a seat on a nearby barrel of hay to get the weight off his leg. "Look brat, I know that you don't want to wear the thing, but it's a must for your trial in Sina. Sure, Zackley trusts that you're not a threat to him, but take it from me when I say that the people in Sina are – different."

Rogue tilted his head in confusion. Different? How could the humans behind the third wall be any different than those behind the second? Those from Maria that he came across were like those in Rose. Why did Sina differ? " **AAHTT UUU NNEEAANN?"**

**"** Well Rogue, Wall Sina is where the rich and wealthy live. Nearly all of its citizens are stuck up aristocrats and merchants. Most of the time, they are a bunch of rude and greedy people who judge everyone new around. The people of Sina have never seen a titan before, Rogue. Their only exposure is what's in the news or horrible stories that have been told to them. This is the reason why you have to be somewhat restrained. Those people automatically are fearful of any titan – you included. If we just let you walk free, it could cause mass panic since it appears that we could have no control over you. With you collared and your wrists chained, it gives them a piece of mind and there will be order – things go quicker. Of course, either way Rogue, those people are going to see you as an animal – like a lion behind iron bars in a zoo. In other words, a lot of shit is going to come from their mouths, they will treat you like a beast. Do you understand why the collar is necessary now?"

Rogue stilled, ears sinking slightly as he attempted to look at the leather band. He could see the reason for their cautioning. If he was human and had never laid eyes on a titan, he would be leery too. The titan sighed, even though he hated the thing, he would have to endure the collar for the time being.

Mikasa smiled, beginning to rub his wrist just as she always did. "Hey, at least you don't have to always wear it." She comforted. "Hange did say that you can take it off after lunch today."

The titan perked up instantly at the news, ears flickering in gladness. Was it true?

"Oh yes Rogue!" Hange added. "We'll take it off after lunch. We just wanted for you to get somewhat used to it before the trip."

Rogue dipped his head in understanding. At least he didn't have to endure the discomfort for the remaining hours of the day.

Levi then turned to Hange, shifting on his heel and glancing over at her messy workspace. "Well, the real reason why I came here was to see if you found out anything about The Female Titan's defense." The Corporal addressed as he waved a finger in the general direction.

At the man's query, Hange's grin vacated from her face before she motioned for her space of work. Spread across the wooden surface of the steel and wood table, were various notes and many contraptions that Rogue could find no name or purpose to. In the middle of the mess lay one of the eerie crystal shards from The Female Titan. It was a good-sized piece, as long as Hange's arm and giving off a soft glow – reflecting every available ray of light in the barn. Rogue blinked, how was the crystal still there even though every part of a titan including the teeth, fingernails, and hair evaporated upon injury or death? Maybe Hange had found an answer. He had seen the scientist up all night the previous evening trying to learn all that she could from it. By the look on her face, was it possible that she had found nothing?

"Well Levi," Hange began as she picked up the shard. "I did find out quite a bit about this thing including what it's made out of. It's – incredible." She dazed off, gawking at the crystalline surface.

"Alright, what's this damn thing made out of and why couldn't we crack it?"

She sighed. "Well to begin, I tested the durability of it – hammering, slicing, and you name it trying to get the thing to crack. When nothing put a scratch on it, I decided to take a deeper look and compare minerals from it to other samples I've taken from titans and a few known rocks and gems. What I discovered explained the reason why it's impenetrable."

Armin raised a brow, curious and eager to know. "What? What material is so hard that not even iron bamboo can cut it?"

"Ah! The shard is composed of two ingredients. Skin cells make it a bit organic, but the other material is what makes it so hard. Believe it or not, the shard isn't crystal as it appears to be but it's rather diamond."

Levi raised a single brow, looking almost surprised. "Really?"

"Yup!"

His little ones sat up, the blonde looking incredibly intrigued. "Diamond? You mean like the gems that royalty and the rich wear?" Armin questioned, making the titan tilt his head in puzzlement. He had heard of crystal, but what was diamond and what was so special about it?

"Yes, exactly! It's astounding!"

Rogue grunted, gaining the fours' attention. " **AAHHTT DDIIEENNOONNDD?"**

Hange opened her mouth to comply, but Levi unexpectedly cleared his throat. "Diamond is the hardest material known to man. Besides a lot of wealthy morons wearing it in Sina, it can actually cut steel, glass, among many other things. It's incredibly expensive which was one of the main reasons why the military uses iron bamboo instead of diamond swords. Although it looks like crystal, it's the furthest thing from it." Levi informed the titan. "It explains why you were hurt so bad and why we were utterly defenseless against her."

Rogue blinked, letting his head sink slightly between his shoulders. No wonder his pelvis was split so easily. The titan roamed among his thoughts, could he ever do such a thing? Knowing The Female Titan could sever his limbs with one hardened kick, it made him wish for the ability to do the same. He could kill titans so easily – maybe even intelligent ones if he ever came across another one!

"How could that titan harden like that?" Mikasa questioned, face clearly reflecting her concentration on the subject.

Hange casually leaned against her workstation, locks falling loosely as she looked up at the ceiling. "Well, I can't say that this is a hundred percent correct, but I think it could be some sort of rapid sweating by a chemical reaction. The 'crystal' substance was ejected by her pores at a rapid rate – kind of like how sweat glands produce sweat on the human body or how sometimes Rogue ejects steam when he's angry. Maybe there were glands under The Female's skin and muscles that produced the substance by sparking a reaction. It sounds likely, but right now it's just a theory."

Armin nodded slowly, eyes glancing to the hay with what Rogue could call the look when the boy's mind was in motion. "Do you think Rogue could do such a thing?"

Hange tilted her head and looked to the behemoth in amusement, a devious smile growing on her face. "Hmmm… good question Armin. Rogue my dear; do you think you could try to harden your skin? Maybe you remember how The Female Titan did it and you can mimic her process?"

The titan raised a brow. Could he really have the potential to harden his skin? Rogue blinked, holding a finger to his face. Truthfully, he didn't really know how his foe had done it – it seemingly just appeared on her skin and muscle. Perhaps – perhaps he could do so with a bit of concentration. Holding his breath, Rogue glared at his pointer finger with eyes that didn't veer as he focused – thinking about nothing but enclosing his finger in hard diamond. Seconds passed but there was nothing, the only clear change being that he was getting red-faced and growing lightheaded.

"Rogue?"

However, as much as his lungs ached, he still kept going. He wanted to harden!

"Rogue?"

The titan still focused, digit now trembling and his face red as a beet. A sliver of blood ran from his nostril.

"Rogue!"

At the sharpness of the voice, Rogue snapped his head up, billowing steam from his maw as he tried to get a small case of dizziness under control. Feeling the wetness beneath his nose, Rogue reached to wipe the small amount of crimson from his flesh. The titan looked at the red in shock. Had he over exerted himself? How come he couldn't produce the diamond shield?

"You need to stop that now before you blow out whatever blood vessels you have upstairs." Levi ordered sternly. "I don't need you having a damn brain fart."

Rogue sat still, feeling pity at the idea that he didn't succeed in producing what he wanted. Mikasa scaled his knee, giving it a gentle rub as she looked up at him, her grey eyes showing bits of concern.

"Don't worry, you'll get it eventually. It's something that I'm sure a bit of training can unlock." She beamed warmly at him, Rogue reluctantly giving into a nod. He really wanted to be able to do it. The titan sighed, letting out a soft moan of defeat.

Hange exhaled rubbing her chin before looking at him thoughtfully. "True, we could still train and see if it's something he can do – then again he's a totally different species of titan so maybe he can't harden at all but has some sort of other ability that is native to his species." She smiled at him, the idea making him slump in disappointment.

" **EEEIII AAANTT TOOO GGEETT HAAARRDD DDOOUUGHH."** The titan grumbled – gathering a few snickers at his choice of words.

"Rogue." Levi began flatly. "I think Hange needs to teach you a more – appropriate way to word that."

The titan angled his head. What was wrong with what he just said? He was just making a statement. " **EEHH? EEHHII?"**

The messy haired female suddenly let her giggles escalate into laughter. "Ha! Well Rogue, it's kind of a human saying that's not exactly a clean one. Say 'I don't know how to harden my skin' or 'I don't know how to do the hardening ability.' One of those two is much better!"

The titan thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. Once more it was silent for several minutes, all souls listening to the chirping birds outside before Armin cleared his throat.

"Speaking of hardening, I wonder if the Armored Titan's plates are composed of the same material."

Rogue squinted, ears facing forward. Armored Titan? Did they mean – the Armored One?

Hange shifted her weight in consideration. "It's possible – but I doubt it. The Armored Titan's plates are completely different in appearance compare to The Female's hardened skin. Those plates seemed like a permanent part of it's body, but I am willing to bet that they are made up of skin cells and another hardened organic material."

Feeling the great need to ask, Rogue grunted again in worry, gaining his companions' attention.

"What is it Rogue?" The dark haired teen acknowledged.

The titan dithered. " **UUHH… AASSS AARRNNOORRDD TTIITTAANN NNOO SSKINN? EELLOOW IITTHH AAA TTUURRTTLE FAACCE?"** Rogue asked innocuously, wanting to see if he was correct.

"Yes Rogue – that's the Armored Titan." Hange replied suspiciously. "Did you see that titan – remember it?"

The creature threaded his fingers through his toes. " **EEIII SSEEEE EETT AATT TRRRROOSST. EETT LEETTT IITTAANNS EENN. SSTANNDD LETT EEMM EEN."** Rogue explained, but to his surprise, they only looked at one another with expressions that he couldn't quite read. It was a long moment of silence once again before Armin spoke up.

"Come to think of it, why would the Armored Titan not even advance and break through the inner gate like it had in Shiganshina? Why did it just stand and retreat as the other titans moved into the district?"

"I never – thought about that." Hange trailed off in an obvious daze.

"That is weird." Levi added, burring his chin into his hand. "It doesn't make much sense. Come to think of it, we haven't seen that giant battering ram in months. Let alone it disappeared for five years after the first breach before suddenly showing its face once again."

"You're right, Levi. That is rather odd. The Colossal Titan hasn't shown its face since the first breach." Hange paused, tapping her foot and swinging her arms. " Who knows, the last of Humanity is behind walls. After a hundred years of craving human blood, perhaps they converged to make their evasion. Maybe they are just as desperate as we are."

The Corporal sighed. "Well I'm just going to dwell on it." The man muttered as he gathered his crutches. "I've got some paperwork to take care of so take an extra hour for lunch. I'll report your findings of the shard to Erwin. Hell, we could use the damn thing as emergency funds in case we're ever in a bind since as of now there is no way to weaponize it." Levi paused, glancing over at the large piece on the long desk. "It's one hell of a defense method I'll give you that."

"Yeah." Hange sighed. "I'll continue to study it to see if there is anything else that can break it among other things."

With the woman's statement, Levi gave a simple nod and turned to leave the barn – moving awkwardly on his crutches, the titan's keen ears hearing the man's angry and frustrated grunts doing so. Hange then stretched, arms reaching to the heavens and emitting a bizarre squeal from her fatigued frame.

"Well," She spoke, scratching her scalp. "You three are welcome to run off for a while and have lunch or whatever. I don't want to bore you plus it's a nice day!"

"Really, you don't want assistance?" The blonde queried. "I could help you with note taking."

Hange shook her head. "I have Molbit for that. Besides, you three deserve some time to yourselves. I'm going to be working with some hazardous materials anyway. When the break's over, come back and we can remove the collar." Hange concluded without another word as she exited the barn, most likely in search of her assistant.

The titan then sat quietly, trying to resist the urge to pull on the collar as he watched his little ones exchange glances before turning their eyes to him. Armin waved his hands hesitantly, making the beast wonder what the boy wanted to disclose.

"Hey Rogue, Mikasa and I were wondering if you'd like to join us in a picnic – and visit Petra and the others."

* * *

The sun peeked high in the sky without a cloud to be seen. It was just like any day on the verge of fall. The weather was perfect, not too hot or cold and neither humid or chilly. The forest hadn't even begun to turn gold with the shifting of seasons. Rogue smiled to himself slightly. He always liked the particular time of year second to the time of spring. To the titan, he considered the period of winter transitioning to spring as life and fall to winter as the beginning of death – or perhaps a deathless sleep. It fascinated him.

The titan glanced from the corner of his eye to catch his two little ones whispering in one another's ear so quietly that he couldn't pick anything up. If he had to guess their context behind their silent words, Rogue would say that it was the two teens expressing their worry with one another about him. Over the last few days, his babies had asked him about seeing Petra, which still had him confused since its mention. Petra was long gone and with his humans up in the place called heaven. If she wasn't alive, then what did they mean? Well, he was visiting her somehow. His little ones would never lie to him.

Rogue allowed his peeking eyes to wander back the surrounding forest, following the running stream that shrouded the area in peace. Truthfully, he was nervous about seeing Petra or what remained of her. Since her death, he had experienced a great amount of depression and anguish that crippled both his heart and mind. In the week that had passed, the titan was slowly recuperating – putting on a smile to hide any pain. However, at points, her death still haunted him – making him go from cheerful to melancholy in seconds. Often, he tried to hide his feelings, but his little ones' keen eyes still caught him frowning and looking to his feet. As always, they encouraged and he recovered knowing that it wasn't his fault for what happened. Rogue swallowed, ears sinking a bit in weary expectancy. He wasn't sure what was to happen.

The titan looked to his little ones, green pools wide in curiosity as he nudged them with his chin. They hadn't given him any direction in a while and he didn't want to get lost. He had never been in this part of the forest before. After his bid for attention, the two faces looked up at him, beaming tenderly.

"Just keep walking straight Rogue." Armin grinned. "Where we're going is just beyond that line of trees – where the rose bush is." The small blonde explained as he gestured to a thick patch of closely-knit trees and a large bush decorated in bright red and beautiful flowers. "It's about time too. I don't know how much longer I could stand my stomach rumbling."

The titan huffed and with a nod, continued forward. As he happened upon the rose bush and the group of trees, Rogue carefully reached in the foliage to split the branches away from his wake and forbid the tree's fingers and claws from laying a scratch on his two companions. After shimmying through the upper greenery, Rogue blinked to adjust to the change of light and in curiosity. Before him was a clearing that brought his tapered ears erect in interest. Sunlight blanketed the area in a soft light, revealing every detail and even those that couldn't have been seen from beneath a roof of leaves. Other than various parts of the wood, the grass was trimmed and well kept – showing that the flying humans visited the place often. The most perplexing thing that the titan scrutinized was that the area was covered in various flowers in an array of colors – even new colors that he wasn't familiar with or that seemed to be a mix of others. Scattered around the glade were many stones that were unlike any that he had ever seen. They were smooth and a series of intricate lines were scribed upon their surface. They sat almost everywhere in the grass, the shallow part of the river, and upon the tall rock cliffs that almost surrounded the secretive little place. Rogue tilted his head. What was this strange habitation?

Feeling tiny hands tug on his hair, the titan lifted his palm to take his babies on a journey to the earth. " **AAHHTT IISS LLAACCEE?"** Rogue questioned as his little ones set foot onto the lush grass and gathered their picnicking materials, setting them neatly aside before turning to him.

"This is what the Scouts call a memorial garden, Rogue." Armin answered as he gestured to a nearby stone. "Memorial gardens, or this garden in particular, is where we honor those soldiers or others that lost their lives. The stones you see around you represent each Scout that has passed on. Although their bodies are gone, a part of them is still left behind here." His little one explained. "A lot of us come here to pay our respects to our friends – try to feel their spirit if you wish to put it that way."

Rogue nodded softly, eyes watching in intrigue as his little one motioned for a nearby set of stones. By the slight tilling of dirt, the titan could easily determine that the stones were recently placed. The cluster was small, and daisies were nestled in between them. Rogue rumbled quietly, kneeling further to rest on his knees and arch his spine to look upon the human scribbles. The titan then recognized that some of the marks were actually letters – those that Hange had taught him. Rogue then realized that he was looking at readable words in human tongue. However, the words contained letters that he was unfamiliar with. The titan opened his mouth slightly, trying to sound out single syllables that sounded like a collection of strange grunts that made the creature's two friends fight giggles. Understanding that he wasn't going to be able to sound out a single word, Rogue gave in and pointed to one of the scribbles. " **AAHHTT SAAAEE?"**

The titan watched as Armin and Mikasa knelt down to seat themselves in the grass next to him, looking at the stone that he was currently gesturing at. "Each rock has a Scout's name written on it. The one you're pointing at is Eld's. The one here," Armin continued as he let his index finger drift to the one next to it. "Is Oluo's. This one neighboring it is Gunter's and this one," His little one illustrated as he pointed to the last stone in the line – one that was very beautiful and graced in shades of tan and flecks of pink and pearl. "This rock is Petra's, Rogue."

The titan felt himself grow soft and warmth spreading into his stomach. Her sweet smile and words came back to him, making the broken feeling return – a feeling of need, a maternal need. He couldn't explain why he always wanted some motherly figure to guide and nurture. For a long time, Carla had filled the hole, but when she had become a titan's morsel, Petra took her role. Unfortunately, that pleasure was short lived. He did have Hange that he was thankful for, but Petra deserved to live her life. Like Carla, Petra was special. She didn't deserve such a horrible death. He missed her so much already. The titan whined quietly, reaching out to touch the stone bearing the redhead's name. For a long moment, the three were quiet, listening to the chirps of visiting birds. It was easy for Rogue to sense that his little ones were speechless, simply looking for something to say. Finally, Mikasa stood. Seeing her leave the shelter of his knee, the titan lifted his head to monitor the young teen as she strolled to a rose bush. Mikasa scrutinized each vibrant bud, taking a moment to run her delicate fingers among the petals to examine. Finally, the teen carefully snuck her hand into the twigs and snapped off a rose – careful of the prickly thorns. Rogue tilted his head in question, what was his little one doing?

" **HEEEII IICCKK OOWEERR?"** Rogue queried, moving a bit to make room for the teen to kneel to Petra's stone.

"This is how a lot of people pay their respects. They bring flowers here and do this." Mikasa demonstrated kindly, placing the rose at the base of the stone. "When the flower withers up and turns brown, a lot of people replace them with new ones."

Rogue grunted in understanding, a small smile coming to his deformed face. Wanting to do the same, the titan lifted himself onto his heels and lumbered towards a pink rose bush on all fours, the trembling ground vibrating the stones of the clearing and the glassware in the basket. Rogue then reached for the bush, pausing as he tried to figure out how to mirror Mikasa's action. The thorns wouldn't pierce his leathery hide, but the problem was how to pick the roses without damaging them with his giant fingers. However, too spirited to care, Rogue pinched the stalk of the plant between his index finger and thumb and gave a short tug – effectively retrieving the whole bush. Purring, the titan then navigated back to his two little ones. With their eyes watching in intrigue, the beast lowered the plant to the ground behind the stone. Rogue rumbled contently, rotating his head to reveal a crooked and blissful smile.

Armin giggled. "Well, I guess you can say that's a lot of respect!" The young male laughed, the titan replying with an eager nod.

"We could plant the bush there." Mikasa suggested. "That way the roses don't die. The bush could be Petra's."

Liking the dark haired teen's idea, Rogue nodded eagerly and lifted the bush. With a single finger, the titan made a good-sized hole and sat the plant upright in it, following his little one's instructions from when they planted crops in the cove. To complete the small task, Rogue then sheltered the roots with the rich soil before sitting back to admire his work. Surprisingly, it was straight and much better than the first time he tried planting – having put in the small apple tree upside down thinking that the roots would grow leaves and sprout fruit as well. " **EETTRRAAS OOWWERS."**

"That looks great." The blonde smiled. "You did a good job." Armin congratulated as Mikasa got to her feet again and retrieved a glass from the wicker basket. The two watched as she dipped the cup into the stream – filling it with liquid crystal before making her way to the replanted bush.

"Let's give it some water." The teen smiled softly as she lowered the cup to the base of the plant and began to relieve the glass – feeding the flowers. "That way it has a good start."

Rogue simply nodded, ears flickering as he watched the cup empty. It amazed him how something as simple as paying respects helped him. Though the gesture was small, it made a great impact. The titan then came to a realization: he had never done such a thing for his humans. Getting an idea, the titan rose to his feet.

"What are you doing?"

" **OOOOHH SEEE."** Rogue replied as he began to look around the stony wall, eyes searching for a suitable stone. Emerald pools scanned the crevices and fingers felt among the moss, looking for what he could deem perfect. A fairly round and smooth stone came across the titan's vision, provoking him to pick it up and place it into his palm for observation. Like Petra's it was beautiful, but with specks of blue and silver. Deciding it was good, Rogue kept it in hand as he continued his search for another suitable rock – humming pleasantly.

"Rogue?"

The titan carefully selected another rock, very similar to the one in his hand and sent it to join it. Satisfied with the stones, Rogue then proceeded to a patch of roses of different hues. The yellow bush was like his Carla, bright and sunny. The red roses were lovely as well, but for Grisha, he liked white. With his decision final, the titan retrieved the two rose bushes and began to make his way back over to where his little ones sat – their eyes peering up at him in wonder. Rogue kneeled, resting his knees into the grass and opened his palm. Judiciously, the titan then plucked the two stones from his hand and pressed the two into the soft soil, humming to himself as he did so.

"Are you – making a memorial for someone?" Armin questioned with the beast giving a quick nod in reply.

" **EESS! EEIII NNAKKEE NNORRIAAL OORR CCCUURRLLAA UUNND GRRISSAA."**

The titan missed their slight shock for he was too busy getting the stones quite right. Nonetheless, he caught their smiles, as the stones became just how he wanted them. Rogue then began to replant the bushes.

"So you're making a place for the Jaegers?"

He nodded, leisurely digging a shallow hole.

"That's nice." Armin grinned gently as he watched Mikasa retrieve more water.

"Come to think of it," the young woman began softly. "We never honored Carla or Grisha, let alone put them to rest because of all the carnage and chaos. It's great that we're doing this now."

" **ESS! EETERR DDANN NNEEVERR."** Rogue beamed down at them, enjoying their support. His little ones nodded in agreement. Mikasa then began to water the roses, the titan tilting his head, overlooking his work to ensure that it was just how he envisioned. His humans' memorials had to be perfect. However, his donations were not up to standards. Knowing just what it was, Rogue grunted loudly and gestured to his humans' stones, pointing repeatedly and then turning his finger to Petra's before displaying his request again with the two rocks. Their names had to be on them. But alas, he had no skill or physical means to meet that demand. The titan whined mutely, a little irritated that he couldn't do so, but he was happy to know that his little ones could.

"What is it Rogue?" Armin asked, obviously noticing his lack of patience.

" **NNAANNEE. LEEAASSEE RRIITTEE NNAANEE."** The titan pleaded, ears fluttering and green pools shimmering.

"Oh! You want their names on there like all the other rocks." Armin translated.

"What do we use to write?" Mikasa queried as she sat the cup down. "I don't have anything that we could do it with."

Recalling his own drawings on the quarry walls, Rogue grunted in excitement. " **NNUUD!"** The titan put forth, remembering clearly that something in the wet earth stained the rock face of the quarry. " **RRIITTEE IINN NNUUDD!"** He pointed to the stream, watching in almost amusement as his little ones turned to look at the banks.

"Oh yeah," Armin spoke as he stood and motioned across the clearing before bending at the water's edge. "The mud around here is really red, the pigment in it acts almost like a dye." The blond informed as he dipped a finger into the moist soil. "It's actually used to make paint. It should work temporarily until we can get something permanent." The blonde teen educated as he covered a finger in the reddish brown mud. "Which do you want as Carla's and Grisha's?" His little one queried, smiling as he waited on his request.

" **CUURRLLAA."** Rogue informed as he pointed to the yellowish rock and then to the other. " **GGRRIISSAA."**

The titan watched in intrigue as his little one knelt down just past his shadow and began to move his finger along the surface of the rock. In awe, Rogue bent even further to where his locks mixed with the blades of grass – nose and chin just inches from the small teen. It amazed him so how humans wrote words that translated into spoken words. Humans were so gifted. He wished that he could do the same so some of the words that he couldn't pronounce could be easier convey to his family. Deep down, he did hate his speech impediment when it came to having conversation. Even though she couldn't speak as well as a human, The Female Titan was much better at the craft than he was. He envied her possession of lips. His lack of them was both a blessing and a curse. But he made do with what he had. At least he could speak. That was all that mattered.

Rogue watched as Armin completed the last letter in his lost human's name before moving to the good doctor's stone. The titan tilted his head, watching as the boy's finger made curves and lines – trying to memorize them. Maybe he could write too.

"Well what do you think?" The teen beamed as he stood to admire his work, bumping into the titan's nose slightly. "Do you like it?"

Looking at their names, his chest grew warm once again. Carla and Grisha now had something physical retaining to them – a place where he could come see them as he could see Petra. Having their names scribed upon the stone only made his tribute even better. Thankful, Rogue then set his body low to the ground and let out a rumbling purr with the addition of nuzzling the boy with his nose.

"I'll take that as a yes." Armin tittered, words barely heard above the titan's loud display of affection. Just as the beast paused to verbally thank him, his ears heard the tell tale complaints of Armin's belly. He knew what that meant.

" **HHUUNNGRRE?"** Rogue asked, tilting his head like a curious dog. The teen nodded.

"Oh yeah! I forgot that I'm actually famished!" Armin laughed, turning to Mikasa. "Do want to pick a spot?"

"In the middle of the clearing is good. There is enough room for all of us."

"Sounds good."

Following the female's lead, the titan watched as his two little ones unfolded the large cloth and laid it across the grass, quickly sitting upon it so it wasn't ruffled by the gentle breeze. Rogue positioned himself as compact as he could. Even though the clearing was a large one, he didn't want to step or sit on any of the memorial stones. Finally comfortable after several attempts to cross his legs, the titan began to settle and watch his little ones take out their meals. Commonly, they ate things that they called 'sandwiches' again – leaves, meat and vegetables nestled between bread. Rogue kept quiet, watching the two humans chew. He then began to wonder into his thoughts of what had happened the week before, recalling how he actually wanted to eat the other titan that caused him so much suffering. Never in his years had he actually felt like feeding. Sure, he never felt what it was like to be hungry, but it made him wonder why he was so willing to try the blood of his kind. He knew that Hange was probably right, but even if he ever felt hunger – he didn't want to eat. The after effect was far from enjoyable and what was the point when all he did was throw up his stomach contents after?

Rogue then glanced to his feet, thinking back to the art of writing. He really did want to try. Deciding that it was a suitable way to get his mind off things, the titan lifted a hand to smooth out a nearby brown patch in the grass and lowered a clawed finger, teeth grinding in the slightest as he tried to decide what to write. He wanted to scribe his name in the dirt, but he lacked the knowledge of the entire alphabet. He only knew two letters in his name. The other three he hadn't covered. Unaware that his little ones were watching him, Rogue began to move his finger in the dirt. He would have to guess the other letters. Starting with what he knew, the titan messily wrote a barely legible 'G' in the soil with an equally blurry 'E' right before it – unknowingly writing backwards with the grace of a toddler. After scribing what he knew, Rogue began to make up the other letters using some of the same curves and lines that Armin had used previously.

"What are you doing Rogue?" Mikasa questioned. "Are you drawing?"

The titan looked up at the two, caught off guard. He didn't really want to distract them from eating. However, with their kind looks, he knew that they were expecting an answer. " **EIII… RRIIHHTT NNAANNEE."** He clarified. To his surprise, they left the blanket and came to the bald spot in the grass, still eating their food and looking at his letters with their brows raised in wonder.

"You're – writing?" Mikasa spoke up after swallowing her morsel. "Writing your name?"

Feeling a little embarrassed, Rogue gave a small grunt to confirm. If the titan could look upon himself in a mirror it would have been evident that he was blushing. He knew he was probably writing his name wrong. " **EEIII… DDUUNNOOHH OWW DDOOUGGH."** Rogue muttered, feeling a case of bashfulness settle in. " **NNAAHHTT NNOO AAALL ETTEERS."**

Armin smiled, suddenly taking a seat on the grass without a care about ruining the clean state of his garbs. "Well, you've got two letters right. The 'E' and the 'G.' However you have them backwards. In your name Rogue, the 'G' goes before the 'E.' The other letters in your name are 'R," The teen continued as he drew a new letter into the dirt – a loop with two sticks. "That is the first letter in your name. The second letter is an 'O." His little one continued as he drew a tall circle. "The next is 'G' and the letter after that is a 'U." The blonde drew. "Finally there is the 'E', which is the last letter." Armin educated, gesturing to the sequence. "That's how you spell your name, Rogue." Armin beamed widely. "Why don't you copy what I wrote?"

The titan hesitated, looking at his little one's letters and trying to remember the strokes. Gradually, the titan pressed his finger into the dirt and began to draw a line. The beast tried his best to copy Armin's fluid strokes and letters, but paused several times to erase a letter to make enough room for the others. Finally after several retries, Rogue had messily spelt his name. The titan's jaw contorted into the best and also the most awkward smile his mouth could make. For the first time ever, he had wrote his name! He could write! He could sign his name on his large doodles in the earth and scribe his name on everything that he wanted so Levi could say that he couldn't take it because it wasn't his! Rogue chirped loudly in excitement, completely enthused at his accomplishment. His humans and Petra would have been so proud of him!

The behemoth looked to his babies with expectancy, waiting for praise as he usually did. As he figured, they looked ecstatic.

"That's great!" Mikasa grinned tenderly, getting to her feet and tapping his index finger in congratulation. "Hange is going to be thrilled. Now, how about we make it a bit more challenging?" The dark haired teen continued as her foot swiped through both Armin and his own works – provoking a whine in disappointment from the titan. "How about you write it again without looking at anything and just memorizing it?"

Rogue's body stiffened slightly as he lowered his finger again on the fresh earthy pallet. Copying his name was a fairly easy task. But could he remember it? For as long as he had known, he had difficulty in remembering things in his lessons, never getting anything correct on the first try and taking a week or more just to learn simple phrases, complex shapes, colors, or numbers. It was another thing he hated. He didn't know why he had such difficulty. Nonetheless, he was determined to try. Rogue then began to write, quickly growing irritated as he tried to mimic his earlier moves. The beast grumbled at the exertion, brow furrowing and nibbling on his own tongue as he worked. Finally, he lifted his finger and waited on his little ones' critique.

"Well, it's a good try." Armin smiled sympathetically. "You got the 'U' and the 'G' mixed up. But that's kind of an honest mistake. 'Rouge' looks an awful lot like 'Rogue' – a lot of people actually mix that up all the time." The teen chuckled, trying to humor the titan. "Your lines are a little shaky, but that's because you're nervous. Don't be nervous! Just loosen up! Remember Rogue, no one is perfect and lots of people never get something on the first try!"

Realizing that his little one had more than likely made note of his disappointed expression, Rogue forced a smile and nodded in understanding. Yes, he couldn't be nervous. He had to be patient. He had to be loose. So he made a second attempt, doing as Armin said, the two teens smiling in delight.

"That's good Rogue, just don't leave out the 'O." Mikasa encouraged, the titan noticing error due to his negligence. Quickly, he scribbled it out to try again – making sure that he had everything in exactly where it should be.

"That's great!" Armin boasted. "You're right! Your writing is easier to read too because you relaxed. Well done!"

Rogue trilled loudly, scrunching his eyes and wiggling his ears in thanks. He had done it.

"Good, now would you like to learn how to write our names?" The blonde inquired.

At his suggestion, Rogue nodded profoundly. He wanted to learn how to write his little ones' names too!

"Alright," Armin began as he started to trace in the dirt. "My name is pretty easy to spell – it's exactly how it sounds. The letter 'A' is first –

The titan sat quietly as he observed the teen explain and express his teachings, his green irises traveling along with each stroke. Rogue bent to peer closer, wanting to take in every detail for he wanted to succeed on his first attempt. Suddenly, a force pulled him from his concentration; something was off. Instinctively, Rogue left his lesson by lifting his head to sniff aggressively – causing his little ones to go in a state of alarm and concern.

"Rogue? What's going on? What do you smell?"

His brow furrowed, skin prickling and hairs rising at the scent. The titan swallowed nervously, immediately positioning himself in a balanced squat and placing his little ones beneath him and behind a protective hand. Something wasn't right. The scent was human, but it didn't match any of the flying humans he knew or any of the other military personnel he had met. These humans were strangers, and they were in his pack's territory.

He did not like this.

As the snapping of sticks met his ears, Rogue peered sharply at the tree line. There were two sets of footprints, two heartbeats, and two distinctively different breaths. The titan hunkered down over his two babies who had donned looks of fear in light of his precautionary measures. Emerald hues watched as two men suddenly emerged from the foliage. The men wore clothes of an earthy tone and looked at the titan with intent. But it wasn't their sudden appearance that made Rogue hunker over his precious babies even further with tapered ears folded over in aggression. What the men held in their hands was the source to his alarm.

In both of their arms, the men held two long guns. Weapons that he knew were fashioned to instantly kill or badly wound, tools of bloodshed that were quickly lifted to point at him.

Rogue growled deeply, eyes turning feral. In truth, he wasn't fearful of the bullets that he had seen go through deer flesh countless times. Such a weapon would do nothing to him. But to his babies – the damage would be catastrophic. Knowing this, Rogue bent even lower in protection, eyes narrowed and hairs standing on his scalp. How did these humans end up here?

"Shit! Shit!" One of the men spoke beneath his breath, frantically looking at the other man. "It's huge! Holy shit it's huge!"

"Shut up!" The man before him snarled, still aiming his gun at its mark.

Why were the men not leaving? He had seen humans carry long rifles to hunt game, but normal humans were not supposed to come into Scout territory. To his knowledge, the fence around the perimeter was supposed to ward them away. Why had these humans crossed it? They knew not to come. So what was their reason?

"Damn this thing is ugly." The braver of the two, although not by much, sneered – obviously not secure with the amount of sweat on his brow. "It's one mean looking son of a bitch."

Rogue snarled sharply as both rejection and as a warning. His eyes narrowed menacingly, glowing with wrath and slits as thin as paper. As the leading man took a shaky step in advance, the titan jerked forward with a booming roar before holding his stance – sending a wet trail down the more cowardly man's pants and running back into the trees. Rogue snorted in disgust, wild hues turning back to the remaining intruder. Why hadn't this man bounded away while nearly tripping over himself? He could practically hear his rapid heartbeat pound against his ribcage. Why?

"Rogue!" Armin frantically whispered below him. "Whatever happens, don't attack them!"

The titan had no time to question anything as the man gradually angled his gun, lowering it to where his babies peeked over his hand. Rogue immediately arched his spine further; chin nearly touching the ground to shield his precious cargo even greater. The beast's eyes were nearly illuminating a solid green as Rogue allowed an idea to form in his head on just who the two men were. They looked to be after his little ones! Why else would this man before him lower his gun where the tip pointed at Armin and Mikasa! Maybe, just maybe, from all those years ago, these two men were related to the three that tried to take his babies away the first time they met! If this was true, he didn't have a single problem with killing them.

Rogue growled louder and deeper, making the crystal surface of the stream ripple violently. Then again, why was his little one telling him not to attack? They couldn't have known these people and vice versa. Otherwise, the two men wouldn't have their guns drawn. Damn it! What was he supposed to do! If these men were truly what he thought them to be, he would have to disobey and kill them, but deep down he wanted to trust Armin – the boy was right about things and knew a lot more than he did. So he had to just scare them – hopefully.

"Rogue! Don't attack! Don't kill him."

Hearing his little one again, Rogue took the words to mind – still not budging and keeping his furious gaze onto the armed man. However, the stress only greatened.

"Damn big bastard." The titan caught the man uttering. "I'm going to have to make him move."

Rogue narrowed his eyes. Yes, this man had to be associated with one of the kidnappers from years ago. He was sure of it. He wanted him to move so he could get to his little ones! With the idea in mind, Rogue bellowed loudly, breath whipping the grass and bushes. However, his action seemed to be the trigger that the man needed to pull as he suddenly lifted the rifle and commanded it to fire – the bullet disappearing into Rogue's bicep. The titan winced, eyes darting to look upon his arm to see a closing and steamy hole with a small river of blood flowing down his curved flesh. The beast's heart began to pound. The man had shot him. He really shot him! He wanted to kill him! Oh how he wanted to kill him! The fucker had commanded a bullet to penetrate his skin! Near his little ones even! He wanted to slaughter him, paint the roses red!

"Rogue! Don't! Nothing good will become of it!" Mikasa worded from below.

The titan frowned, heart still hammering his ribcage. Something was amiss. Why were his little ones telling him to hold back? Wait. How had that bullet gotten past his skin? Only cannonballs, iron bamboo blades and needles, and diamond hard skin could break his leathery flesh. Although he was confused, he remained in his defensive stance as the wound healed. Perhaps his little ones were onto something that he was blind to see.

"Hey!"

The sudden voice silenced the clearing. Knowing just who it was, the four turned to see Levi, Erwin, Mike, Hange, and several other officers approaching on horseback. The sight made Rogue smile inwardly, at least the other members of his family could lay a hand on the man. The titan turned to face the intruder again, only to see that he had vanished from his spot and darted back into the woods, leaving behind a foggy wall of colored smoke.

"What just happened?" Erwin demanded as he dismounted his horse along with Levi and Hange whom had begun to take observation – the shorter male ordering the others to follow the man into the woods.

Knowing that it was safe to do so, Rogue released his cargo and Armin didn't hesitate to fill them in.

"We were just sitting her teaching Rogue how to do something when two men showed up with guns. Rogue scared one of them off but the other stood his ground for a while. Even though Rogue made no move to harm him, the man shot his right arm."

"What!" Hange cried upon hearing Armin speak the truth. "They shot him!"

Rogue dipped his head. " **EEERREE."** The titan pointed to his arm, letting the closing hole come into view – the wound disappearing in a puff of steam. As he expected, Hange bounded over and began to rub her fingers along his taught skin.

"That's odd. Normal bullets can only pierce the mucus membrane of a titan's eye. How could this one pierce his body?" The scientist thought aloud. "We'll have to dig it out so I can see why." Hange concluded with the titan nearly groaning at the idea – but ultimately deciding it was for the best.

"Yeah, it was no accident." Levi spoke as he brought himself back to the group. "We need to go over this immediately. The main hunter was someone I recognized. I remember seeing him a few years ago, but as far as his name I'm fucking clueless."

The Commander's brows narrowed. "Who?"

"He was an MP."

* * *

Rogue carefully lowered himself to where he lay down with his hands propping up his chin and bicep easily accessible. For a moment, the titan watched as the barn filled with soldiers and all of the higher ups settling themselves in for an imminent discussion before looking at Hange. The scientist was approaching him with a ladder and a metal box. She then set up the ladder and scaled it, setting her box on its top step and opening the tin lid to reveal several sharp and menacing tools. Rogue swallowed, they were definitely meant to carve flesh. Although he wouldn't likely feel any pain, his hatred for knives and medical tools forced a worried whine to resonate out of his throat.

Upon hearing his stressed vocal, Hange looked up at him sympathetically, face easy with a soft but caring smile. "Don't worry, Rogue. I'm going to be quick. This shouldn't hurt at all. It's certainly less bloody and painful than you just ripping your arm off and letting it evaporate so we can retrieve the bullet. Just hold still for me!" She hummed as she selected a tool – a short knife, and began to make her incision. Feeling no hint of agony, the titan let out a sigh and tried to relax. However, such a practice was difficult. He couldn't fully grasp what had happened in the garden. Why had those men come there? Could they really have been what he thought they were? Was it an MP like Levi had said? Rogue blinked slowly, his worries nibbling at his mind as green hues watched Hange clamp the split apart flesh to forbid it closing on her – observing as the woman wiped away the dripping blood contently. Knowing that his wound was nothing serious, the titan then focused on the cluster of Scouts before him.

"So Corporal," Erwin initiated strongly. "You said the man was an MP?"

Levi sighed, leaning back against the wall and propping up his crutches. "He WAS an MP. Several years ago I saw him posted as a guard during a meeting in Sina. I recognized him from my memory of seeing him constantly peel the tips of his nails off his fingers. He was dismissed as an MP about six years ago."

Erwin nodded. "I figured as much." He spoke, making Rogue wonder.

"The other man was more on the hefty side with short brown hair and a mustache. Could he have been an MP as well?" Mikasa questioned Levi who began to rub his chin in thought.

"I don't recall seeing anyone of that description in the MPs as long as I've been in the Scouts. He could be a civilian or merchant even – which is pretty likely if Rogue scared him shitless."

"I believe what happened is this," Erwin voiced loudly, gathering everyone's attention. "It's no secret that the MPs see Rogue as a powder keg just waiting to explode. It's entirely possible that some MP officer devised a plot to make it harder for Rogue to defend himself at trial. They were well aware that our probability of winning was greater so they got in contact with the ex MP to organize a way to get Rogue to lash out at a civilian."

"I thought that too, Sir." Armin agreed. "They set it up to look like a hunting accident. The MPs wanted to hire people that they could trust to do the job without them turning on them and reporting their actions. What better than an ex MP? Since he's not enlisted, they could just pass him off as a civilian and it's probably written like so in a census."

Levi sighed. "That's true. Although the military usually keeps records of their former soldiers on file – it is highly likely that proof of the soldier's enlistment has been terminated because a lot of crooked shit happens in the Military Police."

The Commander leaned against the wooden wall of the barn, folding his arms as his brows creased in deep thought. "I just don't know if Nile is really capable of such a thing."

Rogue watched as Armin and Mikasa's brows rose in unison. He too, was puzzled by Erwin's words. Nile hated him and he likewise. How could Nile not be involved if this was true?

"Sir," Mikasa began, the titan noticing that she was struggling to keep her temper in light of her need to protect him. "Nile despises Rogue. During his evaluation, he tried everything to get Zackley to disapprove of him."

"I'm aware, but Nile is the kind of person that loves his position of power. However, I know he is the sly type." Erwin paused; suddenly quiet for several pensive seconds. Rogue blinked, scrutinizing the man to see what appeared as a twinge of hurt. Perhaps the big leader had some sort of a past with Nile that he didn't want to share. "So we can't rule him out as not responsible just yet."

"Yeah this is either Nile's plan or some other group of people." Levi exhaled, hand snaking down to grip the upper portion of his thigh – a thing that Rogue noticed the man did as a habit out of pain along with the distinct deepening of his scowl.

"Well now! He's lucky that this isn't a personal protection round! If that were the case the bullet would have broke off once it pierced Rogue's skin – sending shrapnel all into his arm!" Hange delivered as she turned the utensil to peer at the object in awe as if it were art. "Isn't this strange!" Hange announced loudly in her work, Rogue feeling metal slipping past flesh as the scientist's apparatus pulled out a small cylinder and pointed object from his bloody muscle. Hange held it up for the small crowd of Scouts to see. "I haven't come across one of these in the flesh before! Ha! Literally!"

Rogue watched as Armin's face twisted up in confusion as he stared at the silver object intently. "That bullet… why didn't it melt from Rogue's body heat?"

"Is that what I think it is?" Levi uttered beneath his breath, sounding disgusted.

Hange nodded. "It is." She alliterated, now serious. "It's an iron bamboo bullet."

Armin continued to grow more involved, standing from his seat to look at the bullet with a questionable gaze. "I thought that only our paring blades were made of iron bamboo."

"Well you're correct Armin. They are and so are our cannon rounds. The factories used to manufacture iron bamboo bullets to use against titans as well, but when our maneuver gear was invented along with the fact that bullets really didn't faze a titan whatsoever, they ceased production. That was about seventy years ago. The MPs don't even carry them."

"That's true." The Corporal supported the woman. "The only places you could get one is the black market and probably collectors. When they were discontinued, they were melted down at a temperature hotter than a titan to create more blades. As far as I know, very few of those damn things survived."

"Even with the bullet as proof that Rogue was assaulted, it will be very hard for Zackley to determine the truth since it would be nearly impossible to trace a buyer for that bullet. There are many weapons dealers in numerous illegal markets. It would be a great risk to look for documentation, if it even exists, of a sale of bullets to a buyer." Erwin regretfully informed, making several of the others collectively sigh in the room.

"What should we do if it comes up in the trial, Erwin?" Levi spoke mutely, gaze hooked at the titan with dead earnestly. "We can't prove that it was truly the MP's and the only witnesses of the shooting are Rogue's closest companions that the court will assume to support no matter what, even if that means lying."

The Commander shifted his attention to Rogue, eyes sharp as ever. "Rogue will have to say that he took the necessary precautions in the defense of his comrades. He will have to describe in detail as to what happened. He must inform that he had reason to believe that his fellow Scouts were in danger when the suspect showed no sign of stopping his advance. He must say that he didn't act and only gave them a verbal warning as ordered to by Corporal Levi. Do you understand that Rogue? You must say what I told you if this incident comes up in your trial."

Realizing that the man was speaking directly to him and awaiting an answer, Rogue nodded.

"Now Levi," Erwin continued. "If Rogue is questioned about this, you must show them the bullet as evidence of Rogue's encounter and express that not many people even know that such a bullet exists – most being military personal and mention the identity of the former MP. If anything this will just peek Zackley's curiosity and focus the court's attention to the idea that the MPs could be doing a lot of illegal activity behind closed doors."

"Understood. I assume that if this happens Arlert and Ackerman could be called to the stand anyways to testify as well?"

The Commander nodded in confirmation to Levi. "Yes. However, we must keep in mind that this attack could not even be the MP's at all. Either way, we must keep our guard up. I suspect that there is a chance that this could happen again.

"I'm sure it's going to be okay Rogue." Mikasa spoke softly to him, tone a thoughtful one. "You don't need to worry yourself sick over the trial. Just relax."

The titan sighed, a low whine reverberating through his chest as he gently ran his thumbs over his little ones' heads. Night had fallen upon the Scout's territory and the castle and landscape had grown silent. Hange had long since settled in the backroom leaving the titan and his adopted babies to talk quietly among themselves. Rogue lay on his back in his nesting area with both Armin and Mikasa lying on their bellies facing him upon his pecks. After the higher up's conversation, the truth of what could come if he failed in the trial had settled in. If Zackley didn't believe him about the two men, he knew he was to be killed - taken away from his little ones and family forever. That couldn't happen! He had already been through enough hell! How could people still hate him after he had done so much to help them?

"Mikasa's right." Armin agreed, grabbing the beast's attention from his collarbone yet gain. "You can't stress yourself out Rogue. It could make you too timid to even properly do the trial. You have to relax."

Rogue's ears and brows sank with grief. He could hardly do such a thing knowing the overall risks. " **UUTT…. EEII OOSSEE AAIIBBBIESS EEFF NNEESSS UUP."** He reminded them, but of course they probably were well aware of the consequences and were just trying to make him feel better. The teens' faces frowned, both looking at one another in worry.

"Rogue, please don't think that." Armin continued. "We still have a good case no matter what. No one was killed earlier and you held back and followed orders. No one's in a body bag or infirmary and that's all that matters. That one guy's pants may be ruined, but that's all you're guilty of." His little one grinned.

The titan huffed at the twinge of humor, letting his skin pull and form into a feeble smile. His little one did have a valid point. Zackley did seem to like him anyway.

"It may sound a bit rude, but there are those that don't know Rogue that believe he's not capable of lying." Armin turned to Mikasa. "That works to our advantage too."

The dark haired teen nodded. "I hate to say it, but you're right."

Although he pitied himself for not being as smart as his two little ones or any other human he knew, Rogue was well aware that his ignorance or 'playing titan' did work to his benefit at points. He could weasel himself out of any situation he got into by acting unaware or pretending to not understand. He had done such to Levi many times without the intelligent man even catching onto him. The titan also did the same to get something he wanted. Keeping this in mind along with his little ones' other words, Rogue settled into the hay. To show the two teens that he trusted their words, the titan emitted a warm purr and angled his head to gift the two with a gentle lick. He then pressed his nose into their tiny frames, feeling their hands upon his pronounced cheeks. Rogue trusted them with everything he had.

"See? No reason to be nervous!" Armin encouraged. "Just do as Levi said and we should be back here before you know it!"

The titan nodded and lowered his head into the pile of pillows, hay, and feathers – shielding his vibrant greens in wait for sleep to claim him. Minutes passed as Rogue slowly felt his babies settling on his skin and he himself slipping into the void. He really hoped that things would be in his favor.

* * *

_Warmth spread around his body, submerging him into a peaceful state. His ears could hear nothing. Not a bird's song, not a familiar voice, or even the wind whispering through the trees. The only sound that was clear was his own rhythmic heartbeat. The world around him was eerily silent and felt strangely small. Yet, it felt inviting – comfortable even. However, it was lonely. To him, it felt like he was the only one that existed. With the wish to see where he was, the titan decided to unveil his eyes. But their lids were heavy, sleepy feeling and his vision was incredibly blurry. He could make out nothing, not even a faint shape. All he could see before closing his eyes in exhaustion was the shade of pink._

_Suddenly, he felt something that he thought was foreign in the bizarre environment, a touch to his frame. For a moment, he took the sensation in until something began to feel incredibly wrong. The peace was being swept away, replaced with an overwhelming torrent of unease. The world around him seemed to be pulling away. Panicked, he thrashed – trying to break free to escape. The place shook with him, only making him all the more terrified. Then, before he could even comprehend everything that was happening – the warmth was no longer surrounding him. It was cold, a barrage of noise violated his eardrums, his senses became overwhelmed, and everything was so unwelcome. Rogue opened his eyes, but everything was bright, too bright – white even. Then there was pain, promoting him to scream._

_Then, everything changed. It was tranquil again and he could hear the tiny life around him. Insects scurried, birds chirped, and water dripped. Gradually, Rogue opened his eyes to find that he was curled up in a pile of fresh and dead needles that he recognized from pines. At first, the titan assumed that he was in his nest back in his cove, but he quickly discovered that wasn't the case. There were no wooden walls of a hollow tree trunk at all – just air. Curious, Rogue sat up from the unfamiliar nest to look around at the scenery that made his green eyes widen in wonder. He wasn't in a forest per say, but rather beneath one. Surrounding him was a large cavern, but not one that was dark and dreary like most. Sunlight poured in from a large hole in the cavern's ceiling, highlighting the small ecosystem below. Grass and moss grew among the cliffs and large boulders, sprinkled in flowers and fungi. In awe, Rogue stood from the pine nest and began to walk along the wide ledge in the cavern. He moved slowly, emerald hues looking down at his feet to see a large amount of objects scattered in the grass. In question, Rogue bent down to examine a few of the things nestled within the green. There were several objects that he had seen before: a big wooden cup, a doll, and a small foot covering. There were other things that he couldn't determine what they were. There was some sort of fur pouch, a pointed stick, and a metal head covering. Rogue blinked, he had never seen such things before._

_Deciding to explore further, Rogue stood from his squat and walked out onto a large overhanging ledge that was below the cascading sun. For a moment, Rogue looked over his head, taking note of a lush forest around the hole before looking over the ledge. Beneath him was a clear and stagnant pond vibrant with white Lilly pads and cattails. Many silver fish swam in the shallow water, scales sparkling with the reflection of the light. Rogue sat, crossing his legs to look about with puzzlement. Where was he? Why was he sleeping in an unfamiliar nest? Why were the objects scattered around the cavern? Did someone live here? If so, they had to have been a lot like him._

_His eyes widened, recalling Hange's idea about his nightly visions being something rather than a dream. Was this some sort of memory? If it was then perhaps he was the one who lived in the underground oasis. Question was, where exactly was he? He blinked, looking over his broad shoulder at the unfamiliar collection. Some of the objects – they looked and smelled old. What year was it?_

_The titan's ears quickly shifted, focusing on the northeast part of the cavern. Driven by a natural need, Rogue sniffed – brows lifting and eyes igniting in surprise. Could it really be? The phrase echoed in his head as he rotated to see just what he thought. At the foot of the cavern, standing at the mouth of some sort of tunnel, was the bearded and pointed ear titan that he had seen in his previous dream. Slowly, Rogue stood upon his perch, observing the titan in astonishment. If this was indeed a memory, then who was this titan? Desperate to know, Rogue opened his mouth to speak, but to his misfortune all that escaped was a silly grunt. Mentally, he cursed himself, guessing that he couldn't speak in this dream either. However, the titan before him lifted a hand and waved, sending the message that it wanted him to follow. With desperation overwhelming his body, Rogue scrambled from the overhang and ungracefully descended to the floor below. The titan then turned and was swallowed into the darkness of the tunnel with Rogue entering close behind._

_The world suddenly became overwhelmingly bright before the light faded into a reasonable amount. Rogue blinked, grunting in surprise at the new surroundings. Any evidence of a cavern or cave was gone and replaced by a thick forest of towering trees and mossy boulders. The titan looked over his shoulder in search of any entrance that he had just exited only to find leafy greens. This definitely wasn't his wood and territory. It had trees that he had never seen, flowers that he couldn't identify either. Rogue continued to peer around at the environment, only for his pupils to land upon the same bearded titan from before. Fearing that it would suddenly disappear from him again, Rogue approached it slow and carefully, as he would do when stalking prey. Thankfully, the titan made no move to retreat but rather stared deeply into his eyes with its own. He could see the titan much clearer than their last meeting. Its eyes were so serious, almost reminding him of Erwin's – matching the determination and intensity right on point. Rogue swallowed, he felt so timid like he was just before any training session with Levi. With the beast standing, he could make out the titan's body type more clearly. The creature was indeed more bulky and hefty than he was. The titan's upper body was very muscular whereas its torso possessed a sizable gut. Its arms were a bit longer than his and its legs were shorter but contained a considerable amount of muscle nonetheless. Bravely, Rogue took a step closer to discover that the bearded titan did indeed have a pair of lips hiding beneath the black wiry hairs growing from beneath its nose and on its chin. The titan's feature disappointed Rogue in the slightest, but the shifting of the beast's ears still said that they were of the same variety. The titan was also taller than him, perhaps seventeen meters in height. Just who was he?_

_Suddenly, the titan took a step forward, looking at Rogue with the constant intense glare before opening his mouth._

_"_ _ **BALANCE."**_ _The bearded titan spoke, voice deeper than his, guttural, but with a twinge of ease laced in the direct order._

_Rogue tilted his head in confusion, watching as the larger titan lifted a leg and began to stand on one foot. His eyes widened at the sight. The heavier creature was solid in the difficult stance, frame not even shaking in the slightest. The titan's bulk did nothing to teeter him. This amazed Rogue, balancing on a single limb was something that he still had difficulty with._

_While still keeping his stance, the other titan pointed to him. "_ _**BALANCE."** _ _It repeated, obviously wanting him to copy the move._

_Rogue swallowed nervously as he slowly lifted his right leg, immediately feeling his center of gravity disrupt him and body tremor – ankle wanting to give out. Green eyes looked at the seventeen-meter almost apologetically just before his ankle gave way and Rogue found himself landing roughly on his rump. His face automatically heated in embarrassment. To Rogue's surprise, the titan had approached him yet again and held out a hand, performing a human gesture meant to help one up. Stunned, the titan grabbed the hand and allowed himself to be hauled back onto his feet – only managing a grunt in thanks. Why was he doing such a thing?_

_Unexpectedly, the bearded titan bent over and moved his left foot in the slightest, making it veer faintly inward. "_ _**TRY NOW."** _ _The larger behemoth ordered, sounding more pliable than before._

_Rogue tilted his head, ears uneven as he visibly pondered. This titan was incredibly intelligent. Where did it learn human tongue? Putting aside his questions, Rogue then balanced himself on one leg again, but this try was much different. He wasn't shaky like a newborn or swaying like a tree limb. His body was sturdy, just like the pines around him. A smile and nearly childish vocal escaped his grinning maw. He had never succeeded in such a feat! His little ones and Hange would have loved to see this!_

_Hearing a grunt, Rogue looked up to see the bearded titan pointing at an adolescent tree, a younger variety of those that seemed to pierce the heavens. "_ _**WATCH ME."** _ _It continued as it got into a position similar to what Levi had shown him. He simply stood, eyes growing wider as the hefty titan quickly lifted a foot off the ground and initiated a high and powerful kick. Rogue's jaw dropped in the slightest as the titan's form revealed itself – a process that differed from what the Corporal had shown him in the slightest but in the most effective ways. Although the difference in size was definitely apparent, the bearded titan executed the attack with as much grace as The Female Titan. The beast's foot sliced cleanly through the bark and sent the top half of the tree to the mossy floor below. Rogue was stunned. With the titan's foot slightly turned and torso both leaning and curving, the stance allowed a beast with such a great mass to keep its balance. Unknowingly he felt himself purring at this. He wanted to make the same attempt!_

_"_ _**NOW,"** _ _The titan prolonged, taking a moment to observe a family of deer crossing their path in great interest before turning back to Rogue and gesturing to another young tree. "_ _**MAKE TREE PREY."** _

_Rogue studied the bearded titan, seeing the clear sense of expertise in its shadow-rimmed eyes. He then turned to his wooden victim and positioned himself in the very stance that the other titan had formulated. Taking a deep breath, Rogue arched his powerful leg, sending wind ripping along the foliage as he swung. Muscles pulled and contracted beneath his taught flesh as his spine strategically curved. His bulk was hard, solidly planted into the earth with his bones not moving a single inch. A smile of triumph pulled at the corners of his mouth as his foot met his target._

_However, his assault only caught air as the landscape changed. Still upright, Rogue slowly brought his foot down and quickly began to survey the area. The bearded titan was nowhere in sight and the surrounding forest was long gone. Instead, he was standing in the middle of a rocky fortress. Stone was the color of clay and there was barely a tree in sight. Old and dry bones were scattered around in the dirt, some even crushed into dust. He looked around frantically. The area felt so unwelcome, harsh, and smelled like a predator's old kill. Then, his eyes caught sight of another titan, the very one that sent shivers down his back and made his heart pound in rage. She was simply standing among the emptiness as if she was taking in the view herself. Then, The Female turned in his direction – violent and intense blues staring at feral yet innocent greens._

* * *

"Rogue!" A toasty voice called, a gentle touch on the tip of his nose. "Time to get up!"

He stirred, groaning with a slight amount of testiness before forcing his lids to peel away. The titan blinked rapidly to dampen the dryness before getting used to the change. The interior of the barn surrounded him in welcome arms once again. His little ones were standing before him along with Hange and a rather disapproving looking Corporal. Rogue scratched his head, discovering that he was still wearing the collar from the day before – having forgot about the accessory. The titan's maw parted to release a bit of steam in the equivalent of a yawn. Everything was a memory that he would have to soon make some sense of and share with the others.

"Alright brat, get the hell up. We're heading to Stohess."

* * *

Fire licked the night sky, flames dancing in a mesmerizing display before his eyes. The day had gone by quickly, the trek was mostly full of small talk between those riding on his shoulders and himself. Surprisingly, half of the flying human pack had chosen to join him while the others stayed to watch headquarters. If he had any guess as to why, he would say that it was because of the previous day's incident. Not to mention for support as well.

Currently, he was seated neatly before a burning bonfire in the company of Erwin and Levi. An hour before, they had stopped in a large field on the side of the main road to rest up for the night. Most of the soldiers had gone off to set up tents and participate in sleep. His little ones and Hange had left to fetch water from a nearby stream and set up their own quarters. For the last thirty minutes, Erwin and Levi had taken it upon themselves to inform and drill him about the coming scenarios of the trial and what exactly to say to each statement. Still, even though they were giving him all the answers to the impending test, he was growing nervous.

However, his mind had descended into his thoughts about his recent vision as the two men before him looked over their notes for anything that they had neglected to say. During the trip, Rogue had not gotten the chance to tell his little ones or Hange about his new memory, feeling that it would be better absorbed once the party had settled. Not only that, but he was itching to try what the bearded titan had instructed him.

"So do you understand all of that, Rogue?" Erwin queried, the tall blonde looking almost tired. "It's very vital that you perform well tomorrow."

The titan quickly nodded. He was well aware of what he was to do. Levi stood, stretching slightly before opening his mouth to make one last address.

"Good. Behave tomorrow. Remember, you'll be both chained and collared but barely." The Corporal informed, the titan simply grunting his acknowledgement, too focused on going to test out his memory. "Alright, you're free to go. Just don't wander into farmland or any other city."

Rogue dipped his head in both thanks and understanding before carefully getting to his feet, making a few of the logs in the fire shift and unsettle ash. Without looking back, the titan walked away casually, head occasionally looking about for any sign that anyone was watching – he really didn't want to bring attention to himself for a reason that he couldn't pinpoint. So far, it seemed that the others were already fast asleep, the plain nearly as barren as his naked form. Rogue then paused at the peak of a small knoll and glanced over his shoulder, seeing that both Erwin and Levi had separated into their own tents for the evening. A faint grin pulled at his lipless maw, eager to get started with his self-issued exam. The titan then took one last look around him before taking a well deserved stretch to loosen up before reaching to scratch his scalp and beneath his jaw – thankful that he didn't have to wear the collar for the day. Rogue then settled, glowing greens peering down at his large feet, the beast finding himself fretfully nipping the tip of his tongue. Hopefully the technique would work and he wouldn't make a fool of himself.

Briefly double checking to make sure that no one was sneaking a glance, Rogue turned his left foot slightly inward. Taking a deep swallow, the titan slowly lifted his right leg, bending his knee. Rogue nearly produced a squeak in surprise at the result. Like in the dream, he was standing just as sound as a great timber with not even a single shutter. His grin grew more lopsided; the beast beaming in glee as he smoothly extended his lifted foot out behind him – bravely leaning forward before returning upright. The titan unknowingly gurgled in complete delight at his achievement as he smoothly and slowly swung his leg out to the front before tucking it beneath him yet again and planting his foot into the lush earth.

The titan purred to himself, digging the tips of his toes into the ground with his ears wiggling in a mess of long locks. It really was a memory after all. The fact that he was able to successfully balance made him wonder. Just who was the strange titan that was with him? If there was one, were there more?

Wanting to make a second attempt, Rogue alternated and stood on his right foot – finding that he was just as stable as he was the other. The titan trilled, excited at his new discovery.

"Well now! When did you learn that Rogue!"

Hearing the ever-familiar enthusiastic voice, Rogue abruptly planted his foot back down and turned his attention below to see both Hange and his little ones grinning up at him. At the sight, he bent over to rest on the balls of his feet, warmly greeting them with several over enthused grunts and squeals.

"You did amazing, I've never seen you look so sturdy standing on one foot before." Armin congratulated.

Mikasa characteristically laid a hand onto his lowered finger. "That was good, did Levi teach you that?"

" **NOO!"** The behemoth informed, watching as the trio formed looks of confusion.

"Huh?" The scientist frowned, a brow rising above her glasses. "Levi didn't find a new way for you to balance yourself?"

Rogue found himself slightly flustered as he rubbed his neck, with the information he was about to spill, it was highly likely that his companions would be asking lots of queries and Hange would be jumping in joy. " **ERRR… YEEAAH. EEVVII NOO EELLP. CCAAN… UUSS AALLLK?"**

His little ones' eyes widened. "You mean – you didn't teach yourself that, Rogue? Someone else did?"

He nodded, watching as Hange's concern naturally morphed into gusto. "Ah! Well! Let's go settle in and you tell us all about this mysterious teacher of yours!"

* * *

Minutes later, his little ones and the messy haired woman guided him into a small designated spot that the three were apparently taking refuge in. Oddly, no protective tents were set up but instead all belongings were tossed aside, still in their packs from when they had left the castle. All that was fully established in the small settlement was a fire cooking what appeared to be the human food of soup. Familiar with how the Scouts always seated themselves around the flames, Rogue slowly rested onto his rear before situating himself onto his belly. As if he were observing a line of minuscule insects, the titan bent his elbows to prop up his chin on his palms. Outlined eyes watched as the other three beings sat down their small buckets of water before rummaging through their packs. He continued to keep to himself as Armin, Mikasa, and Hange lay out a few blankets over the bristly grass and proceeded in retrieving their own bowls of soup. Finally, the three settled onto their own covered earth and faced him, each sticking a spoonful into their mouths.

"Alright, so tell us who taught you to stand like that, Rogue." Hange began, her mouth full of bread. "Which Scout was it? Krista?"

Rogue shook his head, smiling softly as he decided to let each of them have a fair guess for the entertainment.

"Was it Connie or Sasha?" Mikasa queried, keeping her 'table manners' in check so to not speak with her mouth full. "You go hunting with Sasha and you goof off with Connie quite often."

Again, the titan denied her guess with a smooth back and forth rotation of his head. He already knew that none of them, not even Armin, would get the answer right.

"Was it Erwin then? Or perhaps Mike?" The blonde joined in, with Rogue denying.

Hange's brows rose, obviously befuddled. "Okay, if it was none of them then who was it, Rogue?"

The beast shifted slightly, folding his arms neatly, preparing for any sort of reaction. " **EELL… EETT AAHHS A TTIITTAANN."** Rogue informed, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish that he was revealing his vision so late. Truthfully, he could have sworn that he had shared the bearded titan with them before, but with the chaos of The Female Titan and the aftermath that she had left behind, it was likely that even if he mentioned it – none paid any attention. Now though, with the mention, the three were looking at him nearly spellbound.

"Oh, do you mean you watched an abnormal or something when we were out on the expedition do the same thing and you decided to try it?" Armin queried, the first to make any assumption.

Rogue executed a negative nod. " **NOOO NNOTT IIKKEE DDDAT. EEII HHAADD NNEENNORRYY ASST NNIIGHT."** The titan corrected, watching as his little allies sat down their bowls in extreme intrigue. Hange of course, had a slack jaw, nearly dopey expression, and dropped her spoon to the grass – both shocked and awed at the same time.

"Whoa! You mean you had another memory come to you last night, Rogue! This is stupendous! Please enlighten us!" The scientist fumbled over her words as she roughly tossed aside her soup and grabbed her journal from her pack; quickly opening the leather bound book and pressing her writing stick to the page.

" **OOKAAEE. EENN NNYY DRREEANN – IIRRSSSTT AAHHSS UUZZZY UUTT DDEENN EEEII AUUHHSS IITTHH AA TTIITTAANN DAATT AADD NNYY EEARSS."** Rogue articulated carefully, gesturing to his shifting ears. Again, the three's eyes grew even wider – reminding the titan of his round ball. Hange even appeared to have difficulty remaining still in her seat.

"OH! My god! So you saw another titan like you? Pointed ears? Lipless mouth? Great personality? Powerful muscles? Green eyes?" Hange spoke quickly, not pausing for a single breath. With the titan blinking rapidly at the rush of words, Mikasa quickly turned to the beyond excited woman.

"Miss Hange, you should probably ask him one at a time." His little one suggested kindly with the Squad Leader sighing at the request. Rogue too, let out a breath. He loved Mikasa dearly and he truly appreciated her protectiveness, but she wasn't the parent in this situation. He was. He could certainly understand Hange. Sometimes he believed that his little one had trouble accepting that he was growing more intelligent for she loved taking care of him – that was what siblings did anyway. Of course, he would never tell her that sometimes it hurt his feelings.

"Oh alright then. I'll just let him speak!" Hange squealed in excitement. "Just tell us what you saw, Rogue!"

" **YEAAHH. TIITTANN LLIKKEE NEE. HHADD PPOOIINTEE EAARS, UUTT WAAS AA IITTLLEE DIIFFERRENT. HAAADD LLOONNG AAIIR."** The titan illustrated as he held up a lock. " **HHEE TAALLEER."** Rogue continued as he hovered a hand two meters above the top of his head. **"HHAADD BBEEARRD."**

**"** A beard?"

Rogue nodded. **"ESSS. EELLOOOWW EEEYYEES IIITTHH BBLAACCKK RROOUNND LLIIKKE NNIINNE."** The titan pointed to the dark skin around his eye then to his mouth. " **IITTAANN HHADD IIPSS."**

"Oh? It had lips?"

Again he nodded. " **HHADD NNUUSSLLEESS."** The titan spoke as he sat back up and flexed his arms. " **BBUTT HHADD AA SNNAALL EELLY."** Rogue informed as he traced a distinct curve around his stomach. " **NNAAIILS IIKKEE NNINNE. SSKKIINN IIKKEE NNEE."**

Hange wrote frantically in her journal, a maddening glint in her eye that came when she was deeply engaged in a new discovery related to either him or his kin. "OH MY GOODNESS! HOLY HELL!" She breathed, almost looking like she couldn't control herself and her massive fervor. "The titan you saw sounds like it really was one of your species! The pointed ears, the hair, and the dark bandit pattern around the eyes!" The woman nearly squealed.

"It does sound a lot like him." Armin rubbed his chin. "But Rogue said that the titan had lips –

"True." Hange beamed. "However in some animal species there are some slight differences in some individuals. I found a banned book once that spoke of a creature called a Leopard and one called a Black Panther. According to the text, the panther is actually a leopard with melanism – which is an excessive amount of black pigment. In the panther, melanism is a recessive gene and sometimes melanistic and non-melanistic animals are born in the same litter. Perhaps it is the same for Rogue's species. Maybe there is a dominant or recessive gene that makes a titan born either having lips or not." Hange giggled. "After all, the question if titans reproduce or not is still up in the air." She laughed, getting an eye roll from Mikasa.

"That makes sense, but titans reproducing?"

Hange held up her hands. "Hey, titans exist so nothing is impossible." The woman chortled. "Anyways, lets let Rogue continue. Please go on my dear!"

Finally getting his chance, Rogue nodded and lay on his underside once again. " **DEE TTITTAANN TTAALLKK TOO. IIITT AAHHSS IINN…INNTEELLGGENNT."** Rogue pressed on, trying to pronounce the word that his family often used to describe being smart. Again, Hange nearly stood from her seat with amazing passion.

"So it could speak too! Wow! Yet another display of this species' intelligence! What did this titan say? Did he have a name?"

Rogue shook his head. " **NNOO NNAANNE. OONNT NNOO NNAANNEE YYEETT. WWEE IINN AA OORRESST. TTIITTAANN TTECHH NNEEE HHOOWW TOO AALLANNCEE. TTOOLLD NEEE HHOOW KIIKK. TTIITTAANN EELLPP NNEE EENN EEI NNESS UUPP."**

The blonde's brows arched in intrigue. "So it was teaching you how to stand on one leg and how to kick?"

Rogue dipped his head, grunting in comply.

"That's interesting indeed!" Hange scribed. "Your species definitely were not solitary creatures. This titan was spreading knowledge to you! Teaching what I'm guessing was how to hunt! Amazing! Then what happened?"

He dithered, trying to decide if he should include his vision of The Female Titan, but ultimately denying it since it seemed that there was no point. **"NNOOT NNUUCH. DREEANN EENDDS."** Rogue paused. " **DDIID SEE IITTANN IIN OOLLDER DRREEAN. WEE EEREE BYY OOCCEENNN. SSIITTING."**

"Oh, so you've seen this titan before in a memory?" Hange quizzed, the titan's little ones looking at him intently at the statement – most likely wondering why he had failed to tell them.

" **EESS."**

**"** So the two of you were sitting by the ocean?"

" **EAAHHH. NNOT TTAALLK DDOOUGH."**

**"** I see." Hange pondered aloud, adjusting her glasses. "I wonder what this titan's relation to Rogue was. From this small but revealing amount of information, I want to say that Rogue's kind may have lived in close proximity to one another or in small groups. If titans do reproduce, then maybe he is some kind of blood relation to Rogue – a sibling, cousin, or maybe even a father to our lovely titan! Then again, he could just be a friend or mentor." She paused, smiling up at the stars. "Maybe Rogue has a family out there somewhere."

"Hange," Armin began quietly. "If Rogue had a family, then why are they not looking for him? Why is the titan in the dream not looking for him?"

The young teen's words made an uncomfortable silence fall over the four. For several minutes the humans glanced down at the content of their bowls while barely batting an eye, obviously feeling remorse for bringing the subject into play. For a moment, Rogue watched the flames of the fire spit hot embers until he couldn't stand their sorrow no more. He wanted to express the truth.

" **NNYY** **AAANNLLIIEEE EERRE. IITTLLEE OONNSS, AANNGGEE, EEVVII, DEE SSCCOOUUTTSS NNYY AANNLLEE."** Rogue purred.

At the titan's decree, his cherished companions looked up from their slumped stances, warm and tender smiles slowly spreading across less troubling faces. His little ones stood from their blanketed earth and approached his lowered façade.

"That's right, Rogue. We're family." Mikasa spoke softly as she stroked the bridge of his nose, making the titan purr even louder. "And you'll always be my big brother."

At the teen's heartfelt words, Rogue nuzzled his large face against her petite frame, the titan's purrs vibrating the ground beneath the three sets of human feet. Feeling the overwhelming need to share his affection, Rogue quickly scooped up Mikasa in his palm and playfully flopped over onto his side. The titan pressed his little one to his chest and quickly retrieved both Armin and Hange to join her. " **AANNLLLEE!"** The beast repeated in glee. " **EEEII LLOOVVEE NNYY AAANNIIILLEE!"** Rogue boasted as he curled in on the three and gifted them with a loving lick.

"Love you too Rogue."

For quite some time, the titan watched as his three humans fell asleep in his embrace. Rogue smiled softly at their restful faces, his own feet kneading – an odd little thing that happened to him on the occasion when he felt good. However, the titan ceased the activity when his mind began to wonder back to the conclusion of their conversation. Was it really possible? The titan like him – was there really a family, a pack of titans like him out there? If there really was, why had none looked for him? Why hadn't the titan from his dream showed its face? What was its relationship to him? How had he ended up inside the walls in the first place? How did he lose his memory? Rogue sighed, letting a small cloud of steam gently drift over his human company. Now he had more questions than ever with no answers.

The titan exhaled softly, letting his head fall into the grass and his eyes close. He was not looking forward to the coming day.

* * *

If it was one thing that he hated more than his collar, it was his binds. As he took each heavy step, the titan fussed at the uncomfortable apparatus. Rogue's eyes glared down at the metal links on his wrists in hatred, green eyes following the chain connecting each of the braces, meeting the loop that hooked them together, and following the links to where the chain was latched on the leather band around his neck. Rogue grumbled deep in his chest, instinctively shaking and scratching at the shackles with the determination to get them off – even though the flying humans had put them on loosely. Finally, seeing that the object of his irritation wasn't going to be removed anytime soon, Rogue let his arms drop, craning his neck to look upon the passengers of his shoulders – whining pitifully. He didn't understand why they needed to go THIS far.

Seeing his complaints, Mikasa beamed weakly and gently ran her fingers along the cartilage of his tapered ear. "I know it's uncomfortable, Rogue – but you just have to endure it for a few hours. You don't want to get in trouble do you?"

The titan groaned at her words before shaking his head in reply. No. He didn't want to get in trouble.

"Good, now remember, once we step through Sina's gates, you have to be quiet and on your best behavior. Only speak at the trial when you're prompted okay?"

Sadly, Rogue nodded in reply, he had to go against his instincts in order not to receive a bad reputation.

"Just remember." Armin began seriously. "The people in Sina are nothing like the other wall districts. It's just like Levi told you. Everyone isn't going to be too supportive. Most likely they will be saying some pretty cruel things, but you have to ignore them." Armin paused, looking over at the Corporal who was seated on his opposite shoulder. "Corporal?"

The man sighed. "Yes, Arlert?" Levi muttered, face in a deep frown – the man looking like he had almost sat through one of Hange's multiple hour speeches. His little one had been right when they had shared with him that the Corporal hated going to Sina with a passion. Rogue swallowed, Stohess must be terrible if Levi hated it. Then again, the short male was a man that appeared to hate neatly everything.

"I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but did you share the Wall Cultists to Rogue?" His little one laughed fretfully. "Just so Rogue is prepared if we come across one?"

Levi nodded. "Yeah, I shared the preaching bastards with him. Tch – if they are at the trial, which I'm sure that Nick and his closest followers will be, there is going to be a lot of bullshit flying from their damn mouths."

Rogue swallowed, Adam's apple rubbing against his collar. His superior had warned him about the group of people on the day the man drilled him on what to say. Strangely, these 'Wallists' were among the first thing he mentioned – even before what he was to say to defend himself. The group, by description, were an irrational group of people that worshiped the walls like deities – more precisely the three wall goddesses: Maria, Rose, and Sina. To the titan, humans pledging their loyalty to something inanimate was just plain weird, even stranger than a strange one's behavior and gate, but he guessed it made them happy. Needless to say, he wasn't looking forward to meeting them.

"Thanks, Corporal Levi. So if the event from the garden is brought up, you'll call us to the stand as witnesses?"

"Yes. If that happens, you both must say that Rogue followed your own orders…

The titan retreated to his own thoughts as the man continued to speak with his little ones. The day had been a fairly pleasant one, sunny with an early fall breeze rolling in. The morning was full of packing up and moving along the rural landscape, seldom farmers watching as they passed. Rogue tilted his head in the slightest, looking at the intimidating and towering wall looming over them as their regiment made their approach. Again, he swallowed nervously. Rogue wasn't so sure, even after all his family members preparations to prepare him that he was going to be ready. What if he messed up and lost? He could lose his life. The titan subconsciously grabbed his wrist, eyes looking down at his feet. Levi had also warned him that if that happened – he was to take his little ones and run beyond the walls while the Scouts slowed the rest of the MPs down – an act that would most likely involve losing his new family in terms of bloodshed. He did not want that to happen. If it came to such a thing, he would be scooping up as many as his hands and shoulders could carry and then retreat – all the way to the ocean if necessary. Hopefully he wouldn't have to kill anyone in the process.

Hopefully.

"Are you alright, Rogue?"

Hearing Mikasa's voice, the titan turned his head, quick to replace his shock of being discovered with a smile.

" **EESS. EEIII OOOD."** He clarified. However, she was stoic, grey eyes looking up at the creature's red ears – making Rogue curse himself and his quirk inwardly for the millionth time. To his surprise, the teen keep the truth about his lie secret, only to gently rub the toasty skin of his neck as an act of comfort. He was well aware that she and Armin knew the same as he did about the possible outcome.

"HALT!"

Upon hearing the order, Rogue stopped immediately, looking ahead to see that the team of Scouts was now at the foot of the wall with the gate slowly opening. The titan watched as a Garrison and two MPs began to speak with the blonde leader, words too quiet for him to make out.

"Kneel, Rogue." Levi worded in a low tone. "Those two will probably be over here to examine you. They are likely our escorts so be on your best behavior."

At this, the titan grunted in acknowledgement and slowly descended to rest on his knees. Rogue's ears began to droop with dread as he spied Erwin guiding the two MPs over. As much as he wanted to consort with his little ones, the giant humanoid remained still and silent – watching as each and every agonizing step grow closer.

"Remember Rogue," Armin encouraged softly. "Be friendly."

He gulped, green eyes absorbing as the trio came just a few feet from his knee. Rogue suddenly loosened from his tense stance, noticing the looks upon the two MPs that made him grow a little tender. The boy and girl were both teens – no older than his own little ones and the looks of clear fear were plastered upon their faces. The girl had platinum blonde hair and an outline of black around her eyes that almost reminded him of his own raccoon like markings – but with eyelashes that were onyx as well. Like every female soldier that he had seen, she was skinny with lanky limbs. The titan's keen sense of judgment began to do its work – the beast detecting that the young woman was definitely of a lazy sort that was the type to often be more concerned with her own wellbeing. The boy was different. The adolescent male didn't look nearly as frightened as the girl but he could practically smell the teen's nervous sweat – the boy was forceful, but failed to keep a completely brave look on his face. He was a slender individual with long proportions and an odd haircut – having short fine hairs underneath like Levi but having a bizarre bowl like shape on his head. The boy's personality was definitely different than the girl's – having a bit more determination and a sense of justice. He was the type that would try to correct corrupt things, the boy sort of reminded Rogue of some of his own traits. It was clear to him though; the two had most likely never seen a titan at all.

"Everyone." Erwin addressed the titan and the four beings on his shoulders. "This is Marlo" The Commander gestured to the male. "And this is Hitch." The tall man pointed to the girl. "From left to right on the titan's shoulders is Corporal Levi, Section Commander Hange Zoe –

"Pleasure to meet the two of you!" The scientist greeted enthusiastically, getting a slightly fretful nod from the two young MPs.

"Anyways, that is Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert – better known by the media as the 'Titan Children.' Finally, the titan himself is Rogue Jaeger."

Following both the order to be friendly and wanting to give some reassuring comfort himself, Rogue trilled in an affable manner with his eyes scrunched and ears wiggling in greeting. The action of the beast instantly made the two teens loosen to where they were closer to relaxation, eyes wide and with jaws nearly slack in surprise.

"It's… the titan is friendly?" Hitch fumbled over her words.

"Oh yes!" Hange chortled. "Rogue may be terrifying looking, but in reality he's a big teddy bear!"

"That's incredible." Marlo alliterated. "I never thought I'd come face to face with a titan, let alone one that seems approachable."

The scientist continued to giggle. "Yup! Rogue is one in a million! Rather than eating people, this big boy loves to cuddle with his adopted human babies!" Hange continued merrily, promoting Rogue and his little ones' faces to blush pink. He knew she meant well, but did Hange always have to go off and embarrass him?

"Since the introductions are out of the way, Rogue and the rest of you will be escorted to the courthouse courtyard by Marlo and Hitch. We will follow you close behind." Erwin concluded, giving a nod to the Corporal who dipped his head in return.

Feeling two distinct pats on his shoulder, Rogue rose up on command and stared down at the two young MPs as he waited for them to lead the way. Still nervous, the boy and girl looked at one another before waving for the towering humanoid to trail them. The titan waited until the teens were several feet ahead and most of the Scouts were now behind him before taking the first step forward – which wasn't enough as the titan's great weight forced the two MPs to tumble on their rears. It was clear to the titan that both Marlo and Hitch wouldn't be fairing well in his wake. As the MPs picked themselves up, Rogue turned to Levi, pointing at the two and then to the open palm of his hand.

"Carry them?" Hange asked. "I don't know if that's a good idea Rogue –

"Let him do it."

Collectively, his little ones and Hange looked to the Corporal in question. "Really?"

"It would add some support. Besides, a titan walking with two MPs in hand certainly would impress Zackley and would knock Nile down a few pegs. Looks good in court."

"You have a point." Armin whispered, nodding to Rogue to proceed.

The titan dipped his head and faced the two teens brushing themselves off, bleating loudly as he bent over with a welcoming hand. With his ears fluttering, emerald greens absorbed the view of the MPs looking at his palm in question.

"Just hop on." Levi suggested sternly but flatly. "Just tell him where to go. He follows directions." The man informed with Rogue nodding, humming in a friendly and encouraging manner.

"Are… are you sure this is a good idea?" Hitch muttered, face riddled with uncertainty.

"I'm just as fretful as you are but it shouldn't be hard. We'd get there quicker." Marlo encouraged the more nervous of the two, but still obviously tense himself as he cautiously scaled into the titan's hand. "It is like I've heard – it's really warm."

Hitch cautiously joined the other teen, Rogue able to feel her trembling body against his flesh. "Oh… this is a really stupid idea. What if we –

However. The titan didn't allow the teen to finish her sentence as he stood up again – the two small forms slamming into his palm with the force of change. Rogue nearly snorted in amusement – sometimes he found it rather entertaining to catch someone off guard. The MPs swayed slightly, experiencing a bit of vertigo – their faces nearly pale.

"We gave him a bath the day before we left so please try not to vomit on him." Levi continued sarcastically, dry humor in play yet again.

"UUUGGH." The male moaned. "I'm glad I haven't had lunch yet." Marlo muttered, Hitch completely silent. "Alright, just keep walking forward until we say to turn – er point in another direction."

Rogue grunted in confirmation and began his march, first footstep rattling his two new passengers with them squeaking in surprise and digging their fingers into his. The titan could almost feel a ghost of a smile appear on Levi's face. The beast could tell his other occupants were deeply amused as well, provoking him to lift his chin up proudly. He practically could hear Hange laughing behind her covering hand. Finally, the woman burst into her characteristic mirth.

"It's a bit overwhelming at first, but you get used to it!" The scientist called down at them, the two adolescent MPs looking over their shoulders, their nerves clearly visible. "Over time you'll find it more confortable than riding on a horse! It has a better view too!"

The boy and girl were hesitant to reply. Finally, it was Marlo who forced a feeble smile through his nervous sweat. "Well, at least I have some bragging rights. Riding a titan and living to say that I did is pretty something."

"That's the spirit!"

Rogue huffed a cloud of steam in amusement as his bulk met the gate – just like he always did when entering and exiting through Katness district, the titan carefully bent over and began to shimmy through the short tunnel. For a moment, the beast found himself hesitating to enter the bright light on the other side – knowing that there was still a chance that he wouldn't be passing through it again – maybe going over it. Rogue stalled further, ears naturally shifting forward to listen for what was to come. Like his first day of returning to Katness after the battle in Trost, he could hear hundreds of voices. As his family had warned him, some didn't sound so welcoming. Rogue winced; he really wished that he didn't have to do this. A tender touch then stroked his ear, green eye shifting to see Mikasa grinning softly.

"It's okay. Keep moving. We're here with you."

After a few seconds of nibbling his tongue, Rogue grunted a positive reply and pressed on. Feeling the stone roof of the tunnel lifting away from his back, Rogue gradually arched himself to be upright once again – green eyes meeting his surroundings and widening at what lay before him.

"Oh my!"

"That's a titan!?"

"This is what a titan looks like?"

"It's naked!"

"It really doesn't have genitals!"

Hearing the comments, Rogue momentarily looked down to see a crowd of weary people at his feet standing well out of his way. They were definitely a different breed of human that was clear. Nearly all of them were dressed from head to toe in elaborate garbs – much more fancy and ornate than those his little ones wore when they were small. The men wore things that Armin had told him were suits or tailored shirts with the occasional hat. The women dawned large dresses in every shade of color he knew – their materials as well were much more than the plain cotton, instead being silk and lace. The females wore their hair in extravagant braids and buns and had beautiful stones donned around their fingers, wrists, and necks. The children too, were dressed to impress. Rogue swallowed as he continued to follow the two MP's directions. He was certainly not comfortable with the high society people. The way they were looking at him seemed like they were looking at an exotic animal at the zoo. REAL exotic.

"It's so big."

"The ears look like an elf's. They move like a cat's."

"Those teeth are so strange."

"Yuck, it doesn't have lips."

"Its hair is so messy."

"UGH! The nails! They need trimmed! They're so ghastly!" An older woman exclaimed, holding her hand over her mouth in shock – bright red and well manicured nails reflecting sunlight.

Hearing the insults, Rogue's ears drooped – his head hanging low. They didn't need to remind him that he was far from beautiful. He couldn't help his looks.

"That's one ugly creature." A man muttered.

"Disgusting as sin." Spoke another.

"The eyes are like emeralds, but the rest is just… ugh."

"Now I understand why they think that titans are frightening."

"So is that what they call a fifteen meter?"

"That is what's called a titan?"

"So… this is The Rogue Titan?"

The creature swallowed, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment. Oh how he wished that he were back home.

"It's so dense looking. It's supposed to be smart?"

"It's very muscular. I can see that it's easily true that the titan lifted that boulder."

"It's so horrifying."

"And I thought that some of the people in the underground were ugly."

"Atrocious monster." Another woman snickered to her husband. "It really makes you wonder what cavern of hell that thing crawled out from."

"It does, my dear!"

At the particular comment, Rogue's shoulders naturally sank with his head and eyelids hanging low. Whatever happened to the phase that Armin had shared with him, the one that said 'If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all?' Rogue whined lowly in his throat, the barely auditable sound undetectable by the two occupants in his hands but clear to his other riders. For the umpteenth time, the titan felt a touch of comfort.

"Remember Rogue, sticks and stones right?"

The titan exhaled before giving into a nod. Yes, he just had to keep walking. He just had to ignore their words. He already felt enough anxiety even stepping foot in Stohess. Rogue exhaled a jet of steam and began to focus on things other than the people at his feet.

"Hopefully they decide to get rid of him for good. The bastard's got to be the reason why their recent expedition was cut short – and why a lot of the Scout's are dead." A man continued. "It's just a dumb animal. It doesn't know anything."

"I still think the thing is a waste of time."

"Damn dirty beast." Another onlooker said, getting Mikasa's furious glare.

Rogue swallowed, letting his eyes scrutinize the characteristics of Stohess. The human structures here were nothing short of amazing. They were tall, some even taller than he was by several feet. The buildings were nothing but brick and stone – some even with marble accents. The windows were far from generic – tall, wide, arched, and even framing a design. Rogue hummed in amusement as he continued his studies of the non-green landscape. The titan's nostrils flared naturally at the amount of prominent aromas. There were lots of scents that he had never smelt before! There was the smell of bread with something spicy glazed upon it, something insanely sweet smelling – which enticed him enough to turn his head to see a shop selling brightly covered small food. Rogue's ears flickered at the foreign objects. He had never seen such things before! With his nose hungrily smelling something else that was new, Rogue rotated his head again to look upon the source of interest – too occupied to listen to the cruel comments and his allies looking at him in concern.

"He must be smelling something new to him." Hange giggled.

"I bet it's the candy shops." Armin guessed. "Rogue's never come in contact with sweets before."

Hange beamed widely, hand stroking the titan's jawline. "As lovely as candy apples smell, we can't have you wandering off Rogue!"

At her mirth, the beast placed his attention back to his family, nodding in embarrassment before looking ahead again, moving along at an easy pace. With the two teens in his hand pointing to his left, the beast changed direction, entering another area with more cruelty waiting for him.

"Damn, that thing is disgusting!"

"Titans are naked? The Scouts should at least have the decency to cover it up! Its buttocks are clear to see!"

"It's chained up. Good thing too. Wild animals need to be caged and restrained."

"Hopefully Zackley does something about this!"

"I hope they kill the beast. We don't know if it could suddenly turn on us."

Rogue felt his heart sink in his chest. He almost felt like setting the two MPs back down and covering his ears for the rest of the way – just so he couldn't hear the vile comments. Rounding another corner, the titan tried to keep himself composed, nearly sinking in to his little ones' touches. To his favor though, the comments were less cruel and more along those that were just made as observation.

"Look, the titan's actually carrying soldiers. It has two MPs in its hand."

"Well it appears to be rather tame. I hear titans go after humans and eat them as soon as they get their hands on one."

"The two teens on its shoulders must be the Titan Children that the papers keep talking about."

"This titan – it's doing the opposite of what I read titans do."

"Alright er – Rogue, just keep moving forward now. It's the big building with the round roof and the steps just ahead." Marlo called up from his palm.

Acknowledging his guides, the titan kept moving to the building ahead. The human structure, like all that he had witnessed in Sina to the very moment, was like he had never come across. Sure, the castle back home was extravagant, but this was even more so. The stone was granite, white like pale flesh. The top tower of the building had a round like structure that reminded the titan of the top of his ball – a long steeple like structure perched on the peak of the curved dome. The windows were high and arched, along with the great wooden doors at the end of several widespread stairs. The entrance was a grand one; the trunks of tree like stones grew from the stairs to the belly of the building's rooftop. The building was a statement indeed.

However, seeing the structure injected another feeling of dread into his body. This was it. They were there on the doorsteps. He couldn't fail at the task – what he could consider as one of the most important and crucial assignments in his life. No! He could not screw up! He had to be careful and cognizant. For his family's sake! For his babies' sake! He had to survive! He had too! If anything happened, if he was sent to meet the executioner's blades, he was going to make good on his plan of escape. He couldn't lose. He just couldn't.

"It's alright." Mikasa whispered into his ear. "There is no need to shake." She pointed out, making the titan realize that he was indeed trembling. "You can do it. Just relax."

Fretfully, Rogue swallowed and nodded – trying to keep his pounding heart from leaping straight out of his ribcage. ' _ **RELAX.'**_ He thought privately. ' _ **RELAX. YOU… CAN… WIN. YOU… CAN…DO… IT.'**_

The titan then stopped at the foot of the stairs on command. Standing just a few feet away were two more MPs – clearly higher in rank than those in his hand. They simply looked up at him, faces cold but clearly had the aroma of fear sticking to them. Even from where he stood, the titan could smell the stench of alcohol and smoke clinging to their uniforms. Rogue frowned inwardly. Was that the only thing that the MPs did? The Corporal did speak of the high officials often sneaking off or doing things that they were not supposed to do. The eyes of the older MPs stared long and hard at the two younger ones in hand, faces turning into unsettling ones. Finally, one of them cleared their throat to speak.

"Is The Rogue Titan, his handlers, Ackerman, Arlert, and the Commander all present and ready for the trial?" The bearded one began sternly, but still a hint of skittishness in his tone.

"Present and ready to get this damn thing over with." Levi spoke bluntly, face unchanging and nearly making Rogue huff at the man's forwardness.

The man below cocked a brow, but ultimately let the comment slide, due to the Corporal's status as the titan figured. "Good." The MP grumbled. " Dreyse and Freudenberg please – uh escort them to the courtyard."

"Yes Sir." The two replied; Marlo fully devoted to retorting while Hitch sounded bored and still fretful to be in his hand. The male then turned back to the titan, outstretching an arm toward a large stone wall connected to the left of the building. "Go there."

Once more, Rogue weakly nodded and took cautious steps forward. The beast's ears lowered, feeling an invisible sense of fear settle into him, making him almost sick to his stomach. His keen sense of smell picked up a large cluster of people just beyond another tall and pale brick wall that reached his hips. Being taller than the structure, he could see down into what he could have called a stony paddock. For a moment, Rogue stalled before the wall, teeth clenching and eyes yet again looking down at his toes nervously.

"You can do it." His little ones whispered into his ear.

"Remember Rogue," Levi muttered. "Stick to the script. Only say what Erwin and I told you to say."

He could do it, the phrase repeating in his head over and over. He could win. With a rather large gulp, Rogue then carefully stepped over the low wall and into the destination. Instantly, he was met with a view of his new surroundings, a gasping audience, and an unexpected sense of embarrassment.

"You can set us down now!" Marlo called again.

Snapping out of his shocked trace, Rogue hurriedly squatted to the ground and gently let the two young MPs climb out of his hand, Hitch stumbling onto the brick surface looking quite thankful to be back on solid ground – the action causing quite a stir among the titan's captive audience. Next, the titan focused on carefully lowering the messy haired woman to the earth before cupping the injured and rather grumpy Levi in his hands. Rogue made sure that the man found his footing and was back on his crutches before removing his fingers from Levi's side. Finally the titan looked to his little ones, his precious babies that he adored so greatly and nuzzled the side of his face into the two only for them to return his embrace. As the group of people gasped for a second time and began to mutter and utter words to one another, his little ones expressed their final messages of encouragement with the titan purring softly. He didn't want to lose them.

"Titan!" A rather bulky mustachioed MP called from the center of the piazza. "Titan!" The man repeated as he tapped what appeared to be a horsewhip against the brick surface, clearly treating Rogue as if he were a dog. "SIT!" He continued, making his Mikasa growl from the pit of her stomach herself with Armin thankfully restraining her from yelling.

As much as he didn't want to, Rogue sadly dipped his head and gently lowered his babies to join Levi and Hange. The titan then beamed feebly and tapped his pointer finger upon their heads as a message that he didn't want them to worry.

"SIT TITAN!" The man yelled again, nearly making the creature flinch at the aggressive tone.

With a final look of tenderness and a quiet trill, Rogue then navigated to where he was ordered, shoulders slumped in shame as he slowly took his seat. As he always did, the titan took his time to cross his legs to make himself more compact and give the humans the courtesy to have more room.

"HURRY UP!"

At the MP's furious tone, Rogue quickly finished his routine and nearly popping his hip. The titan then neatly placed his hands into his lap in a non-threatening gesture and bowed his head slightly with tapered ears more pliable. The titan snuck the man a less than pleased glance before adverting his eyes away. Normally, he would have given the great pleasure of a loud hiss in protest to the individual, but here there were different rules under tense circumstances. Like, Levi and the others had said, he had to look as pitiful as he could.

Now that he was seated, Rogue silently began to observe the less than friendly environment. The courtyard was nothing like that of the castle's. It lacked any sort of grass or wild flower and not a weed grew through the cracks of stone. Everything was bleached brick and stone, making the place cold and very unwelcoming. Two long and staircase like pews were lined on either side of the courtyard. Covering them like products on a shelf were various breeds of town people. Some were like those he had always seen in Rose and Maria while others were obviously a native of Sina with their quality garbs. His family and little ones were seated to his right on the first row of seats, remaining quiet while glancing at him every so often before looking back at several high podiums directly facing him. To his left, Rogue spotted a set of strange yet angry looking humans that dawned long grey robes and a set of shiny gold chains around their necks. The titan blinked, ears angling in slight curiosity. He had never seen people like them, and from their smell and what he sensed – he already knew that he hated them. Rogue continued to observe as one of the robed men brushed past the others of his breed to look at his bulk. Like Levi, the man's face was sculpted into a disgusted frown. His eyes were sunken into his skull with wrinkles framing them and his head was cut in a fashion similar to Connie's. The man reeked with secrecy and distrust – making Rogue recognize who he was looking at. Pastor Nick. The strange humans behind him were none other than the Wallists.

He swallowed fretfully, looking down at his shackled hands to notice the unevenly stained slabs, red mixing into the brick surface between his legs. Rabbit like, Rogue's nose twitched to catch the dull scent of old blood – human blood. The titan's crimson ran cold and if he were able to view himself in a mirror he would have noticed that his face had paled a little at the realization. He had only heard of this place from Levi's crude descriptions of Sina. This was an area for execution – where they killed criminals in agonizing and alarming ways. Rogue's heart began to pound. Why had they put him here? He was no criminal! He wasn't guilty of anything! Rogue bit his tongue slightly in consideration at the thought. No. He was sure it was because he couldn't fit into the human building. Yes that had to be it! He was far too valuable wasn't he?

Rogue then forcefully pulled himself from the thought with a slight shake of his head. Worriedly, the titan then began to opaquely eavesdrop on his audience. His elven ears flickered at each comment to discover that were just like those outside the courtyard.

"It – obeyed all those men and women?"

"The Rogue actually carried those two MPs and those four Scouts?"

"Those ears – they look like an elf's."

"It has so many teeth."

"Its mouth is so terrifying. The manic grin is appalling."

"Look, you can see veins close to its skin. That's so gross!"

"The titan's face has so many angles."

"As ferocious as the papers describe The Rogue – it looks almost scared to be here."

"Its skin looks so tough."

"I wonder how much it drools like a dog without any lips."

"Its irises are so green."

"Its face looks like a ghoul or goblin."

"It looks so dim looking!" A fat man cackled. "It's just sitting there naked looking like a mutt that just got caught for shitting on a rug!"

Rogue sighed, trying to ignore everything and focus on his delivery of his coming speech only to catch Nick's eye yet again.

"What an abomination!" The man whispered angrily – his higher tone of voice not fitting. "It's a disgrace to the walls and our great goddesses! It should be extinguished! The children that it raised as well! They're probably some sort of unholy hybrid of that monster!"

The titan felt heat pool into his gut at the Pastor's very words – speaking horridly of his little ones. So badly did he want to roar in defiance to prove the man wrong and retain his utmost dominance. If it was one thing he hated more than titans it was when his babies were threatened or talked to repulsively. Rogue snorted a puff of steam; he had just found someone that he officially hated more than Nile.

"Hopefully they just execute the damned thing!" A man grumbled. "It's a titan for crying out loud!"

"I bet it's only acting out all of this. It wants to kill us as soon as he's successful in getting everyone to trust him." A middle age woman speculated.

"Hopefully the Scouts win this." Spoke an obvious supporter.

"I hope it all ends here. This charade has gone far enough."

Suddenly, a man dressed in black came forth to stand before the great podium, silencing all of the humans in the courtyard and gaining every wandering eye.

"Members of our audience, please rise to honor the Supreme Commander, Darius Zackley." The man spoke deeply with his voice echoing across the fairly barren courtyard.

In awe, Rogue watched as the crowd around him stood to offer their focus towards Zackley who had emerged from within the adjacent courthouse. The elderly man looked the same, right down to every hair in his neatly groomed beard. The titan watched as the biggest leader placed himself at his perch and lay out a few papers decorated in human words. For a long moment, the piazza was quiet as Zackley's eyes rapidly danced along the dialect with trained precision before lifting his gaze to Rogue and the waiting audience – his face difficult to decipher.

"You may all now be seated." He spoke solidly but with great authority. "To begin, we are here today for the trial of Rogue Jaeger in light of the recent and unexpected return of the Scouts from the 57th expedition. Erwin Smith," The man addressed the matriarch of his family and the Commander of the Scouts. "According to your submitted report, the mission was going smoothly until a titan horde appeared from nowhere in an ambush – an unprecedented occurrence that cost you nearly a dozen soldiers. However, the number of losses climbed substantially when a unique titan displaying intelligence began to decimate the regiment – raising the death count to approximately eighty soldiers including nearly every member of Corporal Levi's elite squad. Am I correct?" Zackley peeked at Erwin with a sharp gaze, the titan witnessing a look that the Supreme had not displayed. Erwin nodded.

"Yes, Sir. This titan used defenses and attacks that we had never witnessed before."

"I see. Now Corporal Levi," Zackley continued. "It seems that the Scouts were able to momentarily trap this titan before it broke free and reached you and your squad. Your notes indicate that this titan may have been after Rogue and his previous territory am I right?"

The short male nodded. "Yes, Sir." He replied flatly.

Rogue blinked at this, it was clear that his family was trying to reframe from spilling the opposing titan's gender. They would probably just think of the act of mating for a number of important reasons.

"Okay, now the reports I have before me indicate that something went horribly wrong with Levi's squad, resulting in all their deaths except for Rogue himself. Written here is the fact that Rogue went after said titan. He was never given an order to do so. Now, I would like to hear from the defendant himself as to why he made his decision." Zackley illustrated, turning his gaze to Rogue with calculating eyes softening in the slightest. The titan couldn't tell if it was sympathy or disappointment. At the man's words, a wave of murmurs and comments sounded throughout the spectators.

"Needing to hear from the defendant himself? How! It's a titan!"

"How is a titan supposed to defend itself?"

"This is preposterous!"

"Crazy!"

"Ludicrous!"

With a scowl now present on his face, Zackley picked up what the titan made out to be a wooden hammer and began to pound it against the podium. "Silence! Like all trials, I will not tolerate outbursts! Now, to paint a picture as to how the defendant will defend himself, I must share what I learned upon an inspection that was quite unexpected for such a creature. This titan has an incredible gift that allows him to communicate and be understood by others. Rogue," Zackley continued. "If you please, could you demonstrate by reciting the oath in a court of law?"

The audience whispered again. "What –

The titan nodded almost bashfully, swallowing to salivate his mouth. " **EEIII TTEELLL TTRRUUUTHH UUNND OONNEIII TTUUTTHH."** The titan recited, remembering to hold up his right hand – the action sending the audience into a frenzy.

"IT TALKS!"

"A talking titan?"

"Holy shit!"

"What is this freak show!"

However, the voice that was above all others was Pastor Nick.

"What is this monstrosity? He is more than a beast that violated the walls and disrespected the goddesses themselves! This is a demon! This my brothers and sisters is an unholy abomination sent from the depths of hell in the body of humanities greatest foe to enslave us all! This is none other than the devil himself!" The man preached angrily, receiving a small amount of praise and the cold looks of the Scouts – including a very deadly glare from his Mikasa. Zackley hammered his podium once again.

"I said silence! Pastor, please reframe from giving us your religious commentary! That is illegal in the court of law! One more outburst like that will result in your expulsion from the court. Do I make myself clear?"

The robed man grumbled, fists tight and teeth noticeably clenched. "Yes, sir." Nick nearly hissed.

The weight of the Pastor's words fell onto Rogue, but before he could dwell thoroughly into the cruel statement, The Supreme started again.

"Now, before I hear Rogue's side of the story, I would like to know Miss Zoe's theory as to why this titan was after our defendant. Section Commander, would you please stand and give your reason?"

Rogue watched as Hange stood excitedly from her seat, saluting before clearing her throat. "Your Honor, we have reason to believe that it was a territorial dispute!" The woman answered, the titan noting how she had left out the mating theory. "We have reason to believe that this is true due to the fact that we were on the outskirts of Rogue's old territory at the time. The titan in question was defending its territory and making sure that Rogue didn't get it back!"

Zackley nodded, picking up a pen to scribe something before turning to the scientist yet again. "Thank you Section Commander, you may now be seated. Now Rogue, please enlighten the court of what happened the moments after Corporal Levi dismissed you and his squad into the forest."

The titan dipped his head, exhaling a cloud of steam to keep his nerves at bay. He could do this. " **NNEEE AANNDD SSAAHHDD EERRR AANNBUUSSHEDD AAFFTERR TTITTANN ESSCCAPP."** Rogue began trying to remember every word that had been drilled into his head. " **TTTIITTANN KKIILL GUNNTRRR. EETTRRAA UUNDDD RRESST OVVV SSAHHDD OOLLDDD NNEE TTOO GGOOO IINNDDD EEVVII."**

Zackley nodded. "I see, keep going."

" **EEIII OOLLLOOWW PPLANN, BBUTT EEII SAWWW TTIITTAANN KKIILL NNYY SSAAHHDD – NYY AANNLLEEE."** Rogue stalled on a sad note, making sure he did as he was told even though he would have shown his emotion anyways. " **EEVVII OOLLDDD NNEEE EEII HHAADD AATTHOORR… AATHHOORR…**

"Authority?" Zackley corrected, getting a nod.

" **ESS! EEVVII GAAVVE NNEE AAUUTTOORRIITTEEII TTOO NNAAAKKEE JJUUGGENNENNTT CCAALL."**

Zackley sat up at this, a brow raised in suspicion. "Corporal, is this true? Did you give Rogue permission to make a decision?"

Levi stood, face glued into his signature scowl. "Yes I did." He said simply, getting a rustle from the audience. "I did give the power to Rogue. I also need to point out that in my squad, I alone are the one to give out orders to be followed. ALL of my squad members are of the same rank, Rogue included. When I am absent for whatever reason, they decide the most logical execution as a team."

The Supreme leaned back in his chair, interest clearly showing on his face. "To be frank, please elaborate on that Corporal. I understand that Rogue was found to have mental boundaries am I correct?"

The titan found himself sulking, shoulders hunching over in the slightest at the remark.

Levi nodded. "Yes, Rogue does have his difficulties when it comes to learning about our culture and a few other tidbits of general knowledge, it can take some time to learn. However, from a military standpoint, Rogue is a tactical genius – one of the best I've had the privilege to work with. He is amazing at analyzing situations and our enemy, making the right executions in combat, and is probably our best tracker we have in the Scouts. You should know this from the many times he bested us on our missions to capture him. In fact, Rogue would still be out in Maria if Ackerman and Arlert hadn't been found and coaxed him to join us."

Zackley took down the man's words, nodding to himself and rubbing a hand through his perfectly combed beard. "Alright, thank you for the clarification. Now Rogue, can you please continue?"

The titan sat up again at the command. " **EEII DDECCEEIIDEEDD TTHAAT DDEE TTIITTANN CCOOULDD NNOOT RREEECHH AAMMMILLYY."**

Zackley held up a hand for Rogue to pause. "Before you continue, can you please say your definition of 'family' to the court?"

Rogue's eyes widened in the slightest at the request, the titan glancing over at his comrades, seeing Armin give a barely noticeable nod before proceeding to answer. " **SSCOUUTS. SSCCOOUTTS ARRR NNYY AAANNILLEEE."**

"Ah, I see. I remember you also saying Arlert and Ackerman were whom you called your 'Little Ones' or 'Babies.' Is this true as well?"

Rogue tilted his head at the request. Zackley had to have a purpose for asking such a thing. Again the titan glanced to Armin who gave another discreet dip of his head. " **ESSS. DDEEYY NNYY AAIIBBEESS."** Rogue replied, sneaking a small smile that the elderly man bore witness to.

"Alright. If you feel the need, you may address them as such. Now please do go on with what happened."

" **KAAYY. EEII DDEENN WEENNTT TTOO SSTTOOPP TTIITTAAN. TTOO KIILL EETT SSOO EETT NOOO GGEETT TTOO AANNILLEE. EEEII UURRTT TTIITTAAN BBUUUT ETT GGEET AAWWAAYY SSSOO EEII HHUNNT EET. EEII GGOO DDEEPP EENN OORREESSTT UUNNDD OOUUND ETT. WWEE AATTLLE."** Rogue paused, painfully recalling every detail that happened. **"EENN DDAA EENND EEII OONNNEEE. UUTT EIII AAASS HHUURRRTT AADDD. TTIITTAANNN BBRROOKKEE NNYY EELLVVIISS UUNNDD EEEII WWAASS WWOORRNN OOUTT."** The creature scratched his chin trying to figure out how to word the scientific terms that Hange had taught him. " **WHHENN EEII WWEEAAKK EEII HEAAL SSLOOOO."**

"I see." Zackley spoke as he continued to scribe the titan's testimony. "So that is the reason why the Scouts chose to retreat back to Wall Rose?"

" **ESSSS."**

**"** Now Rogue, the report says that you also saved the Scouts from total annihilation from a hoard of titans under Corporal Levi's command. Is this correct?"

" **ESSS."**

"It states that you killed a total of over forty titans on the 57th expedition alone. Those are impressive numbers. I congratulate you on your success Rogue."

The titan's tapered ears lifted a little in pride, spine straightening out. " **TTAANNKK UUOOO."**

Zackley nodded, picking up his notes and holding them before him, expertly scrutinizing his handwriting. For several minutes, the courtyard was quiet until Zackley cleared his throat.

"Going over the evidence in this case and both spoken and written testimonies, I can confidently say that Rogue is not guilty in this situation." The man declared, making the titan's heart lift into his chest and a broad smile appear on his face. Rogue's ears flickered and the beast hummed in pleasure. He had done it!

"What!" Nile, who had been silent the whole time until the point of declaration spoke up. "That titan acted on his own!"

The Supreme Commander transferred a pointed glare to the head of the MPs, the disgusted look upon his face nearly making the titan laugh. "Yes, but it was still under Corporal Levi's command. The Corporal clearly gave his permission to the defendant to make a call if need be. That call ultimately saved the rest of the Scouts. That is my decree. We will not go further into it."

Nile's face twisted into a deep frown, face tinted slightly crimson. "Sir, what about the report that was given to me this morning!" He hastily whispered, Rogue's blood running cold. No! Not that!

"Sit down, I'm getting to that now." Zackley muttered, noticing the MP calming and shooting a rather smug look upon Erwin and Levi.

"No, this is the worst case scenario!" Rogue caught Armin whisper hastily beneath his breath.

The titan gulped. No! Why couldn't they have ignored this!

Zackley cleared his throat. "However, I can not dismiss this trial just yet. This morning we received a written report by an anonymous person saying that they were hunting and stumbled upon the titan, Ackerman, and Arlert during the lunchtime hours. The report says that Rogue displayed aggressive behavior during the time. Cadet Armin Arlert – is this true and can you explain the moment for the court?"

The small blonde stood, saluting once before nodding. "Yes, Sir! This indeed occurred two days ago during our lunch hour. Mikasa Ackerman and I took Rogue to the memorial garden to pay our respects to the soldiers and his squad mates that lost their lives during the 57th expedition. While we were eating, two men with rifles emerged from the tree line with weapons aimed at Rogue and the two of us. Sir, Rogue is also trained to protect us if trouble arises. During this confrontation, Rogue kept us behind him as the two men made no attempt to retreat. Rogue only growled to ward them off; he never once viciously attacked them or made the move to attack. Not only did he listen to Mikasa and I's orders not to do so, Rogue follows an oath never to harm a human being unless they lay a hand onto us or any member of the Scouts with criminal intent. Sir, we firmly believe that this was no accident, the men never made any move to back down, and shot Rogue in the arm with the intent to make him act out. They were trespassing as well. Still, Rogue did not act and the two suspects only retreated when our superiors showed up to intervene."

Zackley sat still at the news, eyes turning to Levi. "Is this true Corporal? It notes here that you saw part of the event take place. Do you believe this was no accident?"

The shorter make stood firmly. "Yes, Sir. This was absolutely intentional. I was able to ID one of the triggermen as an EX MP."

Another wave of murmurs floated among the crowd as Zackley sat up fully at the news. "An EX MP you say?"

"Yes, I cannot name him, but I can say that he had short brown hair and a scar above his right eye."

The older man folded his arms. "Corporal, I'm sure that you are aware that isn't reason for me to believe that the man was a dismissed MP."

Levi quickly nodded and reached inside his inner jacket pocket. "I'm fully aware of that, but the assailant was foolish enough to use one of these." Levi countered as he pulled the bullet to view. "Please take a look at this." The Corporal asked as a man next to the great podium came to retrieve the bullet to pass off to Zackley. Rogue watched as The Supreme peered at the bullet in serious curiosity before turning to Levi.

"Is this Iron Bamboo, Corporal?"

"Yes. As you probably are aware, normal rounds cannot puncture a titan's skin and iron bamboo doesn't melt when it imbeds itself into a titan's boiling hot muscle. I'm sure that you're also aware that they quit manufacturing them about seventy years ago and that they were only addressed to military personnel. We think that the EX MP may have gotten ahold of one through the black-market – a surviving round that wasn't melted down."

Zackley blinked, adjusting his glasses as he looked at the bottom of the bullet. "You're correct about the date in which these were made – I'm sure you noticed a faint serial number on the bottom – a combination of numbers that would indeed date this thing older than seven decades. The 'M' does indicate that it was issued to the military. "As far as what branch, it was not etched on weaponry at the time as it is today. This bullet ironically saved your friend from execution." The man informed, making Rogue lift his head at the results. "However, there isn't enough substantial proof that this bullet was fired from the gun of an old MP, but whoever used it certainly knew what they were doing. In order to get down to finding the culprit, further investigation will have to be done."

"Sir!" Nile interrupted. "Are you implying that I or the Military Police are guilty of such a thing? Are you saying that we have been making suspicious trades or buys? That's ridiculous!"

Zackley frowned. "This was an attack with **possible** ties to the Military Police. At this point **everyone,** from civilians to soldiers, is a suspect."

Nile's face comically fell, making Rogue huff in slight amusement. However, as the titan continued to analyze the man's face and the troubling emotion on it, something within him sensed a great lack of deceit. The titan raised a brow. Somehow, Nile had nothing to do with what happened. He had a feeling. He couldn't explain it but Nile was innocent.

"Well, with that being said, I declare that Rogue Jaeger stays in the possession of the Scouts." Zackley concluded as he pounded the podium. "As for the incident at the Scouting Legion's headquarters, the matter will be further investigated. That concludes the trial." Zackley finished as he stood and began to gather his things – the audience free to express their held opinions.

"They let that thing free again!"

"Good! He was never guilty from the beginning."

"That unholy demon should have been killed!" Nick blabbered to his followers.

Nile swore. "I can't fucking believe this."

"Yes! He's not guilty!"

Rogue however, ignored the vast majority of words and comment as he slowly brought himself upright. His heart pounded in excitement, absolutely enthused that he could still be with his family. Rumbling in pleasure, Rogue carefully approached his little ones who bore broad and relieved grins. The titan then crouched before them with his jaw contorted into a lopsided smile, an odd squealing sound seeping from between his teeth. Emerald greens lit up in joy as he greeted his little ones as they climbed into his hands, watching as Hange enthusiastically bounded from her seat and over in his palms. Rogue chirruped, ears wiggling as his gaze drifted to Levi who was slowly making his way out of the section of pews. Deciding to make the man's trek much faster, Rogue quickly and gently snatched the man from the brick earth – much to Levi's disapproval.

"You big idiot!" The Corporal scolded as the titan placed him in his palm to join the others. "If you lick me, I will personally hand you over to that bastard Nile!"

Rogue simply purred, ringed eyes shut tight in bliss as he edged in and nuzzled the four – Hange and his little ones chuckling with Levi growling in annoyance as usual.

"You kicked ass!" Hange declared, brows arching high over her glasses. "Mommy is so proud of you!" The woman cooed as she buried her face between his nose and cheek.

"Hange, what the hell."

"See?" Armin beamed as his hand stroked the titan's cartilage. "It was easy wasn't it?"

Rogue hummed happily in response, pupils wandering to Mikasa who propped herself up and planted a tiny but affectionate kiss between his brows before pressing her own into his. "I'm so happy that you're not leaving me." The teen spoke, her words full of meaning, kindness, and love. "You did wonderful."

His little sister's words made growing warmth flourish and spread throughout his body. He was so happy! He would live and continue to love them. He couldn't wait to get home! Rogue purred loudly, the sound of affection echoing throughout the courtyard as he continued to gaze at the four humans that he was so very glad to be with. The wind then shifted, blowing strands of their hair and ruffling his own, carrying a scent that seeped into the tissue lining of his nose clear into his sinus cavities. Rogue stilled, the oh so welcoming warmth draining from his body completely and being replaced by a bitter cold rush. The titan's pupils shrank, becoming pinpricks as his muscles petrified throughout his body. The beast's breath grew coarse as sheer terror invasively infected him. Rogue nostrils flared repeatedly while he inhaled and exhaled like a hungry dog. No! It couldn't be could it? It was impossible!

"Rogue?"

"Rogue – Rogue what's wrong!"

Before the titan could follow the scent to its unwanted source, a piercing and inhuman shriek sliced through the air, bringing all of Sina to a silent standstill. Rogue immediately looked towards the city's edge and he paled as if he had seen a ghost – if she could be called one.

There, perched on top the wall, was The Female Titan.

His jaw went slack, he was speechless. All he could do was stare fixedly at the devil that had arisen from hell. How? How had she escaped! Could she have outlasted the horde? Could she have fought them off? She certainly was capable of doing so. Rogue's breath grew harsher as his sense of panic began to swell. Was it possible that The Female Titan only pretended to die? The sounds of anguish, could they have been merely a performance? Could she have let herself get beat up before taking down the horde when his family had left? It was possible; The Female was incredibly intelligent and capable of thinking up such a plan. Alarm then caused his rapid heartbeat to skip. She was here, in a human city full of humans. Although they were bitter and cold, they were innocent. The Female Titan was looking for him and wasn't shy about slaughtering anyone near him. No doubt about it, a lot of blood was about to be shed.

"Shit! The bitch must have played dead." Levi hissed through his teeth with the titan setting down his cargo in a trance. The shorter male then made his way for the Commander, shoving any scrambling person that got in his way. "Erwin! She's back! The Female Titan has scaled the wall!"

Thick brows rose in astonishment, the Commander's face obscured with piercing blues looking out onto the horizon. The man's brows then narrowed, watching as the monster leaped from atop the towering wall into the city of Stohess. He then inhaled greatly and turned to the waiting Scouts. "The Female Titan has returned and breached the wall! Scouts! Equip 3D maneuver gear and prepare to engage the enemy! Military Police!" Erwin continued as he turned to a spooked looking Nile and displeased looking Zackley. "Please, focus on –

"Erwin! What the fuck is this!" Nile snapped, suddenly changing his demeanor. "You clearly said during your reports and the trial that this titan was dead! You lied!"

The tall blonde's brows pinched, a muscle in his neck twitching. "I'm not lying Nile. This Female Titan – she is like nothing that we have ever dealt with. She has frightening intelligence and was able to plot against us. I believe that she faked her death when the titan horde corralled her deep in the forest. I'm sure you're aware that titan corpses evaporate upon the moment of death. The only indications we had to go on was that we never saw her again for the duration of the expedition and she failed to trail us to our headquarters for over two weeks. Not only that, but the last view anyone saw of her was her yowling in pain and being preyed upon by other titans. Trust me, this is as much of a surprise to you as it is to us. Please, we need to focus on evacuating the citizens of Stohess. Like I said, this titan is the strongest we've come across and is capable of doing things that we've never witnessed."

"Commander," Zackley began sternly. "As much as I am furious about your negligence, not visualizing this titan's death first hand before making a set determination, we must take the necessary measures to ensure that there are as few casualties as possible. Nile, the MPs need to focus on evacuation. Erwin, what is it that you plan to do?" Zackley spoke coldly, eyes giving the man a threatening stare.

Erwin stood still for a moment, peering from the corner of his eye at Rogue before turning back to the two men. "Right now, the odds are against us. Corporal Levi is wounded, and some of our regiment is still back at headquarters and they will not get here in time. Although we have some of our strongest soldiers with us, the situation is still rather bleak with the fact that we will have to take the time to equip. In truth, our best shot is to have Rogue engage her and we serve as backup support. The Female Titan has bested him once, but right now that's our only –

"So you're saying that you want to let that monster loose in Stohess to fight her! Erwin! What kind of move is that? You're risking more lives that way than any other way! What good will that do us?" Nile barked, suddenly wielding his gun at the blonde who didn't even seem to be fazed.

"I believe this is a step forward – a fighting chance at victory for humanity."

Nile's eyes widened at the Commander's statement before his brows narrowed even deeper. "The good of humanity? If you let that beast fight here, the city will be destroyed. The losses will be catastrophic! Your titan will then be executed or face the consequences."

Erwin's gaze darkened. "And he would have done so under my command. So I am responsible for whatever action he could take. If we do this, I will be responsible for the damages that occur and I will receive the necessary punishment. Not Rogue. In the end, he's just a soldier following an order."

Rogue sat in shock at the big leader's declaration, Erwin really felt this way? This – this was the plan?"

Suddenly, Zackley took a step forward and placed a gripping hand on the barrel of Nile's rifle, lowering it. "Stand aside Nile." The Supreme ordered with the MP reluctantly resisting but ultimately listening. "Erwin, why is this titan, a female, after yours?" He demanded.

Rogue gulped, the man was obviously trying to catch the blonde in a lie. Erwin however, still remained calm and collected.

"Territory and control – she wants to take Rogue's alpha status." Erwin informed promptly, glancing at the current chaos. "Please, Sir. We do not have much time. I apologize for urging you to make a decision such as this."

Zackley held a firm hand before lowering it. "Since this titan is as intelligent as you say, I don't believe we have the option of drawing her out of the city. Commander, I give you permission to carry out this mission, but you will be the one receiving punishment." The Supreme concluded, receiving an understanding nod from Erwin and a loud sound of revulsion from Nile.

"Sir! What are you –

"It's our only option." Zackley interrupted the MP. "Nile, please focus on evacuating the citizens. If you must, have your most skilled soldiers assist the Scouts. Now, Erwin – you'll be coming with me." He continued as a man approached the commander and encased his hands in shackles – the flying human receiving the act with stride.

"I gladly accept." Erwin replied strongly. "Levi, you and Hange are in charge until I return." The tall blonde included, receiving confident nods from both the Corporal and Section Commander, before following the supreme.

Rogue lowered himself to be with his companions. He looked at them worriedly, knowing his task. He was going to be pitted against the female titan yet again in a fight to the death – set in a cage with hundreds of helpless people. Not only that, but his little ones would be going against the monstrosity as well. Rogue whined softly at the back of his throat. He didn't like this. Not at all. No doubt about it, a lot of people were going to be killed. His little ones, babies, if they stood against The Female Titan – their chance of survival wasn't promising. They were strong, he knew that. However, was it enough?

"Rogue?" Armin began, capturing the titan from his daze, green eyes looking at the collection of people below him sadly, waiting for instructions, desperately not wanting a session of final goodbyes. "I'm positive you understood what Erwin said right?" The teen asked, getting a solemn nod. Armin hesitated for a moment before being urged ahead by a sharp gesture of Levi's head. "You're going to have to fight The Female Titan, and this time you must kill her. You have to protect everyone. You're humanity's only hope."

Rogue nodded strongly, trying to get ahold of any ounce of trepidation that he had.

Levi then cleared his throat. "Alright, I guess my sorry ass is going to have to take a standby position. Now Rogue, you're going to have to go and engage in combat first hand while we get the gear to cover you with. If there was a time where you had to remember all your training with me – this is it. I don't want that bitch walking out of here alive. You are the reaper that's going to send her straight to hell. That's your agenda, that's your mission – your purpose. Everyone, including me is counting on you, Rogue. Don't fuck this up." Levi addressed, ending in his familiar fashion.

"You must get going quickly." Hange began, more serious than he had ever seen her. "I do have to warn you though. The Female Titan has backed herself into a corner. She is desperate now - enough to come this far in the game. She will do whatever she can to take what she wants from you. Be vigilant and on your toes. Good luck."

Again, Rogue dipped his head in understanding before crouching lower to his little ones where his chin touched the pale bricks. The beast then gently leaned into them, soaking once anew in their tender and loving traces. He then felt Mikasa run her hand along the bridge of his nose – able to recognize her from the texture of her light skin. His ears twitched slightly, hearing the shakiness of her chest – indicating that she was on the verge of tears. Knowing that she desperately needed an indication that things were going to be all right, Rogue gently let the tip of his tongue glide over her brow – making her chuckle in the slightest.

"We'll be alright," She began. "You just focus on killing her. You'll be great. I know you will." Mikasa hesitated for a moment, trembling slightly as she rubbed her brow deeper into his skin. "Promise me. Promise us that you won't leave again, Rogue."

Knowing what her words really meant – a metaphor he recognized, Rogue only purred even louder, listening to Levi's irritated sigh – the man opting to stay quiet. With his ear twitching at the growing chaos in the distance, the titan reluctantly pulled away from his little ones after a final lick and sat up, allowing a few soldiers to undo his handcuffs and detach the collar from his neck. Feeling that their weight was free from his frame, Rogue then slowly stood, looking in the direction of trouble before glancing down at his little family one final time.

"Remember, we're right behind you." Armin urged.

Rogue nodded, deciding to give a proper departure. " **LLOOVVVEEE OOOUUU."** He concluded and let the view of his little ones soak in further before turning and exiting the courtyard, pausing slightly before taking a deep breath, inhaling the corrupt world around him. He had to win. He had to.

It was time to hunt.

**(POV SWAP)**

"It's about time that the bastards showed up." Levi grumbled as a wooden military cart appeared before them outside the courthouse.

"Finally."

Both Hange and Levi stood in the open streets along with their new recruits. While several MPs unloaded the trailer with boxes of gear, she couldn't help but to look at the familiar faces. Most of them looked fossilized and shook up like they had seen a murder take place right before them. The scientist could certainly understand why. They were getting ready to go against a formidable opponent, one that could kill them so very easily – making them as fragile as a toothpick. In addition to this, she was well aware that none of the new recruits were trained in a situation like this. Sure there was the incident at Trost, but this was a whole new ballgame. Even though there was only a single threat – said target was over a hundred titans in one with intelligence to boot. She sympathized with them. Jean and Connie were unnaturally quiet with sweat beading on their faces. Sasha and Krista looked panicked. Armin would shiver every two seconds, his hands shaking as he put on the straps of his gear. The only two that didn't have an expression of uncertainty painted on their facades were not surprisingly Mikasa and Levi. The dark haired teen was completely wordless and stoic and Levi just looked as aggravated and constipated as usual.

Hange looked out at the maze of buildings as she blindly fastened the loops of her straps, mind moving quickly with theories and thoughts as to why The Female Titan had suddenly showed up before turning to the Corporal. Blinking in confusion, Hange stared at Levi with a dumbfounded look. The short male was completely ignoring his broken leg and was actually equipping his gear! That was definitely one activity that was far from the doctor's orders! For a long moment, she couldn't turn her eyes away as Levi simply pulled the straps over the suit he was wearing before until she grew brave enough to try and put her foot down. "Levi! What in the hell are you doing! You broke your leg for crying out loud! I hate to say it, but you really should sit this one out!" She strongly pleaded with many of the recruits now peering at the man questioningly.

The look he gave her would make a trainee's skin prickle, silver eyes darker than ever. The man then exhaled with strong irritation and finished up with his straps. "Tch – contrary to what you think, I'm more than capable of maneuvering in this state Hange. You'd be surprised how many times I had to learn to do such a thing in the underground in order to keep myself alive."

She was well aware of Levi's past and how horrible it must have been – a thing that shaped Levi's harsh personality. Speaking with Erwin about it once, from her understanding, the Corporal had done some pretty unspeakable things.

"How did you get gear, Sir?" Connie foolishly asked, getting a scowl from his short superior.

"You don't want to know." Levi spoke simply as he finished putting on his gear. "Now, as far as a plan of how to slow The Female down, we will split into three groups. Since I'm pretty much only good for giving orders, I'll stay on standby with a trapping crew. The bitch doesn't like us to intervene so the other groups will try luring her into our trap. The best place to take her would be downtown where the buildings are big enough to hide some of the shots." Levi paused, the scientist catching him biting his lip. "It's a shitty plan, but we don't have much to go on. Arlert, Ackerman, Kirstein, Springer, Blouse, and Lenz you go with Shitty Glasses. You'll be looking for Rogue and getting the bitch's attention. If you can do that, then you'll join up with another crew to lure her. If this fails, standby for further orders. Understand?" Levi concluded with the others silently nodding in clarity. "Hange?"

Hearing his sudden summoning, she snapped her head to the Corporal, noticing that his face had softened in the slightest. "Yes?"

"Something is bothering you. I can tell by the look on your face. What is it?"

Hange's eyes widened as Levi's unexpected words and the realization that she had been wearing her worried expression more prominently. "Well, I'm just racking my brain as to why The Female Titan would go this far to get to Rogue. Normally, territorial disputes only take place in said territory, battles for the Alpha status too. It makes me wonder…"

"What are you saying?" Levi demanded, his voice surprisingly not menacing but sounding interested.

"It just makes me think that maybe this _is_ some sort of mating thing after all. Some animals get very desperate to find a mate and risk their own well being to do so. Of course, there still could be something that we are overlooking entirely and Rogue himself is clueless as to what it could be."

It was quiet among the group for a moment before Levi opened his mouth. "Well, we'll just have to ask the bitch won't we?"

**(POV SWAP)**

His breath grew harsher with each cautious step he took forward. The titan sniffed, nostrils flaring wide in search of her atrocious scent. To his misfortune, he couldn't smell her. Rogue blinked, quickly twisting his head around in search of the skinless abomination; even still he couldn't see her. Where in the hell had she gone!

Rogue inhaled again, looking like a hound searching for an invisible trail, but he could only smell the overwhelming amount of people evacuating. Tapered ears pricked forward, rotating each way trying to pick up heavy footsteps but only hearing the high pitched shrieks of the fleeing souls scurrying below. The titan rounded a corner and came face to face with a crowd of people trying to make their escape to the second gate – a place that was still far from where they currently were located. Emerald eyes stared down at the crowd who looked absolutely horrified at his presence. He lifted a foot, instantly making the party of humans scream and bunch up like cells against the wall of a building as he took a weary step in advance, making sure to keep a broad distance from them. Rogue's ears sank sadly. How in the world was he going to hunt with all of these humans still around and stopping every time he walked through an area! They had seen him before! They knew he was a Scout right?

Rogue froze as the haunting thought crossed his mind. These people didn't know that he was still a Scout. For all he knew, they could have come to the conclusion that he escaped or he had lost his case and had been told to run just like he and Levi's backup plan! He didn't have a choice, with the humans as mortified as they were, he would have to convey he was on their side. Knowing of only one way he could, Rogue lifted his arm to gesture towards the direction of the inner gate.

**"GGEETTT OOUUTT!"** He urged, watching as jaws dropped. " **HUUURREE! OOUUTTT! NNOOTT SSAAFFE!"** Rogue dithered, observing as they continued to stare at him. " **EEII AAHH SSCCOOOUUTT! HHUURREE! SSHEEEE IILLLL KKIILLL OOOOUUUU!"**

"It can speak!" An elderly man announced, making Rogue all the more irritated. He could almost slam his foot into the ground and yell but he had to keep himself under control not to frighten.

"Oh my god."

"I think it wants us to –

" **NNOOVVVEE!"** Rogue pleaded pathetically. " **PLLEEEESSEE!"**

To his luck, the frightened bunch listened and nodded at the behemoth. They then ran out of his wake with Rogue pausing to make sure every man, woman, and child was gone before proceeding. The titan rounded another corner, desperately trying to avoid stepping on any humans – some even still standing and not knowing what was transpiring, causing him to keep on telling them to move. Since he had already spoken in the court, he figured that there was no point in keeping silent anymore.

Rogue then rounded another corner to find that the pathway was void of human traffic much to his liking. The titan stalled, sniffing again to find that the wind wasn't cooperating in his favor – blowing any scent in another direction. Deciding that he was to look for his foe visually, Rogue took in his surroundings. There were many tall buildings here that looked very established and elite just like the courthouse. Many of them possessed columns, arched windows, and elaborate carvings. At his feet was a wide street where it appeared that all human activity had ceased, belongings left behind and stands abandoned – the area shadowed by a large circular building with many windows. Rogue then scanned the details of the scene, looking for something that was more out of the ordinary than just a bunch of abandoned hats and handbags. Green pools discovered something that drew his attention away from the path. The titan bent slightly, running his hand across a nearby rooftop. Nonexistent brows drew together in suspicion. The perfect shingles had been disrupted from their permanent sleep. Some were pulled from their spots, cracked, or just plain missing. Rogue's eyes narrowed even further. A human couldn't have bowed in the roof slightly unless they weighed a few thousand pounds. The blemish was fresh, strategic even. The titan's breath caught in his throat. She was –

Before he could continue on his train of thought, something slammed into his side, firm and hard enough where pain erupted in his muscles and he disconnected from the earth. For a split second, everything was weightless before gravity pulled him cruelly. Rogue then felt another strong hit and something cave beneath his weight. His ears were overwhelmed by the sound of crumbling rock and screams; dust fogged the air and dulled his sense of smell. As quickly as he could, Rogue opened his eyes, confused as to what occurred as he tried to see through the dust. Slowly, he sat up and let his matte membrane glide over his struggling eyes. The titan looked skyward, seeing the interior of a building with many stained glass windows – coming to the conclusion that he had been pushed into the tall circular tower. Knowing just who was the culprit of his fall, Rogue sat up and put down a hand for support.

His heart rattled, something wasn't right. Something was wet.

He looked down and saw a scene that nearly made his stomach turn over and drop clear out of his body. There was blood everywhere, bodies scattered like littered trash. The carpet and stone was stained crimson with flattened forms, stray limbs, and innards strung like confetti. Rogue's body shook at the sight, pupils pinpricks as he watched survivors try to retrieve their loved ones from their new eternal sleep. His breath grew shallow, rickety at the horror afore him. The people were the very same that wore the grey robes and gold chains – why had they not evacuated! He… he… fell on them. He killed them! The titan whimpered. They didn't deserve this!

Rogue then turned his head trying to look away from the awful picture as he prepared to get to his feet – noticing the outline of the tall female form through the dust. He blinked, noticing that she was simply standing and looking – head moving slightly in search, indicating that she couldn't see him. Heat pooled in his gut, anger taking the place of horror. She had caused him to do this. She made him kill people. She! She! With aggravation flowing through him along with incredible guilt, Rogue gritted his teeth and quickly rotated, hand grasping The Female's ankle. With a roar, he pulled – the skinless creature making a loud cry of surprise as she tumbled to the ground. The green-eyed titan stood from the rubble, tightening his grip on her body as he hoisted her up and slammed her onto the vacant path. The Female hissed, blue eyes burning just as statistically as Rogue remembered. Looking upon her, the image of his Petra's death flashed before his eyes, the cries of his comrades as they met their end. She was responsible for his suffering. He wanted to make her pay! Make her bleed!

He would devour her!

Rogue raised his fist as he charged, ready to pound her skull into the earth. He wouldn't let her kill anyone else! The titan swung, but the female planted her foot into his abdomen at the last possible second, kicking him back into the remaining buildings. He snarled, green eyes looking dangerous as he hauled himself up yet again, returning her move with a powerful and threatening roar. Rogue bolted forward, fists poised and ready to beat his prey senseless. Muscles contracted, bulging beneath his flesh as he aimed an uppercut for her bottom jaw in hopes that he would send her head skyward. However, she was quick – something that he seemingly forgot about as she threw an arm up to disperse his fist into another direction. Before he could throw his other waiting hand, she grasped his shoulders and kneed him just below his ribcage, forcing him to fold over and expel a torrent of stomach acid. Rogue grunted, urging himself to attack as he swung again but only hitting the air. The titan growled in frustration, seeing that The Female was sprinting deeper into the labyrinth of structures. He roared and broke out in a run. His prey was not going to get away easily. But more than that, she couldn't kill anyone else! If there were people in the big building even after the order to evacuate was spoken, then there was likely to be more. There were also people still in the streets! He couldn't let them get flattened. They couldn't die!

Rogue whined to himself, the image of the people compacted by his weight stuck in his mind. No, he couldn't let anyone else fall victim – but how could he hunt and engage his enemy while trying to ward her away from the heavily inhabited place at the same time? He wasn't sure. Rogue took a brief moment and glanced around, seeing that the Scouts had not taken to the air yet. He swallowed, focusing on the monster's running form before him. Yes, he couldn't let her get away. He would get her before she did any further damage.

The earth and foundations vibrated as the two titans charged through the city. Stray human forms within buildings cowered as the beasts carried on. Rogue snarled and growled viciously as he continued to trail her, his greens locked on her skinless form ahead. Like a deer, she was moving in an odd pattern, zigzagging through the streets and structures – sometimes pushing herself right through them. With the wind blowing against his bulk, his nostrils were filled with her exotic scent with the addition of human blood. Rogue grumbled in frustration. The Female had no shred of compassion as she barreled right over the tiny and helpless lives still scurrying around in the streets. In truth, Rogue was losing precious amounts of time due to the fact that he kept looking down every few seconds to check for people in his path – sidestepping in avoidance every time he came in contact with a tiny soul. This irritated him greatly. Why couldn't the bitch just vanish?

The Female Titan then veered once again towards a large area filled with luxurious buildings and landscape. A large and elaborate fountain ran down the middle of the strip, surrounded by many startled humans that ranged from gentlemen to small children. Hearing the thundering footsteps and feeling the trembling earth, the citizens of Stohess looked up to bare witness the two tremendous creatures headed right for them. Rogue cringed slightly as a chorus of screams met his ears while his adversary crashed through another building and into the area. Trying to avoid causing casualties, Rogue took a small leap over the ruble, landing ungracefully in the fountain but still staying upright. He scrambled to right himself, snarling and leaking streams of saliva from the nooks of his teeth.

Suddenly, she twisted to face him, hand going through another tower and flinging more debris and lives to the harsh ground below. Rogue halted in his path, eyes witnessing his opponent keep her stance and loosen, poised with her blue eyes burning into his – her mouth pulled into a displeased frown. The hunter's ears pinned against his head, hair ruffling on his scalp and his breath cavernous. Still, he found himself resisting the urge to charge and sink his teeth into her esophagus. Judging by her body language, she wanted to address him. Rogue rumbled with intense distaste. This time, he wouldn't be asking questions.

" **WHAT IS IT… WITH YOUR KIND… AND HUMANS?"** She inquired, tone low and unmoved.

Rogue however, gave no answer. He just kept his dangerous glare.

The Female Titan withheld a response to his lack of thereof for several seconds before revealing a slight smirk. " **IT IS… DIFFERENT."** She continued. " **SEEING YOU ANGRY. LESS SOFT. LESS…. DULL. YOU WERE SO… BLISSFULL. IGNORANT."** The skinless titan paused, Rogue feeling his skin heat up at her words. " **TELL ME… HOW DOES…IT FEEL… TO BE… THE ODD ONE OUT?"** The Female sneered. " **HOW… DOES IT… FEEL TO BE… A MONSTER AMONG MEN?"**

He was done, not wanting to hear her further taunts; Rogue released a sudden roar that caught his opponent off guard. With a piercing shriek, he lunged forward, fist poised just so to plant itself into her face. However, her reflexes were sharp. The Female's arms shot up before her face in a defensive stance, her elbow covering itself in hard diamond. His eyes widened slightly at this, but it was too late for him to pull back. His knuckles crashed hard into her hardened crystalline skin, Rogue howled in both agony and frustration as his knuckles shattered and several layers of flesh tore from bone. The titan stumbled forward, ungracefully falling on his knees and creating two craters in the now blood splattered brick. Rogue shot is head up quickly to see that his foe's leg was coming in for a low sweep. With seconds to spare, Rogue pushed himself away and reached his feet. However, his adversary was looking for blood. The Female rushed forward and began her damning assault.

Wind ripped past his face while diamond hard fists swept forward. Surprisingly, he was able to sidestep and move slightly just in time to avoid such hits while keeping watch for an opening. Unfortunately, she wasn't giving him any clearance. Rogue gulped, narrowly dodging another lethal jab. Sooner or later, he would have to make a move and his luck of avoidance would run dry and –

Before he could finish his thought, a sharp pain coursed through his stomach. Gritting his teeth and glancing downward to see the skinless titan's fist planted into his muscle, her nails digging deeper with the intention to snag his stomach. Despite the nasty wound that would have killed any human, the hunter found his chance to make a move on his prey. Rogue quickly punched her kneecap, a crippling move that Levi had taught him to add to his index. However, he could not relish the fact that he met his target as the diamond substance prevented puncture at the very last second. Instead he was met with a grueling punch to the cheek that popped several of his teeth out. Steaming blood sprayed the walk. Rogue teetered, sidestepping clumsily as he tried to regain his composure. The hit was a brutal one and he was lucky that his head hadn't flown off. His jaw was definitely damaged with his tongue nearly bit through. Rogue staggered again, but maladroitly stopped in his tracks as he spied several humans running below him. Damn! He couldn't fight her normally with people around! If he could somehow keep himself from getting gravely injured why still trying to tire her out until the humans left – only when the area was vacant could he unleash all of his wrath upon the monster that had taken so much from him.

She lifted her leg into a high kick, signaling him to duck and slide to his right – narrowly avoiding stepping on a fleeing mother and her child. Immediately, he faced the she-devil once again in his signature defensive stance. His eardrums ached from the high-pitched cries of terror below, making him all the more fretful. If he had the ability to sweat, he would have shed lakes of perspiration. Rogue swallowed again, gulping down a massive lump as he narrowly missed another one of her advances. Every human seemed to be running through the wide area, making him come to the conclusion that staying in the facility was not a wise strategy. Perhaps luring The Female Titan deeper into the maze of human residents to where there was no longer any risk of trampling anyone was the best option. Deciding that it was logical, Rogue suddenly darted much to his opponent's surprise into the nest of buildings, the monster trailing its prey close behind.

**(POV SWAP)**

Hange landed roughly on the shingled rooftop of what she could have assumed was a towering inn, the members of her young squad landing just as startled beside her. A half-mile from their gathering, they looked upon a scene taking place in a small market of the shopping district of Stohess. She watched as Rogue scarcely evaded The Female Titan's perfect high kick, observing as he messily avoided a group of still evacuating people. Hange's heart began to pound as Rogue made a move, but was quickly defiled by another one of the skinless titan's attacks – their titanic savior avoiding colliding with the nearby building as much as possible. Hange frowned, brows drawn together in concern knowing that circumstances weren't good.

"What the hell?" Jean began loudly, upsetting the shock between the squad. "He's fighting like shit!"

Surprisingly, Mikasa did not exchange a look of displeasure but rather nodded. "Yeah – something is wrong. Rogue is usually vicious when it comes to killing titans. With The Female and all that she's done to him – he should be going at her relentlessly."

"He's holding back." Hange illustrated, continuing to watch the brawl unfold. "I think it's because of the people still evacuating!"

"That makes sense!" Armin hastily agreed. "Rogue fights brutally. During the attack on Shiganshina, he ripped apart that titan with no worry in the world. He loves humans and he has an oath to never harm one unless they intend to hurt him or us. Rogue is stiff and holding back because he's afraid to hurt people." The blonde teen paused, suddenly squinting to scrutinize Rogue's muscular back. "That's not titan blood smeared on his back – that's human blood!"

"You're right Armin!" She exclaimed. "Something must have already happened to make him this skittish."

"What do we do?" Connie questioned, but Hange already had an answer.

"We will have to snap him out of it. He cannot fight so timidly! Rogue is going to have to let go to get the job done. All right, we still go with Levi's plan, but we have to go and distract The Female first. Armin, you and Jean need to convince him that he needs to grow a pair!" The scientist swallowed, head dipping slightly in shame. "It's awful, but it's unfortunately necessary. Sometime one has to give up one thing to gain the other. As for me, Mikasa, Krista, Sasha, and Connie – you will help me lure the bitch downtown."

"Right!"

"Good! We need to hurry! Time is precious!"

**(POV SWAP)**

A roar escaped his lipless maw as he shoved his enemy into the brick façade of a building. His earlier plan had proven to be the wrong one as The Female had caught up to him. Their fight had prolonged into more tight paces by titan standards and there were still stragglers that were lagging behind the pack. They were now dueling at a crossroads. During the journey, he was disgusted with his work ethic, but what could he do with people still around! Zackley could change his mind if many people died! Plus he didn't want Erwin to suffer! Damn it! The humans needed to move faster!

Rogue raised his fist yet again, ready to deliver his message of hatred in a brutal fashion. He had her in a corner at least and she couldn't break his pelvis again in his position. All he had to do was pound her pale and cruel face in. Oh how he looked forward to seeing her splattered remains, tissues, corneas, and all! For him, a sight like that was peace of mind.

However, that hope of bloodshed was diminished again as his foe expertly dropped to her rear and slid herself between his legs. Rogue's breath hitched in shock as he quickly spun, only to face The Female Titan, her skin feet from his. Rogue tensed, positioning for another blow, but he was far too delayed as the titan planted a foot into his abdomen and sent him into the same structural cradle that he had laid her in earlier. His heart pounded! This was not good! He was much bulkier and the fit was tight, bulging muscles a downfall for he couldn't poise his legs and arms to make a move. Green eyes watched in alarm as The Female's fist hardened and raised to strike like an angry snake. Rogue swallowed, brows narrowing. No. He was far from the point of surrender. There was still one possible move that he could make. It was risky, but it was possible. Just before his enemy could swing her diamond weapon, Rogue lunged – fast and forceful due to the buildup of potential energy that was released in a kinetic blast of momentum. The green-eyed titan then encased his lipless maw around her throat and grabbed her wrists with his hands. The Female screamed in agony as he bit down, blood pouring down his throat and the crimson nectar glazing his tongue in a brilliant red shade. For a moment, he found himself in almost ecstasy. He had forgotten how good the taste of her bounty was. His prey was truly delicious!

Before he could rip out her throat, a sharp pain dug into his side followed by the horrifying sound of cracking ribs. Rogue let out a screech in agony for he had been violently kneed in the side. However, he wasn't down and out yet! Quickly, Rogue raised an elbow and made devastating contact to her cheek. He smirked as his ears filled with the sound of her jaw cracking, but the expression vanished as she stood her ground and kicked his hip – sending him flying a few meters across the length of the brick street. The titan landed roughly; skin peeing off in sheets, making a wicked burn across his flank. Hurriedly, Rogue tried to scramble to his feet.

But he stopped dead as his eyes caught a sight that seemed to paralyze his heart.

Below his arm was a human male, his young male offspring trying to pull his father from beneath him. It was clear; his impact had killed the man. Rogue abruptly lifted his arms, eyes wide in fear as he watched the child drag his father to the side. The titan's mind filled with the very image of his Armin trying to pull his deceased grandfather from the rubble. Rogue shuttered. He had killed another innocent person – a father and most likely orphaned a child. He could do nothing. He had no powers of resurrection – the very idea of that made him sick and whine in anguish. Even still, he couldn't take his eyes away from the two, but it led to a discovery. The boy wasn't giving him any look of betrayal but was rather staring angrily at The Female Titan who was approaching them with blues full of malice and face ridded with cruelty.

" _ **NO. SHE! SHE KILLED HIM! THIS IS HER FAULT!"**_ Rogue's consciousness howled, words rattling his skull. With the thought, the fifteen-meter sprung to his feet, but suddenly discovering that in the fall his ankle had been twisted almost completely around the wrong way – bone sticking out in a sickly and deformed manner. A shriek left his gaping mouth as he stumbled upon the maim appendage, unfavorably falling into his opponent who was grinning like a crazed jester. The Female planted a diamond-coated fist just below his ribcage, hardened fingers curling around his stomach. A piercing scream erupted from Rogue's lungs as she tore the organ free from his body. The titan instantaneously vomited blood, is entire body crippled in pain. Stunned and disoriented, Rogue watched dazedly as the skinless female jabbed her elbow between the touchy gap at the base of his neck and start of his shoulder – making more agony flow throughout his body. As a natural instinct, Rogue grasped the wounded areas, left hand gripping his throbbing shoulder and right hand painting itself in blood from the hole in his belly. He had no time to retreat to heal as The Female Titan severed his leg with one fluid swipe – sending him tumbling like a sack of flour to the earth. Pain shot through his side when she kicked once more, sending him into another tall structure. The building crumbled all around him, showering him in debris – the needlepoint steeple of the building's crown descending down to spear him through the heart.

Rogue screamed, the sound hollow and muffled by blood leaking from his maw. Though his heart was impaled, the blow itself couldn't kill him, but being pinned for her to have her way would. He wheezed, shivering and coughing more crimson. He was done for. He was getting ready to finally greet death at its doorstep, lose everything he had dear in his life, leaving them to suffer a horrible fate as he did. Half-lidded eyes watched as The Female prowled over to him, his ears able to hear her low and pleased chuckling. She would finally get whatever she wanted.

However, before he could close his eyes in acceptance, the sound of aggressive shouts and invisible wing beats filled the air. Rogue looked to see several small forms sailing trough the air in assertive dives and darts, getting The Female's attention and drawing her away from her original path. He blinked, studying their faces only to make an alarming discovery. The Scouts had arrived. His Hange, his smaller humans, and his baby Mikasa had come. No! Not again! This couldn't be happening again! Rogue wailed, but the normally echoing sound was merely a drowned gurgle. He squirmed, tearing more tissue as he tried to spring himself free like a trapped animal. Shit! He had to get up! He had to help!

"Rogue!"

"Rogue!"

Hearing the familiar call, Rogue slowly rotated his head to see his Armin and Jean land near him. They both looked visibly shaken, eyes wide as they looked at his steaming wounds in absolute concern. The two began to quickly climb into the rubble, scaling over large slabs of concrete to get to his beaten face.

"Damn it! She was able to get an edge on him!" Jean growled, suddenly bending over to look him square in his large eye. "Listen! Quit your bullshit Rogue! I've heard stories about your legendary brawls outside Wall Rose and I've seen you fight those naked bastards brutally!" The teen yelled, making Rogue detect the heavy amount of anger laden in his voice and the twinge of angst. "Get your ass up and really fight! Tear the bitch apart! You… need to kill her." Jean stuttered, slowly lowering his head, shoulders trembling. "You have to… kill her. For us. For… Marco." The teen clammed up, his tapered ears catching his trembling ribcage. Rogue blinked. Marco. He wasn't sure who the person was, but it sounded as if they were once dear to the young man, perhaps a best friend.

Armin laid a hand onto the other's shoulder, provoking the usually arrogant teen to look up from his anguish. "I'll handle this, Jean. You go help the others with warding away The Female Titan." The blonde gestured, pointing out that the team of soldiers had successfully captured the skinless titan's annoyance and was luring her far down another street.

For a moment, Jean remained speechless until he finally gave in to a nod and promptly flew off. There was a split second of silence; before Armin gave him the most dead serious look he had ever seen from the kind boy. It was a look of sheer determination. "Rogue – I need to tell you something important. Right here and now. It may be hard for you to grasp and accept, but you need to be open to listen to reason. Sometimes you have to be willing to give up one thing to save another. It can make you weak. Rogue, I'm sure you're understanding where I'm coming from, but to make it clear – sometimes in order to defeat monsters you must be willing to become one. In order to save those you love, you must be willing to make a sacrifice for the greater good. To save humankind, you must be willing to embrace your inner beast, Rogue. It's the ugly truth, but it's what you must do in order to kill The Female Titan!"

Green hues peeked from the corner of his darkened eyelids at the desperate looking teen. Rogue winced as nerves realigned and a new stomach sat itself into place – allowing a knot of hard recognition to settle within his new gut. Armin – was right.

"Please get up, Rogue! We don't have much time! She could kill everyone!"

The titan blinked, eyes turning to the sky as his mind began to race. It was true. The world was a cruel place with fucked up inner workings. That much he had learned throughout his life. The world was a disease and he was the antibiotic. Life was all about sacrifice. His precious humans sacrificed their safety constantly visiting him and their time for trying to teach him the ways of the vile world. The Scouts sacrificed their hearts to give humanity a fighting chance. His little ones even had done such a practice when they left him behind in Wall Maria so they could get stronger and bring him into the flying human pack. He himself had come close to sacrificing his life just to save his family. He just never realized such a thing.

Rogue's eyes slowly narrowed. If he let go, manly lives could be lost, but thousands could be saved – even those closest to him. He could end this titan's terror once and for all if he accepted his inner strength, ferocity – the monster within.

_**'TO DEFEAT…YOU MUST… BECOME.'** _

He accepted with a low and tearing growl.

**(POV SWAP)**

Levi remained perched behind a rooftop dormer looking out at the waiting trap with utmost anger and determination. The day had already been bad enough! Just when he could breath a sigh in relief, the titanic bitch had arisen from the dead to extract her original plan – whatever the hell it was. His scowl didn't show it, but deep down beneath his cold exterior, Levi was anxious. In terms of conjuring plans, he wasn't as gifted as the strategic Erwin or even Hange Freaking Zoe. He was good, but not great. The Corporal honestly didn't even know if his current plan was working.

He scrutinized the waiting barb cannons and steel nets – supplies they had taken from the military depot close by. Levi grumbled to himself. This trap was unfortunately a big experiment. The shots didn't possess the heavy cables they used on Rogue and the bitch before. If they were good for anything it would be just to trip her up and tangle her legs. The most reliable trap in their custody was the steel nets. With them, at least The Female Titan couldn't harden to escape the barbs. He was secretly praying for them to work but more so that Shitty Glasses, the new recruits, and Rogue would pull through.

Suddenly, a crashing calamity echoed among the downtown shops and trade businesses. Levi and his surrounding subordinates looked south to see The Female Titan stumble onto the street with Hange's squad circling around her to cook up her irritation and let down her guard.

_'Good. Now the bitch just has to come._ '

Levi steadied himself as he prepared to give the order while his target sprinted in their direction. He slowly raised a hand, soldiers watching him like hawks as she took step after giant step.

_'Come you fucking bitch! Just a little more!'_

The Female Titan then stepped into an invisible marker, right into the trap. Without so much as a physical word, Levi abruptly dropped his hand. Explosions echoed for several streets as the barb canons went off. As expected, the carbs didn't stop her from moving, but rather tangled and imbedded tightly around her legs and calves. The Female screeched as she fell forward into the brick way. Just as she squirmed to get on her back to right herself, the soldiers pushed the heavy steel webbing over her body to pin her to the street.

She lay awkwardly, half twisted onto her side with her neck unfortunately protected by her hand. She was simply silent, looking straightforward with unblinking eyes that could never not be unsettling. The Female Titan was simply still, almost restrained like a kitten's nape in the jaws of a mother feline. Levi then descended from his perch to meet Hange's squad below. Seeing that Arlert and Rogue were absent, The Corporal went straight to a stoical Mikasa.

"Where is Arlert and Jaeger?" He demanded, panic unfortunately staining part of his tone.

"Armin stayed behind with Rogue." The dark haired teen replied. "Rogue was holding back because of the people around and The Female got the best of him. Armin's trying to motivate him as he heals."

His hands balled into fists in aggravation. "Shit." Levi grumbled just as Hange's familiar devious chuckles met his ears. The Corporal turned to see the idiot scientist approaching The Female's face with sword in hand – Molbit shouting protests as usual. Levi sighed heavily. Hange was such a fool. As he made his way with the idea to yank the woman away from her bullshit, Levi watched and listened to Hange's dangerous antics.

The woman lowered herself right in front of the skinless titan's face, laying a hand on her brow and pointing the tip of her sword dangerously close to the megalith's eye – the pupil shrinking to the size of pocket change. Hange then dawned an expression that made her live up to her insanity.

"Well, looks like our mouse has been caught in the cat's claws." Hange spoke, tone sounding borderline insane. "Now my darling, I'm not the kind of person who loves diamonds and shiny things but rather like the idea of discovery." She continued, the titan looking at her without struggling an inch. Like regular titans, she was emotionless. "I want to devour you and soak up your story. So - what is it that you want from our handsome titan? Please enlighten us!"

Levi barely had the chance to call out as The Female Titan suddenly took action and swung her leg – uprooting the nets' anchors and busting up the barrel shots – taking out several soldiers in the process. Hange had barely escaped; she quickly joined him as they made their way up to the rooftop and overlooked the skinless titan as she pulled the nets off of her.

"Fuck! It didn't work!" Levi announced as he prepared for the worst circumstance – the plan failing and The Female going after themselves. The Scouts readied their blades just as the titan's burning blues turned to them – irises tinted with intense loathing.

However, before she could even strike, a earthshattering roar sliced through the afternoon air, a cry so ferocious and animalistic that it could have only originated from one thing.

"Rogue."

The buildings began to tremble in the wake of repetitive and powerful thumps reverberating through the city. Shingles slid off several rooftops and windows shattered. Turning his head upwards, Levi spotted the familiar fifteen-meter tearing right down the street. He could feel the rage radiating off the approaching beast. Rogue was a stark contrast to his usual easygoing and fun-loving self. His green eyes were glowing with the feral wildness of an animal, muscles bulging beneath his skin and steam rising off of his shoulders. The skin on his face was pulled into a menacing snarl and his ears were folded over like a rabid beast. It didn't take an expert to be able to determine that Rogue was definitely out for blood – and he was dead set on bathing himself in it.

"I got through to him!" Armin announced as he landed next to the group. "He's all set!"

"I can see that." Levi muttered, still watching the charging titan as The Female took notice and began to run in retreat. "The beast is out of cage."

Rogue then brushed right past, the party feeling the heat from his flesh before the titan disappeared into the collection of structures, his roar causing some to grip their ears to save their drums.

"We follow him." Levi ordered. "We stay on watch and only intervene if needed. Of course, the way he is now, we may very well be sitting on the sidelines watching the bloodbath unfold."

**(POV SWAP)**

Blood pumped throughout his body at a great rate, filling him with the needed energy to carry out his hunt. The Female Titan was just ahead of him, running diagonally through the structures. Green eyes were wild, locked on his running target. Free from his barriers, he was going to do whatever it took to defeat his foe. He would give up his morals, but only just this once. Steam rose from his shoulder blades and spilled from his nostrils, blood heating up with rage and adrenaline. He was finally going to make her his prey.

Make her his meal.

The titan then spotted his opening and let his muscles build. With a booming roar, Rogue launched himself skyward like a large cat going after vermin – The Female barely had the time to turn and face him. Their bodies clashed, sending them both off their feet and tumbling into the concrete and stone jungle. Glass, chunks of stone, and metal flew in all directions as the two forms plowed through building after building, laying waste to a residential district. Everything received devastating abuse, the brick way was cracked, foundations were leveled, and several corpses had unfortunately been produced. Hitting a dip, the two separated, crushing several obstacles before finally coming to a halt. Though he was sore and several pieces of glass and metal were buried into his flesh, Rogue felt nothing. He only felt alive.

The titan lifted himself to his feet, noticing that The Female Titan had landed a short distance away and was slowly getting her footing back. Not willing to let her do such a thing, Rogue thundered forward with another ferocious bellow – propelling his bulk through another building with debris raining down his shoulders. Hearing his aggressive stride and call, The Female Titan looked up from her recovery to see his manic greens and tremendous wake. To Rogue's dislike, his prey darted with no grace at the last possible second – causing him to create one less building among the unforgiving battleground. The beast snarled. Oh no! She was not going to get away from him that easily!

Like dueling dogs, the two great titans circle one another, eyes hooked and filled with nothing but harmful intent. Rogue snarls, hair raised on his scalp and looking absolutely rabid, eyes glowing but judging when to strike. The Female hissed, sunlight hair frizzing slowly as she glared heatedly at him. He then caught her sneaking a glance at his feet so to check his stance – creating the perfect opportunity. Rogue charged forward with a vile roar and aimed a fist right for her face, knuckles sweeping into golden strands before she gave a return, her hardened fist missing his ribcage by mere inches. The fifteen meter roared and sent an uppercut into play, The Female twisting with the move hitting her elbow – the sound of snapping bone music to his ears. Rotating again, she then swept low, Rogue stepping back for her to miss. While she was righting herself again to begin another attack, he was already prepared. The green-eyed titan threw a signature fist at his opponent, a mean left hook that The Female Titan hadn't anticipated. She only had the time to harden part of her cheek when skin met, her jaw breaking under the force and blood decorating the earth below. His prey was suddenly dazed, eyes glassed over and struggling to gain their focus. It was then that Rogue saw an excellent opportunity – one that he had been waiting to perform for quite a long time.

Sturdy as a great oak and fast as a whip, Rogue balanced himself on a single foot and swung his leg in a perfectly stable and powerful high kick. The Female Titan never saw the move coming as Rogue's attack hit on its mark – tearing off a large portion of her face. Gore flew in several directions. Torn ligaments and muscles littered the brick pathway, crimson coated white, and an eye flew right through a broken window – the other heavily damaged. Inside, Rogue felt a great amount of pride at his success. He had so much difficulty doing it before, constantly falling, messing up, or embarrassing himself. Finally he had flourished, thanks to an unexpected source.

Of course, he only kept this celebration to himself, unknowingly allowing other onlookers celebrate for him as he anticipated his prey's retaliation. Rogue remembered clearly an aspect to his training that Levi had told him time and time again – a certain move that almost every opponent did in return to suck a kick. As he had thought, The Female Titan, though missing much of her facial features and structure, was still compliant. She did as Levi had said, returning his move with a reverse roundhouse kick aimed right for his head.

He almost wanted to laugh.

Rogue quickly held up his arms in a block, absorbing the hit before taking hold of her leg. Then with great strength that far outmatched the strength of a thousand oxen, the hunter hoisted his prey off her feet and into the air- slinging the skinless creature several meters over many rooftops before The Female Titan crashed into another towering structure. He wasn't going to let her recover one bit! Rogue rocketed forward with his fist ready to pierce clear through her skull. Homes and buildings fell victim to his weight, suffering the consequences of being unable to evade his wrath as he lunged with a rumbling roar of dominance.

Before he could soak in the pleasure of trouncing his prey, the sly female slipped from his clutches at the last available second. Rogue slid to a halt and turned to meet his nearly unrecognizable foe again. Blindly, she threw a hit, missing him as she threw another. Rogue snorted, it was almost comical! Her hand then came at him again, knuckles hardened in diamond but far off target – easy for him to manipulate. Skillfully, he reached to catch her diamond hand, twisting her wrist and tearing it right off. The Female Titan screamed in vengeance, but before she could extract any move of her own, she provided him with yet another opening. Rogue then motioned assertively and took hold of her body, placing her so her back faced him and pressed against his torso. He then held her into a firm hold, arms swooping below her pits and weaving over her head with his hands locked together against her blonde locks – leaving her immobile and her nape wide open. The predator's prey screeched in protest as he squeezed his grip tighter. With emeralds glistening in maddening glee, Rogue lowered his head and parted his massive jaws, teeth descending onto her weak spot. However, just as his incisors met her pale and tough flesh, her arms slipped from his grasp and a sharp pain originated just below either side of his ribs.

Naturally, the beast wailed in agony and released his victim, noticing that she had fashioned her elbows into hardened diamond points. Before he could even make another move, The Female Titan raised a good hand and turned her nails into lethal gems – swiping across his face to cut deep into the bridge of his nose and his eyes. The world around him grew dark and agony swelled deep into his corneas, the troubling and unsettling feeling of blood gliding down his cheeks adding fuel to his fire and misery. Rogue instantly knew that he was blind.

He wasn't helpless though. Thanks to his amazing senses, he could still engage in combat skillfully. If it was one thing he knew, it was how to utilize his senses of touch, smell, and sound to locate his target. Rogue's ears pricked forward, nostrils flaring, and feet planting firmly into the ground. He prepared himself, but he felt no brutal assault from his opponent. His keen senses then detected thundering steps leaving the area, feeling the vibrations beneath his feet. He knew it. The Female Titan was taking the opportunity to get some distance between them so her injuries could heal. However he wasn't going to let that happen either. He may be temporarily blind along with his opponent who only had part of an eye, but he still had the advantage.

Confidently, Rogue stormed after her. His ears shifted; ready to receive sound as a series of deep rumbles left his maw. Months ago, before he found his new family and just after he had nearly been captured by the Scouts, Rogue had developed a technique for him to utilize just in case if he was ever blinded again in an area that he wasn't familiar with. He had learned the technique after observing bats. Seeing how they listened to sounds bouncing off obstacles and objects, the titan adapted the skill with ease and at times it felt almost natural. With each rumble that left his mouth, Rogue's ears listened intently as the guttural sound reflected off buildings while keeping his foe's position in check. His nostrils flared, still smelling his prey's leaking blood. At least the odds were in his favor. She hadn't healed completely yet. Judging by the amount, she still had a ways to go.

Rogue picked up speed, growling loudly as he felt the nerves beginning to restitch themselves in his damaged eyes. Still, his opponent was lighter and faster even with his weight lessened. Her slender form was perfect for weaving in and out of tight spaces. The Female of course, lacked the brute strength that he possessed which was his way of countering her swiftness. The titan powered forward, growling louder as the meters between the two creatures lessened. Rogue then felt his eyes complete themselves with a sharp sting, forcing his lids to unveil his blazing emerald greens. With her form now in his sight and range, Rogue lunged forward and rammed his prey into the unforgiving human residences. The Female shrieked as she all but flattened a townhouse. He raised a foot, ready to bring it down upon her head and nape to end it all, but he was foolish. She craned her neck, revealing her now fully healed face.

Before Rogue could even fathom her recovery, the skinless titan kicked out her leg – catching his single foot and causing him to lose contact with the earth. Gravity took its hold on his body, pulling Rogue violently to the populated street. However, he was quick to regain his composure and planted his heel into The Female Titan's face. He wasted no time taking pleasure in her screech or pausing to look a her clutch her broken nose as he picked himself up and crawled toward a large wagon carrying food supplies, hay, and large milk jugs. Rogue then spun around to see that his opponent had gotten to her feet, hand already hardening. Thinking quickly, he flung the heavy wagon and its contents into The Female Titan's furious mug. Wood splintered in various directions and goods flew for several meters like a firework as the large object hit her face. His prey stumbled backward and instinctively brushed the debris from her skin. Seeing his opening once again, he leaped into the air with a fist poised and ready to obliterate flesh from bone.

Unfortunately, his luck of landing a hit turned sour as The Female Titan raised her hands into a practiced block, crystalline surface coating her flesh and muscle. Rogue's fist make contact, peeling layers of skin from his hand and fingers and shattering bones while the skinless titan absorbed the otherwise devastating hit, her toes digging into the brick surface as she was vehemently pushed from her original spot. Rogue fell to his knees; looking up to see The Female Titan's stoic and nearly emotionless face- the only thing present was the sheer vindictiveness and determination in her hard blue hues. Her look, it mocked him so. Oh how he wished that she were already dead! How he wished to savor her flavor! Further motivated to slaughter, Rogue snarled animalisticaly, suddenly giving in to a predatory instinct as he arched his back and sprung forward with blood boiling and mouth agape to rip a chunk out of her neck.

The one moment of giving into a seeded instinct cost him dearly.

Before he could even make contact, The Female Titan hardened her shin and kicked, slicking off his leg in a clean sweep and tore his right arm off violently at the elbow. Rogue's bulk crashed into a neighboring building, but despite the hit, he held The Female Titan's leg firmly in his jaws. He tightened his grasp, ignoring any pain he had as he focused on his adversary, eyes glowing a solid green in rage. There was no way, even missing limbs, was he going to let his prey wiggle from his clutch again! The Female Titan's once impassive face grew into one that was now something that he could label furious, staring down at him with pale lips pulled into a deep grimace and burning blues ignited in a raging fire. He bit down harder, fully intent on ripping her leg off as The Female Titan raised a diamond coated fist.

Crunch!

The sound seemed to echo in the cluster of buildings. The Female Titan's face lit up in horror as she kept her gaze onto her target. Still wrapped up in instinct, Rogue maintained his vice grip, green eyes lighting up even brighter as he spied the series of large cracks in his prey's beautiful but deadly defense. He bit harder, taking comfort in the realization that his bite force was so great that it actually broke through The Female Titan's hardened skin.

Upon seeing his deed, the skinless titan shrieked like an angry banshee as she brought down her diamond fist into his skull. Pain exploded in his head as bone cracked, long brown locks coating in blood. So badly, did he want to scream, to cry, but he was determined to keep his hold.

Seeing her failure, The Female Titan swung again. This time, her fist hit his cheek, fracturing his skull further and knocking out several of his teeth. Still, Rogue did not make a single sound and kept his teeth enclosed on her leg.

So, she hit him again.

And again.

Over.

And.

Over.

All he knew was agony and everything was blurred. Blood was everywhere, on the walk, building walls, his body, and coated all over his face, which was nearly unrecognizable. The right side was nearly smashed completely in, tissue and bone fragments exposed to the world. His eye was swollen shut and the other was barely open. The top of his head was unsightly. Hair had been ripped from his bloodied scalp and his once round skull was horribly abused. So much so that part of his still intact brain was exposed to the elements. He hurt. So badly, but he still didn't want to give up. He wanted to save everyone.

The Female Titan brought her fist down once again, snapping his nose and coating her appendage further in crimson. Finally, Rogue found that he could hold her leg no more and he parted his bloody jaws and fell limp. The skinless titan then stood, looking down at him with disgust before looking at her wounded leg – brows drawing together in distaste at the presence of the large teeth marks. Rogue exhaled as he fought unconsciousness. He had been so fucking stupid! Why did he choose stubbornness! Instinct! Stupid! He had failed! He was going to lose everyone!

"Get away from him you stupid bitch!"

"Engage The Female Titan!"

Willing himself through the intense pain, Rogue weakly looked up to see that several flying figures had manifested from nowhere and were now swooping like angry hornets at The Female Titan. His good eye widened.

The Scouts.

Panic then naturally spread throughout his body as two figures in particular stood out from the other soldiers. His babies. No! Not again! They needed to stay back!

"Ackerman! Arlert! Pull back! Who said you could –

The words faded upon his ears as he continued to watch in horror. Mikasa, his little one, was charging full tilt toward the skinless demon with his Armin pleadingly shouting at her as he followed.

_**'NO! NO!'**_ His mind throbbed. ' _ **SHE'LL GET… THEM!'**_

Rogue whined loudly as he struggled to see his little ones. He was being hit with a cruel sense of déjà vu all over again. The Female Titan swung her arms, swatting away some of the other soldiers and staining windows red. He nearly froze completely as he watched Mikasa dive down and swerve, cable cutting into The Female's torso, forcing her to turn her attention from the other lashing soldiers to his little one. His heart began to pound fiercely. He wanted to scream, but he could barely manage a whine. Quickly, Mikasa went in for a second chance, moving like a blur as she sliced off one of The Female Titan's fingers. A wave of faintness fell over him, Rogue lifting his beaten head in the slightest as he tried to keep alert, but his vision was blurry and black dots were randomly sprinkling before his good eye. Rogue slumped against the corner of the building, no longer able to keep himself upright. God how he wished that he could speed the healing process in certain areas like his enemy could!

"Die you monster!" Mikasa cried as she swooped in for battle once again. Rogue continued to remain spellbound as she aimed right for the nape, but was unfortunately foiled as the diamond substance forbid her from hitting her mark. Mikasa's blades shattered on the impact, but the girl was stubborn just as he was and quickly replaced her blades midair before diving again.

Rogue's eye widened even further, heart lifting into his shaky chest as he discovered that Mikasa was heading right for The Female Titan's ankles – the towering behemoth watching her every move.

' _ **MY BABY… SHE WILL… BE KILLED!**_ '

He watched in sheer terror, still trying to drag himself forward as Mikasa closed in on his foe's heel, the skinless she-devil tightening her muscles in preparation. She was going to kick her leg back; his little one would be caught! Then, just before The Female Titan could make her move, Armin steered in front of the vengeful teen and hoisted her into his small arms – carrying her away from the impending fatal move.

"Armin!"

The blonde denied her plea. "Mikasa, she'll kick and –

However, his little one couldn't finish his sentence as a giant foot grasped the boy's cables between the toes and swung. Rogue screeched loudly despite his current handicap as the two were sent violently tumbling across the brick pathway as Armin's cables snapped from the force. Finally, the two came to a lifeless halt just a few meters from him, in crumpled heaps with spots of red seeping through their clothes.

The world seemed to stop for Rogue as The Female Titan was warded away yet again. Ignoring his weakness, the broken titan scrambled as fast as his body would allow toward his two still babies. He whined desperately, falling on himself as he reached for them. No! They couldn't be gone! No! They had to be alive! He couldn't lose them again! He couldn't! They couldn't be dead!

Rogue cried louder, slowly reaching to the two small forms with his finger gently nudging their sides – but they didn't move. The titan blinked rapidly, trying to will his blurry eyes to clear, but failing to do so with the abundance of tears forming rapidly in his eyes. Unannounced to him, Rogue was wailing, much too panicked to take the time to listen to his little ones' still beating hearts.

_**'MY… LITTLE ONES! THEY ARE… ARE… DEAD! NO! NO!'** _

Rogue crumbled to the earth, burying his face into his healing stump, crying vociferously and choking on his saliva. Memories of his dear children flashed through his head. He remembered the night that he had rescued them, had them sleep with him in his tree and the many blissful days that followed that were full of fun and play. He remembered the innocent days where they would have countless picnics and afternoons full of the simple pleasure of tossing a ball. The memory of the breach came back to him, Rogue recalling the vow he took and the many nights he spent with the two cuddled against him during the frigid weather. He remembered the three of them cheering one another up in the most desperate of times and their last night together before he sent them to live with the flying human pack. Rogue recalled how happy he was when they reunited after three long and lonely years and how much they grew. He was so proud of them. He loved them so much and when they lived together at the castle he had found a long lost paradise. Now, just like his humans, they were gone! He wouldn't be getting them back! He would never hear their sweet and encouraging words or see their bright faces ever again!

And it was all _her_ fault.

Rogue gradually lifted his head, staring in the distance where The Female Titan was dealing with the other Scouts. Yes, it was all her fucking fault! She was the reason why he lost the most precious things that he held dear! Her! Her!

His blood began to boil as he continued to wallow in hatred, body shaking violently. He would rip her apart for what she had done! Tear her limb from limb! Eat her alive! He would KILL her! SLAUGHTER her! DESTROY HER! TEAR HER TO PIECES! MAKE HER PAY!

' _ **I'LL KILL YOU!'**_ Rogue's mind thought furiously, pushing himself up into an upright position on the balls of his feet. ' _ **I'LL MAKE YOU… DEAD! I'LL KILL YOU… TITAN! EVERY –**_

His heart pounded. Blood heating further.

' _ **LAST…'**_

His hair rose, limbs shaking.

' _ **FUCKING…ONE…'**_

His nostrils flared, a torrent of steam leaving his lipless sneer.

_**'OF YOU!'** _

Suddenly, there was a spark deep in his core, igniting a sensation that he had never felt in his lifetime. An overwhelming heat spread all throughout his body, making him release a screech in surprise. Then, there was an incredible amount of pain as his nerve endings reformed and his missing limbs quickly grew back in mere seconds. His head stung and throbbed, a red shade descending over his eyes and causing him to shut his shadowed lids in agony as he felt everything redevelop. His bones regenerated, flesh, muscles, and skin resituated themselves on his newly repaired skull – long dark locks falling over his face as the regeneration completed. At first, Rogue assumed that he had somehow triggered a process similar to The Female's concentrated healing.

However, as more and more pain swept across his frame, it was clear to Rogue that this was something more.

Heat flooded his body from all sides, blood scorching in his veins. Rogue gritted his teeth as the heat spread to his muscles, limbs, and the tips of his fingers and toes. He groaned, as his face grew unbearably hot. Suddenly, his skin began to change, the shade of tan growing darker and the leathery texture turning as coarse as a cat's tongue. Steam erupted from the pores on his back, billowing out of his nose and teeth. His veins then grew red hot, glowing a bright orange from beneath his skin, decorating his body in ornate patterns and highlighting the threads in nearly every muscle. Then, the steam morphed into smoke, and then it transformed into fire – flames rising angrily from his super heated flesh. He could feel his muscles strengthen and swell, face wrinkling in pain as the change continued. The titan's hands trembled and toes curled as the throbbing sensation ran through him in spasms. Suddenly, his sharp nails grew into purely lethal and long claws, his hands now digging into the brick road and upsetting the aged dirt beneath.

Then the worst part of the sensation descended upon him.

The agony spread into his jaws, pain digging at the roots of his teeth as they too, began to change. Rogue gripped the ground harder, spine arching to allow the ridges to become more prominent as his teeth began to transform into nothing but sharp fangs, his jaws feeling as if they were going to split. The heat continued to soar throughout his body as a primal urge temporarily pushed his sorrows and nearly everything that was him on the back burner. Rage gripped every part of his bulk. Then, the pain stopped.

Rogue's eyes then shot open, kind emerald greens replaced by a solid and blazing blue highlighted by burning veins spreading from his eyelids. His nostrils glowed red hot, giving off the effect of a closed furnace. The strength the hunter felt was so overwhelming as he slowly rose upright. The fury – was incredible. Every wild desire was bursting at the seams. Suddenly, Rogue threw back his head, puffing his chest, and roared, a tremendous sound that shook all around him – the bellow so haunting and unworldly that it made all life stop and gaze upon the blazing titan – his aura was both terrifying and godly. His enemy and the world around him were about to bare witness to his reborn wrath.

The hunter's howl then died into a loud snarl, but a sudden and completely foreign sensation came to Rogue. The flaming beast raised a clawed hand to his abdomen in puzzlement to feel an unpleasant rolling and shifting. His ears pricked forward as they caught the distinct sound of gestational rumbling. The titan then realized.

For the first time in his life – he was _hungry._

_**VERY HUNGRY**._

Saliva pooled beneath his tongue, leaking from the gaps between his now pointed teeth. His nostrils flared wildly, engulfing a scent that only made him hunger more. It was exotic, intoxicating, and _titan_. Rogue jerked his head upwards, spying the source to the delectable odor many meters away. It was a female giant, skin pale as death and form curvy. His mouth watered even further, saliva dripping from his chin at the sight of her exposed meat. She was a beautiful morsel! Ripe for the picking! He hated her with every thread of his body. She was going to be DELICIOUS! IT WAS TIME TO _**FEED**_!

With a loud and ferocious bellow, the hunter sprang forward. His lungs heaved with each thrust, steam spilling from his mouth like a vicious dragon. Rogue moved like a wild and desperately starving animal, moving on two feet and alternating onto all fours on occasion as he bolted toward his chosen dish. His tongue lolled out madly, flinging a stream of saliva as Rogue veered to take a detour – one that was quite off-road. The titan leaped onto the roof of a nearby building, moving to the next before it could cave beneath his weight, his faming body contagiously spreading fire to the wooden scaffolding and shingles. Muscles flexed and pulled with each charge and leap, the powerful and wild beast leaving behind far more destruction than he had produced earlier. The hunter's eyes grew wide in greed as her scent flooded his senses, the skinless titan almost in striking distance. His feet moved quicker, ground thundering, and stomach fighting harder for nourishment. With fire highlighting his massive bulk and the chaos shrouding him, both his prey and the tiny little creatures flying around her, beings that seemed to hate his prey as much as he did, paused and looked in the blazing titan's direction. Both species, both enemies to one another, completely stopped their confrontation and looked on in pure bewilderment.

His prey's face looked absolutely horrified, her shrunken pupils and agape mouth oh so satisfying to the beast.

"HOLY SHIT!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!"

"SHIT!"

"FUCK!"

"WAIT – IS THAT?"

"IS THAT REALLY?"

"MY GOD, IS THAT –

"IT'S HIM!"

None could finish their sentences as Rogue rocketed into the air with a furious roar, talon like hands outstretched to dig into his target's flesh. Like ants beneath a magnifying glass, the flying humans scattered the premises, The Female Titan much too trapped in her own shock to even move an inch. The hunter loved it. The impact was tremendous as Rogue met his mark, sending the two beasts tumbling once again into a destructive frenzy. As the orange sky and cold earth traded places, the hunter snapped at his prey like a ravenous wolf, paying no mind to the crumbling landscape beneath their giant forms. He took pleasure in her cries of pain and shock, his prey feeling the unbearable agony of his claws digging into her luscious meat. Somehow, his meal manages a shove to break them apart. Nastily, he snarls. How dare she do such a thing? How dare she even resist!

The two great behemoths then come to a rough halt in the debris. The hunter wastes no time and gets to his feet, pouncing on his prey before she can even sit up. Rogue's ears filled with her piercing shriek of agony; an arousing sound as he sunk his teeth into her exposed shoulder. Blood rushed onto his tongue – his eyelids fluttering at the incredibly intoxicating and heavenly taste. He had to have more! MORE!

**LOTS MORE!**

Before he could bite off a chunk to savor and pleasure his gullet **,** the hunter found himself being forced off his prey's body and into a still standing building. The hit didn't faze him as he got to his feet and rushed for The Female Titan a second time, tackling her to the brick earth. Rogue huffed. His prey was feisty; it made him want to play with his food! He then wrapped a large clawed hand around the back of her skull and with a bellow and brute strength; he lifted her struggling body and slammed her face first into the roof of another human residence. At her shrieking plea, he took advantage of his hold and thrust her into the roof of another building, sliding her face all across the ridges and chimneys, painting the plain bricks in abstract splatters of blood. The flaming titan roared in triumph as he hoisted her up again and threw her façade into the road, staining the circumference of the walk in deep red. The hunter lifted her again and repeated his punishing action. He roared furiously as he beat her, something deep within told him that The Female Titan had taken something near and dear to his heart away from him – something that he would never get back. The feeling and idea fueled his rage even further. For that reason, he would torture his meal to the furthest extent before finally feasting upon her.

Finally, he let his prey rest, her head a steaming and beaten mess, her eyes were barely in their sockets and her nose and mouth was no more. But he was nowhere finished! Listening to her whines, he decided that he wanted to experience the noise louder and more desperate. Grinning madly in his interior, Rogue flipped his victim over and mounted himself – he was going to do the one thing that brought him the most gratification when it came to the slaughter of his kin. The hunter plunged his hands into her abdomen, The Female screaming as his claws snaked around for her inner workings. With a cry of pleasure, the hunter tore her organs free from their foundation. Blood combusted everywhere and coated his frame as he tossed her stomach out of his wake and went in for the rest. He would have eaten the tasty treat, but he wanted to see her suffer. It would grow back anyway so he could rip it out a second time! And a third… and a FOURTH! Rogue roared again as he ripped open her chest, tearing away her liver, a lung, and other organs that he couldn't find a name to. Damn how he wished that his kin had intestines like the other creatures – those would be so fun to rip out! Pulling them like a rope and tossing them like confetti! Rogue then reached in again, pulling out several ribs and taking joy in watching the blood splatter. It was so beautiful! A lake of red!

Suddenly, he felt pain in his own torso, pausing in his activity to notice that he had neglected his prey's face and eyes – his target having lifted a diamond hard arm and impaled him just beneath his ribs. With a quick tug, The Female Titan pulled her arm to the side, ripping out his own – making him stumble and lean awkwardly. His prey wiggled from beneath him and began to run, arms desperately holding her frame to forbid any loose organs from falling to the walk. The hunter stared angrily at his gaping wound, watching as bones reformed, muscle, and tissue regenerated in seconds. Complete, Rogue stood and bayed at the deepening heavens, projecting his dominance before racing after his wounded prey.

**(POV SWAP)**

His body throbbed; every joint was sore as if his own horse had kicked him. Slowly, Armin opened his eyes to see the crimson sky, his nostrils filling with the stench of burnt ash and his ears filling with the crackling of embers. The blonde blinked in confusion, setting up to look on in a daze. ' _The Female Titan… Rogue… he was hurt… Levi gave the order. Mikasa she –_

The blonde's eyes widened at the sudden realization of what had occurred. Armin then frantically turned his head. "Mikasa! Mikasa!" He yelled, spotting the dark haired teen's body lying just a few feet from where he sat. Concerned, Armin stood only to have a sharp pain course up his leg and send him toppling over onto the ground, gripping his ankle. He quickly examined it to find that it thankfully wasn't broken but badly twisted. He had numerous cuts and bruises on his body but thankfully nothing serious. Mikasa however, was still lying motionless. "Mikasa!" Armin called to his childhood friend, voice loud and desperate as he crawled to her body. ' _Please! Please don't be dead!'_ The teen panicked as he met her frame.

He swallowed, Mikasa certainly looked worse than he did. She had absorbed most of their fall and it certainly showed. Several patches of her porcelain skin was scraped off and bruised, a nasty cut was on her head, but the worst was her shoulder that was obviously out of socket. With further examination, Armin let out a sigh in relief. She was thankfully still breathing.

"Armin! Mikasa!"

Hearing his name, the blonde teen turned his attention skywards to see Jean, Connie, Krista, and Sasha approaching the pair. Upon landing, both Krista and Jean rushed to Mikasa while Connie and Sasha came to his aid.

"You alright Armin?" Connie asked, trying to help him up, Armin only able to stand on a single foot with Sasha's keen eyes taking notice.

"Something broken?" She asked. He shook his head.

"I'm fine, nothing's broken but my ankle is badly twisted. It looks like Mikasa had it worse than I did." Armin gestured, noticing Mikasa stirring in Jean and Krista's company.

"Mhogh… Armin?" Mikasa sat up, face stoic but obviously hiding pain. "Are you alright?" She looked at him, relief in her voice but also agony.

"I'm good! But you've got a bad cut that's going to need attention right away and your shoulder is out of socket."

Mikasa seemed to take his words in stride, but it was clear that she wasn't fully aware of her surroundings yet – most likely having a mild concussion. Upon hearing Armin's news, Jean and Krista rotated themselves to her injured shoulder.

"Mikasa, hold Krista's hand. I'm going to put your arm back into its socket." Jean informed, sounding utmost concerned and kind, his action clearly not to leave an impression but rather out of the need to help.

Mikasa nodded, gripping the small girl's hand tightly and bracing herself without another word.

"On the count of three then." Jean began as he took the necessary precautions. "One… Two…Three –

There was a loud pop followed by a distinct yelp from Mikasa. The move seemed to snap the teen into awareness. Her dazed expression changed into the look of absolute alert.

"I got it back in. You alright?"

"Yes." Mikasa stood, still holding her bleeding head. "But where is Rogue? Is he alright?"

Armin's heart skipped a beat when the four of them hesitated before Connie grinned widely.

"I'd say he's more than alright! If anything he got even more badass!" Connie cheered, leaving the two wounded teens in confusion.

"Huh?"

"He just looks terrifying to me!" Krista denied. Sasha shook her head.

"Terrifyingly badass!"

"What are you guys talking about?" Mikasa demanded.

Jean sighed. "I'd tell the two of you, but I think it's something you better just see for yourself." He paused hesitating slightly before turning to the dark haired teen. "We'll wrap your head when we meet the Corporal and Hange up ahead. We better get out of here though. It's not safe."

Mikasa hesitated before simply giving into a nod and giving Jean permission to carry her. Once Armin was in Connie's arms, the group of teens quickly left the vacant street and began to fly south. Ignoring the uncomfortable fact that he was being carried and the hot wind, Armin looked to the side to see a paralyzing scene. Dozens upon dozens of buildings were either completely in shambles of engulfed in flame. He blinked in bewilderment. Could this have been what his friends were referring to? Could this be Rogue's doing?

After several minutes, the ever-familiar sound of a whooping Hange met his ears. The group of teens then landed on the rooftop to join a cluster of Scouts. Armin quickly let himself down and a few medics came to tend to the two. Both his superiors were standing together looking out into the concrete landscape. Hange was indeed jumping up and down with Molbit trying desperately to calm her. Levi on the other hand looked the complete opposite. His body was still and so was his face, but his brows were drawn together in detectable concern. Armin swallowed. The man was clearly worried.

Suddenly, Hange turned to see both he and Mikasa, her face lighting up even more as she quickly made her way to the two teens. "Armin! Mikasa! Thank god! You're alive!" She addressed, hands visibly shaking, making him notice that it wasn't really excitement that Hange was expressing but a full-fledged panic. "You two! You need to see this! I think you triggered –

Before the shaken scientist could finish, a momentous and booming roar reverberated all around them. Armin froze; the sound was so animalistic and haunting that it sent a wave of shivers down his spine. Collectively, the two beaten teens looked to their left to see a spectacle that made Armin's breath hitch in his chest, his palms sweat, and his jaw drop.

Several meters away was a bloodied, battered, and pleading Female Titan. Standing over her body was a titan unlike any that he had ever seen or had read about. Its flesh was a deep tan and its veins glowed red hot from beneath its skin. Flames arose from its body and its nails were long and purely lethal claws. Armin felt sick to his stomach looking at the thing's teeth, ones that were extensive and sharp as daggers. Scrutinizing the titan further, Armin gasped at the frightening truth of the titan's identity, the creature's pointed ears having given it away. The blazing behemoth was none other than Rogue.

A very different and brutal Rogue.

"Hange?" Mikasa coughed out. "Is that –

She nodded. "Yes."

The teen shivered, slowly standing. "Rogue – I've… we've never seen him like this. He's never been… Hange what happened?" Mikasa queried, the scientist watching as Rogue grabbed The Female Titan's shoulder and bent it the completely wrong way – a sight that made Armin cringe.

"Well, this is a current guess, but I'm assuming that Rogue thought the two of you were dead and his emotions triggered this – some sort of awakened form." Hange level- headedly informed, with Levi suddenly approaching the messy haired woman.

"Since that moment, he's gone after the bitch with no mercy. In all of my days of fighting titans and observing him hunt – I've never seen him this brutal. The giant brat beat her head to pulp before ripping out her organs – only to let them grow back so he could do the same thing again. He's certainly stronger, he's overpowering her with ease."

Armin gulped at the news. "He – ripped out her organs…" He muttered, unaware that the Corporal had heard him.

"Yeah. He also destroyed half of the southern district. Hange, all I can say is that we're lucky that we saved several diamond shards. We're going to be paying for this in full. Damn brat. He's made a huge mess."

"Yeah …" Hange trailed off, watching the bloody horror before them. "You know, I bet this relates to the flammable substance that I found in his blood when I did my DNA examinations. Perhaps, like The Female's hardening ability, this is Rogue's." She continued as the skinless titan managed to slice off Rogue's arms – only for the appendage to grow back in seconds. Armin's eyes widened even further.

"No way." He stuttered. "No… way. That's impossible – how can a titan regenerate in seconds? It takes minutes!"

"True Armin." Hange intervened. "But perhaps in this 'Berserk Mode' his normal abilities are dramatically increased. From what we've seen, he can heal much faster; he's much stronger than before, his temperature is insane, his nails and teeth are sharper, and it looks like his senses are far beyond what they were." Hange paused, swallowing hard. "Rogue is completely feral. There's no sign of domestication there whatsoever."

"Then we have to help him!" Mikasa cut in as she prepared her gear, ignoring her wrapped head as she ran forward. "What if this form –

However, the teen was quickly halted by Levi's firm hand, getting a cold look from the teen but the man himself brushing it off. The Corporal's face was more serious than he had ever seen it.

"No." He said flatly, Mikasa's face igniting in disgust.

"What? Why, Sir!"

"Because." Hange interrupted. "We're not entirely sure if he can even recognize anyone in this state, let alone you and Armin."

The two teens grew silent, both petrified as they looked out at their childhood friend who was savagely slashing The Female Titan. The two were speechless and they didn't have the ability to form a single word in response. Armin gulped. Was it really possible that Rogue wouldn't be able to recognize them?

"Alright." Levi began sternly. "We obviously can't assist at all. However we stay at a respectable distance. We only intervene if we absolutely have to. Otherwise, stay the hell out of his way."

**(POV SWAP)**

His rumbling stomach rolled around in its home, making Rogue's mouth cascade with water. Oh! He was in heaven as he pressed a knee into The Female Titan's shoulder and began to prepare to severe the appendage. He was in ecstasy! The sight of her blood spraying and dripping from his flesh was an alluring one and a true treat to his senses. Ripping out her organs was a journey in itself, so very satisfying and therapeutic. However, the hunter would have to very soon acknowledge his hunger and silence it. The very moment was drawing near.

Rogue roared tremendously as he twisted the limp and slashed arm off his prey beneath him, ears filling with the sweet sound of screams of the skinless titan. Crimson coated the walk in a beautiful shining glaze as he tossed the arm aside with a triumphant bellow. Rogue then turned to deliver his punishment again, only to receive a hardened fist to the jaw as The Female Titan managed to twist and make a hit. He growled in distaste at his missing but rapidly rejuvenating jaw, too late to react to his prey as she skillfully balanced herself on a single elbow and spun a nasty kick to his hip – cracking the bone and throwing him from her wounded body. Again, burning eyes filled with resentment as she scrambled to her feet and continued to make her way to her only hope of escaping – the wall. Feeling that his hip was now healed, Rogue got on all fours and began to make a beeline for his fast food. It was time for his dinner to be served.

The burning titan ran wild, carrying himself violently through the street and leaving nothing but destruction behind. Rogue's heart thumped, chest heaved and flames spilled from the japs of his pointed teeth, his appearance easily rivaling the vast might of the Colossal Titan. Rogue howled with ferocity as his target was rapidly losing ground. Right on his prey's heels, Rogue launched himself strongly with a single powerful kick and tackled his prey to the ground like a great feline –teeth sinking into her shoulder as the two titans slid into a cheap bazaar – flattening everything like paper in a press. His stomach growled loudly, the emptiness pulling at every fiber of his well-being. He would consume her now.

As The Female Titan sat up to regain her senses, Rogue reached around and planted his nails into her face, the strong talon like claws easily going through an eye, bone, and flesh. He then squeezed, an effortless action almost that ended with a loud pop, her eye bobbing out of its socket and more blood spraying the wrecked arena. Before she could even cry out in woe and anguish, Rogue rotated around and grabbed her golden and now discolored sunny locks and began to pull – the bitch screaming at the top of her large lungs as he began to scalp her alive. He couldn't help but roar in pleasure. Preparing his course was so much fun!

Suddenly, he was elbowed violently, causing his teeth to go through his tongue. In the next second, The Female Titan rotated again and kicked out his leg before propelling him into a nearby structure.

"Shit! She's going for the wall!"

"She's trying to escape!"

"Only engage if you must!"

Upon hearing the frantic sounds of human tongue, Rogue looked through the crumbling debris to see that his opponent had hardened her nails and was now struggling to haul herself up and over the wall into freedom. A rumbling threat left the depths of his throat. He would not allow that.

With another howl, the hunter raced from his resting spot right to his target. The titan launched himself yet again and wrapped his arms around her leg, feeling her body nearly give from his weight. Seeing that she was still trying to lift herself, Rogue decided to force her to surrender. Opening his jaws, he quickly sunk his razor sharp teeth into her calf, tapered ears twitching in likeness at her scream. Rogue let out a rumble in pleasure. The meat… it was so TENDER! SO GOOD!

Unfortunately, before he could even swallow the morsel for himself, The Female Titan planted her opposite foot onto his face and kicked – breaking his nose and forcing him back down to the unforgiving earth. However, he wasn't down for the count and his prey still had a long way to go. Using every bit of strength he had, Rogue leaped skyward and sank his front and back claws into her shoulders and legs. His enemy had no idea what was happening as Rogue smoothly jerked, pulling her off the wall like a tick to a dog's skin. The two behemoths then tumbled to the stained bricks, his skin puling into a sneer as he quickly pounced on his enemy again.

There was something different however.

The Female Titan was putting up no struggle whatsoever. She lay on her stomach and was still despite his weight over her. Her head was simply turned with a half dead gaze twisted to the side and staring at noting in particular. This bothered him. He wanted her to struggle! He wanted her to scream! Yet – he wanted to eat. He wanted to FEAST! Making his decision, Rogue raised a clenched fist.

The skinless titan then closed her eyes, sheading a light tear and frowning in the slightest. " **I'M… SORRY… I… FAILED…MY… MISSION."**

Her words fell death on Rogue's ears as he let loose a final haunting roar and brought his fist down to her head, the force decapitating it and sending pieces flying into the ruble. Blood fountained everywhere and his elbow split through his skin. For several seconds, it was silent and still. There was simply nothing but the sound of his breath and crackling embers.

Then, all at once, there was a chorus of cheers.

"She's dead now!"

"He's got her!"

"Rogue did it!"

However, he paid no attention to their celebration but to his own impending one. FINALLY! IT WAS TIME TO EAT! Rogue then roared in victory and plunged his face into her flesh and began his binge, sending a wave of shock and silence among his audience. The titan tore through her hide, swallowing the nape and pieces before diving into the depths of the slowly steaming carcass. His greedy jaws tore off chunks of muscle, swallowing them rapidly and painting his face in red.

"My god… is he?"

"He's eating her!"

"Holy hell!"

Rogue violently forced his way through the dead titan's spine and retrieved her stomach, tilting his head back to swallow it whole before going back in to retrieve the liver and meat. IT WAS SO **GOOD**! IT WAS **RAVISHING**! HER FLESH AND BLOOD WAS **PURE HEAVEN**!

"I'm going to be sick!"

"Oh god!"

The titan huffed madly; feeling so enthused as he continued to feed. He scooped a pool of blood in hand and tilted his head to let it freely flow into his mouth in a sinister display. Pressed for time and completely intoxicated in her taste, Rogue plunged his head into her again, savagely stripping meat from bone, swallowing everything from the marrow, muscle, to organs – wasting none of his kill.

"We'll have to snap him out of this!"

"Hurry!"

Rogue swallowed another chunk of meat to send it on a short journey to his gullet. The titan could feel his stomach rapidly expanding and filling out – a feeling that he had no memory of experiencing. It was so INCREDIBLE! Rogue then leaned back and poured more blood into his waiting maw, nose flaring at the smell of the sweet perfume. The smell of titan blood was so exhilarating!

Then there was another smell that made itself known. One that made him completely freeze and halt his consumption.

Curious, he sniffed and sniffed harder. Suddenly, visions of two little humans filled his head – scenes in a cove, moments playing ball, sleeping in a nest of leaves and hay, and training with them as they flew by his side. Rogue blinked his body cooling at the thoughts. Pictures came together and the titan went rigid in shock as everything flooded back to him. Cautious, he smelt again. No. It couldn't be could it? They were gone. Unless…

Rogue then turned his head to the source of the scent to see the two very humans standing just a few meters away – his little ones.

His precious babies.

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin's heart pounded in his chest. The two teens were still, breaths shaky and shallow as they gazed out at the carnage before them. What was left of The Female Titan lay steaming beneath Rogue's massive bulk. The vapor was strengthening, but the details of the gruesome display could still be seen. Blood was everywhere, pooling ubiquitously with lazy puffs of steam gently rising to the deep red sky. He swallowed fretfully. Rogue had certainly done quite a number on the skinless deviant. When he had begun to eat her, both Armin and Mikasa were purely terrified. Rogue had nearly eaten a quarter of The Female's body, practically consuming it to the point where there were two separate halves. The evidence certainly showed that Rogue had done the deed. Steaming blood was caked all over his face and body. The titan's abdomen had definitely changed. His belly was clearly distended and had taken to a more roundish shape – skin and abs stretched tightly over the mass in a way that could never be comfortable. However, the thing that was making the teens' hearts beat the fastest was the fact that Rogue was simply sitting still, looking down at the two with a difficult to read expression.

The blond swallowed, biting back the pain in his ankle as he continued to stare. _'Please! Please recognize us Rogue! PLEASE!'_ Armin thought frantically as he waited for any reaction from the titan.

Then, to the every watching eye, the flames burning from Rogue's pores died down into nothing but a gentle steam. The fire in his veins vanished and his skin began to tint several shades lighter. Rogue's nails then shortened and his teeth stubbornly went back to their more human appearance. The towering creature blinked, hot blues reverting back to vibrant greens. Armin held his breath as the normality returned to Rogue's appearance. It was the moment of truth.

Then, the titan's eyelids sank and his mouth drifted into a feeble grin. Armin let a smile come to his face as Rogue lazily lifted a gentle hand toward the two teens.

" **AARRNNiinn. NNIIEeeeKaaSSsa…**

In an instant, the titan's arm fell to his side and his kind emeralds rolled back into his head. Much to their horror, Rogue then collapsed.

"ROGUE!"

**(POV SWAP)**

His forefinger and thumb came up to instinctively pinch his nose. The stench was horrible – like that of a public latrine. Still, Levi kept his famous scowl plastered on his face as the man before guided him throughout the long and dark corridor. If he wanted to make his displeasure apparent, he would have groaned. He hated having to stay in Sina for an extended period of time. Since the great battle in Stohess, the lower half of the city had been closed off while the rest remained open. The decision only made the place more crowded – the idea of being around so many people was one that Levi despised in general. The dungeons of Stohess were also if not more irritating than the citizens of Stohess. Some of the worst criminals stayed in each and every stone and iron hollow. The people were absolutely sordid and filthy. In fact more than half of the stalls smelled like shit and piss. He wanted this visitation to be as short as possible.

The guard and the Corporal finally stopped at a slightly cleaner cell at the end of the long corridor.

"Ten minutes." The officer informed with a face that looked bored. Levi simply nodded and walked up to the iron barrier.

Inside the cell were a single cot, a small table, and a pot for waste. On the bed sat a more worn Commander Erwin Smith. The man looked horrible to Levi's cleanliness standards but slightly less than normal to most. The man's hair was messily strewn on his head and he had ignored a patch of stubble on his chin. Erwin's eyes were dark, hinting that the man hadn't slept much since his arrest. Hearing his approach, Erwin looked up from where he sat on the thin mattress and slowly made his way over to the iron bars – his steps showing his exhaustion.

"You're a sight for sore eyes." Levi began with the Commander simply brushing the crude comment aside.

"I've looked better." Erwin replied, the short male noticing that the taller man was fighting a yawn.

"So, what's the status of your containment? What does Zackley plan for you?" Levi cut straight to business, watching as Erwin sighed.

"I have temporary suspension. Two months I am to remain here, but I will be closely monitored afterwards. I'm lucky I wasn't demoted or released. You are in charge until I get back." Erwin paused, eyes adverting away before turning back to Levi's grey pools. "So how bad was Stohess? They wouldn't give me the full details. They said you would know more."

"Well, there were almost two hundred casualties and dozens injured. About twelve of our own were killed. The big brat managed to kill her though." Levi paused, thinking back to the paralyzing event. "Rogue surprised us yet again." He stalled, not realizing that the anxiety on his face was obvious.

"What's bothering you?" Erwin asked suddenly with the Corporal quickly acknowledging him.

"Well, other than he destroyed half of the city while doing so, we believe that Rogue's emotional state at the time triggered one hell of an ability of his."

The Commander's brows rose. "Like a hardening ability?"

"Not hardening." Levi corrected. "Rogue can literally light his ass on fire. His teeth and nails become long and sharp as well. The bastard tortured The Female Titan before he eventually cannibalized her. Rogue was so strong that he could crack her diamond hard skin with a single bite."

"I bet that was quite a sight."

Levi dipped his head. "However, when he's like that Erwin, Rogue is pretty much feral. We couldn't give any commands and the only way he could snap out of it was when we took the huge risk and placed Ackerman and Arlert in front of him. This 'form of his' is also exhausting. Last thing I heard from Hange was that he's still out cold – and it's been four days since."

Erwin bowed his head, hand gripping the grimy bar. "I see."

"Another thing, just before Rogue killed the bitch – everyone witnessed her speak."

The blonde male perked up at Levi's words. "So Rogue was right. She could talk. What did she say?"

He paused, exhaling heavily at the strain the words had on his mind. "What she said is what I find to be the most troubling. The bitch said that she 'failed her mission.' Sir, what do make of that?"

The man was a silent, brow drawing together in worry and his mouth fixed into a serious frown. Erwin then rubbed his stubble, sighing deeply before looking back at the shorter male. "Levi," he whispered, the guard too hung up in swatting away a fly to hear him. "This is my best guess, but even so it leaves a reason for us to be on high alert. I think The Female Titan worked for what could very well be a clan of intelligent titans. The fact that she mentioned a mission supports that. Or perhaps it's a self-appointed one, but that's unlikely. The Armored and Colossal Titans are no less the same as her. Who's to say that they were working together for whatever reason? Also, in light of the attack in the garden, we'll have to watch out for a different kind of enemy as well."

Levi remained still. Erwin had a point. A serious point.

"Another thing." Erwin continued with no hint of whimsy. "In light of this new theory of the titans, it makes me wonder just what kind of role Rogue himself played before losing his memory."

**(POV SWAP)**

A soft and gentle touch of warmth fell upon his skin. It tickled his nose, causing it to characteristically twitch. Inhaling, the scents of fresh hay and barn wood made themselves known. Tapered ears convulsed at the sounds of songbirds and voices. Ever so slowly, shadow rimmed eyes crept open to see the interior of the man made nest. The skylight in the ceiling was open further, revealing more of the glass roof and the blue sky above it. The aura was peaceful, reminding him of the mornings he used to share in the cove with his little ones. With not a cloud above, it appeared to be a pleasant day.

The titan let out a deep sigh and lifted his head, blinking the crust from his eyes. Why did it feel as if he had slept forever?

"Well! What do you know! Somebody's finally up!"

Recognizing the voice as Hange, Rogue then began to gradually sit. However, something felt off – heavier. He felt full – a feeling that he never experienced. Concerned, Rogue looked down to see the source of his discomfort. Opposed to being flat and rippling with firm muscle, his belly was very swollen and had taken a fairly circular shape. Lying as he was, he could feel the weight of it pressing against his pelvis and a gentle heat radiating from it. Inquisitive, the titan lifted a hand and ran it across his abdomen. His muscles and skin was unfavorably tight. Confused, the titan tilted his head, poking his flesh. How did he put on weight?

"Yup! If you remember Rogue, you made quite a meal out of The Female Titan!" Hange merrily skipped over to him. "Ah! And you unknowingly gave me a way to get an in depth look at our enemy!" The woman continued as she gave a friendly pat to his bulging torso, making Rogue's cheeks flush a soft shade of red.

"That's sick Shitty Glasses."

The titan looked from the scientist to see the short and grumpy Corporal entering the barn. The man was simply dressed in a more leisurely set of attire, which was just a plain black shirt and pants with the addition of his cast and crutches. Hange immediately shook her head at his brash comment, looking just as cheerful as ever.

"Oh Levi! It's a great thing! Scientific not sick! Since everything in a titan pellet is preserved, as soon as Rogue vomits his stomach contents I'm going to get a sample from The Female Titan's DNA! Genius huh?"

"Disgusting." Levi scowled, before letting his facial muscles loosen as he turned to the titan. "I see you're still rounded out quite a bit."

At his superior's comment, Rogue bashfully positioned his arms over his stomach with his gaze fixed to his feet. Did they have to rub it in?

Hange laughed at the titan's display. "Oh don't worry Rogue! It should be gone in a few hours or so! I think your disposing process slowed a bit due to the fact that you were asleep and because of the sheer amount you consumed." She smiled tenderly. "You ate a quarter of The Female Titan before you passed out. That includes even her bones and organs!"

"Hange, you're making me sick."

At her explanation, Rogue found himself dumbfounded. His memory of that time was so foggy. He could only remember the heat, the taste of blood, and his little –

Rogue's head snapped up as he realized. His babies! Where were they! The last he remembered of them was their broken looking bodies liking askew across a blood-splattered street. A lump formed in his throat. Were they really – if they were then why was Hange happy and Levi in a fairly decent mood? The titan quickly turned to them, eyes wide and pleading. " **AAANNGGEE EEVVVIII! EERRREE AAAIIBBIIEESS?"**

The messy haired woman cackled. "As much as I want to pull a pun here," She joshed as she gestured to his abdomen. "I'm not going to because I don't want to stress you out. Armin and Mikasa should be here any minute. They are just finishing breakfast."

He nodded. " **DDEEEYY OOKKAAEEE DDOOGGHH?"**

Hange beamed tenderly, massaging his thigh. "They're alive and well, Rogue. They just have some minor injuries but nothing too serious. The most was a twisted ankle, which will heal in time. So just you relax until they get here. With your belly as stretched and bloated as it is, I don't want to put too much strain on you. But do let me know when you start to feel sick! I want to help you out and take those samples!"

Rogue groaned softly at her remark. He could only imagine the amount of jokes Hange was to make when his process of passing a pellet began. Nonetheless, he nodded in understanding and thanked her with a soft grunt.

"Rogue!"

Tapered ears fluttered at the two voices that he was the most familiar with. The titan looked to see that his little ones had entered the barn and were making a quick jog, in Armin's case walking, to him. Relieved to see them in once piece, Rogue trilled loudly as positioned himself on his knees – stomach shifting uncomfortably as he moved each muscle. The titan then bent over, but quickly found that he couldn't perform the task as well as he expected to, having to completely resituate himself where he was lying on his side so he could greet his little ones with his face as he traditionally did. Rogue purred as he nuzzled into them, ears wiggling as he felt their small arms embrace his deformed face.

" **AAAPPPYYY OOUUU SSAAFFE."** The titan worded as his finger wrapped around their backs in affection. Thank goodness The Female Titan hadn't taken them to their graves like she had with so many before them.

"Yes Rogue, Armin and I are alright but you gave us quite a scare." Mikasa smiled as she tenderly patted his nose.

At her comment, the titan tilted his head in a perplexed manner yet again. " **OOWW EEIII SSCCARRREIII?"**

For a moment it was quiet as the four humans looked from one to the other. Finally it was his Armin that broke the silence.

**"** Well Rogue, we think you kind of found your special ability."

The creature lifted his head at this. Was it really true? " **OOOHH! EEEIII GGOOTT HAARRDD!"** Rogue guessed, noticing Hange's clear smirk and the roll of Levi's eyes.

"No, it wasn't anything like that, Rogue! However it was fucking awesome!" Hange bounced. "In simple terms, you become very animalistic and you can light your body on fire! Your nails and teeth become sharp too!"

Rogue's green hues widened at this. He could do that?

"Your strength and regeneration abilities increase in your what I'm going to call your 'Berserk Mode' by at least three times the amount you normally display! It's incredible!"

"Of course, he doesn't have much control over it." Levi commented, making the titan's awkward grin fall in the slightest.

"True, which probably explains why you don't remember much during that time Rogue." The messy haired scientist quickly added. "Of course, like with most things, I'm sure that Old Levi here can train you to master it!" Hange chuckled, receiving another eye roll from the Corporal.

"Yeah sometime after he masters other things." Levi ensured as he reached up to adjust his cravat. "You mastered the high kick from what I saw during Stohess – shaved the bitch's face right off. Doing that opens doors to other more complex moves that you need to know. Soon after you thin out, we'll be having some more one on one training sessions as well as those with my new squad."

Rogue nodded, mind swimming in curiosity. " **NNEEWWW SSQQUUADDD?"**

The stout Corporal dipped his head, naturally trying to fold his arms despite standing on crutches. "Yes, in light of our recent loss, I have to appoint new members to my elite squad. It will consist of you, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Connie, Sasha, and Krista."

The titan lit up at the news. He was finally in the same small pack with his little ones!

"Now just because you are all together doesn't mean you can goof off with them as you usually do. That means no hunting pigs with Sasha, spitting on Jean, drawing dicks with Connie, letting Krista braid your hair, or loving all over your little ones. Got it?"

Much too happy at the idea that he finally got what he wanted, Rogue chirruped loudly and hurriedly pressed his face into Levi who nearly fell backward at the force of the sudden impact.

"Lick me Rogue and you're dead." The short male growled. If he was in the condition to make a quick getaway, he could have gone against the man's wishes just for the fun of it.

"Corporal Levi?"

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, the barn's occupants looked toward the door to see a Garrison soldier standing with a clipboard in hand. The man had a cheerful smile on his face, short brown hair, and blue eyes that glanced from Levi to the titan in a look that Rogue could only determine as gratitude. The Garrison saluted to the shorter male as he made his approach before holding out his board and a writing stick.

"Yes?"

"I just need you to sign this receipt saying that the Survey Corps paid for the damages to Stohess in full."

Levi sighed before approaching the man and receiving the clipboard. As the Corporal read through the written words, the soldier still kept his gaze and grinning face on the titan.

"So this is The Rogue Titan huh? The very one that raised two kids in Wall Maria as well as just saved the people of Stohess?" He asked in a jovial tone, still grinning at the creature.

"Yup." Levi answered as he signed the document. "That's Big Ears himself." He informed, his attention suddenly adverting adjacent to the barn's entrance. "Whose the little br – girl?" The Corporal questioned, narrowly avoiding using the word 'brat'.

"OH! So you brought her!" Hange whooped as she skipped over to the two men, making Levi raise a questionable brow.

"Hange?"

"Sorry Levi! I made a promise some time ago to a special someone that they could see their hero! Come here Ellie!" The woman beckoned, taking a knee and waving her hand out in a coaxing gesture. Rogue's eyes instantly widened as the little girl he had seen in Katness stepped out to view. She was just as he remembered her: pink dress, pigtails, and his doll replica tightly held in her arms. "I arranged for her father here to deliver the receipt just so she could see him!"

"Yeah, I've been talking about it with your Section Commander here for a while now." The girl's father admitted bashfully.

For a moment, Levi's face was difficult to read before he nodded. "Well, go ahead." He concluded as he stepped aside. "Hange here can introduce the two of them since this matter is under her jurisdiction."

"Yes!" Hange jumped before she gently and motherly took the girl's hand. "Come on dear! Let me introduce you to my favorite colleague!" You already know Armin and Mikasa here but this big guy needs a formal introduction!" She continued as she brought the little girl just meters before him. To the titan, she looked so delicate and small; she was the littlest human he had ever seen. Surprisingly though, even in the presence of his massive bulk, Ellie showed no fear but rather great wonder. "Ellie, this is Rogue Jaeger. Rogue this is Ellie. She's your number one fan." Hange giggled as she urged the child forward with a gentle hand. "Rogue, why don't you say hello?"

The titan presented a lopsided grin, a warm, odd looking, but friendly one. " **EEELLOOO EEELLLEEEEII."**

At the sound of his greeting, the little girl's face lit up like stars against the night sky. "He can talk! He can talk daddy!"

"Wow, so the papers were right then." The soldier subconsciously scratched his head.

"Yup!" Hange encouraged. "Why don't you go touch his nose Ellie? He loves to be petted there!"

Upon hearing the messy haired woman's request, Rogue lowered his head and snout to the hay covered floor and waited with kind green emeralds.

For a moment, Ellie seemed hesitant before slowly making her approach. Gradually, the tiny child held up her hand, holding back for a moment as she pressed her miniscule appendage onto the tip of his nose. A broad smile instantly spread across her face.

"Wow! It's so warm! His skin feels like leather!"

Finding amusement in her reaction, Rogue gently pressed the bridge of his nose into her small body and began his signature purr, ears wiggling profoundly. Ellie giggled.

"He purrs like a cat daddy! His ears wiggle too! He likes me!"

"I see sweetheart." The Garrison continued, obviously spellbound. "I never imagined that a titan could do such a thing."

"With Rogue, everything is a surprise." Levi agreed, amazingly warming up to the added company.

Deciding to take his display one step further, Rogue parted his lips and gently licked the girl on the brow with the tip of his tongue, making Ellie squeal.

"He licks like a doggie too daddy! He's so cool!"

"Well, what do you know?"

Ellie continued to giggle as she stroked his nose. Suddenly, the child's eyes veered away from Rogue's green pools to his rounded and pooched torso, the small girl's face instantly igniting in confusion. She then lifted a finger and pointed to the temporary abnormality. "Did he eat a lot or is that - a baby?"

At her innocent words, Rogue unknowingly let out a squeak in shock – his face instantly turning as red as a beet. Of all things the child had to guess… it was clear to him that she really was too young to understand how the 'mating process' worked. Though he was suffering from a great amount of embarrassment, Hange burst out laughing along with his little ones.

"Oh boy! Well –

"Rogue here flattened half of a city chasing a girl before taking her out to dinner." Levi interrupted bluntly. "He ate well."

The titan stared at Levi and his unexpected response. As much as he wanted to laugh, he found it risky that the man would say the truth so brusquely to a young child. Hopefully, she wouldn't understand that man's pun. Much to his surprise, the girl beamed more than ever.

"Cool!"

* * *

Rogue stretched his arms high over his head, feeling the tranquility of being light again. A few rather unpleasant hours had passed since he had woken up. No sooner after Ellie and her father had left he began to grow queasy. Not long after his first onset of feeling nausea did he find himself in the forest experiencing the worst case of vomiting that he had ever gone through and what was the most embarrassing by far with the addition of his little ones being present and Hange practically celebrating at the several masses that he produced. Now with Levi doing paperwork and Hange extracting DNA and doing tests on his stomach contents, Rogue was free to do what he pleased.

The titan then lowered himself to rest upon the field littered with daisies before positioning himself to lie upon his back. Rogue took a moment to stretch his legs and bend his toes before scratching is now muscular torso. Finally, he completed his routine by folding his arms behind his head as he fell into deep relaxation. He had wanted to partake in the simple pleasure of basking in the rays of the sun for quite some time. Not only that, but he had been stuck inside for days and felt the need to catch up on some guilt free nourishment.

Rogue found himself fully immersed into nature with each passing minute of chirping birds and frolicking insects. The titan shut his eyes and considered the option of sleep, something he didn't necessarily need but felt like doing anyway. Making his decision, Rogue yawned and let his body slowly sink into a waiting state of repose.

"Do you mind if we join you Rogue?"

Hearing the common question of invitation, Rogue snapped from his trance to find both Armin and Mikasa standing next to his head. Purring, the titan then carefully lifted their two small bodies to his chest before cradling his skull yet again. The three smiled at each other softly, the titan watching his babies settle on their bellies and face him with tired looking expressions themselves.

"Today is the perfect day to relax out here isn't it?" Armin began with Mikasa and the titan nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, the last few months have been tiring for all of us. So much has happened since we graduated and found Rogue again." Mikasa replied as she rested her head on his flesh. "Who knows? Maybe we will soon be doing this by the ocean."

He nodded. " **ESSS. HOOPPPE EEE CCAANN SOONN."**

**"** Yeah Rogue, who knows? Maybe in another year we will win the war against the titans and see the ocean and go explore the rest of the world. Like all those places in the book Mikasa and I used to read to you." Armin grinned at him, the titan nodding eagerly and taking note of his little ones slowly settling.

" **LIIIKKEE DEE IITTE NNOOUNNTIIANNS? DEEE SSAANND FFIIEELLDDS? DEEE RRRAAIINNEEE OORRREESSTSS?"**

"Yup, all those places and more." His little one yawned, shutting his eyes as he snuggled into the creature's warm skin.

Rogue smiled softly as he watched his babies slowly drift into repose. Lovingly, the titan wrapped a hand around their delicate bodies to shelter them from the breeze before relaxing once again. Shadowed lids then sheltered green hues as Rogue let himself fall into his trance yet again. Hopefully he could fulfill his little ones' and his family's wishes soon. He couldn't wait to explore and experience the world with them.

**END OF PART ONE**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note! PLEASE READ! SHORT MESSAGE AND NEWS ABOUT THE BONUS CHAPTERS AND PART 2!
> 
> HEY GUYS! I hope you all enjoyed part one of my fic! I'm going to take this time now to go over some things that I feel are important.
> 
> First, to get this out of the way before I continue, I've been debating for a year now if I should share this or not - but since some of you keep asking and a small number of you have figured it out I guess I'll share.
> 
> My name is Miranda Leek. I am actually an author/illustrator to a published work of mine titled 'Twisted' that you take a look at if you're interested. You can find out more on my DA account or on my tumblr. (my DA account is the same name) It's available online on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Hastings.
> 
> I have thoroughly enjoyed writing 'Rogue!' It's my first fanfic and I never thought I'd have as much fun writing one! I love it! I love connecting with all of you writers (and SNK fans)! Your support motivates me to write!
> 
> NOW! Since that's off my chest lets move on to the future of this fic!
> 
> Next up is the BONUS CHAPTERS! Whoo! They will consist of various moments and happenings in Rogue. There will be about four or five of them (maybe six or seven depending on the length) and they will be a little shorter than our standard chapters here. After that we will move on with the main storyline in part 2! As far as the bonus chapters go, they will be updated whenever I can. (Life is getting busy. Gotta pay loans!) The first will be when Rogue meets the Jaegers!
> 
> As for part 2, I am so excited to write it! We get to learn Rogue's past! I plan to have like three chapters that are nothing but a big flashback! YEAH!
> 
> ANYWAYS, STAY TUNED!


	17. Bonus #1 Adoption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Chapter: The Jaegers and their first encounters with Rogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: BEFORE YOU READ, PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO GO VOTE FOR THIS FIC ON INKITT! THERE IS A WEEK LEFT BEFORE THE POLLS CLOSE! To vote just go on Inkitt's website, writing contests, fandom 2, and scroll until you find Rogue. Just click on the heart! (You'll need an account or you can sign in with twitter and FB, you can vote using each of those accounts.) THANKS!
> 
> Now! Here is the first bonus chapter of Rogue! And it came just in time for Christmas! It's about the Jaeger's first encounters with our lovely titan. It takes place just after Carla meets Rogue for the first time (you can read that part in Chapter 3)
> 
> Just kind of skimmed over this, so if there are any errors please PM me.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Bonus Chapter #1**

**Adoption**

**Year 835**

Night had fallen over the landscape, coating it in a dark veil. The sky was partially cloudy above, making the mood a bit melancholy. Wooden wagon wheels reverberated through the trees along with the clatter of steady hooves. Her heart thundered in her ears as she gritted her teeth. Her mind was in a panic.

"Mrs. Jaeger? Are you sure you're doing okay?"

Hearing the concerned query, Carla snapped her head up to see the coachmen looking over his shoulder through the small window of the carriage. She forced a trifling and feeble smile, worry clearly displayed on the man's face – one that was chubby and could be considered jolly in appearance.

"Like I said." The woman breathed. "My husband is a doctor and he can take care of me. You just keep moving forward to Shiganshina. I'll tell you where to go when we get to town." Carla informed as she started to stabilize her injured ankle.

The coachman dithered in the slightest. "Oh, alright. You sure you don't want me to pull over and help with your injury?"

"I'm good." She quickly replied, trembling hands ripping off a strip of her ruffled dress. Like she had been instructed, Carla then began to wrap her ankle, making sure the knot was tight. Like Grisha had told her, it would serve as a temporary splint quite well.

"Er – alright. Just shout if you need anything Mrs. Jaeger."

Carla dipped her head in thanks as the man returned to steering the carriage. She was incredibly lucky that he had passed by her.

"So, you were chased by wolves?"

Hearing the coachman's sudden question, Carla looked away from her tending to see the chubby man awaiting an answer. "Yes. I was gathering some herbs and I guess I wandered into their den." She spoke, body trembling as her mind replayed the event.

The man nodded, absorbing every word she had said. "Well if that's the case, then you're pretty damn lucky to have survived. You must have an angel or something watching over you Mrs. Jaeger."

The woman only replied with a short nod. Her rescuer was certainly no angel. Carla bit her tongue, fretfully wiping a cut on her arm. _'Should I tell him what happened? Then again – something was different about it.'_ Conflicted, she turned her head to the window, watching the passing trees in hopes that nothing was following them. She was more confused than she had been in her whole life. She never expected she would get the news that she was infertile, come across a pack of wolves on a trek to clear her mind, and certainly never even fathomed that she would come face to face with one of the very monsters that the walls surrounding human civilization supposedly protected them from – horrible creatures that fed off the flesh of man.

Silently, Carla continued to ponder. _'It didn't act like I was told they would. It didn't eat me and made no attempt to do so. The looks of it – it was much different from what the books and the soldiers say. How? How did it get past the walls? If a breech were the cause then we would already know. Where could it have come from?'_

A slight bump in the road caused Carla to jump, grip her ankle, and steer her mind in a new direction. _'I won't tell him. I'll just make him panic. I'll tell Grisha first and see what his opinion is.'_

The carriage continued to roll down the dirt road, Carla keeping to herself and not exchanging a single word to the coachmen, too lost in thought as she neared civilization. Her amber eyes watched warily out the window, observing travelers coming home from work in the fields. Every soul carried on as usual, completely unaware what lay in the depths of Wall Maria. Perplexed, her fingers threaded through her raven hair, scratching her scalp and feeling the crusty cut and its severity. However, she was too occupied with what she had discovered rather than pain. _'Does anyone else know about it? Did anyone even hear its roar? I know that I wasn't imagining things, otherwise I wouldn't be here right now.'_ Carla thought as they passed beneath the gate to her hometown of Shiganshina.

For several minutes, Carla watched as others returned home. Finally, she registered where she was and knocked on the small window. Upon hearing her signal, the coachmen slowed the horses until they moved in a lazy crawl. The ebullient looking man then opened the window, wrinkles around his eyes creased in worry.

"Are you alright?" He asked. "Do I need to take you to the hospital?"

Carla forced another soft smile. "No. My house is just up ahead. It's right on the corner over there." She pointed. "It's the one with the round window on the door."

For the umpteenth time since the two had started their journey, the man seemed hesitant until he finally signaled his confirmation with a nod. The carriage then began to move again at a brisk pace. Carla sat back in her seat, trying to get comfortable for the remainder of the ride. Her ankle hurt terribly and she could use the medicine and herbal tea to dull the discomfort.

Suddenly the carriage stopped, wood creaking as the plump man dismounted from his perch. Bracing herself, Carla lifted from the leather seat and grabbed her makeshift cane – a branch that she had taken from the forest to stabilize her weight and keep her from walking on her injured ankle. The door to the carriage flew open and the man gently helped her leave the confines with a feeble smile.

"Can you get to the door?" He asked. As usual, Carla smiled through her misfortune.

"I'm good. Thank you so much for helping me. What do I owe you?"

The man's eyes widened, immediately holding up a stern hand. "Oh no Mrs. Jaeger! No pay is needed!"

She only responded with a thankful nod and hobbled up to the door. "Thanks again."

"No problem! I hope you make a quick recovery!" The man concluded with a tip of his hat. Carla then watched as he mounted his carriage and began down the road illuminated by the light posts until he disappeared into the structures. Alone again, she released a pained sigh and gripped the doorknob, only to find that it was locked. Biting her lip, Carla then retrieved the spare key hidden beneath a small pot on the steps. It was clear that Grisha wasn't home yet and likely still at work. She had expected much; he had a busy schedule for the day. Both the Arlerts and Ackermans were expecting children, the tailor had a bad cough, and a farmer's wife had a checkup. Since he had cured a plague that invaded Shiganshina like a swarm of cockroaches, Dr. Grisha Jaeger was one of the most popular doctors around.

Turning the key, Carla then stumbled into her residence. Routinely, she then lit a match and ignited the large lantern that illuminated the small abode. It was a cozy dwelling with about five rooms. Before her was the living area that only possessed a sturdy wooden table and a tiny kitchen with a window to look out at the street. It was a rather tidy space, walls made of lacquer and various knickknacks, cooking utensils, and tools on dust free shelves. To her left was the couple's bedroom and to the right of the house was the bathroom and a spare bedroom. For a moment, Carla felt her depression clawing at her again; the extra room seemed like a grim reminder that she was unable to have a child of her own. Her dream was to become a mother, but that had shattered with the day's news and the repeated failures. Feeling the pain in her ankle, Carla then abandoned her thoughts of misfortune and hobbled to the sink.

Gritting her teeth, the woman reached for a rag and wet the cloth. She wanted to at least wipe the dried blood from her skin so to not send her husband into a state of panic. However, just as she pressed the cool towel to her flesh, the door to the Jaeger residence opened and Grisha tiredly walked in. Carla froze, simply staring at his features that consisted of a slightly thin face cad in bristly whiskers, eyes framed by round glasses, and straight brown hair that fell slightly past his shoulders.

"I'm home, Dear. Sorry I'm so late, the wife of Mr. –

However, the man cut himself off as his eyes fell onto her beaten body. In an instant, Grisha dropped his hat and briefcase to the hard floor and quickly motioned for her. "Carla!" The doctor exclaimed as he hastily took her hand and guided her to the old couch in the room. "My god! What happened? Your ankle, it's twisted and you've got cuts everywhere." Grisha spoke quickly as he scrambled to retrieve his supplies and the cool rag. "Tell me what happened."

Carla nibbled the inside of her cheek, wincing a bit as Grisha tenderly lifted her leg and began to undo her makeshift splint. "It was wolves. I think I wandered into their territory." She swallowed, not knowing how her husband was going to take the news.

The man halted his work and gifted her with a wide-eyed stare, his breath hitched in his chest. "Wolves? Was it just one or - "

"A pack. I wasn't bitten though. My injuries are from falling down a sharp hill." She informed, voice steadily growing shakier, eyes witnessing as Grisha became more animated – something that was out of character for him. Normally, he was mild-mannered and polite. Not often had she seen him panicked.

"A whole pack! Carla! How the hell did you survive? Someone helped you?"

She was silent, hands nervously balling up into tight and sweaty fists. "No… it wasn't someone." She stuttered beneath her breath. "It was more like… _something."_

For a moment it was quiet in the room. Grisha fretfully adjusted his glasses and stalled in his unwrapping of her ankle. "What do you mean, Carla? Was it a bear?"

Her heart pounded, a lump forming in her chest. "No – it was a lot bigger than a bear, Grisha." She gulped, mentally preparing herself for the delivery of her next few lines. "A LOT bigger."

The doctor sat back, both wonder and confusion painted across his face. "Carla – what on earth could be –

"Listen!" She beseeched. "It's going to sound ludicrous, but it's the absolute truth. I wouldn't be here if it hadn't come along!"

"What do you mean by _it?"_ Grisha necessitated.

Carla exhaled heavily, trying to calm her active nerves – a slight sweat forming on her forehead. "Grisha, I have no idea how, but it… was a – fifteen-meter titan!"

At her words, the doctor dropped his tools and the small cottage grew eerily silent, all that could be heard was the leaky sink. A few incredibly tense seconds crawled by before Grisha found his mouth operable.

"A titan! Inside the walls?" He queried in sheer alarm.

"Yes, but hear me out! This titan – this titan was different in every way from what we know. It… it looked and acted completely different." Carla speculated.

Grisha then sat on the floor next to the couch. The man was all but quiet, arms folded over and resting on the edge of the cushion. His brown eyes were sincere, but the muscles in his face were tense. She watched as he briefly adjusted his lenses – a nervous habit that Carla often caught him doing when he was stressed. Unexpectedly, a soft smile pulled at the corner of his lips, his hand lying on top of hers. "Please," He began, tone earnest and understanding. "Tell me everything, Carla."

Amber eyes widened in shock. "You – believe me?"

He nodded. "You survived. I don't think that even a bear could handle a pack of wolves, much less so an unarmed person or even a single hunter without a horse. Tell me about this titan, Carla. Did it – try to hurt you?"

Her brows drew together and her hand curled around to interlace her fingers within his. Subconsciously, Carla looked out the window to check for any passerby's, relieved to find only a stray cat rummaging through a garbage pail and a bat swooping for insects. She then sighed, nervously gripping his palm. "I'll begin from when the titan first appeared. The wolves were getting ready to finish me off when I heard a roar." Carla paused, pulling at her hair again. "It was so loud that it nearly ruptured my eardrums and so angry and unworldly that it make my blood run cold. It was like – a bellow that could have come from some sort of god of death. Upon hearing it, the wolves completely panicked like the forest was burning all around them. That's when it appeared."

Grisha dipped his head, absorbing every word as he rubbed her arm before excusing himself to return to her ankle, retrieving a proper splint. "What did it look like? What did it do to you next?"

She bit her lip. "Grisha, like I said it was completely different from what the Scouts tell you when they visit school. I – couldn't run away and it picked me up –

"It picked you up?" He asked in alarm, his hands suddenly abandoning their task and traveling to her ribs. "Does it feel like anything is broken?"

"The only thing that's bad is my ankle."

"You're right." The doctor examined as he delicately pulled away her ripped chemise. "Your ankle is the worst injury you have, but a few of your ribs are definitely bruised and a few muscles around them are strained." Grisha paused, adjusting his glasses again as his fingers searched among her torso before covering her skin and moving back to her ankle. "That's definitely from compression. So as you were saying?"

"I got a fairly close up look at its face, even in the dark I could make out a few of the biggest features that it had when it held me. Grisha, its body was perfectly proportioned."

The man sat up at this. "Perfectly proportioned? I've only ever heard of titans having deformed bodies. Are you sure it wasn't the slightest bit misshapen?"

Carla nodded desperately. "Yes I'm positive! It was perfect, in fact more than perfect. Instead of being fat, frail, or somewhere in-between – this titan's body was rippling with muscles. There was no ounce of fat on it anywhere and its nails were pointed almost like claws as well."

Grisha looked up from his current process of wrapping her delicate limb. "Claws?"

"Yeah, but its body and nails weren't the most astounding things about it. Grisha – this titan had no lips and its ears were pointed like an elf's."

The man raised a brow in suspicion. "Pointed ears? That's bizarre. I've never heard the Scouts say anything about such a feature."

"Me neither. Not only were they pointed but they moved around like a cat's would."

The doctor reached for his stubble. "They moved as well?"

The woman confirmed his words once again, amber eyes watching as Grisha began to tend to her cuts, examining a rather deep laceration upon her arm before preparing a needle and surgical thread. "Yes. The titan's face was horrifying, like a ghoul or goblin, but its eyes were different. They were actually – beautiful."

For the umpteenth time, Dr. Jaeger paused in his work – looking up at her in confusion. "Beautiful?" He queried, tone unsure.

Carla let her gaze drift to the window, watching the cat fish for scraps with a tiresome stare. "Yeah. They were green as emeralds and glowed like firelight. Instead of foggy, they were as crystal clear as spring water."

"I see." Grisha alliterated just above the tone of a pin drop. "So what did the titan do after it picked you up? Did it try to eat you or anything?"

"That's just it, Dear." Carla returned, rotating her head to look past his lenses yet again. "It never made an attempt to eat me whatsoever. When the titan picked me up, it – examined me."

Grisha's eyes ignited in disbelief. "It scrutinized you?"

"Yes. The first thing it did was smell me, but it was gentle like a dog meeting a new person." Carla described, with the doctor's brows rising in intrigue. "It then started looking and feeling at my dress and hair. The titan even touched my ankle and halted its prodding when I cried." Carla paused, suddenly realizing an incredible fact that she had never heard of. The dark haired woman sat up in disbelief. _'Impossible! Yet, when I looked into its eyes – it was present.'_ Grisha too, looked up in surprise as he came to the same conclusion.

"Carla, it sounds like the titan you came across has some level of intelligence – something that's all but nonexistent in titan biology reports. It examined you and stopped when you showed that you were in pain. Those could be considered human like traits." Grisha stalled, again rubbing his bristly chin before looking to her with a serious expression. "How did you get away from it?" The doctor questioned as he lowered the needle to her gash.

She winced and gripped the plush cautioning of the couch as Grisha forced the needle into her flesh. Blood began to leak again as the doctor made the stitch, piloting the barb with skill as if he was sewing cloth. After wiping away the leaking red, her husband's eyes flashed up briefly from the frames of his glasses before returning to his job as a silent bid for her to continue. "I – just hit it and yelled at it." Carla prevaricated, ambers looking at her ruined dress, a flash of guilt gliding across them. "I don't know if it understood me or not, but I said some nasty things in a rotten and vulgar tone. It sat me down soon after that. The titan hesitated in the slightest, like it was trying to make up its mind before it went back to which it came – it almost looked disappointed and maybe a little spooked." She concluded after a brief moment of thinking. The more she spoke of the encounter, the more ridiculous it probably sounded to her incredibly intelligent lover. Cara heaved a heavy breath, a palm going to her brow and gaze traveling up to the ceiling. "I don't know if you really believe me or not. You might be thinking that I just had a nasty fall, hit my head, and suffered a hallucination." She chuckled lightheartedly. To her surprise however, Grisha looked up from his work and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Carla, I believe you a hundred percent. The bruises on your ribs are the result of strangulation. Like I said, I don't know of any creature that's strong enough to do that to you – not even a man. I don't know of anything other than a towering titan that could possibly scare away an entire pack of wolves." Grisha ensured strongly as he cut the stitch and began to expertly fix it into a knot, making the flesh whole and tight again. Then Dr. Jaeger lifted his head, the dim light reflecting a slight glare onto his glasses before he gave her another look of sincerity. "Tomorrow, let's rent a couple of horses and go find that basket you took the time to weave – and look for the titan."

At his suggestion, Carla sat up fully. Did she hear him right? He wanted to look for the creature? "Grisha? What –

"Carla, this is the one time in human history that I've ever heard of a titan that didn't kill a human when it had every chance to do so. Let alone one that showed signs of intelligence. If the titan is as real as it appears to be – I want to find out more about it."

She remained spellbound at his reasoning. Grisha was a determined individual. His suggestion was risky. But what were the odds of finding the titan again? Wall Maria was the largest area within the walls, providing the titan with great cover. It could very well kill them. Yet again, the mystery as to why it didn't make her its meal was clawing away at her curiosity. Deep within, the real reason why she was gravitating towards Grisha's suggestion was the brief look, the ever so brief look of dejection that had crossed its ugly face. Some rooted instinct, probably one of being human, completely convinced her to accept the invitation.

* * *

Dappled light shone down through the leafy ceiling. It was early morning in the rural lands inside Wall Maria. The forest was bright now with the early light of day and barely any dew was left over on the blades of grass. Birds sang above and squirrels rushed to stow away their nuts. It was much more lighthearted from the night before. Carla remained vigilant as she gripped the reins of her white mare, amber irises straying every few seconds from the path above to keep watch for both the wolves and her unexpected savior. Her heart seemed to be high in her chest. She was so uncertain. What if they really did come across the titan again? What if it attacked them?

Carla discreetly released a shaky sigh and looked over to Grisha who rode next to her on a nearly black stallion. Like her, it was evident that he was leery and on high alert. The man had one hand on the reins and one free – ready to reach inside his jacket to wield a small pistol that the couple always kept on hand for protection against robbers or wild animals. Sure, a bullet could kill a wolf, but Carla knew better. A tiny little gun with minuscule bullets would do nothing to a great and powerful titan. If it happened upon them, their only hope of escape was the two horses beneath them.

"Well, the day's nice isn't it?"

Hearing her husband's soft tone, Carla looked to Grisha to see that he was giving her a tender look. She knew very well that he was trying to keep her at ease. The raven-haired woman nodded shyly. "It is."

"So are we heading in the right direction?"

At his words, Carla double-checked their surroundings before giving a nod. "Yeah. I – wandered pretty far into the woods." She sighed, her unfortunate curse of infertility pinching her again. "I didn't even know how far I had gone in either. I was too distracted to really notice to be honest." She admitted, receiving another sympathetic look from the doctor.

"Carla – we'll figure something out about that. Don't you worry. We're not totally out of options to become parents."

She found herself beaming weakly. It was clear that he was talking about the idea of adoption – one that she was open to and that they had talked about briefly when she had learned that she was unable to bear children. They had even made a few visits to local orphanages to get know a few kids there. However, she had not felt a single spark with any of them. Most she had met were either badly behaved or had taken no interest in her or Grisha at all. Adoption was indeed an option for them, but it too – seemed hopeless.

"There are plenty of orphan children who looking for a family." Grisha continued. "We'll find the right kid. Don't fret my Dear." The man soothed, looking back to the landscape before him. "So, where do you think you dropped your basket? Are we getting closer?"

Carla's eyes scanned the standing oaks and pines, looking at every still stone and bush. "Yes, I think we're getting close. There should be a clearing up ahead just over the hill – it's the same clearing that the titan found me in."

For a moment, Grisha was quiet. Unexpectedly he commanded his horse to stall in its tracks. Concerned, Carla mirrored his action, watching as he pulled out the small revolver and loaded the barrel to capacity. "If the clearing is coming up then we might be getting into the wolves' territory. Of course, there is the slight chance that the titan scared them off. We can't take that for granted though." Grisha informed as he snuck the pistol into his jacket once again. "Alright, let's keep moving."

Carla nodded and guided her horse along her husband's, trotting at a slow pace. Slowly, the land began to incline, signaling that the clearing was close. Nerves swarming, she took a deep breath and steered the mare even closer to the black stallion. Her mind briefly replayed the previous night's events; images that made her heart beat even faster than it already was. Naturally, Carla shook her head to push the thoughts aside. The likelihood of an encounter with either of the two species was slim. She forced a weak smile to her pink lips. _'That's right. The chances are slim. It's like lightning striking the same spot twice.'_

Suddenly, the white mare and black stallion began to hesitate, halting their gate at the top of the knoll. The horses' ears pinned themselves back as they began to whinny in distress. Her knuckles turned white as her horse shook its head skittishly. Grisha's stallion grunted, turning its body – the man quickly forbidding it with a stern tug of the reins. The woman's horse threatened to do the same, but the doctor reached over and yanked the horse's reins – keeping the beast steady and still.

"Grisha?"

"If I had to guess, it's either the wolves or their leftover scent that's tripping them up." The man grunted as he tried to will his horse foreword, but the equine simply back peddled and refused. Carla's mare only turned around and tried to follow suit. "Damn it." Grisha muttered as the horse stilled. To her surprise, he climbed down from the saddle and began to tether the horse to a small birch tree. "I guess we're doing this on foot."

Carla sat in bewilderment. He was suggesting that they head into a more than likely dangerous situation without their only way of quickly escaping? "Sweetheart – what if we're attacked!" She hastily whispered, dismounting from her saddle and strapping the white mare to a neighboring tree. "This is dangerous!"

"Carla, I have the revolver if we need it. If it's a wolf one shot will ward away the others."

She swallowed. "But what if it's the –

"Honey, I don't think that's the case. It would have already found us and killed us if that were its intent." He smiled with assurance.

Carla nodded and gripped his hand. He did have a point. Together, the two moved forward cautiously, ears and eyes searching for anything that would raise alarm. As they descended down the hill, the weary woman began to feel slightly better. Yes, if there was any predator out there it would have likely already approached and attacked. Horses were skittish animals, unless they were a Scout's horse, they were easily spooked by anything from a piece of parchment flying through the air to a dog or cat darting across the street. The two then reached the base of the hill and began to step through a patch of thick underbrush. Feeling discomfort in her ankle, Carla inconspicuously gripped her thigh. Overnight, her ankle had gotten better with strong medication and she was able to walk with some weight upon it. Of course, the rough terrain wasn't ideal. But she was a strong woman despite her looks. Carla swallowed the lump in her throat. Yes, they would be safe. The couple then stumbled through the brambles into the wide clearing from the night before. However, what the glade presented made the couple freeze and Carla's skin paled nearly white.

Seated in the center of the clearing was the fifteen-meter titan from the night before.

She couldn't stop herself from gasping, making the titan look up at them with a pair of brilliant green eyes. Time seemed to stand still between the monster and the two stiff humans, amber eyes taking in the towering behemoth in full. The titan was seated on its rump in a fashion similar to a two year old at play with its athletic legs stretched out before it, one characteristically bending inward. It looked just as she remembered it, but now that its form was lit by the light of day, the grotesqueness of the creature was clear as quartz. The titan's frame was indeed perfect in every way and covered in rippling muscles. Its face was the stuff of nightmares. The structure of its façade was rather angular: cheeks gaunt, a sculpted chin, and nose hooked – ending in almost a point. Its teeth were indeed like a human's, but instead of pink gums and lips, the titan's teeth simply stuck out from its skin – jaw neatly aligned into two rows. The creature's tapered ears stuck out from its shoulder length, chocolate colored locks that were wild and unruly – a long lock naturally falling in the middle of its brow. The titan's eyes were just as green as she remembered. In the light, she could now see that the irises had traces of teal and gold interlaced with the emerald hues – the titan's eyelids black as the night like a raccoon's mask. Amber pools studied the earthy tone of the beast's irises. They were the kind of beauty that she couldn't really define. The titan's eyes looked so feral and willful – animalistic. However, they were far too intelligent looking to be those of a simple-minded organism. Some people she even knew lacked such a distinctive element. She could almost call them human. Overall, it was massive and absolutely grizzly looking; its deep breaths made the leaves tremble around them.

However, Carla's keen observation noticed a clear detail about the beast. Its brows were drawn upward and its jaw was slightly parted. The titan's pupils were much smaller than she remembered and its ears were pinned against its skull. Its muscles were tense, but the clearest detail was the amount of shock laden in the titan's green orbs. In its fingers, Carla saw her woven basket. It was then that she realized. The titan had been looking at her belongings and the look on its face was a clear indication that it was deeply startled.

Still, no soul made a single move in advance toward the other. She then felt her husband's hold upon her tighten.

"You were right." He whispered, volume barely above a pin drop. "It's different. A common titan would have already attacked us. This one here looks almost disturbed."

"It has my basket." She muttered clumsily. "It was looking at it."

Grisha slowly dipped his head, eyes still hooked upon the beast. "It does have intelligence then. Don't make any sudden –

Before he could finish, the titan dropped the wicker basket and folded its leg beneath it, the earth shifting as it brought itself to a crouch on the palms of its feet. Its back was arched; head low with hair cascading over its fearsome looking face, resembling a stunned feline. The titan's ears folded over, eyes wide in uncertainty. To the couple's surprise, the beast took a step back in retreat – another first in the history of man. The beast grunted, the deep sound reverberating her chest and provoking Grisha to reflexively reach for pitiful revolver within his jacket. Carla blinked in sheer disbelief. Was the titan actually being defensive? Its body language and expression certainly said so. Somehow it made her soften.

"It - changes expression." Carla spoke in a daze. Grisha elbowed her in the slightest.

"I can see that." He whispered. "This is far from abnormal. It's something different. Carla… if it decides to –

"Grisha – I think it..." She trailed off, suddenly feeling an overwhelming curiosity. Without thinking, Carla took a step forward and out of Grisha's arms. The move instantly made the titan take another step in reverse, but this time it narrowed its eyes and let out a warning hiss – a booming sound that echoed across the glade. The doctor yanked her back in his embrace.

"Carla! What on earth!"

However, she said nothing in response. The woman continued to look at what was essentially a giant, naked, and genital lacking man, noting that its face reverted back to a worried expression. Without her or her husband making a move, the titan hung its head further and shuffled backwards once again, emitting a low and rather feeble growl – the tips of its ears shaking like a puppy out in the cold. "Grisha, if I'm not mistaken – I think it… he's just afraid."

The man blinked questioningly. "It could just be a reflex. Carla, it's probably best if we just leave."

She shook her head. There was something about the creature that was making her drop her guard. She couldn't explain it, but she didn't think the titan was as dangerous as he looked. Truthfully, she felt sorry for it. Without a single word, Carla raised her hands as a sign that she was no threat and bravely ventured forward again much to Grisha's alarm. The titan grumbled, moving awkwardly in retreat on all fours.

"Carla!"

The dark-haired woman ignored her husband's plea as she took one step in front of the other. The titan's eyes briefly turned to serpent like slits as it hissed once more, hair ruffling as it tensed. Carla paused, bending over further to indicate that she was not a threat. Seeing her stance, the titan loosened again, pupils returning to normal as it watched Carla. The creature moved backward, eyes clearly displaying fear – looking so much like the gaze of a helpless child that it wasn't humorous. A few tense seconds passed before Carla walked forward again, this time wearing a small smile on her face as she motioned for her basket with a plan in mind. The titan's green eyes remained latched onto her as her delicate hands picked up the wicker basket.

"H…Hello there." She spoke warmly, but at her words the titan pushed itself into a tree, eyes wide in terror and looking more panicked than ever. The creature then made a sound that was very clear and that she had never thought possible for one of mankind's greatest foes.

It whined. True to the presence of the couple, the titan began whimpering like a wounded canine. Could the titan have possibly remembered her and her incredibly violent tone? It clearly didn't understand human words, but it was evident that it was able to read emotions. It had an opinion of its own. The titan was absolutely terrified of her. Seeing this, a maternal instinct fell over Carla. With Grisha watching in pure amazement, Carla let the warmest smile she could muster paint itself across her face. Something deep within her told her that the creature wouldn't make an attempt to slaughter. "Easy! Easy big guy!" The doctor's wife worded as if she were trying to calm a wild horse. "We're not going to hurt you!" She spoke sweetly, voice quiet and milky.

However, the titan was still in a state of unease. As Carla took more steps in advance, the creature sidestepped and began to back towards the tree line and in the direction of the deep forest. It made several apelike grunts before it began to whine once again, body shivering in the slightest. Still, Carla persisted with her friendly approach.

"Hey now! I said that we're not going to hurt you! Settle down now!"

However, the titan suddenly hissed again, steam billowing from its lipless maw before it backed past the tree line in its still cowering stance. Its whines grew louder and more distressed. Carla frowned slightly but let her smile return,

"Easy! The two of us are not going to hurt you!" Carla coaxed again with Grisha meeting her side. "We mean no harm!"

Before she could make any further attempts, the titan suddenly lost its footing and it stumbled to its rear, trembling the earth and nearly making the two humans fall to the ground. The titan's face morphed into another look of terror as it inelegantly scooted itself into a tight cluster of giant trees. The creature then pushed itself further against he bark as if it were trying to merge with the wood. The titan looked at them with a fretful gaze, whining softly while it lay awkwardly, hips leaning and legs sprawled to the side while it sat upright. Though approaching the titan as it was cornered was risky, Carla continued with her plan as she stepped forward with her basket held out to the timid beast.

"Is this what you want? Do you like this?" Carla beamed with a motherly aura as she sat the basket before the titan and took a few steps back. "There you go! You can have it if you want!"

The behemoth blinked at her, its rough breath calming in the slightest. For what seemed like several minutes, the monster remained unmoving until it finally took its attention from Carla and set its eyes onto the wicker basket. She watched in joyful satisfaction as the titan's pupils dilated to be rather large and circular – greens filled with avid curiosity. Pointed ears twitched, suddenly rotating forward and giving the beast a catlike appearance. Large greens looked to her again to check the Jaegers' stances before directing themselves down at the basket. To the couple's astonishment, the titan moved a single hand and plucked the wicker object from the lush grass. Carla's smile grew bigger, as the beast brought the basket to his face, ears angling about and an interested trilling sound rumbling high in the titan's throat. Like he had done to her the previous night, the megalith sniffed the basket in a rather gentle way, nostrils flaring in the slightest as it smelled what was most likely remains of the herbs that Carla gathered previously. The titan's jaw then parted and to their surprise, a long, pointed, but almost dog-like tongue swept between its teeth and licked the woven wood. The titan then proceeded to play with the basket between its fingers.

"No doubt about it," Grisha began quietly. "It's intelligent."

Carla simply nodded as she continued to observe the titan's interest in her woven basket, eyes dancing down to his lowered hand. While the beast's attention was focused else ware, the woman stood and stepped to the large appendage. The titan's hand amazed her so. Like the rest of the creature, it was very masculine looking. The tendons and knuckles were more pronounced, digits thick and not frail. Up close, the titan's skin was dense and leathery, making it clear that the fact that normal blades couldn't pierce the creature was true. Beneath the skin in various areas, Carla was able to view a complex network of veins that looked like lines on a map – ones that were far different from a human's. She stalled, beholding her own hand with thoughts brewing. Perhaps – perhaps she could still get it through that she meant no harm.

"Carla?" Grisha whispered in question.

However, the amber-eyed lady ignored the doctor's concern and reached out to the large appendage.

"Carla!"

As soon as her soft hand touched the rough hide of the beast, the titan let out a surprised yelp as he dropped the basket and pulled his arm to his chest in apprehension. The creature backed away again, great pines creaking under the brute force of the titan's powerful push. Elven ears folded over again as the titan snarled – a fearsome and disgusting sound that cut through the forest ozone. Nose wrinkling in distaste, the titan looked down at Carla and Grisha – wordlessly issuing a serious warning. Despite the beast's display, Carla could clearly read right through the creature's defensive notions as the titan's brows relaxed and his muscles slackened. The kind woman reached for her own sleeve, rolling up the cloth before holding out her arm and dropping to her knees.

"I'm so sorry!" Carla cooed. "I didn't mean to frighten you." She presented her hand. "Please forgive me."

With the apology, Carla kept still and unspoken, keeping her warm look that she was known for as she continued to gaze upon the massive giant. For a moment, the titan kept its gaze upon her, eyes nearly unblinking. She waited, still looking friendly as she kept her patience in check. In awe, the two watched as the titan's green hues slowly adverted to the ground, ears and arms lowering. The behemoth briefly glanced up into her face with the woman certainly feeling the creature trying to read deep into her. Then, after several hesitant seconds, the titan slowly scooted a loosely folded right hand toward her. Carla's smile grew even bigger.

"Yes!" She whispered excitedly. "That's it! Come on you can do it!"

At her voice the titan paused, grunting in hesitation before moving its hand to her again. Closer and closer it came until it was just inches away from hers. The titan stalled once more, green eyes viewing into bright amber – a sense of want clearly seen in the softly illuminating emeralds. Finally, the beast's hand came to rest beneath hers. Carefully, Carla lowered her own, her flesh making contact with the creature's. At the touch, the titan flinched, curling its fingers inwardly and grunting nervously before relaxing the appendage again. Knowing that the giant gave her clearance, Carla once again laid her hand onto the toasty flesh. A small squeak slipped from the beast's blunt teeth, the sound only making the woman giggle easily.

"See? We're not going to hurt you." She ensured as she let her vision drop to the skin of his hand. The hide of the titan was as tough as it looked, thick with the wrinkles on the creature's knuckles clearly pronounced. There was nothing she could really compare it to that she knew of. It was incredible. It was then that Carla realized that she was probably the first human in history to ever have a titan willingly let her pet it. Looking back up at the titan's face, she knew. The creature was special.

As she began to rub the flesh, the titan began to make a sound that was unmistakable to the ears.

It was purring.

Sure enough, the towering and fearsome looking creature has its eyes shut in clear pleasure as its chest and abdomen rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern. The deep rumbling sound vibrated the forest floor and her tiny frame. Carla's eyes then caught sight of something else that made her melt. The titan's tight skin at the corners of its lipless maw was pulled upward and its jaw suspended at an angle.

The titan was smiling, completely ravishing in the woman's gentle touch.

"Grisha?" Carla rotated her head to peer at the man, taking note of his bewildered face and hanging mouth. "I'd say he's rather friendly don't you think?"

After several pensive seconds, Dr. Jaeger finally nodded and edged to stand next to her. "This titan – it's incredible."

The beast's green eyes slowly opened again, line of sight shifting to its opposite hand, looking at the appendage briefly before turning its attention back to her hand. It was apparent that the titan was coming to a conclusion.

"You know, Dear?" Grisha began. "I don't think he's ever seen humans before."

"Yeah…" Carla trailed off, noticing how the titan was looking on in complete wonder at her hand, eyes wide and child-like as it tilted its head in observation. "Maybe that's why he wanted to examine me last night."

The titan's ears faced fully forward again, wiggling back and forth as it let a gurgling sound slip from its chest as it unfolded its hand beneath hers with the top facing the canopy. Green hues blew even wider as it took in the comparison.

"This titan – it's so self aware that it's not even funny." Grisha muttered as he knelt next to his wife.

"I know." She replied, looking back up to the titan's face. "See? It looks alike doesn't it?" She smiled, the creature beginning to purr for a second time.

Grisha then reached out a hand to meet the titan's tough flesh. "Humph, how amazing." He smiled softly. "Never in my wildest dreams."

"Mine either."

Grisha nodded, lifting himself back upright. "As much as I'd like to stay, we need to get going. I have an appointment to go to soon and I don't want the man I rented the horses from to get suspicious." Grisha paused, biting his lips. "The military does not need to find this titan."

At his proclamation, Carla knew exactly where her husband was coming from. If the titan were ever found by the Military – it would surely be experimented on and perhaps killed just for being intelligent. She didn't want that. For what she knew, the beast was absolutely no monster.

Nodding at the doctor's order, Carla then removed her hand and stood, the titan watching her with one ear characteristically higher than the other in question. "Thank you so much for rescuing me last night." Carla address even though she knew that the titan couldn't understand English. "We have to go now. Don't worry. We'll be back again. You can keep the basket." She smiled as she took her husband's hand and began to follow him to the clearing to retrieve their horses.

However, the couple only had the chance to take a few steps before they heard a sharp and pleading whine. The ground then shook, nearly making the pair fall over on their faces. The Jaegers turned around in alarm, seeing that the titan had lifted himself onto all fours again and had motioned for them. The creature wore a confused expression, brows knitted to together in a silent inquiry. Seeing the titan's face, Carla began to feel her heart strings slowly untie themselves. The woman smiled sadly, feeling remorse that they had to leave.

"Don't worry! We'll be back!" She beseeched, turning to trail her husband yet again. The shame of what she was doing written all across her face. "Grisha – he's making me feel so guilty."

The man sighed. "I know, but we have to –

The doctor was cut off by another low whimper and the ground shifted again. Peering over her shoulder, Carla saw that the creature had navigated awkwardly to them again, reminding her a bit of the feral children that she heard about in stories. She frowned, turning back to Grisha who displayed a look of sheer concern.

"He's following us. Shit."

Carla peered at the titan who had his head lifted high, ears facing forward, and eyes looking hopeful. The sight made her wince. No one could find out about the creature and she didn't want to scare it off and make it fearful of them again. Not knowing what else to do, Carla held up a firm hand and kindly expressed her wish for the titan to stay put. At the action, the beast stilled and sank down onto its rump, letting out a flummoxed grunt. Seeing that the titan was stagnant, the couple then continued forward again.

"Hopefully he listened that time." Grisha muttered as they made their way to the horses, however a booming series of thumps shook the glade, rattling the tree limbs and caused the horses to rear in terror. The doctor held up his hands to frantically calm the two steeds, but to their unfortunate luck, the pair of equines somehow wiggled themselves from their restrained posts and began to gallop at full speed back towards the way, which they came. For a moment, the two stared off in skepticism before turning their attention to their gigantic company. The titan was seated just a few meters away from them in a stance similar to that of a frog, vastly dilated pupils hungrily watching the retreating horses in awe. The beast then grunted, turning his attention to their two small frames again, looking just as curious as ever. Grisha let out an aggravated sigh.

"How am I going to explain this to the rancher now?" He huffed. "I guess I'm going to be late for that appointment. We'll have to go on foot from here."

The titan let out a series of primate like grunts, looking as if it was waiting on both of them to make a move. Carla exhaled, giving the beast a sad look.

"Stay here." She informed, tone slightly stern as she held up her hands. "You can't come with us. Stay." She prolonged, beginning to sneak away with her husband through the thorns and brambles, trying to move quickly on her wounded ankle.

However, much to the Jaegers' disapproval, the titan lumbered after them, its bulk pushing and knocking over several trees in its wake. Carla turned to address the creature in a more firm approach, but before she could do so the titan snuck clumsily behind a cluster of small pines that barely reached the creature's shoulder. The beast hunkered down behind the evergreen needles, looking comical as it hid its deformed face behind the greenery. Seeing the sight before them, Carla couldn't help but laugh.

"He must think he's hidden." She chuckled gently, Grisha nodding in agreement.

"Incredible. He's aware that we know he's following us. Thus he's trying a different tactic. Let's keep moving. If we ignore him, he may loose interest."

Dipping her head at the newly formulated plan, Carla then followed the doctor through the forest path. As Grisha suggested, she kept quiet. Of course, she couldn't help but sneak a peek over her shoulder to observe the titan lift himself away from the pines and began to trail them again. As if it had realized their awareness, the creature had certainly taken the fact into account as it moved. Like a cat stalking its prey, the titan weaved between the foliage, sulking behind various trees and boulders as it kept its owlish eyes glued to them.

"Still following us?" Grisha whispered. She nodded.

"Yeah, he's hiding behind things." She paused, glancing back to see that the titan's green eyes were peeking over a stack of rocks, the top of its hairy head the only other part she could see. "Grisha – what are we going to do if he tries to follow us into Shiganshina? The Garrison atop the wall will surely fire cannons at him.

The doctor was quiet for a moment, eyes fixed on the wooded path ahead. "If it comes to that point – I may have to use my revolver to scare him off." Grisha sighed in remorse, looking regretfully at his wife. "I don't want to do that though. So I might just have to yell at him. If the titan gets too close to the forest's edge, somebody is sure to hear or see him."

Carla silently agreed as the pair kept on moving. The sun began to climb higher into the sky, light sinking past the leafy rooftop to the sheltered floor. For quite some time, the two did not speak a single word, focused only on listening for the sound of deep breaths and rumbling footsteps. Carla constantly peeked from the corner of her eye to search for green hues and flesh tones seeping through the surrounding foliage. For the umpteenth time, the dark haired female glanced over her shoulder to find nothing but oaks and pines. The titan was nowhere to be seen. A sigh of relief left her. The beast had finally left them alone. Carla was thankful that it did so. She didn't want it to run into any trouble.

"Well, I guess he went back home." Carla informed.

Grisha looked over his shoulder, seeing nothing beyond except for trees and the underbrush. "Good. Nice timing too. The edge of the forest is just ahead and the gate to Shiganshina." The doctor paused, looking to Carla with a serious gaze. "Here's the plan. We'll meet up at the horse ranch and apologize – I'll just claim that a snake spooked them. After that I'm going to the Arlerts again for a follow up."

"Okay. I can go to the market and get some duck or chicken that we can have for supper."

"Sounds good. I'm going to make one more stop in light of what we are now dealing with." Grisha continued, received Carla's raised brow.

"What's that?"

"I'm going to head to the library." The man prolonged without hesitation. "There's a book that I remember seeing in the reserved section that was left there by the Scouts for people looking to be in the regiment. I'm going to steal it and bring it home so we can look at it. From what I remember, it has everything currently known about titans in it. I think it could aid us in figuring out some things about this titan."

Carla dipped her head. "Sounds good. We can look at it over supper if you can get it. Now, should I make some soup or –

However, the woman's question disappeared as the couple looked forward, seeing the titan just a few feet from them and hunched beneath the low trees. With their eyes meeting again and with gasps of shock, the beast jerked backwards in just as much surprise. The titan shuffled sideways, letting out several rough grunts and a half hiss in natural defense before stilling. Carla held her chest in shock while Grisha's fingers had snaked into his hair.

"Shit! Shit!" The doctor whispered hastily, using words that she barely heard ever leaving his mouth.

"How did we not see or hear him?" Carla muttered as the titan settled on its haunches, body barely below the canopy – a few strands of his hair seeing the light of day. Green eyes looked at them questioningly, the behemoth heaving several low volume grumbles and snorts – breath rustling the two's hair. Carla's heart began to pound. They were just several meters from the forest's edge. Most likely there were people just beyond it. Panic began to spread through her system. If the titan got any louder, someone was bound to hear.

"He must have followed our scent and snuck around us." Grisha guessed, fretfully looking towards the gate to see if they had captured any attention. "If he sits up, everyone is going to see him!"

Carla looked from her husband to the beast, seeing that the creature had some sense of this fact as he crouched awkwardly with his belly touching the forest floor – like he subconsciously knew that beneath the canopy was safe. The titan's breath then quieted, eyes looking to Carla in a silent plead. It was clear. The beast did not want them to leave. He liked them.

"Carla, you're going to have to address him. If someone sees him – it's over."

She gulped, looking at the titan's slightly hopeful expression. As much as she didn't want to, she was going to have to be more thorough and stern. Taking a deep breath, Carla then pointed sharply in the direction of the clearing. "Stay!" She ensured, the titan blinking in confusion at her gesture. "Stay. In. The. Forest!" The woman spoke long and slow as if she was speaking to a mischievous child. The titan however, only tilted his head, brows drawing up in what could be labeled as skepticism. Seeing that the tactic wasn't working to their favor, Carla pointed directly to the titan and then into the direction of the glade. She repeated her action until the titan finally looked behind him, following her finger into the depths of the wood. "STAY. IN. THE. FOREST." Carla alliterated, the titan turning to look at her again, appearing like a dog that was told that it couldn't have table scraps. The giant peered behind him again before placing his greens back to the Jaegers – whining weakly and ears sinking in disappointment, the creature showing that it understood what Carla had ordered.

"Looks like he's got the right idea…" Grisha trailed off behind her.

Carla sighed, observing the titan's gaze as it dropped down to look upon the dried leaves and patches of missing grass. The behemoth's large teeth parted to let out a steamy sigh, hair cascading over his face with his ears and brows sinking even further. The beast looked absolutely heartbroken. Carla could practically feel her own turning inside out.

Feeling the need to comfort and offer a bit of reassurance, she smiled once again. "Don't worry. The two of us will come back." She expressed, using numerous hand gestures to try and define what she was saying. The titan lifted his gaze, giving her clearance to continue. "STAY. IN. THE. FOREST." Carla illustrated, pointing to the opposite of civilization. "WE." She indicated to herself and Grisha. "WILL. COME." Mrs. Jaeger concluded with several final hand movements.

Several minutes of silence seemed to pass between the trio before the titan lifted itself in the slightest and began to make his way back toward the dell, still moving awkwardly on all fours. The beast stopped and looked back at them with an expression of uncertainty as if it were asking if it was doing what they wanted. To confirm, Carla pointed again, the titan getting the message and falling back to the safety of the thick and tall trees. The Jaegers watched as the creature glanced at them one final time before disappearing into the dense greenery.

The two of them couldn't feel more weak in the knees, nothing but adrenaline flowed through their blood.

* * *

An alluring aroma flowed through the compact abode, one that smelled strongly of roasted meat, vegetables, and tomatoes. Carla hummed to herself as she pulled the roasted duck from the iron oven, taking a moment to study the golden brown surface of the cooked bird. Deciding that it was good, She carried the platter over to the counter to season the meat before returning to a finished pot to pour two bowls of soup. Finished, Carla stepped back to look at her work. Cooking was something that she loved doing. With every meal, she treated it as if it were a piece of art no matter how little there was. This session's baking was all but acceptable. She blamed her excitement more than anything. She had just befriended a titan! A titan that was affable and intelligent! However, its brains weren't the thing that was making her jittery. It was the fact that the titan had an interest in her. It was obvious that it loved her and Grisha's company.

Of course, the titan's odd behavior raised numerous questions. Why was it different? Did it not eat humans like the others? How did it get behind Wall Maria? She didn't know or had the slightest idea. Hopefully Grisha was able to snag the book they need from the library. Perhaps it could help them answer some of the nagging queries.

Just as Carla readied the forks, knives, and spoons, Grisha entered the front door and quickly shut it behind him. The man hurriedly removed his hat and coat before bringing his messenger bag to the table. "I got it." He declared as he pulled a thick leather bound book from the safety of the sack and sat it to the table. "No one saw me so it was pretty easy to get ahold of. Most likely they won't know it's gone. I don't think they even check the reserved section to see if anything was taken. Thus, we have all the time we need for it." The doctor alliterated as he pulled out a notebook and pen, opening it to a new page and preparing to write. As if he suddenly realized, Grisha snapped his head up from his task and gave Carla a warm smile. "Sorry about my negligence! Dinner smells delectable!"

"Ah, I hope it's as good as it smells." Carla chuckled as she carried the platter and the two plates to the table, taking a moment to get two extra plates for the cutting of the meat. "I kind of made it in a hurry. The market didn't have many birds left and I've been all too eager to find out some answers about our new acquaintance." Carla sat down, both she and her husband taking a sip of the soup's broth before Grisha picked up his pen.

"Then let's get started shall we? Lets make a list of every detail we know about this titan." Grisha began as he began to write down everything that pertained to the titan's looks. "First thing's first, it's got an undetermined level of intelligence, enough to be self aware and enough for it to absorb an order to understand and follow – the capacity to learn."

"It understands and recognizes emotion." Carla pointed out. Grisha nodded.

"That and he also conveys emotion as well. He could smile even with no lips to do so as well as look afraid, angry, or curious. He also interacts with objects such as your basket."

"Though his expressions were human like, he acted very animal like. The titan hissed like a cat does when he felt threatened." Carla pondered aloud as she ate another bite of soup.

"Right. He barely had any human like quality in his behavior at all. The sounds he made were very ape like. Of course the growling and whining were pretty canine."

"His ears moved to sound and were also used to express himself."

"His flesh was warm to the touch."

"He emitted steam."

"He was fifteen-meters."

"Alright…" Grisha trailed off as he wrote the very fact down. "Carla, did you notice anything about the titan that you saw when it targeted the wolves?"

She thought for a second, setting her spoon down into her bowl. "His eyes glowed." She informed, the detail making her suddenly realize a fact that she had somehow overlooked. "Oh! He was active at night! The sun had already went down when he found me!"

The doctor lifted his head at this. "Awake at night? From what I heard, titans are pretty much solar powered and they sort of shut down when the moon rises."

"That's so bizarre."

Grisha pushed his glasses back up from the tip of his nose, turning his attention to the book, one that's cover looked stained in a deep red dye and completely worn from use. There was no fancy gold print on the cover of the binding whatsoever, but on the spine there was a characteristic wings of freedom crest along with words _"Titans: A Brief Biology and Cataloged Encounters by Hange Zoe"_ written in a thick black ink. The man then opened the book and flipped to the title page. "I believe this book is pretty much as it says it is and if I'm not mistaken it's one of the same ones that the trainees use in their classes." Grisha informed as he turned to the index before going straight to the chapter about titan biology. The doctor then cleared his throat. "Not much is known about the titans themselves. From what we have exhibited, they possess no known evidence of intelligence, only having the simple guidance of an instinct to devour humans." Grisha read, brows rising as he looked at the page. "Wow. This whole section is just a single page long. That proves how little we know." He revealed before he placed a finger back to the page to continue reading. "Titans are very human like in appearance and can range between three to fifteen meters tall. They lack a digestive system but do contain a stomach. However the only source of nourishment a titan really needs is sunlight – powering down at night and entering a comatose like state. Alarmingly, titans only eat humans out of spite. After eating enough humans, a titan will simply regurgitate them and continue eating as soon as possible." Grisha paused, making Carla feel uneasy. "It is unknown how titans reproduce for they lack any visible genitalia. A titan's sense of smell is about ten times better than that of a bloodhound's – able to smell the scent of blood from a five-mile radius. Although they have a great resistance to pain, titans have incredible regenerative abilities. They are able to regrow every part of their body in minutes, even their own heads. The nape of the neck is the only weak point of a titan. Slicing the section open with iron bamboo blades or blowing it apart are the most effective ways to kill a titan. Apart from looking like large humanoids, Titans have an assortment of body deformities and a face fixed in a frozen expression. To the date, there are only two known species of titan: normal and abnormal. Though both can look the same, their behavior defines their differences. Normals are the most common breed and exhibit the basic titan behavior. Abnormals are extremely erratic and will charge into the most populated area to cause the most damage as possible." Grisha breathed, finally cutting off a piece of duck and shoving it into his mouth.

"Is that all?" Carla asked, receiving a nod.

"Unfortunately it is." The man explained, taking a sip of tea to wash down the meat. "Our titan fits the bill on a few of these things, but others are completely non-existent. Let's look through the cataloged encounters. I have an idea about our titan, but let's look at these just to make sure before I share my assumption." Grisha continued as he turned the page to reveal the beginning of a series of illustrations. The drawing currently receiving their attention was penned in ink – an elaborate sketch that had obviously taken some time. The first spot was a four-meter titan with a slacked jaw, bulging eyes, and an awkwardly outstretched arm as it was in motion. With the titan obviously not their own, Grisha moved to the next page with Carla leaving her previous seat to meet hips with her husband on the same side of the table. The next titan was a twelve-meter that was chubby and slumped. Moving on in dissatisfaction, the couple came to another titanic contender after another. There was a five-meter with an abnormally large head, a ten-meter with a bulging belly, and an eight-meter with overly bulging eyes. As they went on, it was clear that the two were enduring their own private freak show – seeing titans that were absolutely disturbing. However, nothing even remotely looked like the titan in the forest. None.

"I'm not sure if the book really helped," Carla bit her lip, feeling her face heat up in embarrassment at her decision to share her thoughts. "None of these titans even remotely look like ours."

"Indeed." Grisha rubbed his coarse chin as he brought the book to a close. "Here is what I think. It's possible that the titan in Maria may be a new species of sorts – one that's intelligent and doesn't dine on humans."

Carla smiled, feeling her excitement build. "You think so?"

He nodded. "It's possible. The differences between the titans that we know of and this one are just too great to ignore." Grisha paused, resting an elbow on the table to cradle his chin with his palm. The doctor then removed his lenses from his frame, another practice he did when in deep thought. "However, that's not the biggest thing that's bothering me. I'm sure you have the same questions in your head as well. My biggest concern is how this titan got into Maria. My only theory, since it has claws, is that it somehow climbed over the wall and decided to make residence here."

She pushed a free strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "Titans have been around for over a hundred years. Perhaps this titan got walled in when they were building the wall." She suggested, but Grisha shook his head.

"I don't think that's the case. If the titan were here for over a hundred years, someone would have most likely found it. The other idea does make some sense, but if he climbed the wall the Garrison would have seen him. Then again, nearly seventy-five percent of their regiment is drunk on the job. Or, the titan could have climbed it at night when the soldiers are off duty."

Carla quickly agreed. "Yes, that does make a bit of sense."

Grisha then replaced his glasses after several seconds of gazing at the intricate wood grain of the table. Finally, he cleared his throat. "Since I have no appointments scheduled for tomorrow, how about we go on a picnic to see if we can find the titan. That way we can learn more about him as well as answer our questions." The doctor smiled softly at her.

"Oh that would be great. We can do it the first thing in the morning!" She replied, feeling her excitement build. The urge surprised her. She had not felt as much elation since before they began trying for a child.

"Good. Now. Let's eat the rest of this duck and soup before they get cold."

* * *

Carla carefully selected a bright red apple from a merchant's stand, expertly inspecting it for bruises. Seeing no blemishes, she then nodded to Grisha who paid the merchant – one of the many that set up shop in and around the interior gate to sell things to passing pedestrians. Mrs. Jaeger smiled softly to herself as she placed the crimson fruit into an old basket that she had discovered in their belongings. The apple was going to taste good for breakfast.

Nonchalantly, the couple walked through the high iron archway into the rural area of Wall Maria. Just outside the gate was what most called the 'Excess of Shiganshina' – a cluster of various buildings and pathways. The small area was devoted to the trading practices as well as stations for those that were traveling with horses – stables where they could be fed, groomed, or boarded. Like it usually was in the mornings, there were various people moving about. Some were entering Shiganshina, others were beginning business, and there was a small group of Garrison soldiers playing cards while drinking brandy several meters away. Although it was crowded, it worked to their advantage. It would be far easier to slip away unseen.

Grisha kept a watchful eye, focusing for a moment for anyone that was observing them before elbowing Carla in the slightest, a silent order to start the plan. Watching his eyes, Carla dipped her head to acknowledge his action and veered to her left. With grace, the two slipped into a narrow alleyway before coming to the edge of the forest. With no pair of eyes viewing the two, Carla and Grisha slid into the forest unseen.

Like it was the previous day, the forest floor was decorated with dappled light. Wildlife was abundant, scurrying across limbs, darting across the grass, and singing up in the canopy. Over the leafy roof there was not a single cloud in the sky. It was a great day for a picnic and a good day to search for the titan. The two walked among the same natural path with the intent of heading for the same clearing that they made their encounter the previous day before. According to Grisha, it was the most logical place to start.

"I hope he's going to be rather easy to locate today, Carla. I'm praying that he didn't take your order too literally about going back into the forest and staying in it." Grisha began with a comforting smile.

Carla nodded, leaning into her husband and snaking her arm through his. "I do hope so. I'd love to see him again. Poor thing – he didn't want us to leave yesterday."

"Yeah I noticed. If we find him, I hope he doesn't try to follow us out of the forest again."

She chortled warmly. "Oh yes. If we –

However, Carla's words caught themselves in her throat as their eyes met brilliant green ones, both she and her husband halting their steps. Before them, hunched over just beneath the low trees was the titan from before. Upon seeing them, the titan shuffled backwards, grunting in surprise before it settled. The beast's head tilted, ears wiggling, and eyes looking lively. The creature trilled, obviously happy to see them.

"Well," Carla began, feeling a smile pull at her lips. "That didn't take long."

The titan shuffled again, shifting backwards on the balls of his feet and producing a series of chuffs and grunts. The creature rose up slightly, spine and head brushing the top of the low canopy. Feeling the barrier that he couldn't cross, the titan lowered himself again, chin nearly against the ground – looking like a fascinated cat.

Grisha sighed. "He shouldn't be under this low canopy. He – must have waited here for us." The doctor suggested. As if to support this, the titan grunted again, ears facing forward with intrigue. "In fact, yesterday I believe that this titan waited in the clearing to see if you came along, Carla."

Her eyes widened at the possible fact. Had the titan really done such a thing? The proof that it was before them now made that entirely possible. Carla smiled at the beast; it behaved like a dog waiting for its master to come home. Yet it was like a child, a young child that craved company. Carla couldn't explain it, but she could sense a feeling of longing within the titan. Knowing that, it made her feel incredibly tender.

The titan grunted deeply again, making the fallen leaves rustle. At the less than quiet sound, Grisha looked over his shoulder to check for any spare sets of eyes. Seeing none, he then turned to Carla with a serious look. "We need to go deeper in the forest. We'll have to hurry."

Knowing the danger at hand, Carla nodded and turned to grin at the towering beast. "It's good to see you again!" She began, trying to find her next words. At her voice, the beast chuffed again, taking another awkward step back. It was clear that the titan was anxious about them and seemed to have some sort of fear of being extremely close or touched. She could understand. For something that had never laid eyes upon a human being and their capabilities, he had a right to be cautious. Hopefully that would change. "Let's go in the forest shall we? I'm sure it's rather uncomfortable for you to be hunched over like that." Carla suggested, not really knowing if it was a natural movement for the beast or not. Carefully, she began to walk past the watching titan, keeping her gate casual and her body loose and relaxed so to not come off as any sort of threat to the seemingly skittish creature. As she expected, the titan let out a distressed noise and backed a few feet from her current path, green eyes blown wide with avid curiosity. Grisha then met her side, looking back to see that the giant humanoid had placed a hand forward in advance, but stalled – neck stretched in their direction with a look of restraint and eagerness on its masculine and almost skeletal face. The titan placed another hand forward but still held back, brow creased in worry. Seeing the beast's hesitation, Carla stopped in her tracks to look at the edgy behemoth. Why was it hesitating so much? Surely it wasn't that afraid of their contact.

"I hope he warms up soon." Grisha began. "All it takes is for someone to walk up the trail and see him and the news will spread like wildfire."

Knowing an option that could speed things up and harness the titan's curiosity, Carla reached into her basket and pulled out an object that she had put together in the late hours of the night. It was an old cylinder oatmeal canister filled with several small objects such as unimportant expendable coins, rusty nuts and bolts, and several unusable nails. She had made it in light of the titan being enticed by her simple wicker basket, figuring that the canister might provide a bit of enjoyment as well. Carla then held the object before her, the titan looking at the makeshift toy with an inquisitive gaze. "I brought you something that I think you'll like!" She chuckled as she gave the object a shake – the metal clanging against the tin.

At the sound, the titan's pupils grew to where there was barely a sliver of green. For a moment, her breath hitched in her chest at the fear that she accidentally upset the creature. However, as the titan's ears fanned out and fluttered, the lump in her chest shrank. The mammoth humanoid then trilled highly and began to lumber forward as quickly, silently, and discreetly as it could. Carla smiled at this and turned in the direction of the clearing with Grisha following suit. A chuckle escaped her lips, as she looked over her shoulder to see the titan doing its 'stalking' routine that it had done the day before.

"Well now, I guess it piqued the big guy's interest." Grisha spoke in amusement as he watched the titan trail them, ears forward and alert as its nostrils flared – sounding like a hound hot on the trail of a buck. "Carla, did you put something that smells in there?"

She nodded. "I put some cinnamon sticks in it just to see if he would take further interest." Carla smiled as she gave the canister another series of shakes. "Judging by his twitching and hungry nose, I'd say that he fancies it."

Grisha blinked, face turning into a look of awe. "Amazing. And there are only a few holes poked in the top of the lid for the odor to come out. I guess it's true how titans can smell blood from over a mile away."

She simply nodded, trying to push the fact to the back of her mind. The Jaegers continued to move through the wood further and further away from the gate. The trek was certainly entertaining, the titan constantly making a barrage of primate and primitive grunts and rumbles as it focused its attention on the canister. Carla had found herself nearly laughing at points at the titan's strange gate – trying to move like a four-legged animal, its legs stretching oddly with toes sprawled apart to gain traction. The creature's animal like behavior amazed the two. They had never read or heard of a titan with so many animalistic traits. The titan was truly a character – one that Carla wanted to reveal itself more.

Finally, the Jaegers entered the wide clearing once again. It was as empty as it was before with only a lively population of wild daisies. The giant humanoid entered the glade a few seconds later. The creature then rounded them and dropped roughly to its rear – legs sprawled and bent before him much like a tot. The titan tilted its head, ears twitching as it let out a few impatient grumbles, green hues looking from Carla to the canister in her hands. She watched as the creature's arm twitched, hand scooting forward before the titan pulled it back to its body. Like the basket, he clearly wanted to look at the homemade toy.

"You want this don't you?" Carla questioned kindly as she held out the canister. "Go ahead! It's yours!"

The titan hesitated at her proclamation, brows drawing together once again as he lifted his hand – recognizing her gesture of giving from the previous day. The colossal hand inched closer, then dropped to the grass before rising up again, the titan wanting to fulfill his sense of need. Suddenly, Carla's keen observation noticed the worry laden in the creature's irises, teeth clenching as the beast pulled its hand back. Just as she began to question the titan's movements, the creature let out a loud whine. The titan lifted its hand again before seemingly second-guessing and retrieving the appendage, letting out a little growl in irritation before whining again.

"Come on sweetheart." Carla forced a smile through her concern. "Just take it. It's a gift for you."

Still, the titan refused to pluck the canister from her hand. He only continued to look at her in desperation. With her heart growing tender yet again, Carla gave in and sat the object into the blades of grass and daisies. "Alright. There you go."

At the period of her sentence, the titan let out let out a sound that was akin to a squeal as it quickly and carefully scooped the old oats container in hand. Carla and Grisha watched as the titan turned on its rear and lifted the canister to its face – the toy looking like a tiny pebble between the titan's large fingertips. Just like the beast had done with she and her basket, the creature edged its nose forward to sniff. Green eyes widened and nostrils flared as the beast inhaled the spicy cinnamon. Before Carla began to worry about the strong smell being favorable at close proximity, the titan wiggled his ears and let his tongue taste the tin. At the cold aluminum, the titan swiftly pulled its tongue back into its mouth and began to look the canister over closely, energetic greens nearly crossing to look at the tiny metallic tube. Then the titan fell into a deeper curiosity as it twisted its wrist, giving the canister a single shake to promote the sound of the cylinder's contest. At the jingling, the titan let out a loud sound of distress; jumping back to the balls of its feet and dropping the toy to the grass, ground trembling as it did so. For a moment, Carla concluded that her plan had backfired until the tall creature began to settle, strands of hair relaxing as he doubled over to sniff at the object again. The titan then sat up on his knees and began to gently push the canister along the daisy-decorated earth. Emerald pools ignited with a sense of glee as the creature trilled, rolling the tin across the grass with ears vibrating at the sound.

At the sight before her, Carla gave into a laugh. They were probably the first humans to ever see a titan actually playing. She smiled at the unexpected display, feeling a fuzzy spark at the titan's enjoyment. Deep down, she knew. She was falling for the creature.

"Well Carla, I'd say he likes what you made him." Grisha beamed as he lifted the large picnic basket that the couple brought. "Want to settle down here? It's a nice spot." The doctor queried receiving a nod from his wife. The area was peaceful.

The two then pulled out an old quilt that Carla had crafted years prior and began to spread it across the daisies. However, just as the couple began to pull out their wrapped morsels, a loud yelping noise pulled their attention away from their current activity. At first, Carla had concluded that the creature had somehow broken the makeshift toy, but she was proven wrong by the sight of the titan looking directly at them with the canister clutched in its hand. The Jaegers' brows rose in unison. Why had the titan tried to get their attention?

"Umm…do you want something?" Carla queried in uncertainty, just as equally confused as her husband.

The two watched as the titan shifted back and forth on its heels, looking to the earth briefly before turning an asking gaze to the two humans. It was like it wanted to tell them something but didn't know how to go about delivering the message.

"Do you – have something to tell us?" Carla asked, silently cursing herself shortly afterwards as she recalled that the creature couldn't verbally communicate.

The titan blinked and turned its head in the direction that led deeper into the forest. He then looked back at them again before suddenly shuffling in the direction a few feet before looking at the Jaegers yet again, green eyes looking expectant. Grisha scratched his scalp, observing the spectacle in confusion as well.

""What is he – do you want something?" The doctor addressed the titan who looked at Grisha in mild surprise before doing something that made their breaths leave their chests.

The titan stood up, leaving the safety of its crouched position. Both Carla and Grisha's mouths fell open, necks craning to look up the creature's towering frame. Seeing the creature upright again made Carla recall just how TALL the behemoth actually was – its hairy head easily met the boarder of the canopy. Now that the rays of the sun illuminated its body, she and the doctor could see the beast in full detail. The titan's body was godly. Every firm muscle was present in its torso. The creature's chest was broad with even the serratus anterior and external oblique muscles clearly present. The titan's abdomen was lined with a set of eight, maybe more, bulging abs – some that the strongest men in town would certainly envy. The giant's strapping legs were rippling with powerful muscles from the ground up – some that she didn't have a name to clearly on display. The creature was absolute raw power.

"Humph, I can see the other reason why the wolves ran off. He's a lot more athletic looking than the titans in the Scout manual." Grisha gawked.

"Yeah." Carla agreed, watching as the titan then turned and took a few reverberating steps into the trees before stopping again and turning to face them – grunting in recession as it kept looking back into the thickening foliage.

What the titan did next nearly made her gasp in surprise again.

The titan blinked before looking down at his hand, lifting the appendage to his grizzly face. The creature's right hand clenched, a single finger poking out before retracting. The titan's brows drew together in determination as his index finger unfolded itself from his fist. Tapered ears wiggled in excitement as the titan glanced down at them with emerald greens sparkling. With another cheerful sounding grunt, the titan lifted his arm and pointed into the forest, silently expressing his desire, shadowed eyes looking at the Jaegers expectedly. It was then that Carla figured out just what the creature wanted.

"Oh! Grisha, he wants us to follow him." Carla announced as she stood, looking up at the titan who seemed to recognize that she understood his gesture.

"Does he now?" He began as he started to put the dishes and quilt back into the basket. "I think he wants to show us something."

"Apparently so." She replied, finding her gaze wandering into the deep wood, suddenly remembering her unfortunate encounter with the wolves. "Do you think it's safe to do so, Dear?"

The doctor rubbed his chin, looking up at the waiting giant before smiling at his wife. "Of course. With him, no wolf or bear would even dare to come near us." He replied, knowing where his wife was coming from.

A wide and sweet smile spread across Mrs. Jaeger's face as she devoted her attention to the titan. "I see you want us to join you! Go ahead my Dear! Lead the way!"

After retrieving their picnic supplies, the Jaegers then began to follow the massive beast. The amount of sunlight lessened as the canopy began to stretch higher over their heads, giant trees sheltering all life below. The deeper and further away from civilization they got, the forest illuminated with a mystical aura. It was almost unworldly, titan sized in itself. The wood grew more spacious, brown earth blanketed in green moss and grass. Ivy hung from giant fallen limbs that lay in permanent repose beneath the organic rooftop. Boulders shrouded in fungi were at rest, undisturbed for hundreds of years. Carla was in awe, amber eyes absorbing the sights in wild fascination. Not many people dared to go off the designated paths laid out by man decades ago in fear of getting lost or having and unwanted animal encounter. Still, the Jaegers couldn't help but wonder where the titan was taking them.

Carla curled her arm tighter around her husband as the behemoth took another step forward, foot meeting the earth with a rumbling quake. The vibration nearly caused her to wobble yet again, but to some miracle she stayed on her own two feet. Just as big as the titan himself was, his footsteps were massive. However, Carla could tell that the beast was probably moving slower than it normally would – gate shorter. Every so often the titan would pause and look down at them as if to check to see if they were lagging behind or alright before facing forward yet again. She could actually call the behavior cute.

"You know Carla, " Grisha whispered. "I wish he wasn't so afraid of us touching him." He chuckled slightly. "He could have carried us to wherever it is that we are going."

The dark haired woman simply let out a content sigh, keeping her smile despite another vibration that she felt all the way through her kneecaps. "Maybe he'll warm up later on. He's already comfortable enough to take us and show us something so it's only a matter of time before he offers us a ride." She spoke optimistically.

"You're right."

"You know Dear," Carla pondered aloud just as the titan paused to monitor them again before proceeding onward. "I wonder what he's actually going to show us?"

He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe he's taking us to his home. Where else could he be leading us?"

At Grisha's words, Carla's mind suddenly flashed with horrible possibilities, but then she reminded herself that if the titan had ever planned on making them his meal he would have done so already. The trio then paused again at a large log that seemed to have fallen years ago that obstructed the easy and fairly level terrain. The Jaegers watched as the titan bent over and encased his vast hands around the thick trunk – lifting away the rotten tree with ease and setting it aside, giving them a clear and labor free path. The titan then started off again, addressing them with a friendly warble before moving along. Yes, the titan had no shred of evil intent within his substantial bulk.

Before the two could begin to talk about the creature's courteous and intelligent action, the mismatched party entered another wide clearing. This one however was much more different and far more mysterious than the sights that they had seen. The glade was populated by many decent sized rocks that ranged from taller than a human to as large as a person's head, all of which were covered by a dense layer of thick green moss. A small stream slithered though the mysterious landscape, its shallow but clear waters sparkling even in the dim light. The most incredible thing though was the towering formation at the clearing's center. It was a large wall of rock that was at least twenty-five meters high and mostly hidden and covered in vines and large tree roots. The titan wore a look of content, skin at the corners of his mouth drawing up into a mild smile, green eyes glistening in excitement.

"So?" Grisha called up to the beast. "Is this what you wanted to show us?"

At the man's voice, the titan turned his attention below and wiggled its ears with fondness. The giant chirruped, another sound that provoked a laugh from Carla for it seemed like an unlikely vocal for the immense creature, and began to walk toward the formation – an extra spring seemingly in its step. As the couple followed the titan again as he began to round the rocky wall, Carla listened in amusement at the creature's constant eager grunts – the titan obviously thrilled.

The two observed as the titan began to scan the rock with a practiced eye, scrutinizing for something that the Jaegers were oblivious to. Suddenly, he stopped in his path and crouched to the side of the formation, tweeting in elation – reminding Carla of a child showing their mother that they had cleaned their room by themselves. The titan grunted again and pointed to what was a narrow crack in the rocky formation, a small cave like structure that was nearly hidden by an entanglement of vines. Carla looked up to the expecting titan, following his finger with her own.

"Do you, want us to go inside?" She asked, watching the beast's tapered ears fidget.

At her query, the fifteen-meter megalith whined in desperation and impatience as he jabbed his index finger into the crevice, looking to the waiting couple with a begging stare – wordlessly telling the woman that was just what he wanted. Grisha then motioned past the titan and his wife to peer into the rocky void, eyebrows rising as he adjusted his glasses.

"It's not a cave but a tunnel." He assessed. "I can see light on the other side."

She nodded and turned her gaze to the titan who looked almost as if he couldn't sit still. "If that's the case then we'll meet you on the other side." The woman beamed with the titan still looking owlishly at the couple, obviously waiting on them to move. As Grisha descended into the tunnel and Carla stepped foot into the entrance, the titan rumbled loudly and lifted himself up to initiate in climbing the natural wall. Smiling once again, she jogged into the crevice to match her husband's pace, intertwining her fingers between his own. "I think he's definitely showing us where he lives."

"I think so too." Grisha replied, deep voice echoing slightly through the slim warren. "Right now I'm just wondering what it looks like. The book didn't even say if titans made permanent homes or not. Even if they don't, this one probably does."

"True. He's smart enough to do so."

Grisha dipped his head, a lock of hair falling out of place. "What we are heading into must be like a basin or cove of sorts. If the outside was captivating then I wonder if what we are about to see is the same thing."

"I wonder that as well." Carla expressed as the light at the end of the tunnel grew brighter and forced their eyes to adjust. The Jaegers came closer and closer with each step, the light glowing lighter and lighter until the two stepped out of the tunnel into an awaiting heaven.

Before them was a place that seemed to only ever be present in a dream or painting. Nestled inside the wall of rock was the most beautiful scenery that the doctor or his wife had ever seen. The enclosed meadow of sorts was covered in lush healthy grass that was sprinkled with thousands of lilac forget-me-nots. Perfect oaks, cedars, maples, and pines that were only a fourth of the height of the giant trees grew in clusters around the cove. A translucent pond lay undisturbed, surface glistening like diamonds in the subtle rays of light. Giant tree limbs stretched protectively over the cove, shading parts of the ground below from the angelic light that came down from the thin canopy above. The centerpiece of the hideaway was a colossal tree at the rear of the beautiful enclosure. To say that the tree was grand was an understatement. It was the densest tree that the couple had seen so far on their trek. Its ornate and swirling trunk stretched high into the green roof whereas the plant's massive roots danced and overlapped one another into the fertile earth. It was truly picturesque. Clearly it had never been touched or soiled by the poison of man.

"This is – a sanctuary." Grisha muttered softly in awe just as the titan crested over the wall and set foot into the cove. "It's a perfect hideaway for him."

The creature then stood before them, looking down at the awestruck Jaegers with a lopsided grin, sneaking a purr of pleasure through his lipless maw. Next, the titan then strolled over to a small area nestled between the roots of the giant tree. Between the wood was a pile of human belongings and objects. They were weathered from the elements or worn from use. There were things from old clothes to rusted chains. To most, it would be considered a junk heap, but to the titan it was a hoard of treasure – even her basket sat among the rusty gold. The creature then sat the oats canister on top of the pile, looking towards the two humans before walking to the face of the tree. Carla watched with blooming curiosity as the titan then climbed into a large hollow in the center of the tree. She couldn't help but smile as the beast took the time to ruffle a mass of fresh leaves before circling once and lying down in the large nest – the top of the titan's head peeking out with only the thick chocolate locks and brilliant greens visible to the couple, watching them with intrigue like he was waiting to see what they did next. The woman couldn't help but to express a bit of mirth at the sight. As big and fearsome as the titan looked, it was obviously shy. She found it endearing.

"Well Carla, let's set up the picnic here. He most likely led us here to do so. He's more comfortable here and he wants our company." Grisha proposed, receiving a nod from Carla.

"Sounds wonderful. How about we eat over there?" She pointed to the center of the cove. "That way we can take everything in."

Minutes later, the couple were seated upon the old quilt, surveying their breathtaking surroundings while reading their dishes. Carla turned her gaze from the many flowers back to her task of preparing her meal. It was a simple dish, a mere sandwich. Fresh blueberry jelly and peanut butter was smeared between two slices of whole wheat bread. The area was beginning to smell like a morning kitchen for Grisha had brought a small gas fueled hot plate – a small and portable cooker that was a pricey but handy contraption for those going on outings from simple picnics to campouts beneath the stars. All the cooker needed in order to work was a small spark to light the shallow pan of gas to heat the iron plate above. The doctor was currently tending to the incoming meal, flipping a pair of eggs for the both of them that they had picked up at the market earlier. Taking a bite of her sandwich, Carla observed the titan who was still seated in the tree. He was still in the same position as he was with only a fraction of his face peeking from his nest. With a shift of the wind, the titan lifted his head and sniffed aggressively, before setting his piercing emeralds to the iron plate, recognizably interested in the scent of the fried eggs. The titan lifted himself into a sitting position, placing a hand outside the nest before lying back down in the leaves again – chin resting on the hollow's ledge. The creature definitely wanted to join them or at least get near enough to examine what they were doing at close proximity. Switching to take a bite of her apple, Mrs. Jaeger let out a sigh.

"Grisha, I really hope that he warms up to us soon. He wants to be with us so badly."

The man looked from the cooking eggs to the watching titan, hand reaching up to adjust his glasses yet again. "I don't think it will take him that long to do so, Carla. I mean, like I said, he felt comfortable enough to bring us into his territory. I think he'll get the courage to do so soon. We just have to be patient."

She sighed solemnly. "Grisha – it makes me almost wonder what exactly happened to him. Maybe something occurred in his past that makes him incredibly fearful of being touched. The other night when I yelled at him – he seemed almost petrified for a moment. I just wonder if he went through anything like that that could have manifested his weariness."

"Yeah – then again it could just be a natural reflex of this guy. Most creatures on earth have some sort of reflex, humans included." Grisha paused, studying the giant. "However, I do see what you mean Carla. I can tell he gets nervous when we speak. Since he reacted they way he did when you shouted at him it does make me wonder." The doctor continued as he turned back to the eggs, scooping them up and putting them on separate plates. "I hope these turned out. I'm not as good of cook as you are."

Carla smiled softly at her husband as he handed her the plate, face looking almost forgiving. "I'm sure you're just exaggerating and they're entirely edible." She chuckled, taking a bite of her egg to find that it was still considerably delectable. "You're too hard on yourself. This is good, Dear." She ensured with the doctor nodding in reply. Carla then peered out into the landscape again, taking note that the titan was still in his nest watching them. Then, a sliver of movement caught her eye, transferring her gaze from the behemoth to the tunnel in which they had emerged. Grabbing her husband's hand, the two beheld a small herd of deer that had entered the cove. There were six in all: four females, one male, and one young fawn. The group elegantly walked to the crystal pond and began to savor its waters. The creatures were absolutely content. She had never seen them alive so close before.

A rumbling tweet diverged their attention back to the hollow to see the titan edging carefully out of tree, face lit up in what she could label as elation yet again. The two silently watched as the titan quietly sat itself next to the feeding and drinking deer. Eyes widened not only at how close the beast was but also that the deer had looked up from their acts of nourishment to meet the green-eyed titan's massive form without flashing their white flags in warning. In awe, the Jaegers watched as the titan extended an arm and lowered his knuckles. Even as the titan did this, the deer did not fret or scatter. A doe had quickly taken notice of the gentle gesture of the titan and turned its head to acknowledge the towering giant. A tiny dark nose pressed against the leathery hide of the creature's hand, smelling the titan with the megalith letting out a rumbling purr of appreciation. The sight brought a smile to the couple's faces.

"Looks like he does have a few friends." Grisha chuckled as the two continued to observe.

The doe continued to examine the oversize humanoid before it turned away and began to tend to its offspring. Carla watched the titan as he kept his small smile, inspecting the mother deer lick and groom her baby as it nourished itself on her milk. Suddenly the titan's face fell from its content expression. Green eyes seemed to smolder, pupils sinking to the creature's hand. The skin at the corners of the beast's mouth morphed into a frown, stress lining the creature's forehead. Carla sat her plate down, looking at the creature in serious question.

It then it her.

She knew – the creature was lonely. Even though he was clearly a friend to the deer, they didn't really interact with the titan, at least not in the way that he wanted. The giant was looking not only for a solid friendship and someone to interrelate with but rather someone to love him. Someone to adore him as he was.

She then had an idea – one that would change she and her husband's lives for as long as they lived. Everything was crystal to her. Her feelings – he was the one. This was her chance. Carla inhaled deeply, a tender smile spreading across her cheeks as she turned to her husband. "Dear?"

Hearing the amount of need in his wife's tone, Grisha looked up from his plate, seeing that Carla's cheeks were flushing pink. "Yes Carla?"

"I've been thinking – about adoption."

Hearing this, Grisha sat down his dish. "You have?"

"Yes. I've made my decision on who I want to welcome into our family."

The man grinned at this. "Who?"

Carla chortled warmly. "The titan." She smiled, watching in almost amusement as Grisha's eyes widened in shock at her request.

"Carla? The titan? I like him but –

"Just hear me out." The woman held up a hand. "I'll explain my reasoning. First of all, look at the titan." She gestured to the beast that was still staring at its feet. "What do you see besides a titan?"

The doctor turned to the creature and began to scrutinize. A moment of silence passed before he cleared his throat, face turning into one coated in concern. "I see someone who is lost. Someone who is waiting to be found."

"Exactly. I see several things. I see the same as you do. I see someone that needs loved. I see someone that needs nurtured. Grisha, I don't see him as a titan. I don't see him as a monster. I see him as a child, as a lonely person that needs some tender affection and care. I see someone special." Carla paused, looking back to the titan. "Grisha, after all the children that I met in the orphanages, I never felt that spark. With this magnificent being, I felt that almost instantly. Sweetheart, those children are human. There will always be parents ready to welcome them no matter what. This titan is the furthest thing from a human thus he will never have that opportunity. Most people would just look at him and run or attempt to kill – never getting to know how genuine he really is. I know that he is different and that he's unique. I understand that he'll be a bit of a challenge and that he has specific needs, but I am ready to devote myself to be his mother."

All was quiet in the cove as the couple sat, looking at one another with blank faces. Finally, Grisha rotated his neck to gaze upon the titan who was attempting to court with the deer yet again. He smiled. "I thought we were already under the impression that we were becoming his parents, Carla."

The woman beamed happily, feeling her heart lift up in her chest. "Then it's settled! He's our son!"

Grisha nodded, face growing with warmth. "You can now say that you're a mother Carla."

"And you my Dear are his father!" She laughed, feeling elated.

He dipped his head, pushing his glasses up on his nose as he looked to the titan. "You know Carla, now that we have a son – we have to give him a name." The doctor emanated. "If I remember correctly, I think you had the name 'Eren' in mind for a boy."

She sighed, looking back to the seated behemoth. "True. I did have that picked out if there ever was a future son gifted to us. However, I've been thinking. I want a name that's just as unique as he is. I want something that fits him. There is – one title that's been resonating in the back of my mind since I met him. The definition means mischievous, playful, and he lives in a lifestyle that's far different from his kind. Inferior."

"What is it?"

"Rogue." Carla spoke strongly. "I want to name him Rogue."

At her declaration, Grisha sat back – looking over at the beast to watch as he began to swivel a finger in the shallow pond. "I like it. It really fits him. Rogue Jaeger it is."

She smiled, resting her chin in her hand. "Yes, it suits him. Also, it will probably be easy for him to say."

Yet again, Grisha's eyes widened at his wife's words. "Talk? You want to teach him to say things? Carla, I don't think –

"He exists. He's special. I think I can teach him how to do so. Not only that, but I'm going to teach him how to understand us and the world around him. Like I just stated, it will be lots of work, but I am willing to do it." Carla smiled as she lifted her hands to cup around her mouth. "HEY!" She called to the titan who still sat at the pond. "HEY THERE!"

At her call, the creature lifted his head in surprise. He was still, frozen with wide greens looking on at them with an undeterminable expression. Rogue then grunted, tilting his head in silent question. Carla lifted a hand and waved in a beckoning motion.

"Come here sweet boy!" The woman begged warmly, being patient.

The titan remained seated for several seconds more before lifting himself to the heels of his feet. Leary just as he was before, Rogue crept forward on all fours – moving slowly and flesh trembling from nerves. Carla smiled fondly at the creature's cautious expression; hopefully this habit would be a thing of the past soon.

"Come on! Come on now! You can do it!" Carla continued as she waved her hand.

Rogue paused, ears sinking before he began to make the approach again, looking like a kicked puppy.

"Yes! That's it! You can do it!"

The titan hesitated yet again, shoulders sinking with a lack of confidence before crawling forward. Finally, the titan sat itself just a few short meters away from their ongoing picnic. Proceeding with the next step, Carla then leaned forward in a position that the titan had performed before, one where his chin was resting against the ground. She repeated the notion several times before patting the soft grass, the titan watching with inquisitive greens.

"Now, lay down for me!" She began as she represented the action again. "Lay down! Don't be shy. We're not going to hurt you!"

For a moment, her heart almost leaped from her chest as Rogue began to double over. However, the creature stopped short, letting out a whine in uncertainty, emeralds pleading strongly.

"Oh now! You're a big boy! You can do it!" Carla encouraged as she continued to make hand notions, her husband watching closely.

The beast swallowed, throat bobbing before bending over. With a final mental push, the titan's head came to rest just a foot beyond her face. Carla smiled, humming to herself, pleased that they had made it thus far.

"Good job! Now relax." Carla spoke softly as she lifted a hand. "It's going to be alright." She cooed as she gently laid her hand on the bridge of his nose.

At the touch, the titan jerked back slightly just as she thought, but she still kept her smile. "Oh come on now! I didn't hurt you!" She changed her approach. "Come on! You can do it!" Carla tried to convince.

There was a pregnant pause before the creature gradually leaned forward again, hovering his nose just inches from her. Then, for the second time, Carla pressed her hand onto his flesh. The titan winced in the slightest but remained still as she began to gently stroke the tip of his nose. "There now! That wasn't so bad was it? See? We're not bad at all." She coaxed, the beast's eyes fluttering before the dark lids sank over vibrant gems. Carla found herself trembling in the slightest with excitement. The leathery skin was just as warm as the rest of the beast, but the flesh was slightly softer. With each deep breath from the creature, her hair rustled like leaves in the wind. Then, much to their elation, Rogue began to cavernously purr in pleasure, eyelids shut tight in sheer enjoyment. Mrs. Jaeger had been correct. Unexpectedly, the creature began to lean into her touch, head moving up and down in the slightest – lovingly nuzzling the petite woman.

"Well what do you know?" Grisha chuckled softly. "You were right. He is looking for -

Suddenly, the titan let out what sounded like a tweet and pressed his face fully into Carla, purring loudly as he nuzzled her, eventually pushing her roughly over.

"Carla!"

At the man's sharp tone, Rogue suddenly pulled himself back, eyes looking down at Carla in shock, body rigged. The titan winced, eyes filling with fear as she sat up. Opening her eyes, Carla viewed the beast that looked absolutely terrified, like he couldn't believe he had done something. It was then that she made another realization.

The titan wasn't scared to be touched. He was scared of hurting them. It was very evident. When he was examining her that one faithful night and she yelled at him, he had come to the conclusion that he was the reason for her agony. Not only that, but he was so very desperate for contact that he had given in to desire. The thought nearly made her succumb to a frown. However, she kept her smile despite the circumstance, she didn't want to scare him off.

"Don't worry Sweetheart! I'm fine! You did nothing wrong!" She continued as she made the same signals as before. "Come on! Lay down again!"

For a moment, the Jaegers thought that the beast was going to retreat, but to their surprise, the titan lowered himself – chin resting just a few feet from Carla. She then stood and kindly cupped his jaw, the titan looking at her in wonder. "See? I'm fine!" She informed merrily as she lifted a hand to point at herself. "CARLA." The woman educated. "I AM CARLA." She prolonged, repeating her name several times before gesturing to her husband. "GRISHA." Carla continued. "THAT IS GRISHA." Mrs. Jaeger illustrated before turning her finger to the titan, the creature looking at her with complete focus. "YOU. ARE. ROGUE." Carla smiled. "ROGUE. YOU ARE ROGUE." She pressed her face into the warmth of his chin. "WE ARE A FAMILY."

* * *

The sun was shining brightly just as it was the day before, highlighting the deep regions of the forest in a heavenly aura. Carla walked among the same path that they had traveled, humming happily to herself as she made her way to the cove. In her hands, she carried a basket of items that she had rounded up from both around her house and a few that she had purchased in the market when the sun crested the wall. She was elated. While Grisha was off making various house calls, she had been given the permission to begin her first visit to teach her newly adopted son. Knowing very well that Rogue was going to be a special case when it came to educating, Carla consulted a few of her friends that were mothers. She had stated that she had gotten a job in the farmlands teaching a few young children and she wanted to know where and how to start. In particular, she wanted to know of the most direct and successful methods of teaching a child that was simple, knowing well that since the titan was the equivalent of a feral child she was going to have to start with the most basic of things. After a few long hours of speaking with her acquaintances, Carla felt prepared and ready. Yes, she was nervous, but very optimistic.

As far as teaching the titan how to speak however, she and Grisha would have to figure that out themselves. If he even could.

After minutes of walking among the moss covered rocks and boulders, Carla then came to the gap in the rocky wall. Looking behind her shoulder to check for any followers, Carla concluded that she was alone before entering the tight crevice. After navigating through the gap, she arrived in the beautiful sanctuary of the cove once again. The deer family was frolicking on the far side of the enclosure and a cluster of rabbits ate away at the scattered clovers. For a moment, a frown tugged at her lips for the titan seemed to be absent among the cove, but a gentle rumbling snore convinced her otherwise. Following the sound to the source, Carla looked up to the vast tree. The titan's arm hung slightly out of the hollow, the beast obviously still asleep. Studying the scene and comparing it to the facts in the Scout's Manual, she determined that it was likely because the sunlight hadn't quite met the hollow of the tree yet. Bravely, Carla then sat down her basket and approached the roots of the great tree and began to scale the organic ladder. As she came mere inches from the lazily sprawled fingers, her eyes caught sight of the creature. A grin drew at her lips. Rogue, despite being so massive, was curled tightly but comfortably in the small space of the hollow. The behemoth's legs were tucked tightly against his bulk, making the beast look like a snoozing cat. Rogue's face was buried partially into his folded right arm. Characteristically, the titan's nose twitched and ears fluttered like a sleeping sow. The beast looked to be at absolute peace.

With the sun warming the titan's bare skin, Carla fearlessly laid her hand on Rogue's thick index finger and began to pat it in affection but in caution. He appeared to be sleeping like a log, heavy and wrapped in possible dreams. Carla felt her lips sink. The titan could be hard to wake.

However, with the fifth pat, Rogue's green eyes flew open – swarming with confusion as his gaze met her. Unexpectedly, the titan let out a loud shriek as he lifted himself from his sleeping position. The titan released a hiss as he backed against the bark of the hollow like cornered prey. Carla stiffened, thinking the beast had hit a switch, but then Rogue settled. The titan's muscles went slack and he seemed to let out a breath of relief. Pinprick irises grew from tiny slits to round orbs yet again as Rogue emerged from his defensive stance, looking to Carla in a way that was similar to saying that he was glad to see her. She let out a long sigh in relief.

"Oh I'm sorry Rogue! I didn't mean to startle you!" She pointed down at her basket on the ground, the titan following her finger with brows rising in interest. "I thought we'd get to know each other a bit more by me teaching you a few things! What do you say?" Carla informed, still knowing that the titan couldn't quite answer her yet. She then waved for Rogue to follow her before starting to descend down the roots of the tree. However, long before Carla could reach the lush grass, the titan hummed loudly, his emerald greens looking fully at the wicker basket on the ground. With his ears wiggling in interest and before Carla could react, Rogue made his way down the tree with two simple steps. Making contact with the earth, the beast then excitedly lumbered to her belongings, plopping himself on his rump and pinching the basket between his fingers. Seeing that the titan would possibly tear up her belongings and what she had planned for him, Carla hurried faster. Grunting a variety of cheerful sounding tones, Rogue then turned the basket upside down, watching in amazement as things from Carla's lunch, another homemade toy, and several other items poured onto the grass. Just as her feet reached the safety of the ground below, the titan lowered a hand with the intent to playfully examine.

"Rogue!"

Upon hearing her tone that was urgent but disapproving, the beast stilled- green eyes looking to her in shock as he remained petrified. Carla blinked, observing as the titan adapted a look of guilt. Rogue's ears sank, shoulders hunching, and his bulk cowering in on itself like someone had raised a hand to hit him. The creature's lively greens turned almost fearful. His reaction made her wonder. Perhaps he had some rough treatment in the past. Maybe that was the reason why he was always flinching when she or Grisha spoke to him. The thought made her frown. She would have to be very careful with her approaches with the abnormally skittish Rogue.

In light of his fear, Carla put on a smile and approached the beast, the titan characteristically taking a few steps from her spilled basket. "Hey, you're alright Rogue!" She spoke kindly as she picked up her things and stowed them away in the wicker. "You're a curious thing aren't you?" She laughed warmly, taking note of the titan calming. "Of course, I don't want you in my basket yet, Rogue! What's in there is a surprise for you!"

The creature continued to stare at her in confusion, eyes watching as she held the basket in hand, obviously perplexed and disappointed that he couldn't satisfy his curiosity. The titan whined softly, expressing his want more vocally. As much as it made her grow tender, Carla stood her ground.

"Oh! No whining now! I'm going to teach you some things and then I'll give you this." She continued as she shook the basket slightly, Rogue's ears perking up a bit in interest. Proceeding with her intent to educate, Carla then pointed at herself – set on giving a recap of their names. "CARLA." She patted her collar. "I AM CARLA. CARLA." She gestured before pointing to him. "YOU ARE ROGUE. ROGUE! ROGUE!" Carla informed, the titan suddenly lifting a loose fist to his chest, fingers uncoiling in the slightest in an almost irresolute gesture to himself. – her eyes widening. He was understanding! "Good! That's your name!" Carla cheered, pointing once again to him. "You are Rogue!"

The titan tilted his head in amusement, releasing what sounded like a pleased little growl before Carla nodded and began to walk out into the cove, proceeding with her plan. The titan would most likely respond better to fun and gratification. Looking over her shoulder, Carla saw and felt Rogue doing exactly what she guessed he would, getting to his feet and trailing her – obviously feeling comfortable enough to stand upright. She nearly laughed as she noticed that he was still looking at her basket. If he was this eager to see now, she hoped that he would focus on her rather than what she had. Finally, Carla stopped right before one of the pines scattered around the cove, the titan slowing to a stop and crouching down to rest on the balls of his feet again. Rogue's attention then turned to Carla, green eyes full of wonder and questions. Mrs. Jaeger pointed to the evergreen, the beast's line of sight transferring to the tree. Rogue grunted, blinking his shadowed lids and looking back to the beautiful woman as if to silently ask what she was doing.

"TREE." Carla gestured to the pine, Rogue quickly rotating his head to gaze upon the evergreen with new interest. "THIS. IS. A. TREE. TREE." She smiled, the titan letting out an odd hum as his eyes danced among the branches and needles in newfound awe. "TREE!"

Much to her amazement, Rogue lifted a hand to the pine and began to pet it much like how a human would pet a dog. He then looked back to her, parting his lips to blow out a bizarre sound and tendrils of steam. The titan turned to the tree again; making the peculiar sound once over but to himself, skin pulling up into a smile. Warmth heated into her chest, it appeared that Rogue was beginning to understand. Suddenly, a rustle from somewhere on the outstretching limbs above captured the titan's attention. Irises blew wide as the titan abruptly turned his head, ears erect as he peered up into the canopy to see a perched robin. Carla continued to observe as Rogue remained focused as the feathered animal began to sing, the titan's ears twitching to the notes – reminding her so much of a cat. Rogue's pupils reduced back to their normal size, the behemoth turning his attention back to Carla before grunting apishly and pointing up to the canopy – asking his own query for the first time.

Carla followed his finger to the robin above, giving a warm smile. "That? That's a bird, Rogue. BIRD!"

Looking up again, the titan purred to himself in satisfaction before turning his attention to the tree again, suddenly grabbing the trunk and effortlessly hoisting it out of the ground much to Carla's shock. Rogue then sat down fully onto his rump, holding the pine in hand and scrutinizing it in fascination much like a toddler. Oddly, he produced the same sound again – making Carla realize something that made her heart leap.

The sound was actually a single syllable, a low and prolonged 'E.' Part of a word. She felt her chest flutter in excitement. If Rogue could pronounce a single syllable, then perhaps he could be taught how to speak! Carla grew even more excited when she began to compare her overgrown son to the other mindless titans that humanity feared. Although, Rogue had a lot of animal like quirks, he was indeed showing signs that he had human like intelligence, one that could grow. As far as how much, only time with the creature could tell. If she were forced to make an instant assumption on the level of his intelligence, Carla would deem it equivalent as a child's.

The titan then pointed up at the roosting robin again, making the single syllable that he had used before, calling the bird a tree. Amused by his innocence, Carla laughed.

"No! No! That's a bird, Rogue! BIRD! BIRD!" Mrs. Jaeger addressed. "Birds are those things that you see flying around and making that noise." Carla referred, deciding to introduce 'singing' another time. "BIRD." She pointed at the small animal and then to the pine. "TREE."

Rogue's eyes widened at her teachings before looking from the two things in pure amazement, like he had discovered the answer to the universe. The creature then beamed back down at Carla, purring loudly with the rumbling vibrating her tiny chest. The titan's maw then formed into a lopsided grin, mouth parted to express his elation even more. Rogue then sat down the tree and got to his knees, trying to circle around her slightly on all fours, green eyes taking in her basket in extreme interest again. Gurgling excitedly, Rogue made a pawing notion with his hand before droning with his pupils fixed on her expectedly. Carla sighed. Yes, he was definitely animal like. She shook her head.

"No Rogue. You can't have this yet. We're going to learn some more first."

At the word 'no' the titan showed a little disappointment, but nonetheless waited patiently to see what she would do next. Carla then moved over to a lone boulder that looked as if it hadn't moved from its spot in centuries, Rogue again stirring to place himself on his rump next to the object.

"This is a rock, Rogue." Carla spelt out. "ROCK."

The titan blinked, greens glowing with juvenile like interest. As Carla spoke the word again, Rogue reached forward and wrapped a single hand around the boulder that was at least seven feet tall. In awe, she watched as the titan plucked the rock from the ground with no effort whatsoever, and like the pine he began to examine it with newfound fascination. The creature's strength amazed her so. It would have taken nearly twenty men and some sort of pulley system to lift that rock, maybe fifty to uproot the pine. Rogue moved both with a single hand. Carla then recalled her task and snapped out of her daze.

"ROCK. THAT. IS. A ROCK." She smiled, the titan trilling softly. Rogue then began to toss the boulder in his hand, forcing out the single syllables for 'R' and 'K.' It only made her grow even more excited. He definitely showed promise in speaking in the future! Seeing that he understood, Carla then made her way back to the pond – Rogue dropping the boulder to the grass and standing to follow her on his hands and feet, still looking at her basket. If she were to put the thing down, he would likely grab it and proceed to do what he wished.

Her feet then met the banks of the pond, silver water nearly touching the tips of her shoes. Rogue met her side, roughly dropping himself to his rear and making the small pond ripple and nearly causing her to fly forward. Carla then looked back to the titan to see his waiting face, green eyes looking to the water before going back to amber irises. "This Rogue, is a pond." Carla informed as she pointed to the body of water as a whole. Then, she carefully adjusted her basket and bent over to scoop the crystal liquid into her hands, turning to show the curious creature. "This is water, Rogue. WATER. WATER." Carla spoke as she deposited the small amount of liquid onto his hand – the titan hissing slightly and jerking the appendage back before looking at her apologetically. She cursed herself. She had gotten too forward; the titan still was leery with some of her actions, especially those that may have been unfamiliar. Before she could worry about the beast having some sort of internal fear about water, Rogue lifted his hands and submerged them into the pond. The titan grunted, looking at her from beneath his armpit before returning to his own observations. Questioning his motives, Carla watched as Rogue slowly moved his hands in the translucent liquid – emeralds following the ripples and glistening in excitement as he witnessed the sun's rays of light dancing on the surface. Carla smiled, she found his intrigue endearing.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" She asked, Rogue craning his neck to look at her – tilting his head in confusion. "Oh, it's a bit of a hard word Rogue. But 'beautiful' means something stunning or pretty – you can use the word to describe the way the light reflects off the water's surface." She chuckled, seeing the titan's brow wrinkle slightly in puzzlement. "But that's a thing for another day!" She finished as she turned to head into the center of the cove again with Rogue lumbering after her.

Suddenly, a rustle in the grass and among the stone provoked the two to look at the crevice to see more deer entering the cove. At the sight of them, the creature released chirping sound, clacking his exposed teeth excitedly at the view of the nimble mammals before turning to Carla – pointing at the animals with a bit of gusto.

"Those are deer, Rogue." Mrs. Jaeger informed kindly. "DEER. THOSE ARE DEER."

Rogue's ears lifted themselves, the tips twitching as he looked back to the small herd, producing another single syllable for both an 'E' and 'R.' With the robin starting a tune once again, Rogue quickly swiveled his head to look over his shoulder in a feline like fashion. After a few brief seconds of watching, Rogue then pointed to the singing specimen, making the same sound he had used for the deer.

"No, that's a bird. BIRD." Carla pointed, finger traveling back to the herd. "DEER." She corrected, determining that there seemed to be a delay in the titan's learning ability.

The titan scoffed slightly at his error, but was easily distracted by a small butterfly fluttering before his nose – Rogue's eyes comically crossing to look upon it. The beast then lifted a finger, the tip desperately trying to follow the insect as he pronounced the syllable for 'I' and something that was suspiciously like a 'B'. Carla snickered.

"That's actually a butterfly, not a bird. BUTTERFLY."

Rogue grunted in what she could classify as understanding before losing interest in the monarch. Suddenly, the titan tweeted loudly and made a notion for her basket once more. Much quicker than she anticipated, the titan rounded her form and roughly placed himself onto his posterior once again. Rogue then produced an irritated yet desperate groan as he patted the ground, nails digging into fine soil as he gave Carla a pleading look – pointing to the basket with yet another whimper. She beamed feebly, knowing she couldn't reward him yet.

"No. Let's wait a bit before –

However, the titan clearly had a different opinion. Rogue re-positioned himself on his stomach, kicking his legs out behind him and placing his head onto his folded hands, regarding to her with a needy glare, clearly pouting in his own way. He moaned, rustling the small blades of grass as he continued to eye the basket. Mrs. Jaeger shrugged her shoulders, anxiously biting her lip as she took a step forward.

"Rogue, let's do one more thing before you get the basket okay?" Carla addressed, thinking about how to punch a hole in the titan's stubbornness. Getting an idea, she took a few steps back to pretend as if she were walking off to leave for he wouldn't listen, hoping the beast's concern would worry him into moving. Sure enough, the titan let out a sorrowful groan and sat up, tilting his head and raising his bows in response – forming his apology with a remorseful grumble. Carla then faced the creature, still keeping her signature smile.

"So? I see you want to try again now? All right then, we'll do this and I'll share what I have for you in the basket. Now, I want you to just follow my instructions Rogue! Don't worry! This will be fun!" Carla initiated as she placed the basket between her feet. She then lifted a hand and moved it in a waving notion. "WAVE. WAVE YOUR HAND." She gestured with Rogue observing curiously, eyes studying her closely. "WAVE."

To her surprise, the beast raised his hand and began to stiffly move it to and fro just as she did. At this, Carla moved on. "Now," She began as she gradually bent over. "LAY DOWN." She reenacted, watching as the titan hesitantly folded in on himself, observing and waiting for her next order. "Good! Now open your mouth." Carla instructed as she made the same move, hoping Rogue would comply. If she could get him to do so, the she could have him do the same for Grisha who could examine him to see if his vocal cords were suitable for speech.

However, instead of opening his mouth or doing anything of the sort, Rogue only groaned, shuffling backwards slightly. Carla frowned; Rogue was obviously weary of still making such a move. When he had nuzzled her yesterday, he must have unknowingly given in to desire. In his eyes, she could tell that he wanted to get close to her, but his fear of harming her was still gripping him. Maternally, Carla chuckled – her action making the titan tilt his head in question. "Rogue. Please. I don't want you to be afraid of harming me or Grisha." Carla beseeched, knowing that the beast could understand her tone if anything. "It will be alright. It's okay." She pressed on, observing as the titan's muscles relaxed in the slightest. "Now, can you open your mouth?" Mrs. Jaeger continued with her instruction.

For a moment, all was quiet among the cove – the only noisy resident being the robin overhead. Then, Rogue gradually dipped his head and slowly parted his teeth. Carla's eyes grew larger as the titan's maw extended further than she thought possible, the jaw just as flexible as a snake's. The inside of the creature's mouth looked eerily similar to a human's, but it lacked any sort of internal gums as she thought with the clear presence of the titan's teeth just sticking out from its skin. Surprisingly, Rogue's breath wasn't foul but rather had no smell at all; most likely do to the fact that he didn't eat. She lifted her head up a bit, eyes catching sight of the titan's ugula and its throat – nearly seeing far enough into the creature's gullet. Carla looked to Rogue's vocal chords. She wasn't an expert by any means to make any set determination, but Grisha could now certainly take a gander.

Getting what she had wanted, Carla then took a seat in the grass and brought the basket to her lap, Rogue instantly closing his mouth and looking at her with child like curiosity. "You did so good!" Carla praised the beast as she opened the lid on the wicker picnic basket. "Since you listened, I'll show you what I have here!" The woman spoke as she pulled out a children's book that she had saved for when she and her husband had a child. Now that they had one, though a bit oversized to look after, Carla figured that it would be nice to share it with Rogue for he would perhaps find it interesting. Green eyes watched intently as Carla opened the aged cover to reveal the story of _The Three Little Pigs._ Rogue's pupils instantly grew in amazement at the illustration on the page – the creature making a sound equivalent to a slight gasp. "This is what's called a BOOK Rogue." Carla explained warmly, the titan blinking before sounding out the single syllable for 'bird' again, bringing a laugh from the gentle woman. "Not a bird, a BOOK. Books tell stories, Rogue. This particular one is about three little pigs." Carla pointed to the whimsical drawing of a very pink swine. "This is a pig." She exclaimed, taking note of the titan's fascination. It was likely that the titan had never gone near farmland – that she was thankful for. She then turned the title page. "Once upon a time there were three little pigs…" Mrs. Jaeger read aloud with Rogue hovering just over her shoulder. "Each of them wanted to build their own home." Carla continued as she briefly explained what a 'home' was to the titan. The woman then began to read further, flipping the page to see the short story's antagonist. "However there was the –

Suddenly, a sharp and cavernous growl made her jump, the book dropping to the grass. Alarmed, Carla turned to see Rogue's burning greens glaring down at the page. The creature hissed, sending her into a whirl of confusion. Had the titan suddenly snapped? No, he couldn't have. He hadn't made a move to harm her. Following his heated glare, Carla discovered that Rogue was actually looking at the tale's wolf. With the menacing glare upon the titan's face, it was crystal that he had a grudge against them no matter what form. It certainly explained how he had found her in the first place. Rogue could have planned to kill the wolves until he came across her. The titan hissed again, eyes looking up at Carla before turning once again to the illustration. She simply sat in a daze. Did Rogue somehow think the drawing would animate and attack her or was he just expressing his dislike? Cautiously, Carla held up a steady hand in hopes that she could calm the agitated creature.

"That's a wolf. You don't like them do you?"

As if to confirm, the titan grunted roughly, still staring down at the drawing in hatred. He lifted a finger and hit the illustration before tucking in on himself like a cat ready to pounce. The titan had to be expecting for the wolf to emerge from the pages. With how realistic the drawings were, Carla could understand how possible it seemed to the creature. She had witnessed a few young children believe the same thing.

"It's okay Rogue. Carla began as she edged the book back into her hands. "The wolf and the pigs in this story are not real. You have nothing to worry about. She informed as she opened and closed up the cover of the book before reopening it to where she had left off. "See? Not real."

Rogue craned his neck in awe before letting out a rumble and settling to the grass, asking the woman to read more. Carla did just so, reading through the book with the titan avidly listening and scrutinizing with supreme interest. Her cheeks were sore from grinning. The grizzly looking titan, though it looked like a grown man, behaved exactly like a juvenile. It was endearing. Rogue was almost constantly making sounds of liking as she moved through the book, even wanting her to stop at points just so he could behold every color, shape, and character a little longer. He had been practically thrilled when she moved onto another book, cooing and nearly nuzzling into her several times as Carla recited the tale. The scene of the two together looked like an illustration straight out of a book as well.

"The end." Carla closed the cover to their current read, the titan quickly sitting up and urging her to continue, scooting _The Three Little Pigs_ to her again. Instead, she laughed and placed the two titles back into the confines of the wicker, Rogue's face igniting with a look of confusion and disappointment. "We finished those, but next time I'll bring you another book." She smiled, hoping that the beast would accept her verdict. Rogue hung his head, eyes still looking at her pleadingly, wanting more. His body language only made her melt even further, his innocence was only making her fall for him more. "However, I do have a gift for you since you did so well today, Rogue." Carla began as she reached a hand into the basket again, gaining his direct attention once more. She then revealed a stuffed bear that she had made, one that she had sewn previously for what was supposed to be a coming daughter that she and her husband were to have. Since the baby had been lost, the plush had been tucked away in a chest that she dared to not look into for it always brought her dread. Now however, since the couple's adoption, Carla had taken to exploring the chest to see what they could give to their new son. The bear she held was made of sheep's wool and still had a pink bow tied around its neck. It had two dark buttons for eyes and one for a nose and it was white and pale in color. At its presentation, Rogue's eyes widened and the creature produced several ape like grunts in excitement. Soon after sitting the toy before him, the titan gently scooped the stuffed bear into his hand. As delicate as the titan could manage, Rogue sat on his rear and cradled the bear in his palm, lifting his opposite hand to stroke the bear's wool surface. With a deep purr, Carla knew that he loved her insignificant token.

"Hey Carla!"

At her husband's familiar voice, both the titan and Mrs. Jaeger looked to see Dr. Grisha approaching the pair having just arrived in the cove. For a moment, the titan stiffened before shyly turning back to the bear. Thankful that he was finished with appointments for the day, Carla excused herself quietly and made her way over to her anxious looking husband. Grisha appeared concerned as she made her approach; eyes glancing to the occupied titan before turning back to his wife, a small smile tugging at his thin lips.

"So? How was he Carla?"

She couldn't help but to return his grin. "Grisha – goodness I have so much to tell you! He's incredible!"

His arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her into a quick embrace before releasing her petite form. "That's great to hear, Dear. Please tell me everything."

She nodded. "Well, for starters, he's certainly teachable. I indicated to him what a few things around the cove were, his name, and he can follow directions."

"That is impressive."

"It is." Carla replied, suddenly frowning a little at the thought of the issues she had noticed. As usual, Grisha quickly took note of her expression.

"Carla? Is something wrong?"

Realizing what he was implying, she quickly shook her head. "No. Nothing is wrong necessarily, however I did notice some things that has me a little concerned."

He raised a brow. "Like what?"

Carla's hand snaked up to grip her shoulder, a habit she sometimes found herself doing. "Well, one of the things I noticed is that he's still incredibly fearful of hurting us. Rogue will still hiss a little in warning if you try to touch him. He also froze up today when I raised my voice at him once when he started to get into things. Grisha, he looked so petrified – like someone was about to hit him. It just makes me wonder what he went though."

The doctor was quiet, eyes watching the titan as he continued to stroke the fuzzy tummy of the bear. "I see. He could have gone though some sort of trauma before arriving here." He paused, "What else has you apprehensive?"

"Well he's certainly still showing that he's pretty animal like. He was almost catlike when he saw a bird. Of course, the big thing I noticed was when I was teaching him what things were. He – almost seems like he's got some sort of mental delay. When I was naming things off to him, he would sometimes get confused with something that I had said just seconds before. For example, he mixed up 'bird' with several things."

Grisha blinked, bringing a hand to scratch his stubble as he fell into deep thought. "Hmm… that could indeed be a mental handicap or that is as far as his intelligence spans." The man pondered aloud. However, Grisha's eyes suddenly widened. "Carla? How do you know that Rogue got mixed up?"

She beamed. "Well, when I was naming off things – Rogue was trying to replicate my words. Grisha, he was pronouncing a single syllable out of each word." She smiled. "Isn't that exciting? We could probably teach him how to speak! If we can, then perhaps one day he could tell us what happened to him!"

The doctor was silent at this, his glasses had fallen to the tip of his nose and his brows were arched. He obviously wasn't expecting such a phenomenon. "Speak? Teach him to… Sweetheart, we don't know if he can go beyond that –

"Grisha," Carla interrupted. "Could you take a look at his vocal chords and see if it's possible? I was able to get him to lie down and open his mouth."

The doctor became stunned. "This is –

Not bothering to listen and too eager to know a verdict, Carla turned to the titan with hope that the outcome would be the one she was seeking. "Rogue? Rogue? Rogue my Dear?"

Upon hearing his name, the titan looked up from his prodding to view the two with hesitant gems. Stunned at the sudden call, the creature remained where he sat, peering at the Jaegers in question.

Sensing his nervousness, Carla smiled and carefully guided Grisha to the seated giant. Before the titan could shuffle away, she decided to make her commands. "Rogue, it's alright. She paused, watching as he calmed significantly after several tense seconds. "Grisha wants to see what you learned today. Do what I do okay?" Carla prolonged as she bent over, Rogue mirroring her after a slight deferment. "Now open your mouth."

Rogue stiffened again, taking a few more precious seconds to decide before he finally opened his mouth – revealing his throat to signal Grisha to begin his examination. Carla's eyes watched as the doctor scanned the pink tissues with a practiced eye. The man then folded his arms, fingers reaching to his chin yet again.

"Hmm. Well here's what I made out with what I could see. It looks like titans or perhaps just this titan has an extra set of chords which are probably used for roaring, snarling, growling, and other more animalistic sounds. Looking closer, I saw some that are pretty much identical to those of a human. However, they don't look like they are formed all the way."

Carla's jaw slacked in the slightest, feeling her heart drop a bit. "So, will he be able to talk at all?"

Grisha sighed in defeat. "Well, from the way I look at it – he has a ten percent chance of doing so. If Rogue could eventually, it's likely that it's going to be far from perfect. Having no lips complicates things further. He might be able to say some simple words or an incomplete sentence. Then again it could just be a garbled mess. Of course, even if he managed to succeed to do so, it's likely that he will not be able to do it for extensive periods of time for it could actually irritate his throat. I – know it's not the answer you wanted but I hate to have to be the one to break it to you. Still," Grisha paused, giving his wife a soft smile. "There's no harm in trying."

The titan then closed his mouth, looking down at the two with a signature innocent gaze before returning to the stuffed bear he had been given, fingers now toying with the pink ribbon around its neck – skin at the corners of Rogue's mouth pulled into a smile. Carla softened yet again. Though the titan had a few defects and kinks, he still had tremendous potential.

"Yes, I'm going to try. I believe in him."

* * *

The warm summer days gave way into the orange and cooling fall. Then the whiteness of winter came to Wall Maria, a much less harsh one that all were thankful for. Six months had passed since Carla and Grisha had made the titan their own. Thanks to Rogue, their lives had certainly changed. In order to be together, sacrifices had to be made for a routine to form – one that was both functional and kept their adopted son out of the judging eyes of the public. The good doctor only scheduled appointments five days a week, leaving him with weekends so he could accompany his wife on their visitation trips. Carla saw Rogue almost every single day, leaving a weekday off so she could gather goods for she and her husband and so to not reveal their secret. Each time they left Shiganshina, they went off the beaten path so they were not seen. Rogue would meet them in the clearing where Carla first encountered him on occasion, but most of the time the Jaegers met their titanic son in his cove or they would find him somewhere deep in the forest. Of course, there were also days where they would meet the titan while working. If Grisha had an appointment in Maria, Rogue would always follow the man and his wife – watching the doctor's practice from a safe distance in the trees. They were discreet; no one raised a single suspicion.

The months had also been greatly productive with Rogue's education. Treated just like a human child, the titan's show of intelligence was beginning to blossom. The creature could understand more and more of what his pint-sized guardians were saying and he was learning more and more of the ways of humans as well as basic knowledge. Rogue knew his name by heart. Granted, it was no easy task to get where the Jaegers were currently. Carla herself had spent many tiresome hours just teaching Rogue the concept of yes and no – schooling the titan to communicate when he wanted or understood something to disagreeing, letting them know that he didn't understand, or to express his dislike. Carla had also gone into detail about more things such as what to do if he ever saw other humans or what to do when he saw soldiers. The kind woman also read to him for long hours, constantly checking out children's stories from the library or told him takes of old. Although, Rogue sometimes had difficultly in his studies and would often express his displeasure with himself by groaning, pouting, or throwing a small hissy fit when he was either tired of going over something or constantly got something wrong. Among the other things that the Jaegers taught Rogue was general manners, which the titan still sometimes ignored – implemented when they had caught the giant sticking his fingers into their lunch when they had their backs turned. The titan still had much to learn.

During their time with the fifty-foot behemoth, the Jaegers bore witness to many of Rogue's characteristics and mannerisms. The titan had certainly opened up to them quite a bit. The creature lived up to his name for he was full of mischief. Rogue would get into anything that the Jaegers had brought with them and would sometimes hide their belongings away from them in hopes that they would forget and he could have said objects for himself. Through this action, Carla and Grisha had both discovered that Rogue was a horrible liar for the tips of his tapered ears would blush crimson when he was questioned if he was hiding something. They had also learned what each movement made by his ears expressed and that he had a strange fascination with things that were feathered. The biggest fact about Rogue was that he was incredibly playful yet was very protective.

The titan's mysterious fear of inflicting serious harm to them had all but disappeared. Rogue was certainly open to the option of the two petting him, taking objects handed to him, or even scratching behind his ears – an action that seemed to make him melt in happiness. The titan would also nuzzle into them when he was extremely happy or thankful. Rogue had even gone as fair as letting Carla curl up with him in his leafy nest on several occasions. Rogue's animalistic traits were still present, but the two assumed that it was just due to the titan's specific 'breed'. They didn't mind it and often they found Rogue's actions rather cute. His deep and affectionate purring was Carla's absolute favorite and when the beast was exceptionally happy; he would kneed his hands and feet. Of course, some of Rogue's more aggressive reactions would slip out – but none was severe enough to cause worry. Rogue only growled when he tried to get his message across that he didn't want something or to ward away any animals that he thought dangerous – including the wolves that avoided the titan like the plague.

Overall, the Jaegers had completely fallen in love with the titan as the creature had done with them. The relationship was an inseparable one.

The day was a fine day; the thin layer of snow had finally melted to give way to an early spring grass. Small icicles melted from naked limbs and flourishing pines in the cove and some animals were beginning to awaken from their winter hibernation. The Jaegers sat on their worn quilt. Grisha was fixing the couple lunch while Carla was going through a series of drawings that she had created, Rogue kneeling before them studying the images in enthusiasm. In recent weeks, Carla had taken to showing the titan flash cards, asking the beast to pick out a single image from a few at a time. It was an effective technique that Rogue had taken a liking to.

"Okay Rogue. Can you tell me which one of these is a flower?" The woman queried kindly.

With a trill seeping through his teeth, Rogue lifted a finger and pointed to a drawing of a daisy, ears wiggling confidently. She smiled and placed the cards aside.

"That's right!" Carla edged forward and laid a hand onto Rogue's nose – the titan purring in delight. "You're doing very well. Now, would you like to start trying our special training again?" Carla refereed to her sessions that she had scheduled for practicing Rogue's possible potential to speak. She and Grisha had begun the technique a little over two months prior but they had little success. Granted, there were a few times that Rogue had gotten close but not quite. This gave them doubts, but Carla had faith that someday the titan would say his first words.

For a moment, Rogue hesitated at her proposal before nodding, swallowing to salivate his throat. The creature always seemed to be nervous when Carla mentioned or began their exercise. She knew that it was most likely the titan's dislike for failure and that he most likely didn't want to disappoint her.

She smiled, hand gently patting the bridge of his nose. "There's no need to be nervous Rogue. You're doing great." Carla reassured, the titan understanding and smiling feebly before lifting himself to be on his knees. "Let's begin with your name again, shall we?" She suggested with Rogue nodding in agreement. "ROGUE." She began with the delivery long and slow. "ROOHH...GGGUUH." Carla sounded out, the titan trying to watch her lips closely, a practice that the Jaegers taught the megalith in hopes that he would get the hang of speaking by mimicking others. "RROOOHHH…GGUUH." She smiled. "ROGUE."

" **RRROOOOAHH!"** The titan managed to mouth, the tone deep, guttural, but higher in pitch at the end. " **RROOHHH!"**

"Good start! Keep going Rogue. You're getting close." Carla addressed, lying at the end. Truthfully, the creature hadn't really improved since they had first begun. Still, she was persistent.

" **RRROOHHHH!"**

She nodded in sympathy, signaling him to go on.

" **RRRR…GG."**

"Come on! You're doing good!"

" **RRROOOOAAHHH!"** The titan forced out, suddenly stopping and massaging his throat before making another failed attempt. Carla sighed, observing as Rogue adapted a look of disappointment, ears drooping solemnly before letting out a low drone. As she always did to comfort the beast, Carla reached a hand forward to stroke his defined jaw, the titan leaning into her, seeking comfort.

"Don't pity yourself, Rogue. Those were great attempts. You'll get it one day." She reminded as stress lined the creature's face.

"Carla?"

Mrs. Jaeger raised a brow at her husband's concerning tone, looking over to see him rubbing his chin and staring at the titan's lipless maw. "Yes?"

"I may have just figured out why he's having trouble pronouncing the rest of his name."

Carla's heart fluttered. Had they finally discovered a breakthrough? "What is it?"

The man adjusted his glasses. "I was watching him closely as he was trying to speak and I noticed that Rogue wasn't moving his tongue which he needs to do so in order to form words."

She raised her brows at this, never having noticed before. "Oh! Well then! We'll have to try that!" Carla spoke with enthusiasm as she returned her gaze to the titan. "Rogue, move your tongue like this when you form the letters." Mrs. Jaeger demonstrated as she moved her tongue to form the titan's name. If the technique worked, she could move on with more complex teachings and gift the creature with more words to say! "Now, why don't you give it another try? This time, do it exactly as I showed you!"

Rogue blinked, eyes looking to the blades of grass before exhaling and wearing a look of determination, green eyes lighting in a new fire.

" **RRRROOOOOOGG."**

Carla smiled, seeing the improvement. "You're close! You can do it Rogue!"

" **RRROOOGGGGGUUU."**

Her smile grew bigger, cheeks aching as Grisha slowly stood in awe.

" **RRROOGGGUUUUEEE."**

All was quiet, a stunned silence sweeping over and infecting the cove. The Jaegers looked at one another, neither finding their own words to speak. The titan had done the impossible. He had spoken, his voice rough but subject clear. Realizing this himself, the titan let out a loud squeal in excitement, emerald hues igniting in enthusiasm. Rogue's ears wiggled and shifted in delight and if the titan had a tail he would surely be wagging it.

**"RRRROOOOGGUUEE!"**

**"** Oh my – he did it!" Carla broke her silence with a cheer. "He spoke!"

Grisha rubbed his chin smugly. "Well, what do you know?"

The titan purred, leaning forward to press his face into Carla's small frame to nuzzle her in thanks. Much to her surprise, Rogue's tongue slipped from between his teeth to give her a loving but unpleasant show of affection. The beast then continued to purr, Carla snapping from her shock at the sloppy thank you to bury her head between the titan's nose and cheek.

"Good job. I knew you had it in you, Rogue."

The titan only continued his display, acknowledging her words with a pleased gurgle. She leaned into his warm flesh, feeling proud that her son had finally accomplished such a difficult task and beat the odds. With this breakthrough, Carla couldn't wait to finally move forward in her teachings. Not only could the titan learn more, but now with another method of communication, they would grow even closer as a family. They could help him with his fears and doubts as well. The coming years were going to be wonderful. She could feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: That's the first bonus chapter! I think the next one with pretty much be a purely humorous one,the time when Hange mistranslated what Rogue said. (Found in chapter 13) I think it will be quite fun to write an overly excited Hange, stunned Armin and Mikasa, a VERY confused Rogue, and a severely pissed off Levi.
> 
> Anyways, please vote for this fic on Inkitt and stay tuned for a few more bonus chapters before part 2!


	18. Bonus #2 Hange's Blunder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hange makes a HUGE mistake. Chaos ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: If there was a chapter in this fic that was a purely humorous one, it's this chapter here. This bonus is based on the event where Hange horribly mistranslated a statement that Rogue had said and chaos ensues afterword. (You can find it in chapter 13) Yup. This chapter includes a Hange that scienced too hard, a really pissed off Levi, a worried Armin and Mikasa, lots of other concerned Scouts, and a very confused Rogue that is more lost than last year's Easter Egg.
> 
> It's alarming how much this chapter was requested to be a bonus. Oh well I figured it would be good to put out something to provoke a few laughs before I break everyone's heart later with what I have planned for part 2 :)
> 
> Well, enjoy the wackyness.

**Bonus Chapter #2**

**Hange's Blunder**

**Year 850, 1 Month Before 57** **th** **Expedition**

Morning light seeped in through the overhead skylight, warming the barn in a soft and translucent shade of yellow. It was peaceful, not a cloud was in the sky overhead and birds could be heard singing their merry tunes as always. Tapered ears fluttered at the rustle of hay as he stretched. Fingers and toes fanned out as he tried to rid every ounce of tightness from his awakening frame. The titan sighed, dark lids opening to reveal his vibrant greens, pupils gazing up at the glass sunroof. Rogue let a purr slip from his lipless maw; everything was just and to his liking.

Slowly, the creature lifted himself from his nest of hay, feathers, and pillows to sit upright and reach for his toes, popping his tight spine and pulling his biceps. Finished with his annual morning routine of stretching, Rogue then yawned, producing a deep rumble that carried across the barn – mouth opening as wide as it could with his long tongue curling. As the yawn subsided, he licked his fleshless chops sleepily and scratched his scalp. Rogue then sighed, looking to see that none of his familiar family members were waiting for him inside the barn. He was aware of the reason though. The day was filled with morning training sessions, some in which even commenced at the crack of dawn. Soon, he would have to go with the Levi squad to work on a new formula of combat that they were implementing. He was lucky on the account that he could only wake up with the sun's rays, it gave him more time to rest before going to work with the others. Rogue then took a deep breath, his nose inhaling the strong scent of maple syrup and fresh bacon – a rare treat that the flying humans indulged on, his little ones calling it a 'pancake breakfast' or something along the sort. However, there was another smell that captured his attention.

It was most certainly not the sweet smell of human food.

With his nostrils flaring again, Rogue dissected the smell. It was definitely animal, small but not the scent of a mouse. Curious, the titan lifted himself to his knees and prepared to follow the smell to its source. Then, before he could, a minuscule and high pitched mewl met his keen ears. The titan's head quickly rotated to the spare room, emerald hues looking at the top in wonder. The roof of the little room was basically utilized for small storage – keeping things such as barrels of grain, canvas tarps, and the like out of his and the Scout's way. However, there seemed to be something else taking refuge among the collection. Quietly, as to not spook whatever was hiding, Rogue positioned himself and carefully crawled over to the spare room. As if he was threading a needle, Rogue inhaled silently as he discreetly plucked a barrel from the roof and sat it aside. The titan's eyes blew wide and a sense of excitement instantly sparked within him at what the little cranny beheld.

There, curled up against a folded tarp was what he knew as a cat. It was orange in color and its fur was much longer than usual, but what made his heart fumble and ears wiggle in glee was what was nestled against the mammal.

Kittens. Six little babies.

Skin at the corners of his grotesque mouth pulled upward into a smile as Rogue continued to observe. He had seen plenty of cats in his lifetime, but never any this small. It was clear that they were newborns. Like their mother, they were incredibly fuzzy- their ears and tails just as short and small as they were. He didn't have the knowledge to tell if they were males or females, but three of the babies were orange and the others were an earthy brown and snowy white. Each of them was currently tucked into their mother's belly suckling for milk. With his curiosity and the need to nurture pushing him onward, Rogue lifted a finger to the mother. As his toasty fingertip lay on her neck and shoulder, the female looked from her litter to his bright greens. For a moment, he thought she would dart away, but instead the cat leaned into his touch and began to purr in likeness. In return, Rogue purred himself, the reverberating sound sending the entire barn into an even more advanced state of peace. With the mother accepting him, the titan then moved his finger to the kitten and began to stoke them with incredible care.

As he continued his act of affection, Rogue came to a conclusion. There were a lot of animals that would want to harm the new little family. Not only that but the natural elements as well could harm the helpless little balls of fur. Their mother could only do so much to protect them. He however, could be a great help. No predator ever dared to mess with him and he was the barn's organic heater. Rogue's serrated mouth formed into a lopsided grin. He could make these little babies his babies too. He had raised ducks before and he had taken good care of his little ones, so the kittens and their mother would be a piece of cake.

Remembering that he was to meet his small pack, Rogue retrieved his finger and replaced the barrel where it was so a draft couldn't reach his tiny new adoptions. With a final look, the titan then turned and made his way out of the barn, quietly shutting the door to his nest before lifting himself to the balls of his feet and turning unexpectedly into a cheerful looking Petra.

"Well! Good morning Rogue!"

He beamed in return. " **EELLOO!"** He greeted, holding off on getting to his feet.

"Ready to come and train? Levi is doing quite a bit of paperwork today so he left Eld and I in charge of the session."

Rogue nodded, and lowered his hand to the earth as a bid to give her a lift. Once the redhead was settled, the great titan stood to his full height and began to make his way to the clearing in the surrounding forest that his small pack always practiced in. However, deep down, he couldn't quite shake away his protective instincts.

* * *

"Pay attention, Greenhorn!"

Hearing the insult, Rogue looked down to where Oluo sat, wrinkling his nose and giving a soft hiss in warning. The man was at his poor job of impersonating Levi once again – something that he didn't quite understand and saw no point in such an activity. The arrogant man had also used the term 'Greenhorn' again – a nickname Oluo had taken to calling him and several of the young flying humans when they did something that seemed irritating to the veteran. He hated the term. In Rogue's opinion, he disliked the man just as much as he did Jean.

However, he didn't blame the man for calling him out. Ever since he had left the barn, his mind had been on the mother and her babies rather than the current lesson at hand. He had been worrying about them and he really wanted to check upon them. It had only been a few hours, but it seemed like days to the titan. Thus, instead of his squad's teachings, he was far more concerned with nurturing the tiny creatures. He wanted to sneak away so badly!

He didn't want to tell them about the new fuzzy babies either. He didn't want to say anything yet, just in case the mother cat ever moved them.

"So Rogue," Eld continued, eyeing the titan directly. "This is another exercise to implement in missions if we ever encounter titans in an open field and we need a quick escape from them. We are going to ride on horseback. Your job is to simply run in the direction of the neighboring field towards where we have lunch – the point where we stop. As we latch on to you, you'll grab our cables and hoist us to your shoulders. Once the four of us are on you, you'll toss us back to our horse once we whistle for them. When running through the trees, a few of the titan dummies will be in place. We are to take care of them. Got it?"

Quickly turning his attention away from his feet, Rogue nodded –hoping that no one would notice that he had dazed out yet again as he nodded quickly. Of course, to his rotten luck, Gunter raised a brow.

"Rogue? Are you all right? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that something's on your mind."

The titan's eyes widened, his gaunt cheeks flushing slightly with a small heat pooling into his ears as they took on a crimson tone. Realizing his reaction, Rogue quickly huffed and shook his head. " **NNOO. EEIII GOOOD."**

For a moment, the small group before him hesitated, eyes glancing at one another before Eld nodded in comprehension. "Alright then, let's get started with the exercise. As soon as we mount, you begin your run."

Again, the titan bowed and got to his feet, letting his arms dangle to his side as he waited. His pupils drifted to the corner of his eye to look back in the direction of his nest. Hopefully, things were still safe and sound. Rogue then turned back to monitor his squad's progress, seeing that most were mounted and catching sight of Eld whispering something to the four of them – the others murmuring something back, the tone so soft that he couldn't pick up a single word. Rogue tilted his head. It couldn't have been anything important to him, perhaps just their own strategy. If it were a concern they would have addressed him. Finally, the horses had their riders and Petra signaled him to begin.

Deciding that it would be best to throw them off suspicion, the titan smiled and set himself into motion, releasing an almost playful sounding roar as his body sent thunder across the clearing. Truthfully, he didn't enjoy this particular exercise as much as he did the capture ones that were like a game of tag to him. Not only could he not have a bit of freedom, he was used mainly as an anchor for the flying humans to latch onto. Rogue didn't have a problem with that; it was just that he hated the stinging feeling every time a cable buried itself into his skin. True, his kind did have an incredible pain tolerance, but the feeling of the tiny barbs was rather uncomfortable. But he would tolerate it if it meant that it was another way he could protect his new family.

The trees then swallowed Rogue as he charged into the wood. The plants were certainly lower here than most parts of the flying humans' territory – barely going past his head to give a two meter clearance between his hair and the canopy. His heart pounded with his feet, ears fidgeting and rotating as he listened to his allies and the clatter of hooves below. Emeralds were faced fully forward, but quickly trailing away as Eld began to give orders.

"The first obstacles are coming! Oluo and Gunter, prepare to engage!"

He watched as the arrogant and the brunette male lifted themselves from their horses and shot forth their cables into the trees above. Like the acrobats that they were, the two men sailed through the tree limbs, working on gaining their momentum. Deciding that it was best to turn his attention forward so to not get off course, Rogue adverted his gaze.

But he was seconds late.

A wooden titan suddenly swung out from the cover of green to cross his wake. On reflex, Rogue poised a fist and launched an assault right into the wooden titan's silhouette head. A horrible crack of timber echoed throughout the forest. Splintering shards spanned out in all directions, causing his teammates below and above to alter their routs before struggling to regain their position. The titan's body instantly winced. He was not supposed to do that. The wooden titans were only for the flying humans to use, not for him.

"Rogue! What the hell!" Oluo yelled, regaining his balance along with Gunter.

"Hey! You weren't supposed to do that!" Eld called. "Your job was to keep on running and catch us!"

"Did you not hear what Eld said earlier?" Gunter began, sailing closer to his tapered ear. "He said that we are to go after the wooden titans, not you Rogue!"

He swallowed fretfully, deciding to play the clueless titan once again as he tried to explain his reasoning with a series of grunts and grumbles. Unfortunately, his small pack didn't seem to be buying it.

"Crap. Levi isn't going to be too happy to replace that."

"Guys! It's not his fault!" Petra called, receiving Rogue's full attention. "For one, you said 'we' so Rogue probably thought that he was included!"

At her statement, the three men were quiet, looking away in disgust and provoking him to feel even more awkward. Finally, Eld cleared his throat. "I see. I'll take the blame on this one but Rogue should know that he's not supposed to tear any of our equipment up."

"Eld," Petra cut in, the titan able to detect discomfort in her voice. "Give him a break. He was just trying to please." Petra urged on, her eyes looking into apologetic green pools. Rogue swallowed. He could clearly tell that Petra knew the truth about what had just transpired.

The blonde male sighed, urging his horse on with a flap of his reins. "Right. Let's just keep on moving with the exercise. The field is coming up so prepare to leave your horses and anchor!"

The entire squad nodded to one another, as they kept moving. Setting his path to the tree line, Rogue swallowed nervously. He would be sure to avoid any more surprises. He wanted to breeze through the training session as quickly as possible. He wanted to make sure the kittens and their mother were safe. The titan charged through the greenery, footsteps rattling another wooden foe that swerved out from the collections of birches and maples. This time he ignored it, letting Gunter take it with a single swipe as he sidestepped and jogged for the open field as the two airborne soldiers sailed back to their horses.

With a final great step, Rogue burst forth into the meadow with his chest heaving and arms pumping with in an athletic sprint. His keen eyes then spotted the old worn cabin and tables several meters ahead; they would only have so long to accomplish their short mission. But seeing the landmark was a blessing, instinct was itching at him to go forth and nurture.

"Alright! Me and Petra, launch and anchor!"

In the next second, the hissing of whirling gears rang throughout his ears and needle like pinpricks irritated the backs of his shoulders. Rogue winced, instinctively growling and grinding his teeth together, holding himself from simply yanking the barbs out. He was not fond of having sharp objects pierce close to his nape, even the insignificant cables to the Scouts' gear. However, he had to tolerate it. With his ears shifting and his eyes turning to monitor, Rogue watched as Petra and Eld left their steeds and propelled themselves forward. As they circled beneath his waist, Rogue quickly latched on to their cables and swung them in a rotation similar to a child's toy called a yo-yo. With a cautious gaze, Rogue watched as the two landed messily upon his shoulders, quickly stabilizing themselves as they retracted their buried cables and replanted them into his shoulders again to stay solid. The titan found himself blinking in surprise. He had not expected to perform the move right on the first time. The amount of strength he used was perfect.

"Good work!" Eld nodded to him, speaking loudly above the whipping wind and his booming steps. "Alright! Gunter and Oluo! Anchor!"

Nimble as jittery squirrels, the two men leaped from their saddles and sunk their cables into his back close to the first injections. With bursts of momentum, Gunter and Oluo swung around his sides. As he had done before, Rogue reached out and grabbed their lifelines. With the same amount of energy, the titan propelled the males around with them landing ungracefully onto his shoulders. The work was imperfect in areas, but done nonetheless.

"Well, that went better than expected." Eld breathed a sigh in relief. "Good job, Rogue." The man congratulated, the titan grunting in reply as he continued his run. "Now for the hard part. I'll begin." Eld concluded as he whistled for his horse.

The equine obediently evened itself closer to his frame, signaling for Rogue to begin. Nervous, the titan reached to his shoulder and gently grasped Eld. He then began to judge the distance between the horse and him, analyzing the four-legged creature's speed. Gritting his teeth in hopes for success, Rogue then tossed the man in the direction of his steed, making sure he threw him slightly off target so the horse would meet with him perfectly with as little room for cable use as possible. Still, Eld shot forth his cables, the barbs implanting into the soft earth, trusting himself slightly backward with controlled bursts of exhaust before landing roughly back to his saddle. The man's breath heaved in his chest, struggling to right himself before getting settled. Eld then turned to them, the titan catching his paled face.

"It's difficult but doable! Petra! You're next!"

Rogue nodded and gently took the woman in hand, waiting as she summoned her mare to his side. With her bright eyes glittering at him and with a dip of her head to proceed, the beast began her request. With a flick of his wrist, the redhead lifted from his palm and expertly angled herself back to the saddle of her horse. Happy that she had made it safely to her mount, Rogue chirruped loudly with Petra grinning back at him. The two made a great pair. She reminded him so much of Carla. He never wanted to lose her.

With Gunter next, Rogue cradled the man in his hand and waited as the whistle coaxed the equine closer. With the stunt prepared and positions set, the titan then tossed the man back to his horse only for the move to be perfect without injury.

"Alright Jaeger!" Oluo initiated in the most intimidating tone that he could muster, trying to mirror Levi – doing a poor job in doing so as usual and receiving an eye roll from the willful titan. The wordless language of course only made Oluo squawk and chatter more. "That's disrespectful Greenhorn! Respect your superiors!"

Rogue snorted in annoyance. If he could, he probably would have just tossed the man without his horse waiting for him below. However, he had to keep the safety of his comrades in mind no matter how annoying and arrogant they were. As quickly as he could after Oluo's whistle, Rogue grasped the man and tossed him to his horse, glad to rid of him for the moment. As the final human member of the Levi squad settled back into his saddle, the four broke into celebration.

"Yes! We succeeded!"

"That was easier than I thought it would be! Granted, the decent was a bit rough, but manageable!"

"Nice work everyone!" Eld congratulated. "Let's continue to the break area! Time for lunch!"

Rogue grinned to himself, purring in pleasure at the conclusion of their work. His green eyes then drifted ahead, looking at the towers of the castle and the rooftop of his barn in the distance. Eyeing upon his quarters, the titan's skin fell slightly into a worried frown. He wondered how his fuzzy babies were doing in his absence. Were they all right? Had no creature or soul found them? Were they feeding well? The creature continued to drift into his thoughts, zoning out completely as he continued to ponder. He couldn't wait to get back to them.

"Rogue! ROGUE!"

Hearing the frantic address, the titan jerked his attention away from his thoughts only to discover that he had severely veered off his straight path – his foot heading right for Gunter and his horse. Fear exploded in his system, a loud screech leaving his throat as he made a last ditch effort to avoid disaster and heartbreak by curving his leg in. The titan's foot made impact just feet from the horse and its rider – the equine producing a sound in panic as it lifted from the ground.

"Shit!"

His heart pounded, emerald hues blowing wide in terror as his preventative move caused his legs to cross and the world began to tilt as he fell forward. His knees met the ground first, shattering a kneecap and skinning a layer of flesh from the other. As quickly as he could, Rogue threw out his arms to catch himself and push away only to falter and land on his elbow. Dust flew in all directions and for a moment, the world was silent. Frightened, Rogue lifted his head – praying that there was no blood or remains of a fallen friend. Thankfully, Petra, Eld, and Oluo were approaching on horseback and Gunter was picking himself up from the rattled ground. The titan shivered, seeing the look of anger on most of their faces. It was completely his fault! He could have accidentally killed someone! Rogue expressed an apologetic look as he sat up, holding his bloody and steaming knee – his mind desperately searching for an excuse or response.

"Rogue! What on earth was that all about?" Oluo spoke aggressively, making his heart fumble. "You could have killed Gunter!"

The titan whined softly, brows knitting together and instinctively drawing in on himself – he couldn't stand to look at them no longer. " **OORRYY."** Rogue muttered, his long and wild hair falling over his face.

"You need to be more careful!" Gunter agreed as he began to tend to his fallen horse, helping it back upright.

" **OORRYY! DDOON'T TTEEELL EEVVII!"** He pleaded, burying his nose into the crook of his arm. He really didn't want the Corporal to know that he had screwed up so badly.

The titan's pleading request eased a few tensions built up between the soldiers, causing the field to quiet for several seconds. Finally, a prolonged sigh interrupted the awkward aura.

"Just be careful not to get distracted again." Eld began, his tone much less harsh than before, gaining the titan's attention once again. The blonde's face softened even more. "Rogue – is there something on your mind? You've been dazing out quite a bit since we began our training session. Is everything alright? Are things okay between Mikasa and Armin? Hange – has she done something over the top?"

Lifting his head to the group Rogue nodded. " **AALL GGOOODD."**

Petra smiled sympathetically as she dismounted from her mare and came to his lowered hand, giving it a gentle pat in reassurance like she often did when he was troubled. "Rogue – if anything is wrong or if something is bothering you, please don't hesitate to tell us."

" **NOOTTIINGG RRROONG."** He denied. " **AALL IISS GGOODD."** The titan ensured, shifting his ears further into his locks to hide their most likely red tips. He gave a smile and sat up straight, trying to steer them away from the current subject. To his good fortune, Eld dipped his head.

"Alright then. But do keep what Petra said in mind, Rogue. Let's go and have lunch."

The titan nodded in return, letting out a jet of steam in relief as he got to his feet – knees fully repaired. Rogue then grunted in affirmation to himself as he started in the direction on his barn, walking casually past the picnic tables where his small pack was preparing for lunch.

"Rogue?"

The titan paused at Petra's concerned query, turning to view her worried gaze and tilting his head in a silent bid to ask what she wanted.

"Where are you going Rogue? You usually sit with us."

The titan grinned. " **EEEIII BBEE BAAKK. EEII GGO… SSEEE TTOO TTHHING."** Rogue alliterated, trying to find the right words. " **EEII BBEE BAAK."**

At his response, Petra nodded in understanding and Rogue continued on to his destination – not aware of his apple red ears or his small pack's whispering.

* * *

Quietly, with the skill of a prowling predator looking for prey, Rogue slid the door open to his nest. Keeping the draft in check, the giant hastily crawled into the spacious interior and sealed the heavy door – careful not to make it creak in case the mother and her babies were still sleeping. Tapered ears fidgeted and flicked as he searched for tiny breaths. The barn was silent except for a soft puff. The titan sniffed, catching the scent of ginger fur that relieved a bit of his stress. His fuzzy babies where still in the barn.

With a smile on his grotesque face, Rogue skillfully shuffled to the corner where the spare room was located. Fingers then gently plucked the barrel from its standing position, revealing the tiny little family. Rogue purred to himself. Not much had changed. The babies were still suckling on pink buds and nestled against their mother who lay facing him. The female feline lifted her head, vaguely acknowledging him with a small rumbling greeting of her own. Rogue then lifted a finger to the mother, the cat quickly rubbing her head against his digit before returning to bathing her offspring. The titan tilted his head, eyes igniting with adoration. Maybe he could help her clean them a bit. He had always tidied up his own little ones every now and again with a quick lap of his tongue. It couldn't hurt. With precision, Rogue lowered himself slightly and parted his lipless maw. Slowly, the tip of his elongated tongue slipped out, but just as it became inches from the nearest ball of fuzz, Rogue pulled the muscle back into his gaping mouth. What was he doing? These babies were much too small for him – smaller than his fingernail. If he licked them he could injure them, coat them in a suffocating layer of saliva, or accidentally lap the tiny one into his mouth and into his gullet.

Rogue situated himself to be more comfortable in his act of observation, his chin resting against the roof of the spare room. What else could he do for his new fuzzy babies? How else could he nurture them? As the titan began to get lost in his thoughts, his ears captured the sound of rustling fur. Emerald gems then focused on the mother, noticing her frame tremble before she curled tighter around her young. He sat up at the sight, ears twitching again as his gears began to turn. The mother and their babies were cold! He could warm them up! Of course, like when he and his little ones were living back in his cove, they had to have some cloth of some sort to keep them toasty during his absence. It was what the mother and the babies needed. He had to find some fabric! Some other warmth besides himself!

With a grunt in self-acknowledgement, Rogue turned to scan the contents of the barn to see if he could find such a luxury. Hange's workstation, although it was messy and cluttered, bared nothing of use. His own nesting area had zilch either; the pillows would only smother the tiny insignificant creatures. The titan then turned to his collection in the corner, one that was full of his toys and treasured items sheltered by a thin layer of hay. Brushing the strands away, Rogue's eyes searched for anything suitable, but came across nothing.

A groan left his throat as he returned to the feline family, brows sinking in worry. He had to find some cloth. Rogue continued to ponder until a spark went off in his mind. The skin at the corners of his fleshless jaws drew up in a smile. There was one place that was within his reach where he knew he had a chance in finding what he wanted.

* * *

The sun climbed higher into the sky, ready to hit its peak at noon. Rogue crept along as quietly as he could through the relatively thin stretch of woodland. He was very aware that he was supposed to head back to his small pack, but this was something that he had to do. The humans could wait a little bit, he would return after he corrected the issue that threatened his new adoptions. Rogue sniffed again, scanning the quiet area for any stray Scout. The titan nodded to himself in comprehension. As far as he could tell, no human was around and watching and the river that he usually bathed in was just a few meters ahead. Rogue swallowed; hopefully the place had what he was looking for.

Hearing the melody of running liquid, Rogue then paused and lowered himself to a crouch. The creature's breath was shallow as he lifted a finger to brush away a few pine twigs to expose the Scout's laundry mill – a place where the humans washed their garments by using the bountiful river and its wheel to get the garbs thorough and clean. A grin grew on Rogue's face as his eyes met the outstretched wires that overextended through the air on the opposite side of the river, an old wooden arched bridge connecting the two. The lines were covered in clothes and fabric. Uniforms, casual wear, and sheets were strung out to dry by the wind and the sun's rays. Rogue then set his eyes onto a cluster of pale white bed sheets that were strung in a close cluster, flapping in the wind like flags of surrender. They were close and he could easily snatch them without being spotted if there were any wandering eyes that had appeared.

With his selection made, Rogue cautiously sniffed again for any stragglers, only to smell the incredible fresh scent of clean linen. Quietly, the titan stuck his head out from the line of pines until his shoulders came to view. The beast then rested his weight on his left elbow before outstretching his opposite arm. Looking around once again before acting, Rogue gently pinched the first sheet of white. The titan then zeroed in his focus; he had to be careful pulling it from the line for he could rip it so easily. Ever so softly, Rogue tugged, watching in satisfaction as the pins released their hold on his prize. With the sheet free from the line, Rogue pulled it back to him to store it in his waiting palm. However, one sheet didn't seem like it was enough. It was rather thin and a draft could still drift through the threads. Rogue nodded to himself. He would need more.

Once again, the titan looked out from the wall of pines and proceeded to pluck another sheet for his use and then another. With three in hand, Rogue then decided that a fourth was needed for good measure. Glancing around once again only to find that he was in the company of rabbits and squirrels, Rogue proceeded to retrieve the last sheet he needed. His thumb and forefinger pinched the stark white sheet, the thickness slightly different from the rest – a bit more plush and the stitching done in patterns, indicating that the sheet was actually a quilt. Rogue purred at the discovery. It would certainly make a good addition! Careful of his inanimate capture, Rogue then began to gently pull the thick fabric, green eyes watching with complete focus as the pin began to inch its way off the wire.

Suddenly, the ever so familiar sound of a creaky door swept through his ears, making him pause to look to the source. There, standing in the doorway of the mill was none other than Hange. Her glass-framed eyes looked to him in surprise, hair ruffled from work and a wicker basket containing folded cloth in hand. His body went rigged, knowing that he had just been caught in the act.

"Hello Rogue!" Hange practically sang as she strolled quickly across the small bridge to meet him. Still frozen in his stance, Rogue watched with eyes filled with alert as the scientist dropped her basket just a few feet before him and began to retrieve a uniform jacket to pin on the line. "I got put on laundry duty for day by Levi for spilling his ink well on his rug." She chuckled.

Rogue blinked before huffing nervously, inwardly cursing himself for not noticing that the woman was working inside the mill. Hopefully she wouldn't find out that he had somewhat sneaked away from training.

However, just as Hange prepared to pin up the Scout's jacket, she paused and eyed him suspiciously, making him blush. "Hey – aren't you supposed to be with the Levi squad at this hour, Rogue?" She queried, putting her hands on her hips.

He didn't answer, eyes just adverting to the blades of grass before looking back as he tried to think of an excuse. To his dismay, Hange's eyes then fell to his hand that still held the quilt.

"What are you doing Rogue?" The woman playfully quizzed. "You know Levi doesn't like it when you take things that aren't yours!" She laughed.

The titan bit his tongue fretfully. It was true. The short male never liked it when he tried to take interesting looking objects for his collection. He swallowed the knot in his throat, trying to rid of it without success. Rows of teeth grinded against one another as he frantically thought of what to do. Rogue hesitated, fretful grunts seeping from between his teeth as the tips of his ears grew redder. Suddenly, he realized that fessing up to what he was doing was the only thing he really could do. Besides, he planned to show everyone his furry adoptions once the day was over and everyone was finished with their work. The titan let out a sigh, giving in to a weak grin. " **EEIII –**

"Yes?" Hange smiled, prolonging her syllables.

" **EEEII HHAAVVE NEEEEEWW AAIIBBIEEES."** Rogue informed sheepishly, ready for the woman to ask further questions.

However, Hange did nothing of the sort. The riverside was quiet and the messy haired scientist stood still. Rogue swallowed. Hange was completely petrified, her limbs frozen and face expressionless. Ever so slowly, her mouth dropped – making worry swell up in his gullet. Before he could do anything, Hange dropped the wicker basket and a manic grin like he had never seen spread across her face. She then let out a screech that forced him to pin his ears against his head and wince in discomfort. Next, Hange did a little dance and threw her hands excitedly into the air.

"OOOOHHHHHHHH MMMMMMYYYYY GGGODDD! HOLY SHIT!" The woman cheered, making him fall into a state of confusion. "YES! YES! YES!" Hange shouted to the heavens, but before Rogue could question her as to why she reacted so enthusiastically, Hange bolted in the direction of the castle, screeching and celebrating as she grew further and further away from him.

For a moment, the titan remained stunned before shaking his head and plucking the quilt from the line. What on earth was she so happy about?

**(POV SWAP)**

Hange stormed through the castle, barely avoiding running into new recruits and other officers. Her mind was blustering with activity. She couldn't believe it! She simply couldn't believe it! It was incredible! Stupendous! Exhilarating! Finally! One of the titans' greatest mysteries was about to be solved! She was so excited! As to how it had happened, her brain was already drawing up conclusions and hypothesizing about the coming future. She couldn't wait for the event to unfold!

She rushed up the three flights of stairs as quick as she could, nearly tripping over herself as she reached the stairway's end. In several long strides, Hange came to her destination – Levi's quarters. Without even knocking, the energetic and exhilarated woman flung open the door to the tidy enclosure of the Corporal's. The short and grumpy man himself was sitting behind his desk, one that had been made specifically for his small stature, with Commander Erwin seated next to him, the two looking over the diagram for the next expedition. Upon her sudden entry, the two had jerked their heads upward to meet her acquaintance. The blonde male looked at her with a concerned gaze, holding his knee for he had most likely hit it against the desk when she had barged in. Levi's face was the exact opposite, mouth formed into a deep scowl and icy eyes glaring daggers at her. Still, she kept her broad smile even as the man's brow twitched in extreme irritation.

"Hange, you better have a damn good reason for you actions." Levi growled out, a hand reaching for his cup. "You almost caused me to spill my tea over the –

"Levi! Erwin!" She cut in, far too excited to care about the Corporal's mood. "You're not going to believe what Rogue just told me!"

The short male sighed through his teeth, fist uncoiling in the slightest. "What? Did the big brat finally recognize the difference between a loaf of bread and a potato?"

She nearly squealed; the man had no idea. "No, even better Levi! He shared something with me that's going to answer one of our biggest mysteries about the titans themselves!" Hange beamed. "Poor thing, he was so shy about sharing the news with me. His ears were as red as beets!"

"Let me guess, Rogue knows the reason as to why titans are as dumb as a sack of shit."

Hange hummed, casually crossing her legs and placing her arms behind her back in amusement – taking pleasure from the man's obliviousness.

"Section Commander," Erwin began, making the first notion to communicate since she had first entered the room. "What did Rogue tell you?"

Her smile grew even broader. "Well, we are going to see a big change around here soon!"

"Hange –

"I'll put it like this, the Scouts are going to see a new member in the near future!"

The Commander's brow rose in question. "Hange, what do you mean?"

She laughed. "He's expecting!"

Levi's eyes narrowed. "Expecting what?"

At his response, Hange cackled again, throwing her hands in the air excitedly. "Oh boy! Levi! You're killing me!" She expressed before taking a deep breath and exhaling in a poor attempt to calm herself. The scientist then made her way to the desk, light gleaming across her glasses for a moment before she grinned again, she couldn't hold back any longer. "Rogue is pregnant!"

The room grew silent, quieter than the hour of midnight. The two men were speechless. Erwin was staring at her, thick brows raised in astonishment. Levi however, was completely unfazed – making the grin lessen on her face as his cold blues continued to remain fixed onto her. The seconds then pushed along further, growing more menacing by the ticking of the nearby tabletop clock – the only sound that echoed throughout the room. Finally, the silence was interrupted by the sound of chair legs scooting against the wooden floor as Levi stood from his seat. In an almost calm manor, the Corporal picked up his cup of tea as well as the fresh pot of it and turned to one of the windows. Now confused, Hange watched as he opened the window and held his cup out over the ledge. Levi then rotated his wrist, tipping the cup upside down and causing the black tea to pour out to the ground several stories below. The man then did the same with the tea pot, but turning his gaze back to her – one that was absolutely menacing and appeared as if it promised death to all those that opposed him.

"Hange." Levi spoke sternly, tone demanding and just as intimidating as he looked. "Please, run that by me again." He continued darkly. "The tea was bad."

Despite, the Corporal's no nonsense demeanor; Hange let her smile creep back to her face. "I said that Rogue is having a little titan, Levi!" She responded cheerfully. "Isn't this incredible! We're going to find out exactly how titans reproduce offspring and give –

"Hange! What on earth made you think that Rogue is fucking pregnant!" Levi interrupted, voice elevated and sharp as their blades.

"I would love to know where you got this from as well Hange." Erwin began, the look of seriousness back on his face. "It seems a bit hard to –

"Like I said! Rogue told me himself!" She informed. "He stated that he was having new babies. This was when I caught him stealing sheets – which says that he's nesting!"

The two men continued to stare at her, completely removed from their previous work. Levi then took his seat once again, folding his arms in displeasure. "Hange. This is ridiculous." The Corporal continued. "Rogue is a male. Not to mention I don't think he's snuck away to have a one night stand with any other titan. To be frank, I think that this is all a bunch of –

However, before the man could finish, there was a soft knock on the door before both Petra and Eld entered the Corporal's quarters. Hange blinked, the redhead didn't look like her normally cheerful self but rather worried. Had they noticed any strange behavior from the titan as well?

"I'm sorry." Petra began almost shyly. "Did we interrupt something?"

Before she could speak up, Levi eyed Hange in warning. "No. Nothing is happening. What is it that you want?"

Hange remained quiet, watching as Petra bit her lip. "Well, it's Rogue. He left during our lunch break and never came back."

Levi nearly stood from his seat. "What?"

"That's not all." The female veteran continued. "He was acting – strange." Petra continued with Hange's eyes growing larger. "For example, he was constantly zoning out and he obviously was hiding something for his ears were red."

Eld dipped his head in agreement. "Yeah, he spaced out once during the exercise and nearly ran over Gunter and his horse."

"He did what?" Levi acknowledged, making Hange do a double take. Deep in the man's irises was littered with incredible concern – his tough voice keeping the fact in shadow. It was clear that he was incredibly distressed and uncomfortable.

"So you witnessed his odd behavior as well?" Erwin queried, receiving a nod from the redhead.

"Yeah – so did Rogue do something weird with you and that's why you're here?"

The Commander nodded. "Yes. Hange encountered him when he was away from your session. She just shared with us some news that Rogue told her that has us incredibly concerned." The man informed, blue eyes traveling to Hange, telling her silently to share.

"Is – there something wrong with him, Hange?" Petra turned to her, stress lining her face.

"No. I wouldn't say that." The scientist smiled. "It's quite the contrary actually. Our lovely Rogue is expecting a little titan!"

Both members of the Levi squad looked on at her, completely spellbound by her message. Eld's jaw opened and closed several times and Petra lifted a hand to her mouth in disbelief.

"You mean – he's pregnant!" The redhead discovered her words, face still reflecting the gravity of the unbelievable news.

"Come to think of it," Eld muttered, scratching his chin. "When he fell trying to avoid Gunter, Rogue threw out his arms to catch himself. It – looked like he was trying to avoid landing on his stomach." He paused, the others in the room growing quiet at the observation. "Still – how in the hell is a pregnancy possible for him? He's is a male!"

"True." Erwin agreed. "However –

"Last time I checked, a male doesn't have a damn uterus." Levi grumbled. "He's got a pair of –

Feeling that this was her time to step in, Hange let a devious smile onto her face. "He. A very unusual he." She sighed almost blissfully. "Of course Corporal, it's the law of nature. Males produce the sperm. Females make the eggs. However, we're not talking about a human being. This is a titan! A creature that defies most laws of nature to begin with!" She educated in amusement, all eyes hooked to her. "On my way here, I thought of just how a phenomenon like this could be possible."

"Hange. I believe that it may be best if we get Ackerman and Arlert here so they can listen to this. I don't think we should waste time going over things again." Erwin proposed. "Eld? Please go fetch them."

The man simply nodded in understanding and left the room, leaving the four to discuss the situation further.

"So, Miss Ral – during your session with Rogue, did you see any physical evidence suggesting the possibility of him being fertile? Did you happen to notice a small swell or a bump on his stomach? Anything?

She denied with a shake of her head. "Honestly, I didn't really notice. Of course, I didn't really get a good look at him there either."

"Hmm… perhaps he's not very far along." Hange pondered aloud, expecting for Levi to cut down her accusations once again. Strangely though, the man was quiet – his gaze having descended down to the wood grain on his desk. For several minutes, it was still among the four, leaving Hange to her own thoughts. She wondered how the titan knew. She pondered at how far into his pregnancy he was. What would he endure? How would he change to accommodate a little life budding inside him? A smile crept further across her face. Could he be having more than one? Just as Hange began to sink deeper into her thoughts, the door to Levi's quarters opened and in walked the titan's adopted little ones.

**(POV SWAP)**

He couldn't believe it. He couldn't fucking believe it. Levi remained in his own personal bubble, watching as both Arlert and Ackerman entered the room with looks of incredible concern – their eyes gazing at each of their superiors in nothing but question. The Corporal could barely fathom the possibility that the titan under his charge was possibly pregnant. It was ludicrous. Yet, when members of his squad began to inform them of their observations to go with Hange's story and observation – he began to secretly listen. Rogue wasn't human whatsoever. Titans were far from the norm and no one knew how they gained in numbers. Now that they were in the constant presence of one, it was possible that they were going to finally find the answer to the question. Still, Levi found the very idea very arduous to comprehend. Unfortunately, his brain had begun to picture Rogue with a large spherical belly and holding it similar to a human mother to be, walking around with a slight waddle, and having trouble sitting down or bending over. God, how he hoped that the circumstance wasn't true. He didn't need another giant brat. He didn't need any of this.

Never before had he hoped that this was the work of one of Hange's pranks.

"So, Commander," Armin began with caution. "Why did you summon us? Did – Rogue do something that he shouldn't have?"

"No. Rogue isn't in trouble." The large blonde corrected. "Although Hange may have found out something about him that you two may find either disturbing or – fascinating."

Blinking in surprise, the two teens looked to the messy haired scientist, awaiting an answer with worry painted all over their faces. Ackerman especially – emotion was usually absent on her face except for when she was around Rogue or the subject was about her titanic guardian.

"Miss Hange," The girl began, shakiness detectable in her voice. "What's going on with him?"

As he thought, Hange only smiled to her worrisome query. The woman crouched to where they were seated and took both of their hands into a loving hold – a sight that Levi had never witnessed from the eccentric Hange. She was rarely ever serious.

"Well you two, I'll put it simply and inform you how we discovered this afterwards. Rogue is getting ready to become a daddy. You two are getting another sibling!" Hange nearly squealed, watching as the two looked at one another in confusion. "Or I guess I could say that Rogue is going to be a mommy." Hange alliterated thoughtfully. Arlert's eyes grew larger than he had ever seen them, he could call the sight entertaining if not for the situation at hand.

"Wait, are you saying that Rogue – is pregnant?" The small boy stuttered, Ackerman looking on in bewilderment.

"How's… how is that possible?" Mikasa demanded, her voice growing unsteady. "Rogue… Rogue is a male."

Hange simply stood proudly and placed a hand on either side of her hips. "Ah! I was just about to explain my theory as to how this miracle could have happened! Titans are quite a bit different than we humans beneath their humanoid physique. For decades, more than a century, we have wondered just how they reproduce since they lack visible reproductive organs. We had no answer as to how the titan population was growing. With what is happening, I may have just figured it out. As we know – to the date there has been no recorded sightings of any female titans. They are all male. The answer as to how they accomplish producing offspring is that they impregnate themselves."

"What?" Eld uttered in disbelief, receiving an annoying cackle from Hange.

"Yes! Believe it or not, but certain species in the world like flowers, some reptiles, amphibians, and fish for example have hermaphroditism – which is an organism that has both male and female reproductive organs. This is the most likely theory. Most hermaphroditic species exhibit self-fertilization. Plants are a great example. This is greatly possible for the titan species! Rogue could have both male _**and**_ female reproductive organs. Our lovely titan may have formed an egg or eggs in his stomach lining and fertilized them himself! It's an incredible feature! My second guess is that Rogue is capable of bi-directional sex change – the ability to go from male to female before becoming a male again – self-fertilizing in the process. It's so fascinating!"

Levi swallowed, feeling almost sick to his stomach. He had no idea that such a thing existed. Damn how he hoped that the claim wasn't true.

The two teens looked at one another with stress lining their faces. "Hange – how do you know that Rogue… is expecting?" Armin stammered, having trouble forcing out the words.

"Well, he himself told me!"

"He… he did?"

Hange threw her hands in the air excitedly for the third time. "Yes! I caught him stealing laundry and when I demanded why he was doing so, Rogue grew quite bashful and said that he was having new babies!" She squealed. "The fact that he was taking laundry told me that his paternal instincts were already kicking in and he was nesting! Not to mention, in his early training session with Levi's squad, he was hiding a secret and when he fell in an accident he was trying to protect his tummy! It's amazing!"

The Corporal observed as the two teens simply sat quietly, looking at a fixed spot with their brows creased with stress. He could feel a vein bulging in his neck, he was growing more irritated by the minute, or perhaps it was desperation. If the fact was true, then a lot of things were going to fall into turmoil. Erwin probably knew the same. Finally, he let out an aggravated sigh, one that was loud enough to draw everyone's attention.

"I for one still think that this could very well be bullshit. I don't have enough evidence to believe this. Hange, you take those two brats and Petra and go find Rogue. I want you to ask him further details about his so called condition. Report to Erwin and I here later once you're done. I'll believe this once I get some sort of further confirmation. If by chance that this is fucking real, do a thorough exam on him once we are done for the day. Understand?"

"Understood!" Hange saluted rather excitedly before waving for those allotted to follow her.

Once the four were out of the room, did Levi finally give in to his frustrations, letting his head drop face first into his desk and a loud groan leaving his mouth. "Shit."

"Sir?" Eld queried, the short male making no move to lift his head at the notion of concern.

"Eld. Go to the cellar and get me a bottle of wine or better yet something stronger."

"Uh – yes, Sir." His squad member replied as he silently slipped from the room.

"I did not need this." Levi muttered. "I did NOT need this."

**(POV SWAP)**

Horses galloped through the woods, moving quickly with their masters as they continued their search. It was an hour after lunch and they knew exactly where the titan could be found. Armin and Mikasa gripped their reins and rode on in silence. The blonde was absolutely petrified. How had this suddenly happened? For the years that he had known Rogue, the titan never showed signs that he was ready to procreate. The fact that the creature could do such a thing without the contact of a female was mind numbing. Armin did not want this. Not because their childhood friend could possibly be expecting a baby, but rather what the government's reaction would be if it was true and they found out. There was no telling what their actions would be. Most likely, it wouldn't be good.

The blonde turned to the dark haired teen, observing, as she seemed to fade in and out of thought. She was likely going through the same thing in her head. Armin knew that they were not the only ones thinking alike. He sighed as they rounded another bend, following the forest path to the wide training grounds where they held their capture exercises. Rogue was sure to be waiting on them. Under the four's agreement, they were to be warm and friendly during their questioning. They couldn't sound angry, worried, or displeased at all for the titan was likely going to be sensitive. Not to say that they were displeased or furious, they were just concerned.

With the trees before them peeling away to expose a wide clearing beneath towering timbers like those of Maria, their suspicions of the titan's whereabouts were confirmed. Rogue was seated neatly against a tree with his back facing their advancing party. Upon hearing the horses' clattering hooves, tapered ears fluttered and the creature rotated is head to greet them. The titan performed his usual lopsided smile in salutations. Despite his worry, Armin put on a grin as they slowed their equines to a stop. Tethering their horses to a tree, he prepared himself for what they were about to learn.

"Rogue! My dear!" Hange voiced as she shot forth her cables into the tree's trunk, hoisting herself to rest upon the titan's shoulder. "I thought we'd find you here!"

The beast rumbled humorously as he lowered his hand for he, Mikasa, and Petra to hop on. Once they were in his palm, the titan lifted them to his lap. The redhead took a seat on the creature's right knee while Mikasa and the blonde got comfortable on the behemoth's left. Discreetly, Armin observed Rogue's position and physique. The titan was seated lazily, leaning back with his legs folded over one another and a large hand draped partially over his abdomen with the other resting in the groove between his pelvis and thigh. Blue eyes began to study Rogue's torso. As far as he could tell, there was no tell tale bump or anything. The creature's abs were still as prominent as ever. Armin twiddled his thumbs as his mind kept chugging. Either Hange was wrong or she was right and Rogue was very early and not far at all.

" **EEELLLOO!"** The titan grunted cheerfully, skin pulled up into a smile. As always, the titan made a special greeting to both he and Mikasa, lifting a hand and ruffling their hair with a single finger, provoking a chuckle from the two as Rogue purred loudly.

"So! What are you doing?" Hange beamed broadly, eyes looking to the titan with a thirst for knowledge deeply seeded into them.

" **AAIITTING FOOR TRRRAIINING."** Rogue replied, completely oblivious as to what the four Scouts were about to get into.

As quickly as the titan replied, the scientist was hasty to counteract. "Ah! That's what we thought! However, as a precaution, we are not doing the capture mission practice today!"

At her statement, Rogue's face instantly twisted into confusion. The titan tilted his head in question, a brow raised characteristically. The creature then made a sound that was the equivalent to a 'huh?' He looked almost disappointed.

"Yup! Good for you, all of your sessions today Rogue are canceled! We of course are still working, but you have the day off!" Hange continued, the titan only growing more and more puzzled. "Instead, the four of us are going to ask you some questions for some more titan research!"

Rogue's jaw parted in mild surprise before he gave in to a weak smile, nodding his head to grant them permission. Armin's molars grinded slightly against one another, preparing himself for what was about to happen for the umpteenth time.

"Rogue," Petra began sweetly. "We heard about some new babies of yours!"

At her words, the titan's brows lifted in what Armin registered as astonishment, green hues large and his mouth parted once again. Then, Rogue's surprise changed. The titan's shock gave way to a soft smile, eyes grinning themselves. Armin's heart pounded, skipping several beats as Rogue's ears tinted a bright crimson along with his gaunt cheeks. The titan's apparent bashfulness at the topic made him swallow. _'Could it really be true?'_ Armin thought frantically. _'Is Rogue really fertile?'_

" **YEEEAHH."** Rogue blushed. " **EEEII HHAAVVE NNEWW BBABIES."**

At the titan's words, the blonde nearly lost his composure. _'Oh my – it can't be!'_

Hange squealed to herself, clapping her hands rapidly. "AH! Well! We're just going to ask you a few questions about them okay?" She cooed, Rogue nodding, eyes large and curious – looking so much like a child himself. "So! First question! When did you find out about this?" Hange queried, going from her scientific to motherly like persona in a matter of seconds.

" **TTOODAY."** Rogue informed, reticent grin still on his face. Hange nodded.

"Oh, so how – far do you think you are?"

Armin watched as the titan hesitated, glancing behind him before eventually shrugging his shoulders. " **NNOOTT SUURRE."**

Hange nodded, suddenly opening her notebook and taking out a pen. The titan watched her as she began to write, ears flickering at the sound of words being penned. "Ah, now I also noticed that you're saying 'babies' rather than just 'baby' Rogue. Is there more than one? Do you know? Are you able to tell?"

Armin watched as the titan's hand drifted over his stomach even further, the beast's face tinting a little redder as he gave a shy nod of his head. The teen's heart thumped wildly in his ribcage as the realization hit him fully. _'It really is true! Rogue is pregnant!'_ Spellbound, the blonde watched as Rogue then lifted his hands – and began to count on his fingers. Armin's eyes widened even further, watching in silent panic as Rogue counted out each digit slowly. _'Oh my god – not only is he expecting but he's having more than one!'_

The teen's heart nearly fell out of his chest as Rogue stopped tallying past his thumb.

" **SSICCSSS."** Rogue informed. " **EEII HHAVVEE SSIICCS BBABIES."**

Hange produced an almost inhuman voice, making nearly all of them wince as she threw her hands in the air with elation. "Oh my goodness! OH! There are six little bundles of joy! How fascinating and exciting! YES!"

"Rogue?" Mikasa began, speaking for the first time since their small mission began. "How do you know that there are six?" She continued, Armin knowing that she was forcing herself past her true feelings of fear beneath a kind looking exterior. "Can you – feel them?"

To their shock, Rogue nodded, looking down at Mikasa with his smile growing a bit bigger.

"Wow!" Petra began. "You can already feel them moving?" She continued through Hange's muffled squeals.

Again, Rogue dipped his head. " **YEESS. DDEEY NNOOVVE AH LIIITTLE. AAIIBBEES IGGLLE AAHH BBIIT."**

"They wiggle?" Armin queried, his worry only growing. Fetal movement for any species he knew of was later in a gestational period, yet it appeared that Rogue was already feeling such activity. Compared to other organisms – titans were different. Perhaps the pregnancies were rather quick – it certainly explained the titan's numbers. "So, are they kicking yet?" The blonde interrogated, still sure to keep his smile on his face.

Rogue blinked, the teen taking note of the creature scratching his belly. " **UHH – NOO. NNOOT KKIICCKK."**

Armin simply nodded to himself, glad that such a thing hadn't started yet.

"If you can feel them move around, can you tell me how big they are Rogue?" Hange ushered excitedly, pen to parchment and ready to scribe.

" **DAAYY SSNNAALL."** Rogue portrayed, holding up his hand and measuring a distance the size of Armin's hand between his thumb and index finger. " **DDIIISS LIITTLE."** The creature grinned diffidently.

Hange made another piggish sound at Rogue's information, her messy hair starting to fall from her ponytail from all the movements she had been making. "OH! They are very little compared to you! The babies are probably not very old then perhaps! Maybe a few days or perhaps weeks!" The scientist continued merrily. AH! Brilliant! Now let's move on to you! How are you feeling Rogue?" She looked up at him, eyes completely wild and unblinking.

" **GOOOD."** Rogue nodded sharply, moving his hand to rest with the other on his stomach as he sank further against the tree.

"Hmm, well have you felt any of the following recently? Did you feel sick at any point in time? Especially in the morning?"

Armin watched as the titan became slightly baffled at her query before shaking his head to ensure his negative reply.

"Do you have any cravings?" Petra began in a friendly manner. "Do you want to eat something in particular?"

Again, the titan shook his head.

"Do you feel moody at all?"

Once more, the behemoth shook his head, making Hange reach for her chin.

"Huh. Well, it still could be too early for those symptoms to come to light. Well, when can we expect to see your babies? Hange turned back to Rogue, who seemed to grow even more bashful at the question – the tips of his ears almost as red as cherries.

" **SOOON."** The beast purred. " **NNOOTT NOO WEENN DDOOUGHHH. NNAAYY TTAAKKE TTIINNEE."** Rogue seemingly nodded to himself, green eyes looking to Hange as he expected her to inquire once more – being patient as she excitedly wrote in her journal.

"Ah, I see." Hange muttered as she continued to write, eyes fixed on the current page of the journal until she snapped her gaze to the titan's presence. "Well! That does it as for questions for now! Rogue, at the end of the day, I want to meet you in the barn for a thorough examination! In the meantime, take the next few hours to relax!" The woman practically sang as she quickly closed the journal's binding. Hange then dismounted from the titan's broad and muscular shoulder with Petra following suit.

As the two began to mount their horses, both Armin and Mikasa stood to follow – knowing that they unfortunately had more training and chores to do. He would have much rather stayed and spoke to Rogue further. The news was mind-numbing. Their lives were going to be completely different.

"We'll see you in a few hours for testing and experimenting my dear!" Hange sang as she began to gallop from the trees.

Petra bid a kind farewell before she too, headed in the direction of the castle. The two teens then turned to Rogue who had gotten up to position himself onto his knees. The great beast then bent over and lowered his face to nuzzle into them as always – the titan's dark hair cascading over their two small forms and the creature's rumbling purrs shaking them to the bone.

" **LOOVV YUUUU."** Rogue rumbled as he stuck out his long tongue to show them his own brand of affection. " **SEEE YUUUU AATTEERR."**

Armin smiled weakly, hand stroking the tip of Rogue's hooked nose. He wanted to ask so many questions, yet there was no time. "Love you too, Rogue." He settled, deciding that he would just save his queries for later. As the titan cooed louder, Armin watched as Mikasa slowly allowed herself to smile and let her head rest on Rogue's cheek.

"I – can't wait to meet your babies, Rogue. You're going to be a good daddy. I just know it." The dark haired teen sighed, patting the titan's snout and surprising Armin with her statement. Mikasa was handling the situation better than he was. Of all those close to Rogue, it was she that he thought wouldn't take the news well. To Armin, he only knew it was because she loved Rogue so much that she was having a change in heart.

Rogue smiled, tweeting in thanks before he let them go. As Armin ordered his horse to go forward, he couldn't help but be lost in thought- completely missing the titan's incredibly perplexed expression.

**(POV SWAP)**

Rogue's mind was asking a flurry of questions as he neared his barn. He was incredibly confused. Why had the capture missions and the rest of his training sessions get cancelled for the day? The others still had theirs to go to. It didn't make much sense to the titan, but an order was an order – and it was to be honored. The titan's fingers reached up to scratch his scalp as he continued to ponder. His family members had baffled him a bit. He was surprised that they were not angry at him for ditching his first training session all together – not blaming himself too much for the occurrence for he went back and the small pack wasn't there. It was also clear that Hange had told the others the news that he had shared with her earlier. Admittedly, their excitement made him feel much better, knowing that they favored the idea of not getting rid of his new fuzzy adoptions. He found it even more astonishing that they were so enthused to the level that they wanted to question him about his new little bundles. Most of the questions were easy to answer. Yes, there were six babies. Yes, they moved and wiggled around as they indulged on their mother's bounty. Yes, they were small. However, there were several other questions that Hange, Petra, and his little ones asked that didn't make much sense to the titan at all. Why was Hange wanting to know how far he was? He assumed that she meant how far he was from his nest – perhaps wanting to know if he knew how to measure distances. Why had she asked him if he felt ill? He was obviously fine. Why had she questioned if he was hungry? He had never felt hunger in his life. Hange had questioned his mood as well, which was silly because he was in a great mood like he usually was. He didn't know when exactly the others would see the kittens either. He didn't know when they were done with training and tasks for the day. The titan exhaled. Sometimes he wished that he could understand the humans' complex ways a bit better. Still, Rogue wondered why he was subject to more tests and experimentation. He wished that he could sometimes understand Hange a bit better as well.

At least they were enthusiastic about his new fuzzy babies and were eager to meet them.

Stepping into the courtyard, Rogue shook his head to put his queries behind him. With no one around, the titan then lowered himself and entered the large barn, making sure to shut the door behind him so to not let in the draft. Trilling in excitement, Rogue made his way to the rooftop of the spare room. He purred happily as he removed the barrel from its perch, only for his grin to fade and his excitement transform to worry. In the sheets that he had piled for the small set of felines to use, were the six babies huddled together against one another. The mother cat was missing. Rogue let out the equivalent of a gasp in complete surprise. The babies needed their mother. They needed her milk! He couldn't provide that! Was it possible that the mother had abandoned them?

Desperate, Rogue turned in search for the kittens' mother letting out several whines in distress as his eyes scanned the piles of hay. Suddenly, a rustle captured Rogue's attention. Frantic, the titan turned his head to the source only to find relief. The mother cat had emerged from his mound of pillows and was making her way back to the spare room. The titan watched as the female leaped up several stacked barrels and made her way to her young. Rogue let out a cloud of steam in relief as he settled down and began to observe.

However, the mother didn't lie down to feed her young. Instead, she bent over and dropped a baby vole from her mouth and began to eat the tiny hairless mammal with the titan watching in concern. The mother had only left to feed herself and thankfully hadn't left her babies for good. Rogue's skin fell into a grimace. The vole was much too small to nourish the female. The titan sniffed. The cat smelled exhausted, and when a tiny rumbling hit his ears, Rogue knew that she was starving.

The creature felt his frame tremble in worry. The babies needed their mother. She could do things that he could not. The cat needed to be healthy and strong in order to nurture their fuzzy little ones. She couldn't leave them for long to feed.

Then he had an idea.

A smile drew itself on his grizzly face at what he had just formulated. Yes! He could help! He was a great hunter! He could get the mother food! She would be healthy and the babies would be okay! Rogue confidently nodded to himself. He would fulfill that need.

**(POV SWAP)**

The two teens remained quiet as Hange led them up to the door of Levi's quarters. During their ride back to the castle, the woman was incredibly overjoyed and rushed through any meager task that she had to do before hand – dismounting her horse and not even bothering to tether it as well as just shoving her journal into her bag. Now, she was practically dragging a protesting Molbit along as they prepared to enter. Petra had been rather kind and understanding to the two young recruits, trying to sooth any nerves even though she had them herself. Armin swallowed; he had a pretty good idea as to how the Corporal and Commander would react to the news.

Without a second to prepare, Hange burst through the door, the force so great that it swung back to the wall and hit the doorknob. "LEVI!"

At the sudden intrusion, the shorter male scoffed and stared at the scientist angrily. Both Levi and Erwin were leaning against the edge of the desk, facing them for they had been expecting their party to return for quite some time. Erwin looked as serious and stoic as usual where as Levi looked on in a troubled expression. Silently, Armin took a seat in one of the chairs that had been placed in the room just for the very conversation. Mikasa and Petra followed suit as Molbit stood nervously behind Hange like a child with stage fright.

"Well," Levi uttered, almost speaking through his clenched teeth, obviously displeased with the messy haired woman's assault on the door and the situation in general. "What's the damage? What did you –

Before the male could even finish his sentence, Hange charged forward – and embraced the Corporal in a hug, the very act causing many of the room's occupants to gasp or tense up. If it was one thing that no one was to ever do, it was lay a hand on the sterile Levi.

"What the!"

"LEVI!" Hange announced loudly with the man struggling against the desk. "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'RE GOING TO BE A GRANDFATHER! ISN'T THAT –

Hange failed to conclude as Levi managed to pull up his knee and kick the veteran in the stomach, successfully knocking her to the floor. However, the woman seemed completely unphased by the blow and quickly got to her feet. "Isn't it awesome! You're going to be a Grandfather, Petra and I are Grandmothers, and Mikasa and Armin are going to be big brother and sister!" The woman squealed, making Armin wonder if she was ever going to grow hoarse.

"So what Rogue said is genuine then." Erwin spoke, his gaze drifting to the floor in distress, obviously not in favor of what had transpired. "He's gravid."

"Not only that, but guess what!" Hange pressed on just as enthusiastic as ever. "HE'S GOT SIX LITTLE GUPPIES IN HIS BELLY! ROGUE IS HAVING A LITTER! Isn't that incredible! Titans must have a few babies at a time!"

"Shit." Levi swore with his hand meeting his brow in exasperation. "Damn it Rogue. Of all things he does, he knocks his ass up." He grunted as he left his stance and circled his desk, picking up a bottle of wine and pouring himself a glass. Armin gulped. That was something that even he knew that the Corporal never engaged in. "Hange," Levi began, breath hitching in frustration. "What the hell happened with him? How did you confirm his condition and - the six little brats?"

Hange humbly returned a smile. "I just asked him like you wanted, and boy I have a lot to tell you! I've been putting two and two together since then and thinking of – OH! Molbit!" The scientist suddenly veered off and shoved a notepad into the young man's chest, knocking the wind out of him. "I need you to draw some concept sketches of Rogue going through different stages of his expectancy!"

"Hange!" Levi interrupted sharply, in no mood for nonsense whatsoever, making the woman snap back to the two higher-ups.

"Please." Erwin pressed on, remaining calm and collected. "Tell us what happened from beginning to end. Then please enlighten us on what you think we can expect. In detail if you can Hange. Right now, we need to know everything." The Commander requested, Levi placing his head into his hands as he sunk into the seat behind his desk.

Again, Hange smiled broadly and cleared her throat – completely giddy. "Ah! I'll begin with the simple questions I asked him. First off though, speaking with Rogue about all this, he seems rather content with his pregnancy. He was pretty bashful at some points in our conversation, but he actually seemed to be looking forward to the future."

"That's true." Petra smiled, taking note of Hange's strategy on lightening the mood. "Rogue had a hand to his stomach the whole time we were speaking."

Armin watched as the stress lines loosened slightly in the Commander's face, a flash of sympathy passing before his eyes. Levi just let out a huff.

"Yup!" Hange beamed. "Now, we asked him how long he had known about this, and it seems that our titan daddy just discovered his condition this morning. As for how far he was, Rogue wasn't sure. However! I may be able to shed some light on that! I'll also be answering as to how he knows that he's carrying six fetuses. Rogue shared with me that he could already feel fetal movement!"

The two men's eyes widened at this. Levi's brows lifted in astonishment. "The little brats are already kicking?"

"No." Hange shook her head. "Not kicking yet. They just do basic movement, slight shifting in other words. I believe that Rogue can feel this because his senses are overall higher and best most animals – thus, he is able to detect such movement and is able to count and feel where the movement originates. Now Rogue also told me he knew the size of the babies." Hange paused, holding up her hand. "The unborn titans are the size of your hand."

"That doesn't make any sense." Levi cut in. "If they are that small, I doubt that they can move. They wouldn't be developed enough."

"Well, let me elaborate on that further." Hange insisted. "I believe that Rogue's babies could actually be fully developed! They start just like any fetus, but they form and come together pretty rapidly. The remaining time in the gestational period may be for the babies to grow. Judging by Rogue's height and size ratio and that of offspring bore by other mammals and animals, I'd say that the babies could be three to four meters tall at birth."

Armin sat up straight at the information. If the babies could be that big by birth, then Rogue was going to be incredibly large – especially with six!

"I hope that we don't have to make a special pulley system to lift his ass up if he sits down and can't get back to his feet if he's going to get as big as the fucking boulder in Trost." Levi spoke flatly, receiving a laugh from Hange.

"HA! I hope we don't! Of course, the babies could also be born small and grow afterwards! Now! With that being said, I think Rogue could be anywhere from two to three weeks pregnant at this time. This also confirms my theory on self-fertilization and Rogue having both male and female parts."

"So, he was here when he got like this?" Mikasa queried with Hange nodding in affirmation.

"Yes most likely."

"Hange, do you have any idea how long his expectancy could be?" Erwin questioned seriously.

The scientist reached up to adjust her glasses. "Glad you asked! I believe a safe estimate would be about three to four months! Titan pregnancy is fascinating! It would most certainly go much faster than a human being's! Rogue is, at this time, not experiencing any illness or symptoms like us either! I can't wait to see what happens with him!" Hange hummed, eyes suddenly drifting away from the Commander and Corporal to the chandelier thoughtfully. "AH! I wonder what will happen during all of this! Maybe Rogue's body will adapt to nurture the babies as well! After all, he has paternal instincts! I wonder – how would he feed his young? They must need some sort of nourishment. Maybe Rogue will somehow produce milk or something very similar to it!"

Levi frowned. "Hange."

"Or perhaps the babies are feeding off the sunlight that Rogue absorbs. That seems likely since Rogue lacks nipples like all titans."

"Hange."

Despite Levi's warning, Hange kept on speculating. "I wonder if stretch marks are actually possible – perhaps not because of a titan's regeneration ability."

"Hange."

"Hmm, I wonder what the birthing process will actually be like! Maybe Rogue will get contractions during labor! Where do the babies emerge? Are they vomited or is some sort of canal formed? Is there some other method? I wonder if his waters will break!"

The man's face twisted into a look of repulsion. "Ugh, disgusting! Hange –

"Ah! I wonder if any sort of umbilical chord connects the babies! When they're birthed, I wonder if Rogue will have the animal instinct of eating the placenta afterwards! Will he even have an afterbirth? How long could his labor last?"

"HANGE."

"I wonder how messy labor could be. Will there be plenty of blood? Is there going to be any amolic fluid? If so, I'll have to get samples of that! Do the babies even grow in a womb or were the eggs in his stomach lining? I wonder if there will be a membrane covering the babies when they're birthed. Maybe Rogue will eat that too!"

"Gross! Squad Leader!"

"She's making me sick."

"HANGE!" Levi continued, Armin noticing a vein popping out on his brow.

"Oh I can't wait to meet them! OH! Can we name one after Levi! We could call it 'Levi Jr.' which would be so cute!"

**"HANGE!"**

At Levi's furious shout, Hange snapped out of her trail of thoughts. "Oh! My apologies! I got a little carried away!"

"The hell you did." Levi grumbled. "You're fucking disgusting Hange."

The scientist laughed. "Oh Levi! I don't find that disgusting! In fact, I think childbirth is rather beautiful!"

The Corporal narrowed his eyes, scowl growing deeper. "Hange, were you dropped on your head when you where –

"Oh Molbit!" She began again, completely disregarding the Corporal's query as she took the notebook from his hands, catching the young man by surprise. As she scanned the sketches, her smile grew broader still. "These are lovely! Thanks!" Hange continued as she nearly skipped to the Corporal's desk and shoved them into his view. "These may help you get a better image of what our Titan Daddy is going to look like as things progress!"

As the man's hands flipped through the pages, his mouth morphed into a large frown, his thin brows drew together, and an eye twitched. "These are just disturbing." Levi winced, Erwin glancing over with brows pinching, expression impossible to read. "Here Arlert." He pressed on as he held the notebook in the blonde teen's direction, keeping it as far from him as possible.

Without a word, Armin stood from his seat while the Corporal and Section Commander exchanged in a small argument. His heart beat unsteadily as he closed in on the wooden desk. He tried to avoid showing his trembling hands as he took the notebook from his superior before heading back to his chair. Armin's face fell as he looked at the images drawn on the sheet of parchment. He agreed wholly with Levi's statement that the images were disturbing. Rogue had been drawn rather detailed as usual, but with the physique of a pregnant woman going through trimesters. The first drawing was the titan standing in a three-fourths view, sporting a small little bulge in his abdomen with the sketch labeled as a month. Armin swallowed; the illustrations were more upsetting as he went along. The second image was Rogue at a two months span. The swell was very noticeable, the equivalent of a mother that was six months along. The final image was the hardest to look at, showing Rogue at full term. Rogue's belly was huge and looked as if he could barely wrap his arms completely around it. It was nearly entirely round and spherical, looking absolutely uncomfortable and the weight of it would affect his posture. His signature abs were completely gone. Armin sat down and quickly handed the notebook to Mikasa, utterly sick to his stomach and not wishing to look at the drawings any longer. The teen watched from the corner of his eyes as Mikasa's brows lifted in alarm and a small gasp left her lips. He sighed, returning to listen to his superiors' conversation.

"Hange, what if the babies are mindless titans? We would have to kill them if that were the case." Levi pressed on, bringing up a valid point that made Armin shutter. If it was true, the government would certainly order Rogue to be killed.

Hange quickly shook her head. "That's not going to happen Levi! The babies were created using self-fertilization! Rogue's own DNA, his own genetic makeup was used. In other words, the baby titans will be just like him! They are practically clones of him if you think about it!"

Levi exhaled heavily. "Great. More idiots."

"Alright." Erwin cut in, his serious tone capturing everyone's attention in the room. "As to how we handle this situation, most of it will have to be played by ear since we don't know a hundred percent if those drawings represent how Rogue will progress in reality. First thing's first, we'll have to share this news with the rest of the Scouts and make them swear to secrecy for now. We can't let this information get out to the public or government just yet."

"What about when Zackley comes for the inspection in a month?" Armin brought forth, a bead of sweat forming on the back of his neck. "Rogue might be showing his condition by then!"

Erwin's face remained serious. "If his swell is only as big as the one in the first drawing, then we could pass it off as just the way Rogue is built. Remember, Zackley has never seen Rogue in person before. That's our advantage. Plus, he needs to see Rogue's friendly personality so he can feel comfortable and completely trust him."

"What about when the brat pops out the little brats?" Levi articulated. "How do you want us to explain that?"

The Commander hesitated for a moment, drinking a glass of water before clearing his throat. "When Rogue delivers, we say that we had no idea and neither did he. We'll say that Rogue fell ill without explanation and we found him a short time later in shock and with six newborn titans. We'll also ensure that the babies are exactly like Rogue in every way and can be trained to aid humanity, enforcing that seven intelligent titans are more productive than just one. We will also say that with this occurrence, it gives us the perfect opportunity to discover just how titans reproduce and develop. That's what we are going to work with for now. If anything happens, we will go from there."

Silence grew in the room like a creeping mold until Levi stood from his seat, taking one last gulp of wine before sealing the bottle. "Sounds like a plan. Now, the five of you rally up the rest of the soldiers to meet at the Mess Hall. It's time to inform them about this shitty situation."

* * *

Armin remained all but a figure in the background as he sat next to Mikasa on the stage of the Mess Hall. The two teens were emotionless as Erwin moved to stand at the podium facing the room full of worried looking soldiers. It was incredibly rare that the Commander conducted emergency meetings, which gave the audience an excuse to be on edge. Armin gripped his arm tighter as he looked out at his friends from the 104th. He had no idea how they would take this at all nonetheless everyone in the room. Hopefully they wouldn't think that Rogue was a lost cause.

Any ounces of murmurs were silenced by the sound of Erwin preparing his pipes. "Good afternoon." He began, just as demanding as ever. "I gathered you here to break some sudden news to all of you. Before I disclose to you what it is, I must inform you all that this information is classified. You cannot leak this information outside of headquarters. That means no sharing this with other regiments or even your families. Do I have your word?"

At the Commander's request, soldiers slowly stood from their seats and saluted, the tall blonde dipping his head in thanks before his followers took their seats once again.

"Alright. Now due to this unforeseen circumstance, the 57th expedition will have to be postponed to next year."

At this, several of the men and women began to turn to one another and express their concerns and astonishment.

"What? What happened?"

"What is so important that it postponed an expedition? That's never happened."

"Huh?"

"Are they disbanding us?"

Erwin cleared his throat, bringing order to the room a second time. "Before you ask the reason why, I'll share the news that we learned just this morning. Do be warned. A lot of you may find this distressing at first, it will certainly change things around here, but in the end I believe it will benefit humanity. Hange Zoe will be more than happy to answer your questions." The man paused, taking a deep and pensive breath before giving the waiting Scouts a stern glare.

The only thing Armin could hear was his heart pounding in his ears.

"Rogue is pregnant."

Faces in the room fell, paled, and some stood from their seats – looking as if they had seen a ghost.

**(POV SWAP)**

Heated frustration pooled in his stomach at another failed attempt. The titan's face drew up in a snarl as he growled cavernously. Rogue hissed, raising a hand high into the air before bringing it down brutally atop the crystal surface of the lake. Water flew up in a high wall with the impact, soaking the shore in a mini tsunami. With a jet of steam angrily leaking through his teeth, Rogue settled on his haunches once again and held up a hand to strike, poised to catch his wanted prize. The last half hour had been incredibly irritating to the titan. On his quest to catch the mother some food, he had decided on hunting fish for he knew that felines fancied them. He had figured that the lake was a suitable place to start. Not only was it a great swimming hole for the flying humans, but also it was a great fishing spot. He had found many of the soldiers fishing at the particular lake catching fish quite often. However, his thought that the task would be easy had quickly stabbed him in the back. He was not gifted at fishing. Trying to catch moving prey in water was a whole different game. Being underwater, Rogue couldn't hear or smell the aquatic creatures. The only way that he could sense their movement was by watchful eyes alone. If keeping an eye on the creatures was hard enough, to the titan trying to grab his prey was even harder. Many times he had managed to stag a fish from the watery enclosure, but in his hand they were slippery. Several had slid on his flesh back into the water while other times his frantic attempts to keep ahold of his prey caused him to accidentally squish the animal between his fingers. He would have better luck catching bigger fish, but since the mother cat was a small creature, he had to get prey that would be suitable for her size.

Rogue remained still and silent as he focused, trying to see past his horrid reflection into the ecosystem below. Then a sliver of shimmering scales caught his eye – a small trout becoming his target. Holding every muscle firm and his own breath, Rogue watched as the fish swam towards him, completely unaware that it was on radar. Then his window of opportunity presented itself. Rogue lunged his hand into the water, sending up a torrent of liquid as he scooped up the trout. The titan trilled in excitement at a possible success, but his elation was quickly stopped as the creature began to flop in his palm. Letting out a distressed warble, the titan quickly tried to get it between his fingers. However, the fish flayed wildly, going in so many different directions that Rogue could barely follow the movements. The titan vocalized in desperation as he continued to try and snag the trout, not even noticing that he had wallowed into the lake. With anger taking his reins, Rogue hissed loudly and slapped his hands together – the fish disappearing between his palms. The behemoth rumbled proudly in victory until he realized his error. Carefully, Rogue peeled away his hands to reveal a bloody smear and the remains of the fish's guts – completely grounded into pulp.

The titan let out a half roar in sheer disapproval as he slammed both of his fists into the lake before getting to his feet and making his way to the shore. Rogue grumbled to himself, scolding his clumsiness. Obviously, he was not meant to go fishing – by hand or even with a fishing pole. Rogue folded his arms, face falling into a look of distress. He had to feed the mother soon! He had to get her food! The titan then came to the decision to abandon the idea of retrieving a few fish. From watching felines in the past and observing the female's preferences in the barn, Rogue knew that rodents would be the way to go. Maybe he would have better luck catching a mouse, squirrel, or a rat or two. With his decision made, Rogue then left the lake and slipped back into the forest.

Rogue kept his breath as quiet as he possibly could, stride smooth and light as he entered an area in the deeper part of the forest. The creature paused as he came to a reasonable sized clearing that he knew had a high probability of having what he wanted. It was sheltered by birches and pines beneath the overstretched arms of the supersize trees. The clearing was decorated by logs and boulders like most clearings he had come across in the Scouts' territory, but this one was gifted with long and lush grass that blanketed the compact glade. From his experience in crossing the fields to reach the wall during his years alone in Maria, Rogue knew that mice often scurried and dwelled there. The grass in the clearing was no different. Rogue sighed. He had never tried to actually hunt a creature as small as a mouse. Perhaps executing the method that felines used was his best chance at catching the minuscule rodents.

The titan exhaled a cloud of steam as he lightened his body even further and crouched down to all fours. Rogue stilled, sniffing once to find that the wind wasn't quite in his favor, blowing away from him. With one sense temporarily unusable, Rogue resorted to his keen hearing. Elven extremities shifted and flickered, searching for signs of life within the tall grass. Rogue crept forward, steps so light that not even a human could hear him approach. Rogue's tapered ears abruptly shifted to the right, his head turning to focus on the sound of pitter-patter by tiny feet. The titan became still as stone, nearly frozen in place as he listened, ears twitching at the repetitive sound. The titan blinked, realizing that there were far too many steps from his target to be a mouse – telling him that the culprit was likely a large centipede. At the let down, Rogue snorted and took a few steps further into the heart of the clearing.

Again, he sniffed, nose nearly against the ground as he tried to pick up any scent despite the wind's lack of cooperation. Suddenly, the familiar smell of rodent swept through his nostrils. Rogue nearly trilled at the discovery, but kept quiet for the sake of his prey not discovering him. Light like a feather, the titan prowled on his hands and feet towards the source. His ears became erect, filling with the sounds of squeaks and tiny feet. Sniffing again, he knew that his luck had turned for the better for he had found a nest – a rats' nest. Perfect! Rogue continued to follow the invisible trail, nose and ears twitching wildly as he came upon where the scent was originating. A smile formed on his intimidating face. Before him was an old rotten log that had fallen perhaps decades ago. Below it looked to be a wad of dried grass and old leaves – formed into primitive architecture by tiny paws. They were smart creatures to build their home beneath the log – away from a five foot three clean freak's wrath in the castle. Rogue then prepared himself, lifting to rest on his feet with a hand hovering over the dried log and another in the air ready to snag his prize. He was going to try and get as many as he could. He had to be quick.

However, as Rogue barely lifted the log, nearly a dozen plump rats darted out into the grass. The titan made a large yelp in surprise at their unexpected nimbleness, but quickly snapped from his state of bewilderment. The titan aimed for the closest rodent possible. Like a cat himself, Rogue swiped, but his force was too strong as he instantly grinded the little mammal into red pulp. At his error, Rogue growled his frustration before setting his sights on a new target, a fat grey rat with furrowed fur. Focused more on his speed than anything, Rogue lunged, giving in to his predatory nature. The ground rumbled in protest at his impact, the rat reduced to a red smear beneath his palm. The titan snarled in aggravation. No! He couldn't fail! He had to help the hungry mother! He had too!

Again, Rogue went for another rat, quickly cupping his hands around it like a child trying to catch crickets. The titan grinned at his victory, but his success was short lived as the rat weaseled its way from between a small gap in his fingers. Not willing to let another potential meal for the mother get away, Rogue quickly brought a hand down on top of his prey.

But with too much strength. Lifting his hand, Rogue saw that the rat was nothing but a crimson smear.

In light of his failure, Rogue let out a series of angry snarls and growls as he pounded a fist several times into the earth until a layer of skin began to break. The titan inhaled and exhaled rapidly before letting out a steady stream of steam to calm himself. He certainly wasn't meant to hunt rats or mice either.

Rogue whined softly at his lack of ability. He couldn't return to his own nest with nothing. A cheerful tweeting sound overhead provoked Rogue to turn his attention skyward. Up on the limb of a maple was a proud red-breasted robin. The titan's pupils dilated in excitement. Yes! Cats also ate birds and other foul as well! The titan grinned, knowing that he would have better luck catching one of the flying creatures since he was proficient at snagging the Scouts' wires. Nodding to himself, Rogue slowly stood to his full height. He didn't want to scare the bird into flying out of his reach. He would have to be quick.

However, as soon as he took a single weighty step, the robin flew off the branch and deeper into the forest. Rogue growled at the unprecedented event and charged forward. He was not going to lose this meal too! Gaining on the bird's position, the titan lightly swung beneath it with the intention of knocking it off balance. The bird fluttered awkwardly at the change, but quickly regained its composure and continued to fly off. Rogue growled, suddenly realizing that he had no idea how to successfully catch a bird without harming it.

As the robin crossed his field of vision once again, Rogue swiped only to miss the bird by mere inches. The close shave was enough however as the bird tumbled in the air. Just as the titan reached out in an attempt to capture it, a grey blur swooped from above and managed to peck his brow. Surprised by his unsuspected attacker, Rogue spun around to see that a mockingbird was closing in on him again. His eyes narrowed. The grey and white birds were always a nuisance. They were aggressive, especially if they had a nest nearby. Rogue had seen these fearless birds swoop at everything that moved back in his territory – even mindless titans. With the mockingbird dive-bombing him, here was no way to extract the robin. However, the creature would serve the same purpose.

Hearing tiny wing beats approaching from behind, Rogue turned and swung in an attempt to knock the creature off balance. But unlike the robin, the mockingbird was much better of a flyer for it continued its dive straight at his face again. The bird was like a pesky fly to the titan and he could swat it away so easily. And like such, he was tempted to just dispose of it. But it was needed. With the bird diving at his head, Rogue let out a booming growl and turned to swing, but was too late as the bird flew straight for him. Suddenly, the beast saw an opportunity, provoking him to grin at the foul's foolishness. The mockingbird swooped, flying from his side toward his façade in a line drive. Rogue stood still, eyes narrowed in determination as he readied his attack. Just as the mockingbird became inches from his cheek, the titan opened his jaws and snagged the pesky vermin by its tail. Feathers flew and the bird squawked frantically as its tail was encased in Rogue's hold. At his success, the titan purred in absolute delight, proud at his accomplishment. He could finally provide food. Knowing that the bird could very well wiggle free from his mouth, Rogue lifted his hand with the intention to encase it into his palm so he could somehow and carefully snap its neck.

However, the titan complexly misjudged his strength yet again as he encased his thumb and forefinger over the mockingbird's body – and squashed it, blood splattering onto his fingers and teeth.

For a moment, he was frozen at his mistake until he snapped with realization. Rogue snarled, swinging his fist into a nearby pine – knocking the tree over to the forest floor with a loud crack. The titan's shoulders hunched, hair standing on end as his fingers intertwined within the dark locks. Rogue expressed his displeasure again with a deep and angry growl as he pulled out a few strands off his scalp. The titan snorted, folding his arms and dropping roughly to his rear in an immature pout. He could pick up small objects, but when it came to small animals – Rogue had no talent what so ever. It was something that would only come with practice.

Worry then began to settle into his gut, a soft whine slipping past his teeth. How was he going to feed the mother now? He was just going to kill any small game that he came across and he had no time to brush up on his skills in doing so. Rogue sighed, subconsciously licking his hand before letting his tongue glide across his teeth to rid the small amount of blood before tilting his head back as he thought. There had to be some way he could get what he needed!

Suddenly, a smile pulled at his skin while he quickly sat up. It was true. He couldn't catch fish, rodents, or birds – but he knew someone that could!

* * *

Rogue kept himself quiet as he neared the wide green clearing of the castle, following a certain scent of a certain someone. The sun was in the right position, so she was undoubtedly within his reach. The titan paused as he came to the tree line, looking out through the leafy branches to make sure that his assumption was correct. Sure enough his hunch was accurate. The new recruits were in the clearing doing their various assigned chores. Horseface Jean and Connie were both trimming the grass, his little ones were wiping the windows, and Krista and Sasha were cleaning the high windows using their gear. With his face smiling softly, Rogue stepped out of the trees and brambles, his heavy footsteps causing several of his smaller humans to drop their tasks and turn their gaze to him. As always, the titan greeted them with a series of deep grunts while he made his way to the person he needed.

As he moved, the titan couldn't help but take notice as some of the recruits smiled and waved fretfully, eyes drifting off to gaze at his midsection as well as exchange whispers. Rogue raised a brow in befuddlement. It wasn't unlike some people that would stare at his body when he walked through Katness, but his smaller humans were almost looking at him as if he had grown several meters. Despite the amount of Scouts that seemed out of character, Rogue pushed the fact aside and continued with his plan as he approached the female brunette who was scrubbing away at a window of stained glass.

" **SASA!"** Rogue voiced loudly, using his nickname he had chosen for the brunette for he could never pronounce her name quite right. " **SASA!"** He continued to beckon, gaining the other's attention as well as the girl's.

"Hey Rogue!" Sasha smiled broadly as she sat down her rag. "What's up Big Daddy? Do you need something?" She continued, eyes drifting down his frame for a moment before meeting his friendly greens once again.

The titan suddenly opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly felt the several sets of eyes looking him up and down yet again. Rogue felt a sense of insecurity creep over him, making his cheeks tint slightly pink.

"Yes Rogue?" Sasha queried again. "Do you want to tell me something?"

The titan scratched his scalp fretfully. " **NNEEEDD EELLPPP. EEII – NNEEDD YUUURR EELLPP."**

The brunette's eyes widened in the slightest. "Oh! You need my help?" She translated, the others listening closely to their conversation.

Rogue nodded quickly. " **EEEIII NNNEEEDD – FOOOD."**

Much to his surprise, the girl seemed to be astounded by his request, her brows lifting with both awe and curiosity. The Scouts below reacting in a similar way.

"Cravings already?" He heard his little one mutter above a pin drop. Before he could question Armin what he meant, Sasha began again.

"Oh! I see! You need some food! You want potatoes?"

Rogue shook his head. " **NOOO. ERRR… HUUNNT. EELLPP HHUNNT."**

Sasha blinked, her face almost difficult to read. "Oh, you want me to help you hunt for food?" She asked, receiving a nod. "Rogue – I don't know if I can help you right now. I have to clean these windows before Levi gets back. He'll be angry if I leave."

Upon hearing her response, Rogue let out a loud whine, brows drawing together in distress. He had to get the mother food now! He couldn't wait! Sasha bit her lip at his 'sad puppy dog' look that he often implemented to get what he wanted. Hopefully she would comply.

"Oh, Rogue I –

"Hey Sasha?"

At his Mikasa's voice, the titan and the others turned to the dark haired teen in question.

"Yes Mikasa?"

"You go ahead and go hunt with him. I'll explain to Levi your reasoning." His little one proposed.

Sasha smiled. "Well then!" She turned to the titan. "I'll go get my bow!"

**(POV SWAP)**

Levi's face remained in a fixed scowl as he and Hange made their way down the corridor leading to the recreational clearing. His brows were more drawn together than usual, giving him even more of a headache from the day's misfortune. Hange herself wasn't helping his migraine. For the past hour, all she had been doing was running her mouth.

"If Rogue's pregnancy really is four months, then he should give birth in December. Which means we'll have Christmas babies Levi! We'll have to name one after you!"

His fists clenched. He really wanted to hit her square in the stomach. "No." He replied coldly.

"We need to have a baby shower or something when the babies are close to arriving! That would be fun! Rogue would love it! We could have cake and stuff!"

" _NO."_

"LEEEVVIII!" Hange groaned. "You're being such a downer! You should be happy! This is a miracle!"

"Hange." The Corporal hissed through his teeth. "I fail to see how this situation is a miracle or how this could possibly make me cheerful. Now if you please – shut the fuck up."

Of course, much to his grave misfortune the woman only cackled like a crazy hyena, making the vein in his brow bulge for the umpteenth time. Levi began to walk faster, wishing to get his routine checkup on the undergoing chores over with so he could seal himself away in his office again away from Hange until he had to attend Rogue's examination – something that he was not looking forward to by any means. Sunlight poured into his eyes as he exited onto the piazza that opened up into the clearing. The new recruits were doing just as they should have been, cleaning the castle and maintaining the grounds. At his presence, the 104th instantly stopped what they were doing and saluted, nervously waiting his evaluation – especially since he was in a horrible mood.

"Kirstein and Springer, the lawn should be two inches. Not three. Redo your work." He ordered, taking a small amount of pleasure in their drooping shoulders and misery. "Ackerman and Arlert, make sure you also scrub the grout around the windows."

"Yes, Sir."

"Lenz! I better be able to see my reflection in those high windows!" Levi called, but suddenly taking notice that a particular new recruit was missing. "Where is Blouse!"

Several of the teens grew still at his words, looking to one another but saying nothing. His blood began to boil. "Well?"

"She went hunting, Corporal." Mikasa began calmly, face stoic as she put away her sponge before she and Arlert approached the two higher ups. "Something came up with Rogue."

At this, Levi cringed, knowing very well what was going to happen next.

"Oh! Has something happened to our Titan Daddy?" Hange piped up.

Armin nervously scratched his cheek. "Well Rogue – I think he's starting to have cravings."

Hange's eyes widened as large as grapefruits and Levi only swallowed with dread. "Cravings! Oh my!" The woman exclaimed. "Oh my goodness! It must start early too!"

"So you're telling me that Rogue is now having the taste for pickles and fucking ice cream?" Levi muttered, feeling his frustrations only grow.

"Not that no." Arlert replied, obviously trying not to snicker at the comment. "He came here asking Sasha to help him hunt for food. So I'm assuming that he wants some kind of animal meat."

Levi folded his arms, watching as Hange grinned at this. "Oh! I bet he wanted Sasha to help him so he didn't have to exert himself too much. It's safe that she helps him out. If Rogue strains himself too much he could possibly harm his developing young."

Levi only groaned, his palm going to his brow. "Shit. What the hell else am I going to have to deal with!"

The scientist only let out a sigh. "Well Levi what do you expect? We've got a pregnant titan on our hands!" Hange said happily. "I bet he might start showing other symptoms as well since he is craving things now! OH! This is exciting!"

"Kill me." He muttered.

"If it makes you feel any better," Armin began sympathetically. "Mikasa and I can also do Sasha's work here. We don't mind it."

The Corporal exhaled, fingers rubbing his temples. "Fine. Fine. Do it. Just make sure she's back in three hours when you guys clean the north side of the castle."

"Yes, Sir!"

The man sighed, turning on his heels quickly to head to his office. ' _He better not get moody or have morning sickness. I don't need anything else.'_

**(POV SWAP)**

Rogue remained patient, sitting on his knees as he watched Sasha do the practice that she had called 'stringing her bow' – the only weapon that she used for hunting. She hummed happily as she did her preparations, occasionally stealing a glance at his bulk. He didn't understand it. Why was there a difference in how the Scouts were seeing him? He was the same as always. Why had they acted so odd when he asked for food for the mother? It confused him so. Even his little ones, Petra, and Hange were treating him differently. Was there something he had done? Had he messed up somehow? He couldn't dwell on the thought at the moment. He had to concentrate on helping the cat and their babies. He would sort things out later.

"So Rogue!" Sasha began as she finished her work. "What are you wanting? After I get your food I can get something for the dinner table this evening."

The titan smiled. " **BIIRRD. LLOOTTS OOFF BIIRRRD."**

He watched as Sasha's brows raised in the slightest before her smile returned. "Birds huh? Sounds like a plan! Like always! You smell and listen for them and I'll shoot!"

" **OOKKKAAEE SASA!"**

She nodded **.** "Oh, by the way, I'm curious. Why did you ask for my help?"

Rogue dithered, shrugging his shoulders. " **CAUUTT BBIRDD BBUTT SSQUSHH DDEMM."** He admitted bashfully. Sasha laughed.

"Ah! I see. Well I feel honored that you asked me!"

The titan nodded but his attention was stolen by a loud tweeting from above. The beast arched his neck to look up into the canopy, spotting a jay on a high branch. Knowing what to do, Rogue pointed to their target with Sasha already aiming. Within seconds, with a smooth whoosh, an arrow pierced through the bird's small body and sent it falling limply to the earth. Seeing their catch, Rogue trilled loudly in excitement, watching with lively greens as Sasha began to carefully pry the arrow from its broken body. Finally! He had something to offer the mother!

Rogue reached out his hand for the teen to place the feathery corpse into his palm with the intention on carrying it back to his nest, but to his surprise, Sasha placed the jay in a canvas flour sack. He raised a brow. Why had she done such a thing?

" **SASA –**

**"** I figured that we could kill lots of birds and collect them before I hand them off to you. It makes them easy to carry. How about it?"

For a moment, Rogue dithered but then decided that she had a point. The birds would be much easier to carry in a sack rather than in his palm. He finally nodded, agreeing to do so.

"Okay then! Let's head deeper into the forest. We're bound to find more birds nesting there!"

Again, Rogue nodded, secretly hoping that they would catch a reasonable amount quickly. He had to return to the mother and their fuzzy babies soon.

For a little over an hour, the odd pair worked together swimmingly. They had killed several more birds to add to their growing collection. It was certainly different to the titan, having an easy role for once. He was simply a spotter, but he was thankful for the position. By himself, he would have never had a complete carcass – just pulp and mush. He walked upright, scanning the trees while Sasha stayed below to both watch his gestures as well as snag low dwelling birds that were digging for worms. He found himself drifting among his thoughts yet again as he occasionally snuck a glance down at his hunting partner. Every so often, he had caught her staring at his midsection again just like the others had done. What the hell was so interesting about his abdomen? What was so inciting about his appearance lately? To him he looked the same. So why was he receiving such attention? Rogue looked down at Sasha yet again, finding that she was indeed sneaking a glance at his frame. The titan's brow furrowed slightly in determination. He was going to ask.

" **SASA?"**

Hearing his sudden query, the girl nearly jumped, turning her head sharply from his stomach to his face. She was blushing slightly, radiating with embarrassment knowing that he had caught her staring.

"Yes Rogue? Did you see another bird?"

The creature sighed, pausing in his tracks. " **SASA? WHHII YUU STTARRRE AATT NNEE?"**

His question only seemed to make her face redder. "Well," The teen dawdled, scratching her chin. "You uh – look good today!" Sasha alliterated quickly, making him raise a brow in further suspicion. "Well, what I mean is that you're really glowing!"

The titan blinked in surprise. Glowing? He was really glowing? Rogue quickly held out an arm to observe his skin, worried that something was amiss. At his action, Sasha began to laugh.

"Oh no silly! You're not actually glowing, Rogue! It's a figure of speech. No need to worry about it!"

He blinked in astonishment. He honestly didn't know how he looked good at all considering that his last bath was nearly a week ago. Bashfully, Rogue scratched his scalp. " **THAANNKKS. EIII – NOOT RETTYY DOOUUGHH."**

**"** No problem. I assume you know that the others were staring as well and that's why you asked me." Sasha continued. "But don't worry, it's because everyone else noticed that you are glowing too!"

Rogue smiled softly, turning his attention back to the foliage. At least he could rest easy knowing that there was nothing for him to be concerned over. He knew he wasn't the most beautiful thing in the world, but he was glad that a few people found him lovely in appearance – people besides Hange and his little ones. Rogue then left his thoughts once again as he heard a rustle and a few wing beats, immediately, he stopped and sniffed with Sasha halting as well. Following the source, he crouched down and stretched his head over her. There was definitely a bird in the brush.

"You smell another bird?" The teen questioned barely above a pin drop as she readied another clean arrow.

The beast nodded, pointing to the trunk of a pine. " **BIIRRDD DDEERE. INNN AACCKK OFFF TREEE."** Rogue informed, holding up his fingers to measure a distance of three feet. " **DDIISS HIIII OOFFF GGRRROUNND."**

Sasha dipped her head in affirmation. "It may be a quail. I can probably get it from here." She smirked, making the titan raise a brow in confusion. How could she possibly shoot a bird that was behind a tree? Yet Sasha was practically an artist with her bow. He couldn't doubt her.

Keeping silent, Rogue watched as Sasha lifted her arrow in the direction of their prey, pointing it at the tree. All was still as the teen squinted her eyes in judgment, studying the scene. The titan then watched as Sasha slowly rotated, keeping herself level as the arrow now pointed off into the trees. He continued to survey as she suddenly bit down onto the arrow's tail, pulling out one of the three feathers. Rogue leaned forward in absolute intrigue. He had never seen Sasha do such a thing to one of her weapons. He remembered her explaining on their first hunt together that the feathers on the arrow's tail helped guide it or something like that. So why had she removed such a crucial part? Still, Rogue kept silent as Sasha waited. Suddenly, the wind blew in a gentle breeze from her left, signaling her to release the arrow. He watched in absolute amazement, as the tool flew straight until it began to slowly turn in the direction of the target. Carried by the wind, the arrow then disappeared behind the pine, a loud squawk sounding before a plump quail fell to the grass with the arrow speared completely through it. Rogue's jaw slacked in shock. He had never seen something so incredible. It was almost like the 'magic' thing that Armin often referenced when he read fairy tales to him.

" **NNEETT!"**

The teen chortled smugly. "Cool huh? I bet you weren't expecting that!"

Rogue smiled, shaking his head as Sasha went to retrieve the quail, pulling out the bloody arrow and dropping the bird into the flour sack filled with foul. "We're starting to get up there in numbers. I think we've caught ten so far. How about we start to –

However, Rogue's attention was then thrown deeper into the lush wood, a smell catching his attention. The titan inhaled deeply, the scent flowing into his sinus cavities as he dissected it. It was incredibly familiar, belonging to he and Sasha's main prey that they often hunted as a meal for the Scouts. The titan peered deep into the direction of his common prey, spying a large boar rooting its snout in the grass. Rogue eyes widened. The creature was huge, perhaps as tall as a horse. In his times in Maria, he had only seen a handful of boars that large.

"Whoa!" Sasha whispered excitedly. "That's a colossal boar! They're pretty uncommon! I didn't even know that they would travel this far. Their meat is – really good." Rogue listened, watching a sliver of saliva dripped from Sasha's lip.

The titan turned his attention back to the great boar to see that it had not caught wind of them yet. An idea then popped into his head. He had plenty of birds for the mother so she could nurture the babies thanks to Sasha's aid. To the humans, boar was obviously prized meat and this boar was the jackpot. In the past, he had watched as a team of men tried to take down one with arrows, a task that had been difficult for them. He however, due to his massive bulk, would have no trouble at all catching and killing the large hog. Rogue smirked. He could certainly take it down and gift it to Sasha for her help.

"I might be able to land a hit from here." Sasha whispered as she quickly readied another arrow, but before she could get equipped, Rogue threw out his hand in front of her as an order to kindly not move. "Rogue! What are you –

" **YUU STTEEY. EEII GGEET BBOORR."** He informed, making her brows draw up into high and concerned arches.

"Rogue!" She whispered frantically. "Let me get it! You don't need to strain yourself! You can't do that in your –

However, the titan blocked out her warning and pleas as he slowly began to stalk forward. As he did when he hunted deer for his little ones, Rogue lightened his body and crouched to move on his hands and feet, distributing his weight evenly on all fours – a great tactic he had formulated for sneaking upon small game. Silent as a prowling cat, Rogue crept closer and closer to his prey, careful not to snap a single twig. His ears were fully erect, solely focused on his prize – the sound of the boar's steady heartbeat and pulsing blood filling his ears like music. The hairy creature's scent grew greater, making the titan nearly snort at the strong muskiness. Feral greens watched in absolute fascination as its sides heaved to and fro with each heavy breath. The massive pig was healthy, fat on the earth's bounty for it had no enemies that could easily take it.

Until this day.

Rogue crept closer, pausing to survey behind a tree that was just a few meters from the grazing boar. He could surprise it from behind, easily snatch it and bite into its neck. Rogue grinned at the lack of difficulty in his execution as he hunkered down and prepared himself. He was to strike when the prospect would present itself.

Unfortunately, the golden opportunity failed to come as the wind suddenly shifted, blowing his scent straight for his prey. To his dismay, the boar paused, lifting its head from its meal to sniff – its body going rigid as soon as his own perfume reflecting his intentions met its nostrils. Realizing that it was now or never, Rogue burst forth into the small clearing, mowing over trees as he lunged toward his target. As his powerful footfall hit the ground, the boar let out a terrified squeal and turned to head deep into the wood – narrowly avoiding his hand as he swiped for the animal. Upset at the turn of events, Rogue let loose a thunderous growl and propelled himself after his prey. He was going to get the boar no matter what!

The hog turned sharply, running in zigzags as it tried to lose the massive predator on its heels. Steam billowed from his lipless maw as he pumped his legs forward, speed slowed due to the trees that he was constantly toppling over. His eyes narrowed fiercely. The boar was surprisingly fast and was skilled when navigating through the tight spaces. Pulling further and further away from Sasha, Rogue pumped his legs even harder, not minding that he was creating a destructive path through the flying human's forest. He paid no heed to it however. The Scouts didn't use the area for any training – only for hunting. He was breaking no set rule. The humans wouldn't be displeased if he brought back the colossal boar and its heavenly meat.

Rogue watched as the boar darted into a clearing covered in large mossy rocks. He didn't want to stray too far from Sasha and he couldn't exit the Scout's territory with the boundary just a few miles ahead. It was now or never. He would have to kill the boar using any means necessary. The titan quickly surveyed and studied the position of the rocks in the clearing as he came upon it. The boar was struggling to scamper up a mound of rocks, puling itself up onto a large slap that sat unevenly upon several boulders. The beast smirked menacingly as the perfect plan formulated in his head – a way that he could 'kill two birds with one stone.' If he hit the slap just right, the meal for his family wouldn't put up a single fight.

Just as the boar finally hauled itself up and over the slab, Rogue lurched forward and dropped to his knees, placing a hand to the ground with a fist raised high into the air. As the boar reached the other side of the slab, the titan brought his fist down onto the hard rock, flipping the slab like a plate and sending the boar airborne. The creature squealed and screeched as it flew helplessly into the air – flying straight for his face. With little effort, Rogue opened his jaws and snagged the hog in his mouth. Before the animal could let out another screech, Rogue bit down – severing the spinal column and sending blood flying all over the inside of his mouth, the crimson tasteless on his tongue. Feeling some of the blood glide down into his esophagus, Rogue quickly pulled out the boar and lapped the red from his face and teeth, making sure he was at least clean enough where he wouldn't give anyone the wrong idea. Once he felt that he was presentable, Rogue cracked a smile and looked down at his large kill in his hand. Sasha would be thrilled! The Scouts would eat well for weeks!

Proudly, the titan then stood and began to make his way back the way he came. As he expected, it didn't take him long to find Sasha who had obviously been running for quite some time to catch up to him. He halted his step, crouching down as she collapsed against the trunk of a birch, breath heaving in her chest due to exhaustion. Pleased with his show of thanks, Rogue held up the great hog for her to take a good gander. " **LOOOK SASA! EEII GGOOT BOOR!"**

He observed as she sat up at his statement, eyes wide and her mouth slightly open as she looked from him to the hairy beast. "Rogue," She swallowed, suddenly showing an unexpected amount of concern. "You – didn't need to get it I –

" **EETT OOKAAE. EEII WWAANTTT TOOO GGIVVE EETT TOOOO YUU."** Rogue spoke thoughtfully. " **TTAANNKK YUUU GGIFFT."**

Sasha smiled softly, the worry still readable on her face. "I really appreciate it Rogue. However, you should have let me get it. It wasn't good for you to push yourself like that. You could have easily got hurt. Remember, you're a bit fragile right now so you should be careful." Sasha beamed sympathetically.

At this, the titan raised a brow, perplexed at her reasoning. What was she talking about? Rogue prepared to lift a finger to ask but was quickly stopped as Sasha cleared her throat.

"Well, lets hurry back to the kitchen door so the chefs can prepare all the meat! Whoop! I can't wait!" Sasha cheered as she turned and began to make her way back.

For a moment, he considered asking her what she was speaking of, but seeing her excitement, he held back any inquiries. He had done his work and soon he would have what he needed to help the mother.

Though he was slightly impatient, he waited outside the castle's kitchen as Sasha ventured inside to retrieve the cook. He needed to get back to the kittens and the mother cat. He was gone longer than he would have liked – having wasted time with his earlier failures. Rogue relaxed his shoulders as he stared at the boar carcass in hand. He was still puzzled by Sasha's words. They didn't make any sense to him. There was no way that something like that would hurt him since he could easily heal and he had not a clue as to what she meant by the word 'fragile.' It bothered him. Why was everyone treating him so strangely?

His thoughts were silent as Sasha and Ness exited the kitchen with the bandanna wearing man in complete shock at the giant boar as he lowered it to the ground. Not only was Ness the caretaker of the horses but he also served as the Scout's main chef – fixing their means and preparing dishes day by day with a team of others. With so many flying humans, Rogue imagined that it was quite a bit of work. And with the colossal boar, Ness had his work cut out for him.

"Are you serious Sasha! A colossal boar on our land? Damn, they're so hard to find! We'll have plenty of ham for the month. So, did you shoot it in the head or something? You must be pretty skilled, I've heard that it can take several bullets to take one of these things down since they have a rather high pain tolerance."

Sasha bit her lip. "Well, I didn't kill it. Rogue did. He went after it and caught it – wrecked a lot of the landscape too."

" **SASA!** "

Ness chuckled at his reaction to the teen's tattle telling before giving the titan a look of concern. "We'll I'm pleased that you brought us this Rogue, but remember to be careful alright? You have to be healthy for those babies of yours!"

At the man's mention of his adopted fuzzy ones, Rogue smiled softly and gave a nod before Ness retreated inside to gather his assistants to skin the hog. The brunette then approached the titan and sat the bag of birds before him, a grin of thanks painted across her face.

"Thanks for the boar Rogue and here are the birds we caught! Remember, if you need help getting more food don't hesitate to ask!" Sasha spoke cheerily. "Keep em' nourished alright? Be careful! I'm going to help the chef with the boar! See you later!" Sasha dismissed as she disappeared into the castle.

For a moment, the titan dwelled among the spoken words before he snapped back to his mission. Rogue purred to himself as he took the sack of birds in hand and stood to make his way to the nest. At least the mother would no longer go hungry.

* * *

Upon bringing the mother cat the bounty of he and Sasha's hunt, Rogue had stayed to observe the mother and how she ate. Much to his relief, the cat had been incredibly thankful for his offering – diving in to the quail with no hesitation. Thankfully, she wouldn't have to deal with the lack of food and could produce milk for the kittens. So no creature could scavenge them, Rogue had buried the kill into a pile of hay to disguise the scent and for the female to have easy access. He was proud of himself. The mother and their babies could be left alone for the moment.

Rogue tossed his leather ball at the side of the castle, catching it with no effort as it rebounded and bounced back to him. After tending to his new adoptions, he had left to sit down and reflect. The day's occurrences were constantly tugging at him. He couldn't put it together as to why the others were looking at him strangely and seemed to not want him to do several things such as training and hunting. Rogue gritted his teeth, tossing the ball against the wall again. Sasha had said that he was glowing – meaning that he looked good. Were they fearing him getting dirty or something? Was there something that he was to soon attend? Wait. Were they concerned of him harming himself to where he couldn't take care of the babies? It seemed highly likely.

The titan halted his tossing of his ball and looked into the direction where he knew that his little ones and his smaller humans were stationed at the present time. Yes. That had to be the reason. Perhaps it was best if he go to them and help them out with their work and convince them that he was well equipped to handle such a responsibility. Nodding to himself at his decision, Rogue sat his ball aside and stood – making his way to the north side of the castle.

As he took each weighted step, he listened for the familiar voices of the new recruits up ahead. Suddenly, he stopped – feeling an uncomfortable sensation in his stomach. Naturally, Rogue pressed a hand to it, feeling the rumbling die into a cramp. He gritted his teeth, knowing very well that the small amount of boar's blood that he swallowed was beginning to not agree with his system. Rogue's brows pinched together in tetchiness. He would vomit later, which didn't give him a large window to ask his question. He started to move again. He would have to be rather hasty with his actions before the time came to rid his stomach contents – something that he wanted to do in private so to not alarm everyone.

Rogue stopped again at the edge of the castle, looking around the corner at the group of small humans. They were done tending to the cosmetic aspects of the grounds and had started to unload things from carts. Sasha and Krista were removing crates from a wagon while Jean and Connie were unloading heavier barrels. His little ones however, were nowhere to be seen – most likely with Hange helping her prepare for his examination later. Ignoring another protest made by his gut, Rogue stepped from the shadows and made his way to the group of teens.

Upon hearing his thundering steps, his smaller humans looked up to meet his presence. Like always, he wiggled his ears and morphed his mouth into a lopsided grin. As he expected, they hesitated, staring heavily before putting on a pleasant face.

"Hi Rogue!" Krista spoke kindly as she lifted herself onto the wagon in preparation for grabbing another crate. "How are you doing?"

The beast smiled despite the slight twinge of queasiness. " **GOOOD."** Rogue replied as he studied Sasha carry a wooden crate over to sit it in a neat stack by the back door – formulating and idea of how to lead the teens into a conversation. " **WAAATTT YUUUU DDOOINNN?"**

The tiny blonde smiled. "We're carrying a new shipment of food and rations into the castle. So! What did you and Sasha do together?"

" **WEE HHUUNNTT."** Rogue alliterated with Sasha turning to join the conversation.

"Yeah, we got him what he wanted and he caught us a colossal boar!"

"No way!" Connie expressed. "Awesome! We're going to have lots of ham and bacon for a while!"

The titan simply grinned at their show of thanks, noticing that Jean still had not said a word and was only staring at him – expression difficult to read. Feeling another bubble in his stomach, Rogue proceeded with his plan. " **NNEEED EELLPP?"** Rogue gestured to the girls' wagon, the four looking at the titan in question.

"Well Rogue… maybe you should just –

However, he paid no mind and cut off their answer as he plucked a weighty crate from the cart and sat it into his palm before picking up another and mirroring his actions. Once he had at least ten piled upon one another, he then took the time to stack them neatly by the door with Sasha and Krista's other crates – a task that would have taken the teens some time to complete. Humming to himself, Rogue then turned to grasp the remaining crates, but was met by met by looks of worry from his comrades.

"Rogue," Krista began softly. "You know you really shouldn't strain yourself. You could –

With a large cramp suddenly gripping his stomach in a vice, the titan's hand ventured to his abdomen to hold it firmly until it passed. " **ETTT OKKAEE."** Rogue ensured strongly, trying to his the discomfort in his tone. " **DAA BAAIIBBEESS ARR FFIINNE."** He continued to ensure, moving on in his plan to convince them that he couldn't possibly render himself unable to care for his new adoptions.

Jean's pointed eyes narrowed. "Rogue, you should quit being completely stubborn about this. Right now, you can't do laborious things or any thing dangerous. As far as I'm concerned, you can't do any heavy lifting at all. You risked your health just by picking up those crates as well as take down that boar as well."

The titan tilted his head, folding his arms in irritation. He was not in the mood to fool with Jean and his comebacks – especially when his stomach was misbehaving. " **ETT OKKEE. HOORRSFAACCEE."**

The teen rolled his eyes at the use of his new nickname that the titan had bestowed upon him. "Dude, you're risking the lives of your babies. Do you not understand that?"

Rogue's greens blew wide, taken aback by the crude comment. " **DEEYY ARRR FFINE! EEII TTAKK GOOOD CAARREE…"** The titan stalled in his retort, hand racing to his stomach again to grip it strongly as a massive cramp and a wave of nausea hit him. Rogue grunted in sheer frustration. He would have to keep his stomach under control.

At his move, Jean's brows sank in what he could label as annoyance. "See? You're not fine. From what I see, you're not fit to rear young at all."

The titan snarled at the arrogant teen, absolutely furious at Jean's cruel words.

The long faced teen smirked. "Oh look, it appears that he's starting to have some mood swings too. You going to start crying in the next minute?"

Rogue growled through another whirl of queasiness, ears folding back in resentment. " **NNOO!"** The titan forced through his teeth, his stomach letting out another complaint.

"Jean, go easy on him. You're being a bit harsh." Krista warned. "It's not his fault."

Jean scoffed, cocky as ever. "I'm just telling him like it is! Come on! All of you are thinking the same thing! He's got to be cautious!"

" **WWHHYY! WWHYY YUU TTREET NNEE ODDD!"** Rogue demanded, his stomach beginning to tighten and mouth building saliva in preparation.

"I just told you Rogue! You could hurt your babies! That's why you can't do everything! Besides, you probably won't be able to sit down by yourself in a few months being as big as a barn!"

" **FFUUKK YUU HORR –**

However, Rogue was unable to finish as a large cramp manifested in his abdomen and a wave swept through his stomach – making a loud and sickening slosh that silenced the teens. The taste of bile climbed up his throat, making his hand to fly to his mouth. No! It was too early! It shouldn't have been this quick! Yet, he didn't swallow a lot of blood either.

"Er – Rogue? Are you alright?" Connie questioned.

Rogue swallowed hard, trying to get the sick back down and under control, making sure to nod in affirmation. He had a bone to pick with Jean first.

"He's – looking a little pale isn't he?" He heard Sasha ask Krista who nodded.

Jean sighed in exasperation. "See? This is another reason why he should just take it easy."

Hearing the teen start once again, Rogue opened his mouth only to shut it quickly as the bile rose again – bubbling in the back of his throat. Again, he swallowed – but his stomach wasn't having it. Vomit quickly clawed its way into his mouth, but he stubbornly held it in – letting his stomach contents sit on his tongue before making a third attempt to hold it in. Pupils shank and his hand covered his jaws as his stomach lurched, telling him forcefully that it didn't want the bile returned. Growing even queasier from the horrid taste. His body screamed for him to get rid of it, and there was no time for him to dash off. It was coming, and it was coming now.

"Oh no! He's having morning –

"You think!" Jean called angrily at Sasha.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Rogue opened his mouth to let out a torrent of orange stomach contents – all over the only individual standing in his way. Jean.

Rogue coughed, making sure that he rid everything from his system before opening his eyes. Almost a forth of the piazza was drenched in bile and Jean stood still as a timber, arms held up in horror like the branches of a dead tree. The teen's face was absolutely repulsed. At the sight, Rogue nearly cracked a smile. He had spit on Jean several times, but this took his show of displeasure to a whole new level. Truthfully, he actually enjoyed the gross sight before him.

"You," Jean stuttered. "You… ASSHOLE! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"

At the teen's response, a weak smirk pulled at his skin. Apparently, the others behind him found it humorous as well for the other teens were laughing behind him.

"Well Jean! I think that argument's over!"

"SHUT UP!"

"Well, he couldn't hold it in and you were in the way! Laws of nature pal!"

"SCREW YOU CONNIE! SHIT, THIS IS GOING TO TAKE HOURS TO GET OFF!"

"It smells so bad!"

Feeling a pat on his knee, Rogue looked down to see a concerned looking Krista rubbing his flesh tenderly.

"Are you okay, Rogue? Do you feel better now?"

He nodded slowly. **"ESSS."** He responded softly through the lingering feeling of nausea. The titan then reached up to wipe his mouth, but was interrupted by a sudden slam of an iron and wood door.

"What the HELL is going on here?"

Wincing, Rogue turned his gaze upon Levi who looked like he had seen a piece of completely molded bread. The man standing with his arms crossed in extreme dislike.

"Kirstein, what the fuck is that all over you?" The Corporal demanded, cheeks tinting red at the sight of the mess.

"Well…" Sasha hummed. "Rogue got a little, well – sick."

The titan watched as the man's brows lifted in horror – something that Rogue had never witnessed from the mostly emotionless man, and looked from the soaked teen to his mouth that still had unsightly saliva dripping from his jaws.

"Yeah, I guess he had a little case of morning sickness." Krista diagnosed, more anger and stress lining his face.

Feeling remorseful, Rogue quickly wiped his chin and lowered his gaze to the ground in shame. " **OOORRYY EVVVII. EEII NNOOT AABLLE HOOLDD EENN."**

For a moment, the man's face was blank before he snapped his head to Jean. "Kirstein, rinse your ass off quickly with the hose before you go in and take a shower to get the rest of that shit off you. Springer, Blouse, and Lenz you are to clean this up. 'I want it spotless. As for you Rogue –

The titan gulped, fearing Levi's foul mood.

"You are coming with me so Shitty Glasses can examine you."

* * *

The walk from the rear of the castle to his barn was silent; Levi did not make a single move to speak to him at all. That he was thankful for. He liked not being yelled at for soiling a perfectly clean surface. Rogue peered down at the little man who walked high and tight. Although he looked constipated as usual, there was a large amount of fear radiating from the small statured individual – an amount that he had only witnessed from Levi a few times since he had first come in contact with the man. The titan's gaze traveled to his feet. There had to be something more behind the reason why he was being treated differently, something that he was failing to pick up. But what? Perhaps they would tell him in the examination. He sure hoped so.

Reaching the barn door, Rogue bent down to slide the entrance back, revealing Hange, Molbit, and his little ones with a table of various odds and ends –making him wonder just what they were going to look at.

Upon hearing him, Hange turned around in surprise, a smile spreading across her face. "AH! There's our Titan Daddy! You're a little early!"

"Yeah, the brat was arguing with Kirstein when he suddenly puked all over him." Levi nearly growled through his teeth, making the titan shrug his shoulders, little ones look on in surprise, and Hange burst out laughing – sounding absolutely excited.

"OHHH! Sounds like somebody was a bit queasy! Morning sickness bothering you Rogue?"

The creature tilted his head to the side. That was the second time he heard the term in the last hour. " **WHHATT DDAAT?"** He queried as Hange waved him over to take a seat in his nest.

"Oh, that's a little thing you'll experience. Don't worry!"

The titan's eyes widened at this. Was this the title that humans gave the act of vomiting? Feeling a pat to his leg, Rogue looked down to see Mikasa giving him a rub of comfort, a feeble grin on her face. The creature dipped his head slightly in appreciation before relaxing in wait for Hange to finish her preparations. With instincts kicking in yet again, Rogue looked towards the roof of the spare room with ears fidgeting like nervous hands. A grin tugged at his malformed face. The mother was with her kittens in the bed that he had made them. A twinge of excitement pulled at him. Once the examination was complete, he could show his family the newest additions.

"Alright!" Hange began, bringing his attention to her by her maternal tone. "Let's begin shall we?" She continued sweetly while tweeting herself as she retrieved something that was called 'measuring tape.' "Since you're about three weeks from my initial guess, I'm going to see if you have a thicker waistline – so in other words I'm to see if a swell is indeed starting to grow!"

Rogue blinked, unsure of what to make of Hange's statement. He didn't feel like he had grown at all, in fact he never felt as if he had ever grown an inch anywhere. Perhaps Hange was wishing to see if he was even capable of doing such a thing.

"Rogue, please sit up straight." Hange ordered before she waved over Armin to join her. "I want you to wrap your end of this tape around his torso. When you're done, give your end to me okay?"

The blonde nodded and approached his bulk along with the scientist. Rogue observed quietly as Hange stood at the center of his stomach, upright on his hand while Armin slowly rotated around the titan's waist. Ducking under his arm, the blonde teen then returned and handed her his end. Green eyes speculated in wonder as Hange pulled the two ends together to meet. The scientist then began to study the tiny lines and numbers on the tape, the creature noticing her brows pinching slightly in disenchantment.

"Well, it looks like there is no sign of a bump yet. Everything is the same from when I first measured Rogue upon his arrival at headquarters." Hange announced, her tone not nearly as cheery as it was before. But as he expected, she perked up again. "Oh well! It's still rather early in his pregnancy so his condition probably won't reveal itself in full just yet. Time is needed. If I'm right, he could start showing in the next two weeks or so. Maybe even a week!"

Rogue craned his neck at her conclusion. What was she going on about? Pregnancy? What did that word mean? It sounded so familiar. He had heard the term and its definition from somewhere but he couldn't remember either. Just as the titan opened his mouth to ask, Hange tossed the wad of measuring tape to Molbit who struggled in catching it upon surprise and approached his abdomen yet again. Confused, Rogue watched in a stunned silence as Hange's hands began to probe his stomach with an eager smile on her face.

"Alright Rogue, I'm going to push on your tummy a little. Let me know if any of the spots I push on are tender alright?"

Still lost as to what Hange was doing, Rogue simply gave a single nod for her to proceed. He watched and felt as her hands began to touch along the lower section of his abdomen, stopping every few seconds to press down on the hard muscle. Hange's hands traveled from his right to his left side, pushing in the grooves between his abs and just above his pelvis. Finally she stood back and rubbed hear chin, deep in thought.

"Hmm, he's not showing signs that he's touchy anywhere and the skin and muscle is still really tough in that area. His abdomen hasn't softened in the slightest."

"What does that mean?" Mikasa questioned with the messy haired female shrugging her shoulders.

"In expectancy, the abdomen gets softer so it can expand and it can become tender in some areas. Rogue is showing no signs of that, but then again the process could be different for a titan. Now," Hange began again as she suddenly approached him once more and lay her ears onto his belly, listening with a disturbing sense of bliss on her face. "How's the babies' movements Rogue?"

Letting go of his concerns for the moment, the titan cracked a smile, gaze drifting off to the hidden kittens. " **DEEYY BEEEN GOOOD. NNOOOVVE A LITTLEE."**

"Ah! Good!" Hange beamed up to him before returning to her listening, massaging his torso in tiny little circles, the titan finding her behavior slightly creepy. "Well, I can't hear anything except for a few stomach gurgles." Hange exclaimed with a chuckle. "Of course I expected to hear something of the sort since you recently got sick. I don't feel the movement either that you do, but that's because my senses are rather dull compared to yours though, Rogue!" Hange laughed a she returned to her pile of supplies. "However, I do have one way that we can hear what we want!"

Levi scoffed. "What do you mean 'we want' Hange? The only person that wants the little brats is you shit for brains. You and the bigger brat." He grumbled, his crude statement only manifesting another cackle from the excited Hange.

"Nah! You know you want to be a grandfather Levi!"

The man's face twisted into even more of a look of extreme constipation, everything seemed to crease with sheer annoyance. "Hange, I don't know why you proceed to call me his dad. I am simply his handler."

Still, the woman continued to hum merrily. "Oh Levi! Handler, guardian, mentor, and father – they're all the same to me!"

The Corporal's brows narrowed. "Fuck you."

Hange only smiled playfully. "Well, either you like it or not, but you're a grandfather now." She giggled as she turned to her audience, holding something that the titan determined as a horn of some sort. "This little instrument is a Pinard Horn. It's used to hear fetal sounds in the womb. With this, I am going to try and hear the babies' heartbeats in Rogue's belly!"

Emerald hues widened in complete realization and horror. Rogue stiffened and pitiful squeak left his mouth as he realized his grave error. He had been so ignorant! No one had been talking about the kittens, his fuzzy babies at all! Hange must have mistook what he had said! Rogue's face tinted red as he thought further about the day's misfortune. Pregnancy. Pregnant. He remembered now. Carla taught him the word many years ago when he asked why she and Grisha adopted a monster to be their son – saying that she had fallen in love with him and that she couldn't have a baby of her own! She couldn't get pregnant!

Hange, his little ones, and Petra – they had thought he was fertile!

All those questions they had asked and their strange treatment, saying he was moody and had this thing called morning sickness – they all had thought he had real babies in his belly! Baby titans! Rogue, sat up even further as he grew even more embarrassed. With their lack of knowledge on titan reproduction, Hange had to consider his words as such! Damn he was so stupid! He had been so clueless! He had failed to catch what was really going on because he knew nothing about reproduction in general! Rogue gritted his teeth, pupils shrunk down past their normal size as he remained in shock. He had to clear things up!

"Okay Rogue!" Hange began happily. "I'm going to listen to your tummy okay?" She illustrated as she motioned up to his abdomen. "We're going to listen to those beautiful babies of yours!"

Snapping back to the horrifying reality that was taking place, Rogue let out a long overdue gasp and quickly placed a hand over his stomach to forbid Hange from carrying out her needless examination. " **NOO ANNGGEEE! AAIITT!"**

However the woman only chortled and gave him a kind smile. "Rogue, it's okay sweetheart! It's not going to hurt you!"

Rogue shook his head desperately. " **NOOO! YUU NOOTT UHHNNDERRSTANND! EII NOO,"** The titan hesitated, trying to figure out how to pronounce the next word. " **RREEGGNNANN!"**

Hange raised a brow, all eyes now on the titan. "Huh? Rogue I can't understand what you're saying. If you're nervous, it's okay – all mothers have this done when they are having a baby!"

The titan's nails dug into his scalp in frustration. " **EEII NOOO HHAVVEE BAABBEE!"** He enforced, watching as Levi lifted a brow and his little ones sat up from their seats.

The scientist halted, forehead wrinkling in confusion. "What are you saying?"

Deciding that it was best to show them, Rogue quickly lifted himself onto the balls of his feet and pressed an open hand to the floor with a bid for the group of humans to climb aboard. When they still looked on speechless, the titan carefully scooped each of them into his palm.

"Rogue! What's the meaning of this!" Levi scolded. "What do you think your naked ass is –

The man was cut off as the creature suddenly lifted them into the air and began to carry them in the direction of the little nest. Gently, the titan peeled away the barrel to reveal the mother cat nursing their six newborns in the comfort of the quilts and sheets that he had taken earlier. Rogue then brought his human companions to dismount at the roof of the spare room to bear witness to the little creatures. Upon seeing the little balls of fur, most of their eyes widened in shock.

" **DEEESSEE DAA BAAIIBBEES."** Rogue pointed out, watching his little ones' jaws drop and bend over to get a closer look, the mother cat even tolerating them and greeting the titan with a soft purr that he quickly returned.

Suddenly, Rogue caught Levi's face from the corner of his eyes, his heart skipping a beat at the mere sight of it. His façade was growing redder and his brows had steepened, making his eyes dark and the pupils dangerous. His nose was wrinkled like he had just smelled something disgusting and his mouth was curved sharply in an intense frown. The man's hands slowly drew up into tight fists. The look would frighten even a mindless titan and it certainly startled him!

"SHITTY GLASSES, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" Levi scolded the scientist who jumped at his venomous tone. "HE'S NOT PREGNANT! HE WAS TAKING CARE OF A BUNCH OF KITTENS AND THEIR MOTHER THE WHOLE DAMN TIME! YOU JUST MAJORLY FUCKED UP!" The short Corporal continued as he shuffled his way over to the woman who looked completely disenchanted.

"He wasn't… no… I was so… sure." Hange muttered in a daze as she viewed the little bundles indulge on their mother. "This can't – urkk!" She gasped, Levi suddenly grasping her shirt collar.

"Hange! Of all the stupid shit you've ever pulled! Was this one of your dammed pranks!" Levi snarled.

Hange blinked back a state of repulsion at the man's accusation. "No Levi! This was no prank or joke at all! I really thought he was carrying a litter! With his behavior earlier and what he said I thought it was true!"

Levi then let go of her collar, watching in slight satisfaction as Hange fell roughly onto her rear. "What did he say to you?" He asked coldly. "What were Rogue's exact words?"

"They were quote: I have new babies! That's every word that left Rogue's mouth!"

At the scientist's answer, Armin stood and glanced from the two higher ups to the titan. "Wait a minute. Rogue? Tell me. What do you think the term 'baby' means?"

Rogue dithered, shame suddenly creeping throughout his frame. " **UHH… AAHH SNAAALL VERRRZIION OFF A BIIGG TIINNG."** Armin's brows lifted at his articulation.

"So – you pretty much call every young person or animal a baby?"

The titan nodded sheepishly. " **YEESS. YUUU ANND NIIKKASSA BABBEES."** He pointed to the kittens. " **DEEY BBABBEES. EEIII THIINNKK – EVVIII MAIIBEEE AH BABEEE."**

The Corporal's brows narrowed. "Rogue, I'm going to pretend that last statement never left your mouth." Levi spoke darkly, making the titan stiffen before turning back to Hange. "Shitty Glasses – since you made it a living hell around here for nearly twenty four hours, your ass is going to be cleaning horse shit from the stables for the next year and my shit as well and everyone else's in the castle's bathrooms for the next year as well." The man sentenced, Hange's face comically dropping and causing the titan to produce a huff of steam in amusement. However, he was silenced as Levi's pointed glare landed upon him. "I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. Because of your lack of knowledge, two more hours will be added to your learning sessions. You're going to be taught some nouns and past tense words. You're going to learn that baby cats are called kittens, dogs are pups, and every correct term for offspring there is."

The titan frowned before gesturing sadly to his little ones. " **CAANN ARRNINN ANDD NNIKKASSA STILL BEE NYYY BAIIBBEES?** "

Levi glared flatly at him, face returning to his usual constipated look. "That is the one exception." He issued, making Rogue trill in gladness. "Big idiot." He grumbled. "So the whole cravings thing and the throwing up was fake too?"

Rogue dipped his head. " **EEEII HUUNNNT FFOORR BAA… KITTENN'S NOONN. SASA EELLPP. EII PUUKKE CUUZ EEII SLALLOW BOOR BOOD."** The titan explained nervously.

Levi didn't answer, turning his attention back to the nursing newborns. For several minutes it was quiet as the five continued to gaze upon the furry bundles, listening as they mewled and squeaked quietly and snuggled themselves into the mother's fuzzy belly. Rogue found himself loosening in relief as the tension dissipated. As the titan lifted his index finger for the adult feline to rub against it in affection, Hange finally let out a moan in distress.

"I guess I'm never going to get to know how titans reproduce if they do at all."

Levi sighed. "All I'm worried about here is how in the hell I'm going to break this to Erwin and everyone else."

* * *

"So he was never expecting to begin with?"

"Nope."

"So Hange just had a case of bad judgment?" Erwin continued with several other soldiers behind him looking on in shock.

"Yup." Levi deadpanned, with Hange chuckling nervously behind him.

"Hey! Nobody's perfect! However, I did learn one thing from all of this! It's possible that Rogue's paternal instincts stretch farther than I originally thought. We've seen him adopt two humans to raise, as well as hear about him nurturing ducklings. With this case, he even took it upon himself to serve as a father of sorts to a litter of kittens even with their mother present! He even claimed that the little balls of fur were his! If titan reproduction is possible, it is likely that in Rogue's species the males may participate heavily in the act of child rearing! Maybe this is a tendency of theirs!" Hange grinned, bending over to address the purring titan. "Is that right?"

Rogue cooed, ears wiggling in content before he peered into the nook between his neck and shoulder. Since the initial reveal of Hange's error, the creature had laid down like always to prepare for rest with his little ones when the mother cat surprisingly began to move her newborn kittens on his neck to nestle in his hair –the small family indulging in his toasty body heat. The barn was now filled with Scouts, including Levi's squad, his smaller humans, and Commander Erwin who all looked on in a mixture of surprise as adoration at the oddball 'family.'

"That's an idea Hange." Petra smiled as positioned herself to stroke one of the small orange kittens. "Who knows? Maybe it is true. Rogue is very protective of us and has plenty of love to go around."

"Ha! Except for Jean!" Connie cackled with the long faced teen giving him an eyeful.

"Shut up Connie."

The titan smirked in amusement as he relaxed further, purring in delight from both his little ones massaging his cheek to the squirming felines nestled in his hair. Rogue let out a deep sigh as Sasha, Krista, and Hange joined the behemoth and began to ogle at the little bundles, smiles painting themselves across their faces as they proceeded to pet and observe.

"They're adorable!" Krista exclaimed as she began to rub the stomach of a brown kitten. "They're so fuzzy!"

"Their little tummies are round from milk." Sasha beamed. "I bet the birds really helped the mother!"

"I'd say that they certainly did!" Petra agreed turning to stroke the creature's ear. "Rogue was certainly devoted to these little ones!"

"I still wish they were little titans." Hange sighed solemnly. "Kittens are still cute though!"

The titan grunted in agreement, purring even louder with the attention. Pools of green watched as his official babies began to rub his brow. Mikasa smiled softly, a sense of pride present in her greys. Armin as well looked supportive.

"What are we going to do with you Rogue?" The blonde alliterated – patting his temple. "I think you could literally adopt anything."

Rogue grinned. " **EIII AH GOOOD DAADDDY."**

**"** Yes you are." Mikasa whispered lovingly. "You're a great guardian to Armin and I as well as to everything and everyone looking for a little companionship. If you really were having some babies of your own – I bet you would have been great with them as well."

The titan simply kept his display of fondness as he continued to indulge from the love and attention. He adored to care for things that needed his aid. Yet sometimes he believed that the situation was the other way around and it was everyone else that was a parent to him. Either way, he was glad that he wasn't lonely.

"Well, I'll be tearing up the request for the delayed expedition when I get back in my office." Erwin sighed.

"At least this was just a misunderstanding." Levi exhaled, sounding more than relieved. "It could have been a hell if it was true. I damn sure didn't want any more giant idiots under my care. One is by far enough."

"Hey Levi!" Hange called from his shoulder, stroking one of the kittens in hand. "Can we still name one after you?"

Rogue beamed, watching as Levi's face wrinkled up again.

"NO!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Well, I guess we could call this chapter "Hange. NO." as well.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this silly bonus. I plan to do at least 3 more bonus chapters before moving on to part 2. I have a lot planned for it lol It's probably going to toy with your emotions.
> 
> The next bonus will be another one with Rogue, Carla, and Grisha. It will be about Rogue figuring out what he is and dealing with the truth. It will be a sad one:)
> 
> By the way, A BIG thank you to all those that voted in the Inkitt contest! This fic got fourth place! And holy crap! on fanfiction.net alone, this fic has approx. 121,000 views! Thanks for your support!
> 
> Stay tuned :)


	19. Bonus #3 Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year after meeting Carla and Grisha, Rogue begins to notice something that he was blind to seeing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:Hello all! Here is Bonus number 3! It's another chapter of Rogue's time with Carla and Grisha. It's a shorter one compared to my previous chapters but I think it's a good length for a bonus. BEFORE YOU READ, I just want to say that on Ao3 where this fic is as well, at the end of this chapter there is an illustration that is a HUGE sneak peek you could say of part 2! If you decide to read this chapter here, the illustrations are on my tumblr (miranda-leek) JUST THOUGHT I'D LET YOU GUYS KNOW!
> 
> BY THE WAY... In each of the bonus chapters, I've actually dropped VERY small hints about a few things that will come to light in part 2.
> 
> ALSO, THERE WILL BE ONE MORE BONUS BEFORE PART 2! (MORE ABOUT MY PLANS FOR IT AT THE END OF THE CHAPTER)

**Bonus Chapter 3**

**Truth**

**Year 836**

Sunlight danced down from the canopy, looking like translucent and glowing curtains that puddled on the forest floor in scattered spots. Morning had dawned on the horizon, highlighting the landscape and bathing the cove in a peaceful daylight aura. Life crawled out of burrows and shadows to frolic beneath the towering trees. All was the definition of serene.

His hooked nose twitched at the scents of fresh pine needles, oak, and other green leaves that cushioned his nesting area and cradled his large warm body in a comforting and secure embrace. Subconsciously in his sleep, the titan curled in on himself further – leathery skin soaking up the fresh rays. Rogue grunted, producing sounds similar to a drowsy newborn as his dark eyelids slowly peeled hallway open, brilliant emerald shades glowing softly. The creature blinked sleepily, but let a feeble smile come to his face nonetheless. Rogue curled tighter, crooning a bit as he pressed his cheek into the plush toy – a toy that she had lovingly called a 'teddy bear' that the amber-eyed lady had given him as a gift. As small and insignificant as the thing was, it did make the titan feel less lonely when his Carla and Grisha weren't around. At the thought of his two loving companions, Rogue quickly uncoiled himself and sat up in his nest. Today was a day that his guardians were to come meet him to eat their meal that the couple had dubbed 'lunch.' The thought made him purr in pleasure. He lavished in their visits. Rogue deeply loved their attention and affection that they had to offer. They amazed him so. They spent their time teaching him about the thing called the 'world' and his Carla would play and read the wonderful things called 'books' to him. Over the past year since he had come across the amber-eyed woman and soft-spoken man, he and his small companions had grown incredibly close. He knew almost everything about them. His Grisha was a thing called a 'doctor' – someone that helped the sick. His Carla was his Grisha's mate and he himself was their 'son' – together they were what was called a 'family.' Of course, there were a few things that his Carla and Grisha did that he didn't understand. Mostly, he didn't know why he was to always stay in his forest. The titan would love to go with them to their home. Also, he didn't know why he wasn't allowed to approach others of their kind. It didn't make much sense, but he didn't question it. As long as he received their love, he was happy.

Looking around his nest and the cove, Rogue viewed all of his belongings like toys and books strung out and about – the result of a bit of early evening boredom that provoked him to engage with all of his parents' gifts, the cove looking like a herd of young children had come though the area instead of the result of a fifteen-meter titan's fun. Rogue nodded to himself. His Carla would want the place to be in a cleaner state – the woman having taught him the art of 'tidying up' as a part of the thing called 'manners.' It would be common courtesy plus he didn't want to step on any of his treasures. Although he was rather unkempt at points, he himself did like things to be in order.

Taking action on his decree, the titan lifted himself from his leafy bead, holding his palm open with the pink bear to his chest as he picked up various odds and ends from the green to join the plush toy. Once his nest was clear of joyful debris, Rogue then carefully scaled down the mighty tree's roots and began to pluck his things from the grassy meadow of his enclosure. Once the slate was clean, the creature then carried his toys to the side of his tree at the crevice that stored his findings from walks and anything that was dear to him. With the care of one carrying fragile eggs, the titan placed the objects back into the pile one by one. As with any child putting away their toys, Rogue found himself often side tracked by the cover of a book or whimsical contraption, pausing in his cleansing act to gaze upon the pictures or toy with a wooden wheel before putting the thing into his stash. Finally, Rogue carefully placed his bear on the peak of the small mountain, making sure it was steady and didn't fall before setting back to admire his work.

Emerald hues suddenly widened as a thought crossed his mind. His Carla and Grisha had given him so many things and he himself had given them nothing at all. He had only given them his own affection, never something that they could hold in their hands, play with, or take home. The fact made the titan whimper softly at his failure to do such a thing and realizing the dilemma much too late. Rogue's ears sank solemnly but then perked up again like an alert fox. He still had some time left before his parents came to visit him. He could go find them gifts and be back before their arrival! It was perfect!

With a new mission in mind, Rogue grunted in confidence and stood to his full towering height. Quickly, he then made his way across his cove and up the rocky wall to the vine covered entrance. As he always did, the titan sniffed for any stray beings that were not his own before concluding that he was in the clear. With that, Rogue then left his safe haven in search of the perfect presents for his two companions.

* * *

The forest was bright, green as he found it in the spring time. The titan hummed happily, ears and eyes moving about to view the serene world around him. The birds produced melodies that would make any soul stop and listen and the smaller creatures scurried among the earthy floor. A smile pulled at the corners of the giant's skin. It was days like this that made Rogue wonder why he was so frightened of the world when he had first awoken. Try as he may, he couldn't recall any memory or image before he first opened his eyes to view the canopy overhead and the massive wall. He did however, recall very clearly how panicked he was for his first few years. Ironically, everything had been so new to him that it was intimidating. When the rains fell, thunder pounded, and the four legged growling creatures called wolves barked at him – Rogue remained isolated in his cove for most of his time only to venture out rarely. It wasn't until some time had passed for when he grew braver and left his nest more and more often; roaming among his territory in an attempt to learn everything about it as well as utilizing his size and abilities to establish himself as the king of his forest – making the annoying wolves steer far from him. Rogue sighed a breath of steam. Yes. He was very happy that he had mustered up the courage to leave his little paradise. He would have never found Carla or Grisha if he hadn't.

Thinking of his good fortune in meeting his parents by fate once again, Rogue's mind then focused on what he could present to the couple. Most of the time, they seemed to give him things separately, the man gifting him with one item and his Carla another. They were two individuals so two presents were required. He would have to find two suitable gifts before the hour called 'lunchtime' or 'noon.' Rogue let a groan slip past his teeth as his hand snaked up to scratch at his scalp. He really was unsure of what to give his parents. He lacked the talent to make stuffed toys or carve wood into a shape for play. He didn't know how to make anything that his Carla and Grisha used either. The titan clacked his teeth as he thought harder, mind trying to conjure up any valid ideas. Rogue knew he had to get something that he was capable of obtaining. But what? What could he do or get?

The titan sighed deeply as he paused in his walk, seating himself upon a great fallen log that lay at rest for decades. Green pools stared down at the grass between his toes – looking at a leafy branch that had fallen from the abundant heavens from a previous gust. Trying for inspiration, Rogue bent over and plucked the branch from the grass and held it before his face- thumb and forefinger twirling it around slowly as he scrutinized. The behemoth exhaled in defeat. He couldn't make the branch into a dress or shirt. He couldn't even fashion it into one of the little metal and wood things that his parents ate with. Rogue continued to spin the branch slowly in his hand, watching how the soft sunlight shined off the slick leaves. It was mesmerizing to the beast. He could call it beautiful.

He then had an epiphany.

Rogue purred to himself as he quickly got to his feet. Yes! It was perfect! He had seen his Carla and Grisha fawn over beautiful things his cove. If they did that, then they would surely love a natural gift that the forest could produce. Rogue beamed to himself as he started to venture northwest, knowing exactly where to find some special and extravagant gifts for the two that he loved most.

* * *

The forest grew even quieter and relaxing the further the creature ventured into the sea of wood. Carefully maneuvering himself through a tight cluster of trees and a slight drop in the land, the forest gave way into a series of rocky cliffs and high ledges. At the tops of the rough stone structures, trees grew with little soil and moss was plentiful. It was a scenic area, home to many of the scaly creatures and other small furry animals. Rogue often found himself venturing in the area just to explore the crevices of the rocks. Once, during his exploration he had made quite a discovery – one that was currently the reason for his business being among the rocky landscape.

Rogue slowed his pace, making use of his primary sense of sight – the only one he would truly need to find what he was looking for. The titan crouched low to the stony earth and began to run his hands through many pebbles and stones that had fallen from the high cliffs. The titan grunted naturally in amusement as he flung several pebbles across the fairly narrow canyon of sorts. For a moment, he listened to the tiny particles tap repeatedly and observed them bounce before returning to his current task of searching. Like a sneaky cat, Rogue maneuvered on all fours to a large crack between two faces of rock. With no regard for anything such as a serpent that could have been living in the cranny, Rogue stuck his pinky finger into the nook as far as he could – rooting and digging for what he would currently consider as gold. Then, with a final scrape, Rogue pulled forth what he was looking for – a nearly perfect spherical stone that tumbled a few feet into his waiting palm. At his find, the titan trilled and crooned happily as he seated himself – ears wiggling in excitement. To most, the stone looked to be an ordinary rock that one would just ignore and pass by. However, the titan knew better.

Carefully, the titan placed the small round rock between his forefinger and thumb and began to put pressure on the small find. Green eyes scrutinized the rough surface, waiting for the inevitable. Finally, Rogue felt the rock split all the way through like a cut melon. Enthusiastically, the titan dropped the contents into his hand to examine his reward. The stone had split into three parts, revealing what beautiful and captivating thing that lay at the core. Thousands upon thousands of shiny translucent baby stones – crystals that held incredible beauty. Rogue purred proudly at his find, the shiny rocks were the color he had come to know as 'blue' – a shade of hue that he had not seen before with the baby stones. The creature's tapered ears wiggled yet again. His Carla loved the color blue so the stone was the perfect gift for her. Selecting the biggest chunk of the three to serve as his gift, Rogue then placed the other remaining halves back into the crevice before he continued his search.

It wasn't but a few seconds later that the titan came across another round stone that was perched upon a low ledge. Trilling elatedly at his good fortune, Rogue then proceeded to crack the rocky sphere as well. Much to his surprise, the inside was filled with yellowish crystals – a common hue among the round stones but just as beautiful as the others. Nodding to himself, the titan stowed the largest piece with the blue one and prepared to stand in preparation to head back to his nest.

However, a new scent had worked its way to his nostrils – one that was enticing enough for Rogue's avid curiosity to spark.

Naturally, the titan paused; lifting his head to sniff in the direction the scent was coming from as a precaution to determine what it could be. Rogue inhaled deeply, eyes blowing wide and ears facing forward in alert and inquisitiveness. The scent was definitely the odor of dead flame – the scent of ash that he was familiar with when his Grisha made the thing called 'fire' on the occasion when he wasn't using his cooking pot. Of course, the scent that he found even more enticing was another familiar scent – a 'twoleg' scent – the very kind that his Carla and Grisha carried in addition to their own identical one. Rogue blinked in deep thought. The scents were dull, which the titan knew it meant that if twolegs were there, they had left a quite a while ago – a fact that gave him clearance to investigate.

Plotting his decision, Rogue glanced over his shoulder before looking up at a gap in the canopy to judge the sky. He had a while before the hour of noon, and with his Carla and Grisha's gifts in hand, he had more than enough time to go to the scents' origins. With his plan in mind, the titan rumbled in pleasure and got to his feet. He couldn't help but let his ears flutter like wings with anticipation at the possible treasures that lay ahead.

As he weaved through the stone walls, Rogue kept his steps light as could, barely making any loose stone shiver. With each turn, he began to grow timid and cautious. His Carla and Grisha always told him to be far from the other twolegs for they could be dangerous and possess dangerous things. Though the others were certainly gone, he still had to be leery. He didn't quite know what lay ahead. Rogue's nose wrinkled in the slightest as the smell grew stronger, alerting him that he was practically right on top of the source and that the origin of the scent was just around the corner. The titan slowed as he came to a sharp bend, lowering himself to rest on the balls of his feet for his own safety. Tapered ears fluttered in an attempt to capture any voice, but only heard those of birds. He sniffed again, making sure that there was no living soul around before swallowing and arching his neck to peek around the corner of the rock. Rogue blinked at the scene, ears flickering and his head tilting in thought at the sight before him. The titan emerged fully from the rocky wall to stand at least a hundred yards from what had piqued his interest. It was certainly peculiar, making a questionable rumble vibrate from his broad chest. Afore him was the remnants of a campfire's carcass with various things that Rogue recognized to be things similar to what his Carla and Grisha sometimes brought to his cove. All too eager to investigate, the titan crawled forth on his four limbs like a primitive being. He had to see just what he had found!

Rogue then crouched again to lean over his finding. Yes, it was certainly a vacant twolegs' resting spot judging by what the site contained. There were three cloth like materials that resembled the things called 'blankets' that his Carla had told him they used to keep warm – even though Rogue had never felt the need to utilize such a thing since he never truly felt the cold that they spoke of. Around the site were other odds and ends that were simply scattered. Whoever had been taking up residence had most likely took off in a hurry. Feeling the need to thoroughly scrutinize the scene, Rogue carefully sat down his precious gifts for his parents and bent over even further to where his face was nearly touching the earth. The creature sniffed, inhaling and exhaling deeply to where his breaths rustled the camp's contents. Rogue's eyes grew wide and the beast let out a gurgle in excitement as a whirlwind of new scents met his nostrils. Like a hunting hound, the titan sniffed aggressively as he probed. The scene of the creature performing in such a way would have been comical if he could see it. Smelling something that smelled like salty food, Rogue sampled a papery bag filled with chips before moving on to poke his nose into one of the three cloth pouches of fabric. Rogue inhaled deeply, smelling the scent of twoleg – one that smelled completely different from his Carla and Grisha and had a hint of an odor that he couldn't quite place what it was. He found the scent pungent, nose crinkling but still curious about it when Rogue followed it to a glass bottle that had been carelessly tossed and broken upon the stone. The titan snorted, deciding that he didn't like the smell and moved on to investigate the other cloth pouches before sitting up to visually examine his find once again.

Green hues then spotted a strange object that piqued his interest among the pile of odds and ends. The titan carefully retrieved it and held it up to his ghoulish mug. The thing was an incredibly shiny and reflective metal and looked quite a bit like his parents' possession called a 'tea pot' except for it wasn't spherical but rather like a cylinder in shape. It was rather plain and not very ornate, but still the titan found it intriguing to look at. Pausing a moment in his examination, Rogue peered down at his feet to see another object that made him trill in excitement. The titan abruptly snatched a large cast iron frying pan to place in his palm next to the pot. The pan certainly was heavier and sturdier than the one that he had seen his Grisha and Carla use.

At the very thought, Rogue's head snapped up as he conjured up a brilliant idea. His parents always used the same tea pot and pan. They would certainly like a different one!

Purring in pleasure, Rogue gathered the cast iron skillet and pot in his palm before a thought crossed his mind. The titan looked back at the two rocks that he had chosen to give to Carla and Grisha earlier. They were so beautiful! He wanted to give them to his parents as well! Especially since he had to go through the trouble of finding them! The titan whined, looking from the rocks to his new findings before looking at the rocks again. It was impossible! He couldn't pick out which gift to give! The rocks were lovely but the other things were functional! Rogue continued to stress further, producing a variety of grunts as he still struggled with a decision. However, a resolution suddenly spawned, one that made his ears wiggle in glee. His Carla and Grisha had brought him so many gifts over the time he had known them. So he could gift them with both things! One for decoration and the other for couple to utilize! The titan purred proudly at his plan and plucked the two stones from the ground to lay them to rest in his palm. Rogue then stood and took a step forward in the direction of home.

However, he stopped, heart skipping a beat as his ears flickered at a new sound. Shocked, the titan turned to peer deeply into the landscape of pines and trees. It was a whimsical and merry sound. He had heard his parents produce the same vocal before – having called it a 'laugh.' To his shock, it wasn't like his Carla and Grisha's mirth. It was higher in pitch and accompanied by others that were slightly lower. Snapping back to the instinct to sample the source, Rogue sniffed, emerald greens blowing wide at his realization. It was twolegs. A few twolegs! Still in his forest! The titan swallowed both excitedly and nervously. This was a first! Rogue dithered. A part of him was screaming to retreat and another was urging him to change direction to scrutinize. He clacked his teeth in thought. It was dangerous to approach other twolegs, but perhaps he could go to have a gander while saying far enough and completely out of sight. Rogue looked to the gaps in the canopy again to judge the hour. There was a reasonable amount of time left for the plan. He could be quick. Just a small peek. He could do it and do it safely. He wouldn't have to tell his parents and he could keep his deed to himself.

Nodding in favor of his plan, Rogue then turned and began to follow his nose to the scent of twoleg. Hopefully he wouldn't have a single regret of choosing the path he elected.

* * *

He moved among the foliage quietly, body light as he could make it. Rogue kept his excitement under a tight hold, trying not to rumble or croon as his ears continued to flutter at the laughter. He was shocked. It was a rare occurrence for twolegs to enter his forest, always going else ware or staying on the 'path' thing that Grisha had mentioned. For this, he simply had to investigate those that were still in the green.

The sound of laughter grew closer as he traveled further, careful not to topple over any tree to avoid arousing suspicion. The pines were steadily becoming shorter, meaning that he was getting close to a lovely meadow that lay in a vast clearing in his territory. Rogue paused, listening to the laughter that had certainly grown louder and a few words that he didn't know the meaning to. He stalled, focusing hard through the gaps in the trees and brambles, catching sight of movement and flashes of color thought the leaves. Rogue's heart pounded. They were close! The brush was too thin for his taste – they could possibly see him! Fleetingly, the titan looked around for a safer place to observe, one that was well sheltered and that would conceal his form. Green pools then caught sight of a high knoll decorated in tall and thick trees, an ideal place for him to hide for it overlooked the meadow. Rogue nodded to himself and began to silently make his way to the hilly cliff. He could observe in peace without worry of being seen.

As he came to the base of the hill, Rogue crouched to place himself on all fours and began his accent. The creature expertly weaved his large body through the timbers before coming to rest on the peak of the hill just before the sheer drop-off. Much like a cat, Rogue seated himself on his belly with his long legs tucked beneath him and his hands placed just under his chest to keep as low of a profile as he could. With great caution, the titan angled his neck to peer down below, eyes widening and ears becoming erect at what he beheld.

Below were six twolegs, the first he had ever seen in person besides his own. To say that they piqued the titan's interest was an understatement. There was a male and female like his Carla and Grisha. The female had blonde hair the color of sunlight and the male had hair black as the night sky. The mates were seated on a blanket much like his parents always did on their 'picnics' with him. The couple was laughing along with another couple with silver hair and features cad in wrinkles. However, the set of twolegs that enchanted him the most were two rather small twolegs. The titan's eyes widened at this. Were they twoleg young? Yes, they were certainly offspring. They were minuscule and had soft features like porcelain dolls. The children laughed, giggling as they chased one another like two fox kits at play. A smile spread across his revolting face. He had never seen such a thing before!

"It's a wonderful day isn't it, Sweetheart?" The dark haired male addressed his mate, several of his words lost to the titan.

"It is. It's nice and sunny. A perfect day." She chuckled, watching the two children frolic like little deer, rolling around in pansies as they continued to roughhouse.

The man dipped his head in agreement. "Yes. I feel better taking the children here now. For some reason the wolves have all but vanished as of late."

"That's true and very good to know!"

Rogue continued to observe the group of twolegs, eyes adverting to the silver haired ones. They were so different from the rest. So strange. The titan scrutinized, looking closely as he tried to decode their features. There was a tired aura to them, their skin sagged and their faces were worn. Rogue tilted his head in contemplation. They even smelled different. His eyes widened as he realized. They were old. Elderly twolegs. A smile spread across the beast's face. Below him was another twoleg family.

For a long moment, Rogue continued to study the twolegs, watching in complete amusement as they interacted with one another. However, a sudden thought caused his grin to dissipate into a concerned and confused frown. The twoleg family- they were children, adults, and much older adults. They were all the same.

None of them were as big as he was.

Rogue blinked, growing even more puzzled. Carla and Grisha called him their son. Their child. These young twolegs – they were so little compared to him. The titan's stressed gaze fell to the blades of grass that tickled his toes. These small twolegs were little when their parents found them. Why was he so big when his Carla and Grisha found him? Rogue turned his attention back to the old couple. Again, he tilted his head, completely perplexed. He had always thought that someday, when they grew older, that his own parents would be as big as he was. Alas, looking at they grey twolegs, that didn't seem to be the case. His brow creased as he fell deeper into his thoughts. Wishing to retire to have some alone time to think, Rogue quietly retreated from the sheltered knoll and began to venture back into his forest with his destination being home. Tightness grew in his chest with each step he walked, the earth trembling nonviolently in his wake. In silence, Rogue paused in the middle of the wood, ears barely fidgeting to the melody of birds as they usually did. The titan held his right hand to his face, inquisitive pools of green studying the details of his digit. Why was he different? He was a twoleg as well.

Wasn't he?

Letting out a steamy sigh, Rogue looked up and through a hole in the above canopy, another realization hitting him. It was noon! He was late! The titan then turned his attention to his hand that held his new but temporary possessions as he started off in a brisk pace. He would put away his concerns and queries for the time being. He had to visit his parents and give them his gifts!

**(POV SWAP)**

"Well, someone is a little late today." Carla chuckled slightly as she began to spread out the old quilt for their picnic in the center of the cove – the practice now an annual thing for the couple to do with their oversize son.

Grisha smiled softly as he pulled out the cooking pot and a few utensils. "The boy's probably out exploring. He could be on his way back by now. He's a curious sort." The doctor implied with his wife nodding.

Carla smiled tenderly. "That's true." Mrs. Jaeger replied just as a series of familiar vibrations shook the earth, the sensation provoking her to laugh. "Speak of the Devil!"

At the period of her statement, the massive behemoth came through the high entrance of the cove, peeling away the waterfall of vines to come into full view. Carla's smile grew bigger as Rogue froze, eyes lighting up in excitement and his maw forming into a characteristic lopsided grin at the sight of the couple. A warm laugh left the confides of her chest as the titan quickly scaled down the rocky wall, trilling in elation. Once the creature reached the forest floor, Rogue carefully bent over and with the utmost care, pressed his nose into Carla's petite body. She smiled, ears filling with the titan's deep purring. In return, she leaned in and embraced his hooked nose. Over the past year that they had spent with the titan, the behemoth had almost completely lost all the shyness that he possessed when they first met. Rogue's fear of touching them had all but disappeared. He was certainly the type that could be considered as one that loved contact – Rogue would often nuzzle them and invite them into his nest to rest upon him. It was a tremendous breakthrough considering that the beast used to avoid the Jaegers touching him as much as possible. They still had work to do in the area though. There were still a few things that Rogue was hesitant to do. As Dr. Jaeger stood to rub the creature's tapered ear, Rogue suddenly parted his mouth gave Carla a soft lick – large canine like tongue brushing from her midsection to her face. At the gesture, Carla blinked in surprise – thankful that the titan's kiss was a rather dry one. From the time when they first acquainted the giant, the Jaegers discovered that licking was one of Rogue's quirks – one of the best ways that a titan without lips showed love. True, sometimes they found it unpleasant, but looking at her son now – seeing his elfish ears wiggle, his eyes shut tightly in bliss, and the tip of his tongue still sticking out from his teeth with the addition of rumbling purrs; Carla and Grisha always accepted the behemoth's show of tenderness. As the couple expected, Rogue turned his head to lick the doctor as well.

"Ugh!" The man grunted, receiving a slightly sloppier kiss than his wife. "Love you too Rogue." Grisha continued as he regained his composure. "It's nice to see you."

At the man's words, Rogue chirruped and nuzzled Carla once again. She beamed, patting the tip of his nose in liking. "So! Where were you my Dear?" She questioned kindly like she would to any normal child. "Were you out for a walk?" Carla queried, making sure to keep her vocabulary simple for the titan to easily understand and comprehend.

Rogue nodded shyly, the tips of his tapered ears tinting crimson. To the couple's amazement, the beast began to turn sheepish – his gaunt cheeks blushing as well. At the scene, Carla playfully raised her brow – finding it rather cute that the titan was being bashful.

"Do you want to tell something to Grisha and I, Rogue? You can say anything Dear! Don't be shy!" The woman reassured as she ran a delicate hand on his chin.

Rogue looked up from the purple forget-me-knots, green eyes full of child like wonder that she found absolutely endearing. The titan then parted his mouth, grunting a few soft but single syllables. Talking was another thing that the doctor and his wife had been frequently teaching the creature. Rogue had certainly improved in the past year. He could now say at least twenty words and knew the meaning behind all of them. Still, he had difficulty in pronouncing words, but they didn't blame him. Rogue couldn't help not having fleshy lips or incomplete vocal chords. However, the couple understood the titan perfectly.

Rogue grinned warmly, holding up a loosely curled fist. " **GGGII… GIIIi –**

**"** Yes?" Carla hummed, amused at the titan's nature.

" **GGGII… IIII… GIIFFF!"** Rogue spoke proudly, unfolding his fingers before the couple to show a small collection of items. Carla felt a warmth swell in her heart. Never before had Rogue done such a thing. To the Jaegers, the act was astounding. The titan had clearly felt the need to return their many gestures of gift giving to the beast. The simple but impactful thing made it clear that Rogue was the furthest thing from a monster.

"Oh! You got Grisha and I gifts did you?" She cooed to the fifteen-meter.

Rogue nodded, ears wiggling as he carefully presented his findings. Carla found her smile growing bigger. The titan had obviously worked hard to find the perfect gifts for the two of them. There were two things that were of the earth's natural beauty and bounty. Two stones with their innards composed as colored crystal – not an everyday find. One of the rocks, geos as Carla remembered, had crystal the color of a clear sky and the other was the hue of a dandelion. She watched as the titan nudged the blue geo to her and the yellow to her husband – another feat that placed the two in awe. The beast had specifically chosen gifts for each of them – Rogue having known that her favorite hue was blue. The woman smiled graciously as she took the stone, taking it in for close examination. It was beautiful, even prettier than rubies or turquoise. To Carla, the only precious gems that topped the beauty of the crystals were Rogue's emerald greens that looked so warm and lively. Carla looked up at the titan, seeing that he was eagerly waiting for her reaction and thanks.

"This is so beautiful Rogue!" She purred, the titan's skin drawing up into a smile. "I bet you worked very hard to find this didn't you!" Mrs. Jaeger continued, the titan trilling in happiness – seemingly melting in pleasure.

"These will look nice setting on the windowsill don't you think Carla? The sunlight will reflect off them exquisitely!" Grisha spoke to his wife who nodded in agreement. "Thank you Rogue."

The titan rumbled merrily before letting out several short grunts as he nudged the other items toward their expecting recipients. Carla set her eyes on Rogue's gift to her – a metal, perhaps silver, teakettle. It was rather tall and plain and not ornate by any means like those that residents in Wall Sina possessed. The silver was tarnished in areas around the handle and there was a slight dent in the side – certainly used by a previous owner. It was common for Rogue to bring back many remains of human creation to the cove to add to his growing collection. The fact that he had chosen to gift her with an old tea kettle of all things just supported how observant that Rogue was – the beast having witnessed that she had used a tea pot on many occasions on their picnics. Grisha had been gifted with a cast iron skillet – a rather large one that could cook many slices of meat or eggs. Cast iron was certainly sturdier than her silver pot, imperfections and signs of use were positively there. The rough texture that covered the skillet had been worn down and smoothed out on the handle and there were still remains of a last meal down around its bottom. Still, the couple was incredibly thankful. Once the kitchenware was cleaned a bit, they would be incredibly useful. Again, the titan's innocent eyes were looking at them and awaiting a reaction.

"These are wonderful my Dear." Carla thanked. "We definitely needed a new kettle and pan!" She addressed with Grisha nodding in agreement.

As he did before, Rogue wiggled his tapered ears and trilled loudly, obviously proud of himself.

"Thank you for your generosity Rogue." Grisha began again, accidentally using a word too big for the creature to understand – something that Carla often caught him doing. "Now, Carla and I have a gift to give you." The doctor spoke, Rogue instantly making a loud series of bleeps and chirps at the mentioning of a gift for himself. Carla viewed in absolute intrigue as the titan began to rock back and forth on his rear, eyes glued to Grisha as he dug into the couple's second basket that they had carried. Rogue let out a high pitched hum as he all too eagerly waited for his present, something that always make Carla break out into laughter because Rogue was the spitting image of an overly excited kid at Christmas. Grisha then pulled out a wheeled boat on a string, the sight of it making Rogue squeal. Carla continued to grin at her adopted son's exuberance before taking the toy from Grisha to demonstrate to the titan how to use it. Green eyes fully focused on Mrs. Jaeger as she sat the durable toy down in the grass, holding the string with Rogue beholding her in awe.

"This is a pull toy Rogue. A PULL TOY." She repeated, a tactic that the Jaegers always did when they were introducing something new to the titan. "You pull it like this." Carla exhibited as she walked several feet with the toy trailing behind her before waving her arm to pull the boat in different directions. "You have to be gentle with it Rogue, but we hope you enjoy it." Carla concluded as she retrieved the toy and held it out for the beast to take. Rogue purred and lifted a hand in caution as he began his task of taking the boat from her arms – something that the titan used to greatly fear doing for he worried that he was to harm her or Grisha. However, with much coaxing and practice – Rogue had mastered the art. Once the titan had the boat in hand, he gurgled in delight and rose to go and take a seat further into the interior of the cove. Carla surveyed in intrigue as Rogue carefully pulled the little boat across the sea of flowers with a simple tug of his arm, purring loudly as he ventured into his own little world.

"Well." Grisha chuckled. "Looks like he likes it. Let's hope that the boy doesn't tear it up too quickly. I'd have to buy more nails again."

Carla nodded in agreement. Ever since they had adopted their titanic son. The couple had learned how to create and make toys for Rogue. Everyone that knew the Jaegers were aware that they were unable to produce children of their own and buying toys from merchants could lead to suspicion. So, in their free time during the evenings, they would take turns crafting toys for the titan. It was a good thing. Cheaper, but it gave them the opportunity to reinforce them for the beast's mammoth strength – making them last a little longer for Rogue's amusement for the titan sometimes played rough. Not to mention they also modified the toys, such as the boat having a lengthy rope to pull so the titan could use it while standing. "True. Let's hope he doesn't get too wild with it."

The man chortled as he returned to the baskets. "Now let's finish up and make us lunch."

* * *

The couple indulged on a freshly made stew, smiling at their oversize child before them. Rogue had since graduated from pulling the toy boat to detaching the rope and excitedly toying with it. Carla choked down a cackle; the beast was like a cat with string. Rogue was currently laying on his back and side with the rope tangled all around his head and arms. The titan's pupils were blown large as he rolled and gently nipped at the rope to toss it and pry it from him all the while producing a sound that was a combination of high pitched hums and grunts. She knew that Rogue had probably not seen rope before and it was a sensory overload to him.

"I swear Carla, sometimes I just see him as a giant feline." Grisha snickered as Rogue finally freed himself from the woven web of rope and began to push the boat again with his fingers – looking like a toddler at play.

"He looks like a big kid to me." Carla smiled warmly as she continued to get lost in Rogue's actions. However, after several quiet moments, her smile faded as a startling thought crossed her mind – one that hadn't popped into her head since the couple's first meeting with the creature. "Grisha – do you think that Rogue… knows he's a titan?"

At his wife's damning question, Grisha's face infected with concern as well. The man lowered his soup to his lap and turned to Carla, brows pinched together and forming slight wrinkles. "Carla – looking at him, I don't think so. For all we know, he could believe that he's human." Grisha stalled, suddenly swallowing a wad of anxiety. "Now that I think about it, if you recall the day that the two of us first encountered him, Rogue was comparing your hand with his and how they were alike. If I had to make an assumption, I would say that he does believe that he's human."

Carla swallowed at the troubling point. "He's so self aware though Grisha. Surely Rogue –

"That's just it Carla. I've come to a conclusion that I've been considering for a while." Grisha interrupted, growing serious even though Rogue had started to tangle himself in rope yet again. "I don't think that Rogue was walled into Wall Maria. The military swept this whole area back when the wall was first constructed. I think our suspicion of Rogue sneaking over the wall at night may be very true."

Carla raised a brow, wondering what her husband was leading into. "So why hasn't he given any sort of indication –

"Because – I don't think that Rogue remembers."

Her amber eyes grew at the doctor's words. "You mean – he could have severe amnesia or something?"

Grisha nodded. "Yes. The fact supports itself from the possibility that Rogue is clueless about his kind and what he is. Not only that, but he has little understanding of things around him. If you recall, upon seeing a turtle, a common reptile, Rogue was so fascinated by it and looked upon it like he was seeing his own reflection for the first time." Grisha paused as he watched the titan tangle himself even further as he pushed the little boat along, making a chorus of excited noises and rolling around in the grass like a pig in mud. "However, I do think that Rogue has his memories somewhere deep in his mind. The likelihood of getting them back though is slim. Not many people recover fully from memory loss."

Carla frowned, stressfully gripping her warm bowl harder. Was it really possible that Rogue had a severe case of amnesia? When she failed to respond, Grisha continued.

"It makes me wonder just how old Rogue really is. Who knows, if he's as old as the titans themselves –then he may be a key to the titans' secrets. For now though, we can only continue to nurture and teach." Grisha concluded as he lifted his bowl up to indulge on it again.

Carla blinked at the possible truth. Was her husband's hypothesis true? Alarmingly – it seemed very likely. The woman frowned as she thought further. If it was true, then she couldn't imagine the titan's fear and unease after his new awakening in Maria. She couldn't imagine the grave amount of loneness that Rogue must have felt as well. Carla's mind then flashed to an urgent thought, a scenario and idea that would have been the equivalent of a child asking how babies were made to their parents. "Grisha?" Carla spoke suddenly, getting Dr. Jaeger's full attention again.

"Yes, Dear?"

"Rogue is gradually getting better at speaking and projecting what he wants. What are we going to do if Rogue eventually notices that he's not human? If you think about it, it's only a matter of time before he does such a thing."

The doctor dithered, tapping his spoon among the ridge of his plate. "We would have no choice. We would have to tell him Carla. Gently, but we would have to break the news. I do agree with you on time though. Rogue is so observant and he's gotten even better at it judging by the fact that he went through the trouble to find us gifts that were specific to our activities and us. But yes, when the time comes, we must break the news."

She sighed, spirits sinking a bit at the man's statement. If Rogue were ever told that he was a monster, Carla was unsure how he would react to the fact. She dreaded the day that was to occur. She then felt a hand on her shoulder, provoking her to turn to her husband who had a small but reassuring smile on his face.

"To change the subject, when we head out for my next appointment," Grisha began just as the titan finally put down his new toy and arose to approach them. As always, after they were discussing any worries about their son, Carla put on a smile as the titan flopped down in front of her, purring loudly as he nuzzled into her chest – expressing his thanks for their gift. "We're going to have Rogue try again."

( **POV SWAP)**

"Oh come on Sweetheart! You don't need to be afraid!"

" **NNNnn…NNOO!"** Rogue denied pitifully as he scooted away on his rear, not willing to go through with his parent's request. The titan hunched down into a panicked stance, ears back and whining loudly as green eyes looked at the couple beseechingly. They were trying to get him to do the thing that they wanted him to do again – something that he was absolutely against for it was risky. Their smaller bodies were so fragile and he didn't want to hurt them.

"Come on Rogue." Grisha encouraged. "You can do it. You can pick Carla and I up."

The titan shook his head; messy locks going every which way. He then picked himself up and lumbered over to a small patch of birches where he roughly plopped himself down behind them, giving another disapproving whine. Sure, he loved the touch of his parents, but he was absolutely against picking them up – let alone carry them to wherever they wanted to go. Laziness was not to blame nor stubbornness. It was simply that he feared that his great strength would harm them beyond repair or his incoordination would cause him to drop them. Ever since the night where he first encountered his Carla and his strong grip caused her to cry out to an awaiting fate, Rogue strongly refused to do such a task. He had been so lonely as far as he could remember before his parents came. He didn't want to be lonely again.

"Rogue, come on. You're not going to hurt us. We have a –

" **NOOOO!"** The titan protested as he collapsed to the ground, laying face first into the moss and grass, groaning loud enough to vibrate the little green blades. He couldn't speak much human tongue, so sometimes he had to perform a small tantrum to get his point and reasoning across. Today however, his parents weren't buying it.

"Rogue." Carla spoke softy as she placed a soft hand onto his brow, causing the titan to give in and look up into her amber irises. "Listen Sweetheart. I know you're scared of hurting Grisha and I but you have to be brave. And if you don't think that you are, then you need to think about the time you saved me from those scary wolves. In fact Rogue, you're one of the bravest I know. There is nothing you need to be afraid about when picking us up. You don't have to wrap your hand around us, just lift us. Could you please help Grisha and I, Rogue? We have an appointment to get to that's quite a walk and we can't be late. So could you please pick us up?" Carla spoke warmly.

The titan clacked his jaw and hung his head in consideration. Brave. Was he really brave? Saving Carla was a necessity. Yet, he always protected his parents from any animals that he proceeded as a threat – not to mention he had put aside his fears to observe the twoleg family hours before. So he supposed that he was brave to an extent. Still, he was fearful in harming his parents with such a practice. Then again, his Carla had told him that Grisha worked so that they could survive. His things called 'appointments' were the man's work. He couldn't keep them from that. If it were far, his small guardians would never make it in time. His Grisha had to work! The man's job was to help other sick twolegs! The others would suffer without his guardian's aid! What if the twoleg was on the verge of death and it died all because he didn't carry his parents to their destination! He couldn't forgive himself and his Carla and Grisha would surely be mad at him! Rogue whined incredibly soft, the little sound of worry barely loud enough to surpass twoleg tongue. Finally, facing his fears, he nodded in agreement.

A big smile spread across Carla's face while a look of relief came to Grisha's. "Oh wonderful! Thank you Rogue! Now you'll see that there is nothing to be fearful of!"

The titan simply grunted, ears drooped and his green hues looking away for a brief moment in self pity. He lacked confidence to do the task as well. There was no refusing now.

"Alright my Dear!" Carla began positively, receiving his focus again. "Do as I do okay?" She continued as she bent her knees and lowered a hand palm up to the canopy. "Bend over and hold out your hand like this. Keep your fingers flat." Carla demonstrated, looking to him hopefully.

Rogue gulped down a wad of anxiety and carefully positioned himself to kneel just as she was. Hesitantly, like a deer stepping out into the open, the titan lowered his hand to the forest floor to copy his Carla's – making sure that his digits were straight and not curled. Rogue then peered from beneath his lowered brows, looking a bit like a sheepish dog that had done something wrong. The woman only chuckled.

"Good Job! Good! Now keep still as Grisha and I get on your hand, okay?"

He stilled at their plan, but reluctantly nodded. He couldn't move. He didn't want to hurt them. Rogue remained frozen in his stance as the couple carefully came forward. Clenching his teeth, the creature viewed as Grisha was the first to climb into his palm before the man turned to his wife to help her up with a welcoming hand. The two then seated themselves and looked up to the stunned behemoth. He couldn't believe that he was doing this!

"Good! Good!" Carla soothed, her tiny hand patting his. "Now, to give us something to hold on to, I need you to CURL your fingers slightly. Like this." Mrs. Jaeger continued as she held up her hand again, her fingers coiling loosely towards the center.

Rogue's eyes widened at the request. They were having him do such a thing? The titan droned in disapproval, looking at the two pleadingly. To him, such a move didn't seem safe at all.

"Come on Rogue! You can do it Sweetheart! Curling your fingers in gives Grisha and I something to grip as you lift us! So please curl them!"

He blinked, seeing her point. He didn't want his parents toppling over and off of his hand. As she had kindly requested, Rogue bent his fingers in the slightest, observing as the two beings in his hand wrapped their arms around his index finger and thumb.

"Nice! Now if you please Rogue, stand up!"

The titan swallowed again, feeling his skin tingle from nerves. He knew though. As far as he had come, he needed to go all the way. Holding his breath, Rogue then slowly and carefully resumed his upright position. However, even as slow as he was going, the force still sucked the two small bodies back into his hand, his parents letting out a gasp that he deemed as one done in surprise. Concerned, Rogue whined again, edging his head closer to their two petite frames to check if he had harmed them. Thankfully, before he could examine, the two smiled broadly.

"We're okay Rogue! You're doing well! Now, finally – lift us up to a SHOULDER." Carla gestured, pointing to her own before directing her finger at his.

The titan's breath hitched at her request, fear settling in as he realized their intentions. They wanted to sit on his shoulder! That was so high up! They could fall! He didn't want that! As he had done, Rogue moaned loudly, shaking his head in resentment. No! He would not do such a thing! His reaction however, made frowns return to his parents' faces.

"Rogue. You don't need to be scared." Carla began softly. "Grisha and I are going to be fine. Your shoulder is a lot bigger than your hand so we will be safer. We will be holding on to a strand of your hair so we will not fall off. Now, would you please place us on your shoulder?"

If he possessed lips, he would surely be biting at them. Though he was fearful of this task, he knew that it had to be done. Grisha had to help another twoleg and he did trust his Carla and Grisha with everything he had. Exhaling a cloud of steam, Rogue finally lifted the Jaegers to his right shoulder, making sure that his fingers touched the edge so the two could walk smoothly across. Green eyes watched as the two mounted and took a seat close to his neck. He remained stagnant as a strand of his messy hair was pulled away from his collection of locks for the couple to firmly grasp. Once they were comfortable, Carla clapped in congratulation.

"Good work Rogue! You picked us up! You faced your fear! I'm so proud of you!" She chuckled, patting his flesh again.

Feeling a warm spot swell in his chest at the show of gratitude, Rogue rumbled in reply and wiggled his ears happily. He had done it!

"Good work son." Grisha articulated before pulling out a small paper with dozens of lines on it, scanning it over with a trained eye before pointing into the woods. "Now, if you please, go that way."

The titan found himself staring at the two for a moment, his mind lost to his tensions. This was the part that he was scared of most. Each step he took trembled the forest floor beneath him. What if he unintentionally shook off his new riders? Rogue looked nervously into the brush before turning back to his eager occupants – ears lowered and eyes still reflecting his inner turmoil with the situation. The amber-eyed lady nodded, urging him forward with one of her warm looks of encouragement – an expression she always used when he was struggling during one of his difficult teachings. Somehow, the curvature of her lips always soothed him and put him at ease. He couldn't explain it, but it was just a thing that just was.

With the silent encouragement, Rogue took another deep inhale and exhale before putting one foot forward in the direction that he was to go. As usual, a single step rustled and reverberated off the trunks of trees, leaves of smaller plants shuttering. Quickly, he looked back to his occupants only to find that they had no shred of fear on their face but instead wore looks of awe. This perplexed the beast. Could they have possibly – enjoyed that? Checking again to make sure they were secure on his shoulder, Rogue then braved another step, the wood around the trio rattling as he soldiered on as smooth as he could manage. One step, two steps, four steps… as he conducted his tenth, a sound caused him to stop immediately. He had heard it many times before, but now? Stunned, Rogue turned to see Carla engaging in the art of laughter – an expression of joy. Grisha too, seemed to be chuckling beneath his breath, still keeping a mature behavior. Riding him at a height so dizzily high – was fun? They weren't frightened at all? Rogue blinked, a grin pulling at his ugly face. Yes. He had nothing to worry about. Reassured that his parents were perfectly safe and sound, the titan began his trek again.

As they moved, the beast couldn't help but rumble in pleasure. The gaiety expressed by his parents greatly amused him. They were constantly gawking at things that they must have seen hundreds of times before, but looking at it in a completely new way must have been astounding to the couple. The canopy was closer to them, allowing their eyes to view every bird and every bushy-tailed creature. Carla was constantly pointing and new discoveries with her mate nodding and pointing at others. There were spiders that they normally couldn't see to a family of owls waiting for the dawn of moonlight. Rogue smiled to himself, he was glad that he had gifted them with the opportunity. His ability to offer them such a pleasure immediately brought forth the concerns that he had formulated earlier. If he was a twoleg, then why was he so BIG? Was he – special or something?

"Alright Rogue." Grisha suddenly began, snapping him from his daze and his emerald greens traveling to his parents – watching as the man held his finger up in a new direction. "Could you please go left?"

After taking a brief moment to figure out the difference in direction between right and left, Rogue grunted in confirmation and did just as he was instructed. Again, he decided to leave his questions behind and focus on what lay before him. The twoleg nests were either in the middle of a clearing or in the 'city' that his parents spoke of, inaccessible for his wandering eyes. The thoughts suddenly came back again. Why was he told to do such a thing, not to follow his Carla or Grisha to the appointments? Could his parents –be ashamed of him? No it couldn't be. They loved him. Maybe it was because he **_was_** special. Perhaps they didn't want the other twolegs to see him because of how special he was. Were they worried that the others would be jealous and try to harm him? Maybe it was true. Yes. A special twoleg indeed.

Still, like any child, he was curious.

After several more minutes of walking through the deep woods, the forest thinned in the slightest, slivers of sunlight peeking through the trunks. Rogue stalled, halting in his steps, knowing very well that they had reached a clearing. Normally, a glade surrounded by woodland wasn't something to be weary of for the titan, but the scents of burning fire, smoke, hay, things called 'pigs', and the smell of other twolegs made the titan halt in his tracks. Was this where the doctor had his appointment?

"Okay Rogue." Grisha began, confirming his suspicions. "We're here. Could you let Carla and I down please?"

The titan swallowed. How was he to put them down without hurting them? He asked this question with a tilt of his head, brows pinching together to express his confusion along with a small whine. Carla was quick to pick up on what he was trying to communicate.

"Just do what you did before Rogue. Hold your hand flat to your shoulder so Grisha and I can hop on, curl your fingers like I said, and then bend down to sit us upon the ground. Got it Sweetheart?"

Rogue took several long seconds to process the instructions before he nodded confidently. He just had to do what he did before except he was to go backwards. Just as his parents instructed, Rogue safely lowered the Jaegers to the ground without a single concern at all.

"Alright Rogue. Carla and I will be gone a little while so if you like you can wait right here or you can go back to the cove if you want. Just don't go past this tree line okay? Stay in the forest like always. Alright?"

The titan nodded in comprehension as the couple bid him a temporary farewell and began to venture into the brambles. Rogue kept to himself as he observed the two vanish from the confides of the forest. For several minutes he waited until he was sure that his parents hadn't forgotten anything before he trilled to himself. He was going to do as he always did when Grisha had appointments, look for a spot where it was possible for him to see the doctor work. If he couldn't come out of the foliage, then he could watch from within it. Perhaps this time he could have some luck to see through one of the translucent barriers on a twoleg nest!

Careful not to attract any attention from his parents or any other twolegs, Rogue stood to place himself on all fours and began to sulk among the green – moving primitively like an ape. Rogue lifted his head, constantly moving it to try and peer trough the gaps in the trees. There was a big red twoleg structure, a thing that was called a 'barn' as he recalled, indicating that this was indeed another farm that Carla spoke of - a place were some animals were raised to be food for twolegs or where they grew food. Rogue continued to circle the clearing, pausing yet again to peek through a gap in the trees. His brows lifted in intrigue at what he saw. There was a twoleg nest – a small wooden cottage that looked welcoming and warm. However, this was not what made Rogue's heart flutter in excitement for he had seen plenty of dwellings like this at a distance. The cottage sat right on the edge of the forest – meaning that he could take observation without being seen. Smiling to himself, Rogue quickly but silently rounded the perimeter towards his target. As he neared the cottage, the titan kept his steps light as to not rustle suspicions. The cabin was close now, making Rogue notice that there were indeed several translucent barriers at its rear. He stalled and began to study the area behind it for a good place to take shelter and observe. Behind the cottage was a thick layer of underbrush guarded by trees of all sizes from small saplings to towering pines. There was a slight hill that rested in the foliage, a perfect place for him to perch upon and look into the cottage without its occupants noticing him.

Nodding to himself, Rogue then started forward again, making sure that he didn't snap a single twig as he settled himself upon the small hill, crouching low like a mouser again before starting his mission. Green hues ignited in both intrigue and wonder as Rogue peered into a window before him. Inside, he could see a twoleg young lying in a bed – another word that Rogue assumed meant 'nest.' The child, a female, didn't look like the picture of health. They were dark around the eyes and their nose looked red and irritated. Before the titan could begin to ponder about what could have been wrong, another twoleg, an older and slightly heavyset female joined the younger one along with his parents. Rogue's ears wiggled, excited that he was to finally see what his Grisha did. Then, the thoughts of his uniqueness came back to him, making a slight frown draw itself onto his face.

This was another twoleg young that was small. The older one was only as tall as his parents. Why – why was he so different?

"Thank you so much for coming on such short notice Dr. Jaeger." The woman began. "I hope we're not a burden."

The doctor smiled warmly, shaking his head in denial. "It's no problem at all."

The twoleg smiled. "Oh good. I'm surprised you got here so quickly! It's a five hour trip from here to Shiganshina. Of course, lately I haven't seen many wolves or bears around so I bet you had no trouble coming here on horseback."

Grisha smiled, Carla grinning nervously behind him. "Oh yes, travel has gotten much easier since the wolves have gone elsewhere. I bet it's great for the swine." The man replied as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, the little female smiling at him trough her discomfort.

Rogue blinked in confusion. He wasn't proficient in twoleg conversation, but he did understand a few of his Grisha's words. Why did he not mention him? Why did he lie?

"Well, so what seems to be the problem?" Dr. Jaeger continued as he took his tools from his wife.

The woman sighed. "Well, she's got a cough and her nose is rather stuffy. She's complaining of mucus running down her throat as well – sometimes she coughs that up."

The doctor rubbed his chin, reaching for a few tools and slipping on gloves before turning to the young girl and giving her a warm smile. "Alright let's take a look at your nose first." Grisha began with the titan watching as he used a metal tool to open her nostril and then the other one, eyes scanning with expertise. "Yes, her nasal passages are certainly swollen up quite a bit. Now, let's have a look at your throat." Dr. Jaeger proceeded as he stuck a flat stick into the girl's mouth, nodding to himself. "That's quite a bit of drainage as well. It looks like your daughter has contracted a textbook sinus infection- a common thing at this time of year since it's allergy season. Alright, let me listen to your chest." The doctor pressed on as he stuck something in his ears that was attached to a little circular object. The girl then willingly lifted up her shirt as the doctor pressed the circle to her chest. Rogue however, wasn't focused on the doctor's actions at all. Something on the tiny twoleg had captured all of his attention, something that made his breath hitch in his ribs.

On the girl's belly was a little hole – something that greatly bothered him. He sat up, looking at his own stomach that was void of such a pit. Rogue's brow creased in worry. Why did he not have one? Alarmed, the titan looked back to the window to see something else that puzzled him. The little twoleg's chest had two pink circles on it – one for each breast. The titan then looked back at his own, seeing nothing but his own tight skin stretched over muscle.

Rogue's mind quickly fell into a flurry of questions, making a feeling of despair blanket over him that was woven with absolute confusion. He paid no attention to the scene inside the cottage as he became lost to his mind. Feeling the need for absolute privacy, Rogue quickly snuck away from his hiding spot and began to head deeper into the forest. With each step, his toasty skin prickled and his spine shuttered. An instinct told him that something was deeply amiss. Something – something was wrong with him. Something was really messed up! He wasn't right! Incorrect!

The titan then wandered into a rather dreary looking area covered in fungi and moss. The trees were choked in vines that surrounded a small and rather murky looking pond that could only have been a home to frogs, snakes, and mosquito larva. Rogue then halted his waltz before the body of water, dropping to his knees roughly, rustling the trees and causing the pond to ripple. After several agonizing seconds, the forest stilled yet again and the water drew itself back into repose, revealing his reflection. Emerald greens peered into the natural mirror, allowing Rogue to be reminded of his differences again. With his breath growing unsteady, the titan reached a shaky hand to his face, fingertips coming to rest on the dark skin surrounding his eyes. He had never seen a twoleg with such an intimidating mask. Their flesh around their eyes was peachy and void of dark pigment. The titan stared at his paper-thin pupils. No twoleg's could change into those of a serpent. He had never seen such a thing from his parents when they expressed their fears. With his heart beginning to beat faster, Rogue's fingertips dropped to his lipless maw – a gruesome sight that was constructed into a perpetual and menacing grin. His fingers explored each tooth. He whined, shoulders shaking. Twolegs had flesh over their teeth and he did not. Rogue's eyes then shot to his pointed ears that stuck out from his messy locks, the appendages drooping as his mood grew sourer. The titan took the tip of his elfish left ear between his forefinger and thumb, going along the long cartilage in a smooth stroke. Twoleg ears were supposed to be rounded and still, not like his. His heart pounded harder, hands held before him. A wad of frustration formulated in his throat. Though his hands like the masculine and worked hands of a mountain man, his nails were claws, growing in a point and tinted as dark as dirt – yet another abnormality. Twolegs didn't roar, growl, snarl, grunt or make sounds like he did either. Twolegs only breathed moist clouds in the winter and he did every few minutes every day. Rogue then turned to his reflection again, a sense of anger flooding him. Why? Why was he so different? Why? Why was he so ugly? Why was he so terrifying? What was the reason why he was so oversize? Why did he lack the things that twolegs had? Clutching his head and trembling in anger, the thoughts continued to boil. Why was he always told to stay away from the other twolegs and inside the forest? Was there some unworldly god that decided to make him for his sick amusement? Was he the product of a demon? The answer to a cruel joke?

A mistake?

Furious and not willing to look at himself in the liquid mirror anymore and with the desire to erase the horrid image, Rogue swung his hand at his reflection, sending a wall of water in several directions and upsetting the calm and murky surface of the pond. The titan then turned away and slowly got to his feet to walk with no destination in mind. He couldn't be a twoleg. He was far too different. Far too incorrect. There was something seriously wrong with him.

Rogue continued to walk, fog swarming in his head. His parents, his Carla and Grisha – they must know! They had to know why he was so different! They were keeping him a secret from the other twolegs! It was why they always told him to be weary! It was the reason why they didn't say that they came with their son when speaking to the other twoleg! They knew! They knew! Why! Why were they keeping the truth from him! The titan could feel his eyes water at the thought. Was the truth something absolutely horrible and they didn't want to tell him? Rogue swallowed, feeling an uncomfortable lump form in his chest. Dare he say – he felt almost betrayed that his parents failed to tell him his indifference. The thought of the possibility hurt even more.

"Rogue! There you are!"

The behemoth froze in his tracks; head jerking up in surprise to see his Carla and Grisha emerge from the underbrush. Out of habit, despite his inner battle and confliction, Rogue smiled and grunted in greeting, hiding his turmoil beneath a thin layer.

Carla beamed warmly in return, she and her mate coming to meet at his feet. "We thought you went back to the cove Sweetheart. Sorry about the wait." Mrs. Jaeger apologized, her mirth making him feel weak. "Anyways, Grisha and I thought we'd spend dinner with you too so what do you say we head back to the cove?"

"Does that sound good, Rogue?" Grisha queried, supporting his wife's plan.

For a moment, through his mask, Rogue found himself hesitating before giving a quick dip of his head in compliance, purring meekly. The titan then bent down and opened his palm just as he did before but without verbal instruction. Once his parents were settled in his hand, he stood and lifted them to his shoulder, waiting till they were fairly in place before starting in the direction of his sanctuary.

"Thank goodness I had an antibiotic with me today. Her sinus infection was getting to the point of severe." Grisha began; getting conversation going while Rogue remained in his own cone of silence.

"Yes it was. If you didn't have it you would have had to return home and produce more – plus it takes a week to get ingredients from Sina. That little one would have only gotten worse."

"Indeed. Her infection could have evolved into an upper respiratory infection or even a fungal sinus infection. Thankfully, she'll be okay. I gave her the strongest possible antibiotic to combat such an illness. I'm definitely going to have to order more when we get home." Grisha chuckled. "Tis the season for allergies." He joshed with his wife giggling at his play on words.

As the two continued to speak of what to make for their dinner, Rogue remained lost in his depression. He felt worse with each step he took. He really wanted to know the reality about himself. There had to be a reason for all the isolation and why he was so freakishly grotesque and huge. His parents treated him like any normal twoleg judging by what he saw with the twoleg pack earlier in the morning, but he could now see something that he had been blind to. He couldn't be a twoleg. He couldn't be.

He – didn't know what he was.

Secretly, Rogue's worried greens peeked at the corners of his darkened skin, taking note of his parents who were still talking about spending time with him during an evening picnic. The more he looked at their smiling faces and tiny physique, the more he could see the differences. Beneath their wares, were they the same as the young twoleg too? He wanted to ask. He wanted to ask them the reason for everything so badly. He wanted answers, but he was poor with words. Yet, he felt the itching need. It was so overwhelming, consuming every corner of his mind.

Little did the titan know, his feelings about the situation were very present on his face and in his body language – so much so that his parents had taken notice and stopped their leisurely chatter. The Jaegers looked at their son in great concern, baring witness to Rogue's face that was pulled by the gravity of sadness.

"Rogue?" Carla began softly, the gentle hand on his lowered ear making him snap out of his trance, the titan looking to see his companions' faces radiating with apprehension. "Is something wrong? You look upset Sweetheart."

Those words, as harmless as they were, nearly tore the beast apart. Rogue hung his head, stopping completely in his path. He had to question them of his existence now. They were asking and willing to answer. Plus he couldn't bare the grudge of not knowing any longer.

"Rogue?" The doctor queried, he and his mate glancing at one another with anxiety painted on their faces before turning back to him. "Please tell us why you're upset."

The giant sighed, a long jet of steam leaking out from his gaping maw. Offering no explanation, Rogue lifted an open palm to his shoulder – a silent order for his occupants to hop on. For a moment, the two looked at the troubled titan before following his entreaty. Slowly and safely, the creature sat the two gently to the lush earth before crouching down to place himself on his rump. Rogue folded his legs, head remaining low as he prepared himself. For a long moment, the trio was silent, making the surrounding landscape feel eerie and melancholy. Finally, Rogue lifted his head slightly and extended a finger to Grisha. The man watched in awe as the titan stuck the tip of his index finger up the cloth covering and lifted it away to reveal Grisha's torso. Rogue's face remained troubled, brows pinched together and forehead furrowed in the slightest as he stared at what he expected – a hole in the man's stomach. The titan lifted the shirt a few inches higher, exposing the other additions that he himself lacked. With his suspicion confirmed, Rogue's hand dropped to the grass unceremoniously – eyes adverting to his own ripped belly as he absorbed his predicament further. The megalith winced and let out a shaky sigh, trying to figure out how to proceed with his extortion. Rogue then reached out to point at Grisha and Carla's stomachs, trying to match a few words that he had overheard his parents use before to describe and form such a question. Finding the right words, the titan began.

" **DDD…DDIIFFRRRnntt."** Rogue spoke, as he pulled his hand back and with unwieldy coordination, pointed at the center of his belly and to his chest – knuckles shakily grazing his skin. The titan then reached up to his face, touching his lipless maw and tapered ears. " **DDDIIFFFRRRRNNT."** Rogue looked to his parents pleadingly. " **EEE…eee…EHHYY?"**

At the single word query, both of his parents' brows arched and jaws dropped, his Carla's flesh paled whiter that a winter's fresh snow. The aura became uncomfortable and weaved between the individuals and trunks of the surrounding trees. Rogue watched patiently as the two looked at one another, making a few frantic gestures to themselves before Grisha let out a long sigh of defeat.

"We might as well Carla. We did say that if he ever asked we would tell him." The man uttered, making Rogue lean over in interest. He was right!

Mrs. Jaeger cringed before nodding, eyes to her feet. "I suppose you're right." She paused as she turned her attention to the titan, the beast able to see sorrow in her amber eyes. "Rogue – I'm going to tell you a story alright?" Carla addressed, making the creature raise a brow. "It's not really a happy story at first, but it's a true story." His mother hesitated, biting her lip. "However, before I start – Rogue, do you remember anything before you came to the forest?"

The titan tilted his head at her query after determining its meaning. No. There was nothing before the forest. Nothing at all. Perplexed by her bizarre question, Rogue shook his head, beginning to feel uneasier by the minute. The couple nodded to themselves. Carla exhaled heavily.

"Alright, so I'll begin from the very beginning okay Rogue? Do you – know the walls that Grisha and I talked about? The ones that we live in?"

Very aware of the towering walls that surrounded their world, the creature nodded warily, his patience beginning to thin.

"Okay. Well – once upon a time, humans lived freely around the world." Carla began, raising a finger to point at herself and her husband. "Grisha and I are HUMANS. The little girl and her mother are HUMANS too." She spoke slowly with Rogue absorbing her words like a sponge.

The titan swallowed, feeling his heart grow heavy and his hope for similarity fading away. Still clinging on to whatever shred of faith he had, Rogue lifted his knuckles to his chest with his green eyes looking to his parents pleadingly. " **HH…HHUUUNAANN?"** He asked, watching Carla's face pale even more.

It was a long moment before Carla opened her mouth to reply. "Let me continue with the story Sw…Sweetheart." She faltered, voice shaky and not answering his query. "As I was saying, they lived in peace. They were happy. But many, many years ago before Grisha and I came to be, terrible monsters came from nowhere – and caused what was left of all the humans to build three big walls and hide behind them in order to keep safe from the monsters."

Rogue blinked in thought. Monster? He had never heard of such a word. What did it mean? " **Nnnn…NNNOONNSSTERR?"** The beast queried, his child like demeanor returning.

Carla bit her lip fretfully. "A monster is a wicked, cruel, or violent creature Rogue. Monsters are MEAN."

The titan felt a small weight lifting from his shoulders. By his Carla's description, he was certainly no monster. He was kind and loving not mean and nasty. The positive fact made a weak smile of relieve surface, but his mother still looked anything but, making his concern wipe away his expression.

"As I was saying. Humans locked themselves away from the monsters – things that we humans call… titans. TITAN"

Rogue's ear flickered as he pondered. Titans? Titan? They were the monsters that his mom spoke of? " **T…TTIIITAANN?"**

Carla dipped her head. "Yes Rogue. Titans are monsters. They nearly killed all the humans in one night."

Innocent greens widened. That sounded so horrible! Why did titans kill the humans? How vile! Rogue grunted in question, wanting to know more about the monsters outside the wall. Carla shuttered.

"Titans hunt humans Rogue… they eat them for fun." She began, Rogue going stiff at the fact. "Humans try to fight them, but beating them is difficult. You see Rogue, Titans can heal from any injury, they can grow back their arms, legs, and even their heads if they loose them. Any scratch they can heal." Carla paused yet again. "Titans look a bit like humans, except that they are a lot bigger and taller." She continued, making Rogue's blood chill. "Most of them have permanent smiles, deformed frames, and they breath steam for their bodies are hot. They are much stronger than humans and can easily overpower many of them at once." Carla stuttered, hand gripping her arm tightly. "Titans also lack the things you saw on Grisha and the girl for as far as humans know, Titans can't have babies."

Rogue shivered in fear at his mother's explanation as to what Titans were. No. There was no way! He couldn't be a titan! He wasn't cruel. He didn't eat humans! Yet, he was big, he lacked the little hole on his belly and circles on his chest, and he exhaled clouds of steam. His mouth was formed into a permanent smile too no matter how much he flexed the skin at the corners of his lipless maw. Was he – was he really a bloodthirsty titan? The very creature that put humans like his parents behind the walls and who other humans told to their children as scary stories? No. It couldn't be true! He was behind the walls with the humans. If he were a titan he would have been outside the walls with all the other monsters!

"Many years later," Carla continued, gathering Rogue's curiosity again. "There was a man and a woman, Grisha and I, who wanted a child. But unfortunately, no matter how hard we tried and wished – I couldn't get pregnant. That means I couldn't have a baby that we so desperately wanted. So we stopped trying." Carla stalled, taking another deep breath. "Sad, I went for a walk in the woods. When the wolves attacked me, I was saved… by an amazing titan that lived within the walls."

Time seemed to stop for Rogue as soon as he heard it – the very words that answered his terrifying question. He was the one to rescue Carla. He was…he was…

A titan.

The truth felt like poison. Rogue's breath hitched in his chest, eyes shooting down to his large hands tipped with claws. Everything was clear as crystal now. His abnormalities made sense. His Carla and Grisha were humans. He was a titan. A monster. A monster that was known to EAT humans – for fun. He was one of the monsters that drove humans behind the walls! That nearly killed all of them! Rogue trembled further, whining loudly as he gripped his hair and scalp, making his parents enter a state of alarm as he fell even harder into the horrifying truth. He was nothing but an abomination, a bloodthirsty behemoth. He didn't deserve their love. How could anyone love a monster that could hurt them when its purpose was to slaughter! How! He tried to remember if he had any time beyond the walls – if he sinned by drawing innocent blood. His head began to hurt as he desperately searched, finding only vacant space. Rogue let out a numb howl, a cry that sounded as if it came from a lost child.

"Rogue!" He heard his parents – humans plead, his green eyes snapping to them and their great expressions of distress and horror. "Rogue, please listen! You're not –

" **NNOOO!"** Rogue ordered, instantly and frantically scooting away on his rear. He was a monster. He didn't want to damage them, the only ones that ever loved him. " **TTT…TTIITTANN!"**

"No Rogue! You don't understand! You're diff –

Before they could finish, the titan's instincts to flee kicked in. Not willing to cause any suffering and terrified of his own existence, Rogue scrambled to his feet and bolted into the deep forest.

**(POV SWAP)**

Hearts pounded as the woodland shook with each of Rogue's steps. Regret raced through her veins as her lungs ached. Carla and her husband ran frantically through the forest, following the path of broken limbs and tilled patches of dirt. Mrs. Jaeger swallowed, blinking her wet eyes and wiping away tears as she fruitlessly tried to catch up to her traumatized son. She felt utterly horrible. Little did she know that Rogue would react the way that he did. Carla had grown a hunch that the titan would have trouble with the news, but she didn't expect the sheer magnitude of his reaction. She greatly regretted her choice of words.

"Grisha!" She droned. "I feel so terrible! I shouldn't have told him that way!"

The doctor frowned, hand gripping his wife's even tighter. "My Dear, don't pity yourself. You broke it to him in a gentle manner –telling it to him as a story. I wouldn't have fared well if I was the one telling him. Rogue is just – sensitive. It's not your fault Carla!"

"Grisha – he's so scared and frightened. Not only that, but he's really angry and frustrated; you know how he gets confused and goes back on himself when he's like that. We need to hurry and catch up with him and tell him the rest of the story. I don't know what he could do when he's…. Grisha, what if Rogue tries to hurt or kill himself!" Carla suddenly stressed, more tears leaking from her frantic eyes.

The doctor dithered, his throat bobbing at Carla's worry. A bead of sweat formed on his creased brow. "No. I don't think he would go that far Carla. Even if he did – he would just heal. He doesn't know where his weak spot is." The man paused, turning to Carla, gaze serious. "Yes, I don't think he could kill himself. Rogue's love for us would stop him from doing so. Even suicidal people stop themselves from facing death by remembering those that they love."

Carla blinked at her husband's explanation, hoping that what he was saying was truth and not something he formulated just to calm her frantic state of mind. "Still – we have to hurry!" She proclaimed as she forced herself to move faster, practically pulling Grisha along. However, her footwear was never designed for such a task – her shoe releasing its grip and causing her to fall forward with her husband unable to catch her. "Shit!"

"Carla!" Dr. Jaeger queried as he helped her to her feet. "Are you alright? Pull or twist anything?"

She let out an exhausted breath, hands to her knees as she struggled to keep her heart rate down. "F... fine." She replied as she stood, her eyes suddenly catching something that filed her with dread.

Before the couple was a wide clearing where a part of the forest's river cut through. Normally, it would have been a lovely area, but to the Jaegers it was not what they needed, cutting off their supply of footsteps to follow.

"Grisha…we can't follow his footsteps anymore plus – the trees are big and there's not a singe clue to tell us where he went." Carla squeaked, feeling her body shake. This wasn't good! She had to get to her son.

To her surprise, Grisha looked on confidently. "The water is pretty shallow here with a weak current so we can just walk through. Carla, I have a pretty good idea as to where Rogue is heading."

Carla's amber eyes widened at the man's statement. "You do?" Mrs. Jaeger questioned, a rumble of thunder stopping her from spitting any more words. The two looked up through the canopy to see a grey sky about to be gorged, translucent blood about to rain upon the earth.

"Yes." Grisha muttered as a raindrop fell onto Carla's soft cheek. "I do. We better hurry though. It looks like an unforeseen storm in the forecast is about to hit."

Without another inquiry, the couple started forward again with Carla hoping that her husband's previous thought was right.

**(POV SWAP)**

The ground quaked with each of his strides, matching the thunder that rolled over his head. Green pools were wide with panic as he ran through his forest. Anger and confusion coursed through his veins. No! He couldn't be touched! He was a monster! A bloodthirsty titan! He didn't want to hurt his parents. He didn't want to hurt anyone!

Rogue rounded a small bend, too caught up in his blistering thoughts to notice a large log laying in his wake. The titan shrieked in surprise as his ankle caught the fallen tree, causing the ground to fly out from beneath him. His frame met the hard and unforgiving earth, cratering the soil with his face planting itself into the dirt. High on adrenaline and panic, Rogue scrambled to get back to his feet, falling over several times before he was successful in standing. Normally, embarrassment would have crippled him after a clumsy fall, but the titan was far too concerned about his horrible existence.

He was a monster.

He shouldn't be alive.

His kind was responsible for putting the humans behind the walls like cattle in a pen.

He didn't deserve happiness.

Why couldn't he remember? Why did it hurt to remember?

He was a monster.

A titan.

Was he really a titan?

The heavens were suddenly gutted, rain pouring down from the gray to grace the leaves of the canopy and spots of his toasty skin. Rogue then stumbled into a rocky area filled with large boulders that were nestled in a jagged landscape. It was shrouded by trees and thick vines – another hideaway in his forest for all sorts of creatures. Knowing just where he was going, Rogue scaled up several rocks into a large cave that he visited on the occasion with his Carla – using its walls to do the thing she had called 'drawing' on, recording stories for them to enjoy later. The titan also used the cave as a sanctuary to run off to for when he was aggravated at himself when he was unable to grasp concepts or words that he was being taught. The cave felt dark and even cold to Rogue, everything shaded in a hue of grey. The titan drew himself into a quivering fetal position in the cave's corner, brow pressed to the floor and tears leaking from his ugly face. No. No. NO. His life – he didn't want this. He didn't want to be a monster. He – he would prove it! He couldn't be a titan! He couldn't be!

Rogue sat up as much as the cave would allow and glared at his hand, the appendage trembling at the thought of what he was about to do. He had to see. He had to know he wasn't a monster. Wrapped in confusion, he wanted to prove his parents wrong! With a hollow wail, Rogue reached up and swiped at his chest – sharp nails digging past layers of thick skin and into muscle. Rogue yelped as a hot liquid began to spill from the series of gashes, feeling physical pain for the first time in his life. The smell of hot iron swept through his nostrils, the fragrance of blood – his blood. Rogue pulled his hand into his field of vision, pupils shrinking to pinpricks as he saw his crimson product coating his fingertips like watery honey. His chest tightened at his own life juices, the first he had ever seen the red liquid that flowed throughout his veins. To the titan, it was surreal. It was absolutely haunting. He continued to stare at the red, seeking an answer of any kind and hoping that it wasn't the one he dreaded. However, the crimson suddenly activated, sizzling like grease in a pot and steaming like a warm spring in winter. Rogue let out a gasp in both agony and horror as he felt the stinging of nerves and his ears filling with the sound of connecting tissues and flesh. The titan shuttered, greens looking down at his chest to see that the gruesome gash was gone – looking as if nothing had ever touched it. Rogue stumbled back to the rear of the cave, body trembling more than ever. His brain felt like it was about to burst – heart the same as the truth became all too real for him. What his parents said was true. He had healed himself. He was a titan.

A bloodthirsty monster.

Everything then fell upon Rogue like a load of bricks, sending the titan into a fit of hysteria. The creature screeched, the sorrowful sound projecting through the cave. Blinded by sadness, Rogue lifted himself and raked his claws across the wall, tough nails cutting into limestone, taking out a doodle of messy lines that he had made long ago – telling his Carla that they were trees. In his bout of anger, Rogue instinctively sought out for something else to destroy – a thing to erase that reminded him of the truth. He immediately lunged for a mural that Carla had made on the far wall, a series of illustrations that depicted she, Grisha, and him doing things together – showing him much bigger than they were. Bigger, colossal, giant, titan – monster. With another cut of his claws, he began to remove it from his sight. Savagely, he tore at the stone, decorating the cave wall in brutal marks that destroyed any hint of whimsy. Even when the drawing was long gone, he kept going. The wall changed from grey, to white, to red – painted with his unnatural blood that came from his worn down fingertips. He screamed in agony as thin shreds of muscle tore away to expose bone. Rogue stalled in his assault on the wall's art, arms hanging limply to his side as he yelled into the bloody and steaming wall. He hated it! He hated the truth! Why was he chosen to exist as a monster! Why couldn't he have been born something else! Human even! Hell he would have rather been an insignificant animal like a bird, fish, or even a mouse! Not a titan!

He hated himself! He was a vile blight upon the world. Rogue's eyes shot to his newly mended hands. He needed – he needed to be punished. He had to be punished for his existence! He HAD TO BE! With another sorrowful howl, Rogue dug his claws across his chest again, blood spilling from the wound and onto the cold floor. He needed to feel more –more pain. More punishment! More! Again and again, he lay his claws into his flesh, decorating his body in deep crimson gashes. The stony floor was soon painted red like the result of a genocide – a battlefield with only one opponent. Rogue soon continued his chastisement else ware, slicing at his arms, legs, and digging his nails around his rib cage. For a moment, he paused, breathing heavily before letting out another screech that blended with the thunder and pouring rain. The titan reached up and ran his nails across his ugly face, liquid crimson curving along the sharp angles of his facade, seeping between the gaps of his teeth and dribbling down his pronounced chin. With tears mixing with blood, Rogue wailed as he proceeded to main himself, healing over and over again. His grasp tore out hunks of his hair, nails carving out layers of skin and scratching deep into his eye. Far gone in his own mutilation, the titan plunged his teeth into his hand – biting straight through his index finger and thumb. Rogue yowled, digits dropping to the cave floor as nothing but limp meat. He screamed again, the sound hoarse and rickety. The scent of blood was heavy and almost every inch of the cave was red.

"Rogue!"

The frantic voice caused the creature to stop his abuse. A cold shiver ran down his spine, ears filling with a frenetic set of heartbeats. Slowly, Rogue turned to see something that made him cower in sheer terror. There, standing at the entrance of the cave was none other than Carla and Grisha – looking like he had never seen them. The couple's faces were a mixture of exhaustion and shock, bodies soaked to the bone and hair plastered flat to their heads. The amber-eyed lady stared at the steaming blood and his battered body, a gasp leaving her and her hand hiding her lips. She staggered, gripping her mate to stay upright. The man too, looked rattled.

"Rogue… Rogue…" The woman stuttered, reaching out to him. "Please! Please listen. Everything is okay! Please calm –

The titan quickly propped himself onto the balls of his feet, taking a step in retreat. No! His Parents had come! He was a titan! He could hurt them! Rogue whined, holding up his contorted hand in warning. " **NNNOOO!"** He shuffled toward the rear of the cave. " **TTIITTAAN! TTiiitttaannN!"** The beast pleaded as he hunkered down in the corner, lightning illuminating the cavern. For a long moment, the grotto remained still with the three breathing heavily and tensions high. Rogue observed, whimpers leaving his throat and ears sinking while the Jaegers turned to one another and began to speak, obviously expressing their concerns.

"There's so much blood." The woman uttered. "Grisha – he hurt himself." Carla spoke in a daze. "He hurt himself on purpose Grisha!" She choked, hands trembling.

Grisha swallowed, looking at the carnage around the cave, nearly jumping at the boom of thunder. "He – castigated himself." The man whispered to no one in particular. "Carla," He swallowed, opening his mouth to continue but with no sound emerging.

For several more apprehensive seconds, there was no exchange of words between the cave's occupants. Rogue remained stunned as he sulked as much as he could further into the cave. His companions where still there! He wanted them to run. Why were they not running! Blood lifted away from his body and the scene, only revealing the permanent scars upon the rocks and his nearly healed cuts. Still, the atmosphere remained stagnant, the shadows of raindrops littering the grey interior of the cave. Carla looked from her husband to her feet, the titan finding her behavior peculiar. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Jaeger walked cautiously forward, a weak grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Rogue?" She queried softly, caring tone fueled by a motherly passion. "It's okay. You're –

" **NOOO! HHH…Huurrrtt!"**

Carla shook her head at the titan's protest. "No Rogue. You're not going to hurt Grisha and I. Calm down sweetheart." She continued to edge closer, nearing his knee. Skittish, he pushed himself further into the cave wall, but the woman still approached him with a hand held in a gesture of kindness. Green pools shot wide as her delicate skin met his, making the titan petrified. "Rogue – please let me finish my story. It has a very happy ending and I want you to hear it."

Rogue hesitated, curling in on himself and putting his face into a corner. Even after his bid for them to stay away, Carla approached him with no fear. It was like nothing he said mattered. He heard her sigh, feeling her place a hand onto him – the titan slowly pulling it back to his chest as a further attempt to seclude himself.

"I see. I know you're upset, but I'm going to tell you the story's ending anyway." She began, his green eye peaking at her from his dark lids. "As I was saying, after this titan rescued me, I knew that he was no ordinary titan. You look completely different from the ones that they describe. A regular titan's eyes are dead and hold nothing but hunger and their faces are frozen onto one particular expression. Your eyes are beautiful Rogue, like gemstones and shine like so." She informed, the titan turning his head slightly to acknowledge her. "They are full of warmth and life, Rogue. Your ears and body are different as well from the other titans. Plus you show great amounts of expression on your face. You can convey if you are happy or sad. Mostly, you don't eat humans!" Carla smiled as she sat next to him without a care in the world. "That night, when I returned home, I told Grisha about you. At first, we were alarmed, but something about you felt unique. You didn't try to harm me at all. So, we went back to the forest to find you, and when we did Grisha and I didn't see a bloodthirsty monster Rogue. We saw you as someone special, someone and not something."

Getting the gist of Carla's words, Rogue turned to face her, ears lifted and listening. He – was different from the other titans? He was special? The creature relaxed in the slightest, muscles slowly falling into a more comfortable position. Wanting further confirmation, Rogue mustered the courage he needed. " **SSppeeSSAALL?"**

Carla beamed, positioning herself to take a seat on his opposite hand with Rogue not objecting. "Yes Rogue. You're certainly a special titan! We saw you not as a titan but rather as someone that was lonely and needed love. Before we found you Rogue, Grisha and I were looking for someone to be our son or daughter – someone to fill that hole in our family. We looked everywhere for a lonely child, but no one put a spark in my heart like you did. From that moment when you took us to the cove, we decided that you needed to be loved and we made you our son!"

Rogue lifted his head, blinking in consideration. His parents – this was the reason why they welcomed him. They – didn't see him as a monster? He was their child? The titan lowered himself, chin to the floor as he took his Carla in full. " **AAEEbbe?"**

Mrs. Jaeger smiled sweetly, her hand reaching up to scratch his chin. "Yes my Dear, you're our baby. Titan or not. We don't care. Like I said, you're different from the others. Not just because of your appearance, or the fact that you can speak or are self aware, but there is no shred of evil in you Rogue."

" **EEEVVLL?"**

"Yes. You're not bad or mean. You're loving, compassionate, and good Rogue. Grisha and I – we don't know where you came from and we don't think you remember, but we like to think that you are here for a reason Rogue. A good reason. You're a key perhaps." She beamed, stroking the bridge of his nose. "Now, our happy ending is still unfolding and we still want you to still be our son. We hope you forgive us for not telling you the truth before, but we did what we did because we love you Rogue! We're sorry that we upset you. We hope that you still accept us as your mother and father and that you can love yourself as well."

The titan felt his chest tighten and a lump form in his throat. Green pools began to overflow as he thought of his Carla's words. They loved him. Even as a titan, they loved him. He was unique, not a monster that feasted on the flesh of the helpless. She was right. He was kind and had so much love to give. It didn't matter what he was. He was their son – their baby. Sorrow then hit the titan again, causing him to whine and sniffle softly. They had kept the truth from him because of what he had just done. They didn't want him to feel horrible or hurt himself. They didn't want him to cripple his own mind and believe that he was a vile abomination. They had only wanted him to be happy. They just wanted to be a family. He – had given them something that they had always wanted, a child. They too had given him love and company in return. He felt horrible, scaring them as he did. Feeling the need to apologize in some way and seeking condolences, Rogue let out a minuscule cry and buried his cheek into Carla, nearly knocking her over as he began sobbing, deep moans vibrating the stony floor of the cave.

Two sets of hands brushed his nose and brow – the titan suddenly feeling Carla's head press into his. She then began to comfort with soft librettos, making every ounce of remaining unease leave his body.

"There now. Everything is alright." Carla cooed. "Grisha and I are here. You're okay."

"You're alright Rogue." Grisha reassured. "Chin up. There's nothing to worry about son."

Rogue lifted his head at their apologies, taking a moment to rub away his tears before leaning into both of them and giving in to a purr in thanks. He loved them. He loved them so very much. He never wanted them to part. Although he wasn't human, he was happy.

"Ah! That's better!" The doctor proclaimed with Carla nodding in agreement. "Now, since there's a pretty good storm going, how about Carla and I make dinner and stay the night with you here? Grisha suggested kindly while lightning danced just outside, thunder echoing as the day began to fade into night.

"That sounds wonderful, Dear!" Mrs. Jaeger agreed, turning to the titan and patting his nose in encouragement. "What do you say Sweetheart? Would you like us to stay with you for the night?"

At the proposal, warmth spread throughout his chest and his mouth drew itself up into a lopsided grin. The titan let his tongue gently grace them with a small show of affection before he gave his answer in a cheerful squeal.

* * *

The rain fell softer, a gentle shower with the thunder and lightning far off in the distance. The cave was filled with the smell of previously cooked soup, the scent of chicken and vegetables replacing the old smell of his blood. After bellies were full, the couple has settled into the titan's palm, the great beast curled around them in affection and to shelter them from any stray breeze. Rogue purred softly, greens peering down to take in the view of his sleeping parents. He couldn't help but slip a small smile, feeling a flutter in his chest. It did not matter what he was, how much taller, how uglier his mug was, or how differently he was physically. What really mattered was what was inside him – his loving personality. Yes, he was no monster. Big and grizzly perhaps. However, his looks were deceiving. 'Never Judge a Book by its Cover' as his mother always said.

Rogue looked down at the two individuals who were the brightest lights in his life. He loved them so much. He was elated to call them his parents. His Carla and Grisha. His mother and father.

His… humans.

 

* * *

 

Sneak Peak at part two:

 

*smirks* Meet little Rogue! You can see more of him on my tumblr (miranda-leek)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Yeah, a little more of a sad chapter compared to the silliness of the last one XD The next bonus will be a series of events of Rogue, Mikasa, and Armin during childhood like the events shared among the three during the storm in chapter 7.( not to mention Rogue's incident with ducks)
> 
> NOW, as far as my announcement for part 2, after I finish the last bonus, I am taking some time off to put it all together. I have many of the main events put together but I have to get the timeline the way I want it. I may even wait till season 2 of the anime comes out even though I'm changing quite a bit of the stuff) For part one of Rogue, I actually spent about 2-3 months planning it out before I wrote it. That's my estimate at least for now until I release the first chapter of part 2. So, I hope you guys are cool with a delay. I just want to make part 2 as good as the first one!
> 
> Oh, and to answer the question that many of you are asking me, YES. Part 2 will have Rogue's complete backstory. We'll finally learn what happened in his past! 
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoyed and stay tuned!


	20. Bonus#4 Unexpected Arrivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During Armin and Mikasa's childhood, Rogue gets into a sticky situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hey guys! Welcome to the LAST BONUS CHAPTER BEFORE PART 2! Sorry that this is so late. So much has happened in the last two months!This bonus is basically a retelling of the stories that Armin, Mikasa, and Rogue shared with one another before their split way back in chapter 7. It's a 'childhood fluff' chapter - probably the last happy one before we get to all the horror, bloodshed, and sadness of part 2 that I have planned! STAY TUNED AND READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER! IT HAS IMPORTANT INFO ABOUT PART 2! I also just sort of skimmed this chapter, so if there are any errors, PM me!
> 
> Enjoy!

**Bonus 4**

**Unexpected Arrivals**

The sky was clear as a looking glass, blue and pristine as the illustration of the sea in his book. After an annual slumber, Shiganshina had awoken again like animals from hibernation. The air smelt of freshly baked bread from a bakery just a block away and people were already partaking in their daily duties. It was the start of a wonderful day.

Armin bit his lip in concentration as he wrapped the durable twine around his long stick of bamboo, circling the top with precision. He and Mikasa were currently sitting on the Jaeger's doorsteps slaving over a set of homemade fishing rods with Mrs. Jaeger casually sweeping behind them and the doctor taking over dish duty – peeking through the open window every great once in a while to check on their progress. Armin had to admit, he and his friend were doing a fairly great job with their rods. The nine-year-old was using a design that his grandfather had shown him, the man having been a fisherman all his life. The project was simple enough. All the two had to do was cut two slots into the bamboo, one on top and the bottom, allowing them to loop twine around the pole before bringing the woven juke through the middle of the hollow bamboo. To ensure that the twine stayed in place, the children wrapped several pieces of twine horizontally around the pole in several places – keeping an even length between them. Sure, the rods didn't have the luxury of a reel, but according to his grandfather, they did their job back in the day.

Tethering the final knot, Armin then admired and studied his work. He had made a rod like this once but hadn't in a while. Even though he was rusty, he did a fine job. Mikasa too, did wonderfully. To complete their tasks, the blonde boy then opened his small satchel and retrieved two hooks without lures that his grandfather had given him and handed one to his friend before proceeding with attaching his hook.

"So you two are going fishing in Maria today?"

Upon hearing Mrs. Jaeger's query, the two children turned to face Carla who bore a pleasant grin as usual.

"Yeah, we're going fishing." Mikasa replied with a soft smile. "It's been a while since I've fished."

Carla nodded, Armin knowing that Mrs. Jaeger wouldn't dare say that Mikasa had not partook in such an activity since her parents' murder nearly a year ago. Since that day, Mikasa never mentioned or expressed any desire to take part in the sport until they began to grow very close to their friend that they had made on that faithful night of bloodshed.

"Ah, sounds wonderful. It's such a nice day today. Not too hot nor too cold. Your fishing poles look very good! Did your grandpa teach you to make those Armin?"

The boy smiled and nodded. He owed his knowledge of many things to his grandfather – the only guardian he had left since his parent's death before he was a year old. It was just another thing he had in common with his friend Mikasa, the two having lost their parents to some unprecedented force. The children often wondered if their friend had the same in common as well, but facts written in firm ink made that theory impossible – at least that's what humanity guessed.

"I see." Carla smiled as she put away her broom and grabbed a moist cloth to wipe the windows. As he threaded the twine into the small wire loop on the hook, Armin still felt Mrs. Jaeger's eyes upon him. To Armin, the Jaegers were like a second family, the parents he never had. Everyone in Shiganshina knew the couple to be kind and caring people. They loved kids but couldn't have any of their own – welcoming Mikasa with open arms when she had no home to return to and treating Armin like their own son as well. So it was only natural for Carla to express her concern and curiosity with what they were doing. "So, are you going fishing with another friend of yours? I see you made a third pole."

Fully expecting the query, Armin quickly replied. "Yeah. We're going with a friend from school. He lives in Maria so we're meeting him there. He's getting all the worms." He informed skillfully. Ever since their meeting with Rogue, a fifteen-meter titan that had saved them from a life of cruelty, a beast unlike any of the other titans outside the wall with a heart of gold – the two children kept his existence secret for they wanted to keep Rogue safe from mankind's wrath over his kind. They even kept him from the Jaegers, not knowing how the couple would react knowing that they were playing with a behemoth of a titan. If word ever got around that a titan was living in Maria, the soldiers would certainly kill him.

"A friend from school huh?" Carla questioned cheerfully. "So what's their name?"

For a moment, Armin found himself in a pit – not expecting for Mrs. Jaeger to ask such a thing. Mikasa quickly intervened.

"Robert. His name's Robert." Mikasa said quietly and calmly, having superior control over her nerves. Carla only smiled and proceeded to wipe the window.

"Alright then. I hope you do well with your fishing!" Carla continued as the two children finished their rods and gathered their packed lunches and a large bucket to store their catch along with a cooler. "You'll have to bring us back some fish! We could all have dinner together this evening and invite Armin's grandfather and Robert as well!"

"Oh yes!" Grisha voiced from his position. "I've heard that the catfish are pretty bountiful right now. We could fry a few of them up. Carla and I could make the batter while you three fish."

Armin grinned weakly. "Sounds great, but Robert can't make it I'm afraid – he has to work on his family's farm later." The boy lied through his teeth. Luckily, the Jaegers seemed to buy his fib.

"Oh, that's too bad. Maybe some other time then."

"Yeah." Armin went along. In truth, the only assignment their friend had been given was to find them worms which they hoped that he had done.

"Well, see you two later!" Carla bid farewell as the children made their way into the street. "Be careful!"

"We will!" They both replied as they began to make their way down the brick and stone road, completely unaware at the Jaegers' exchange of smiles.

**(POV SWAP)**

As the children left around the corner, Carla made her way back inside their small residence to place herself next to her husband to aid with the dishes. She still kept a sly smile to her face, Grisha displaying the same expression on his features. Finally, she let out a blissful sigh.

"It's so obvious that they're playing with Rogue." Carla chuckled. "It's really cute that they are keeping him a secret from us. Don't get me wrong, I wish that they would say something, but it really shows their dedication to keeping him safe. The best thing though, is that Rogue has someone to keep him company when we're unable to visit. It's adorable for someone as shy as him making friends."

Grisha nodded. "I agree, what better than two kind children? It's sad, but youth are far less judgmental than adults. Armin and Mikasa are perfect companions for him." The man paused, putting away a set of tea cups and saucers. "It is good though with them swearing to secrecy about our son. I wish that we could go see him more often, I hate it that we're busy. If I didn't have another appointment to attend to in an hour, you and I would have gone as well." Grisha sighed. "I really hate it that you can't go on your own too often as well, but ever since the king raised taxes and you had to begin working with me permanently – with most of our appointments in Shiganshina there is seldom time to go spend with our son anymore. If we didn't have to worry about other eyes seeing him, we could move into the cove with him, but part of our income comes from patients that appear at our doorstep." He paused, suddenly smiling. "Those children though are an absolute blessing. Who knows, Rogue probably has more fun with them than he did with us."

Carla beamed softly at her husband's words as she moved onto scrubbing a spoon. "That's true, Dear. He's a big kid himself so Armin and Mikasa are just perfect." She agreed as she continued to wash the piece of silverware. "I do wonder when we should tell them the truth though."

The Doctor smirked. "I'm sure that one day, we'll cross paths. Armin though is so smart. The boy has probably already figured out that he knows other humans due to Rogue's ability to project words and the fact that he has a name."

Mrs. Jaeger nodded in understanding and opened a drawer beneath the sink to return the spoon to its residence. "Hmm, judging by the extra pole they made, I'd say that those two plan on teaching Rogue how to fish." Carla chuckled. "How do you think that is going to go with Rogue's playful demeanor?"

Grisha only laughed in return. "We'll know just how it went depending on if they bring back fish or not."

**(POV SWAP)**

The smell of freshly baked bread began to fade further and further as the two children ventured into the forest. Over the last year they had perfected the art of sneaking into the wood without being seen. Upon stepping through the gate into Maria, they would always discreetly veer to the left and slip onto a well hidden natural path that had never been used by any other traveler. Of course, the two never stayed on the path for long and walked their own route. Not many people cut off the main path through the forest, and if they did, Rogue stayed far from them knowing what would happen if he was exposed.

The two children walked along with smiles on their faces, quiet as they looked up into the canopy and studied their surroundings. It was common for them to walk in silence since the forest always presented them with something new and wonderful to look at. They would catch glimpses of tiny birds in their nests, a snake or two slithering among the branches, or simply capturing the beauty of rare buds that only bloomed once a year. Of course, Armin and Mikasa kept quiet in the beginning of the journey just in case someone had made the attempt to follow, only speaking once they felt safe enough to do so. After several more minutes without an exchange, Mikasa and Armin paused to look behind them to see that they were truly alone before giving each other clearance with a short nod as they moved on.

"Hopefully he got the worms." Mikasa smiled softly.

Armin chuckled, knowing that Rogue was sometimes easily sidetracked. "If he didn't, I have some corn in my lunch and we can use that. My grandfather said that fish surprisingly love it."

"Alright. That's our backup plan then."

The two continued to talk among themselves until they approached the boarder of the clearing, a small glade abundant with daisies that they had told the beast the previous day to meet them in. Normally, they always met Rogue at his cove, but since their designated fishing spot was elsewhere, their meeting spot had to change. Then, a distinct and familiar trilling and rumbling met their ears, provoking the two to pause just before the edge of the glade. It was clear to the two children that Rogue was obviously excited about something.

Curious as to what their friend was doing, the two then entered the clearing. "Hey Rogue! What are you –

However, Armin stopped himself and Mikasa stifled back a laugh at what was before them. The entire perimeter of the glade was no longer green grass laced with daisies but rather tiled up dirt and mud. Holes of every size were everywhere and chunks of earth and clay had been carelessly flung out of the way. In the middle of it all was the fifteen-meter titan who had looked up from his current task of digging a rather deep hole – his large hands, feet, and parts of his frame tainted with dirt. Rogue's bright green eyes widened and his lipless maw morphed into an elated and lopsided grin, the creature's tapered ears wiggling beneath long chocolate locks in enthusiasm. The titan then let out a loud squeal and grabbed a hunk of dirt, quickly getting to his feet and plopping himself onto his rump before the two of them. As he usually did, Rogue hunched over and nuzzled his large nose into their bodies in greeting, purring loudly enough to make the ground vibrate beneath their feet. Unfortunately for the two children, the creature decided to take his loving hello even further when his long pink tongue slipped from between his teeth and licked them – his own version of a kiss. Being a good sport, Armin reached up to wipe away any saliva before smiling at the beast in return.

"It's nice to see you Rogue, but what exactly are you doing?"

The titan smiled and happily sat the large handful of dirt and mud before them. " **ARRNNIN! NNIIKAASA! OORRNNSS!"** The beast exclaimed as he held his head up high, looking completely proud of himself.

Peering into the pile of dirt that the titan had gifted them, the children could see that it was infested with hundreds of earthworms, grubs, and a few burrowed beetles. Armin and Mikasa's brows rose in astonishment – Rogue had done what he was told and went above and beyond with his effort. To the two children, although Rogue was essentially a giant, genital lacking, nude, and muscular man – he had the mindset of a five-year-old child, sometimes seven. He was a severely overgrown kid that was mixed with the animalistic behavior of a puppy and kitten hence some of the odd quirks the titan had like purring and licking. Granted, his face was terrifying enough, teeth simply sticking out from his skin and dark circles around his emerald eyes, but he was no monster. Just a child in the wrong body. Armin wished that all titans were like Rogue, intelligent and friendly, but alas that wasn't the case. Other titans were mindless and cruel creatures that ate humans for fun, the very reason why humanity had to seal themselves behind walls. Rogue was not, the titan a complete mystery and a one of a kind oddity. Rogue acted and looked completely different. However, the only time that Armin and Mikasa ever saw Rogue behave violently was when he had protected and rescued them from the clutches of child sex traffickers – the only time that Rogue had ever killed anyone. Granted, Armin and Mikasa only ever saw glimpses of aggressive behavior from Rogue, all only out of protection – mostly when he snarled at bears who had come near them or wolves. Rogue could roar as well, but it was only out of play. The two children had only ever heard him roar threateningly once – a bellow so loud that it was deafening and the ferocity of it sent shivers down their spines and make their blood run ice cold in their veins. It was a sound that promised death to those that opposed him – one that Armin and Mikasa hoped to never hear again.

"Wow Rogue, you got us a lot of worms!" Mikasa spoke warmly to the beast who seemed to tremble in elation at his accomplishment. "Thank you so much!" The girl expressed with the titan cooing his reply. The beast then turned his attention to their rods, head tilting and a single ear twitching in question. Rogue blinked, green pools full of curiosity. Armin observed as Rogue swallowed to salivate his throat and lifted a finger to gesture to their makeshift poles.

" **STTIIKKS?** " The titan spoke in great question, eyes looking at the two expectedly, waiting for them to explain. Rogue's other great gift or abnormality was his ability to talk – something that other titans couldn't do to their knowledge. Of course, the creature wasn't the best at speaking with his lack of lips. Rogue's voice was gruff and deep, what one could expect from a fifty-foot behemoth. However, due to his deformity, the titan's words were often mispronounced – sounding almost like a toddler's speech for there were a few letters that he couldn't enunciate no matter how hard he tried. Rogue's vocabulary was quite simple as well. The titan could understand the jest of what they were saying most of the time, but he didn't quite understand big words just yet. Over time, Armin and Mikasa had taken it upon themselves to tutor the titan word after word which sometimes took great effort for Rogue to remember them and their meanings. Unfortunately, some things were incredibly difficult for Rogue to learn. As to how to perform a physical task, Rogue could learn very quickly for the most part. As for things like gaining new vocabulary and learning more complex matters such as counting, Rogue had great difficulty – but he was getting faster at picking things up. Since they had become friends, Rogue's stock of fifty words grew to a hundred. Deep down, Armin wondered if Rogue had some sort of mental condition that the titan often struggled to get over. He didn't like to think about it though and neither did Mikasa. Either way, patience always went a long way and Rogue was always eager to be educated. Armin loved playing the role of teacher to the titan and Rogue loved being his and Mikasa's student.

"Actually Rogue," Mikasa smiled. "They are fishing rods. We use them to lure and catch fish! Armin and I made you one as well – we're going to teach you how to go fishing!"

At Mikasa's information, Rogue's brows rose in astonishment before another crooked smile returned to his face- the beast obviously enthused. The creature then quickly picked up the mound of worm populated soil, the tiny legless invertebrates falling between the gaps in his fingers to return to the mangled earth. Rogue then opened up his free palm for them to hop on, the two children trying their best not to come in too much contact with the dirt on the titan's flesh as the beast raised them to his shoulder. As they always did when they mounted the titan, they wrapped the creature's oily hair around their small hands for safety. Armin and Mikasa then felt the incredible sensation of the behemoth's bulging muscles move beneath their small frames as Rogue stood upright to his full height. The titan then took a step into the direction that they were headed, a section of the river that they knew was abundant with what they desired with his steps trembling even the high limbs of trees. No matter how many times that Armin rode upon the beast's shoulder, the pure power of the megalith always had him in awe.

Rogue hummed merrily as they passed back into the cover of the trees, the forest's leafy ceiling stretching protectively over them again. The titan was obviously trilled about is coming lesson, ears wiggling every few minutes in glee. Rogue's enthusiasm to even the most simple of pleasures never failed to put a smile on his face.

"When we get there Rogue," Mikasa beamed up at the grinning titan who looked at her with the eager gaze of a puppy. "The first thing you must do is rinse the dirt and mud off of you! You were like a pig in its pen back there."

At her kind teasing, Rogue chirruped and began to walk with a bit more pep in his step. It was clear to the two children that Rogue was in an especially playful and affectionate mood, meaning that anything could happen once they got to the river.

**(POV SWAP)**

The scent of water began to flow within his nostrils, sweeping through his cavities with its smell of clarity. Rogue purred to himself knowing that the river was close. He was in a great mood. He had woken up to remember his plans with his little ones, participating in the art of fishing. Although he had heard of the sport and observed a man from a great distance partake in the activity, he had never seen it up this close! Let alone he was invited to join in the fun! Wanting their day to start out as best as it could, Rogue had done his best to get the worms they had asked for, making sure he got plenty – finding it fascinating that fish ate worms. He had always thought that they sustained themselves on only water like he did with the sun's light. The titan couldn't wait to find out how to actually fish the correct way! He had always watched bears hunt for fish with their paws. He had tried the same tactic before but was rather unsuccessful with his too large hands to blame. Today though, he was going to catch a fish!

The trees then parted to reveal a wide section of the river that bordered a very vacant and large meadow that humans never came to, an open area that was safe for him to expose himself although he never went fully into its center just in case. It was a nice and quiet area, the riverbank lined with small yellow flowers with a long name that his little ones had shared with him that he couldn't remember fully – dandy something. The water was clear as his pond here, little stones and even small crawdads could be seen from the surface. It was a lovely place that he had visited on the occasion to watch the glittering water, the sun illuminating every ripple to make it look like thousands of diamonds. And for he and his little ones, it was especially abundant with fish from tiny ones with stripes to big ones with whiskers like a cat.

Rogue then kneeled and placed his hunk of dirt onto the ground with a characteristic thump. The titan's hand lifted to his shoulder for the two children to hop on. Once they were settled, he then lowered them to the earth before turning to dip his filthy hands into the river like he had been asked. Too eager to get started, Rogue only rid his hands from the dirt, ignoring his feet and knees in hopes that Armin and Mikasa would let it slide. Completed, the titan then placed himself onto his knees, lowering to rest on his elbows to observe as he waited for his lesson to begin. Green hues closely examined as his little ones dipped a shiny bucket into the river, retrieving a good amount of water and placing it onto a fairly level spot on the bank. Armin and Mikasa picked up their poles and unraveled part of the twine, letting a small metal curve dangle from it. With curiosity taking his reins, Rogue extended a finger with a gurgling sound igniting from the back of his throat and began to softly bat at the object, instantly catching his Armin's attention. The boy let out a nervous laugh.

"Oh, that's a hook Rogue." He informed as he took the piece of metal in hand. "It probably won't even pierce your skin, but when the fish bite onto it they are caught and can't get away."

Rogue's eyes widened at the little marvel of human ingenuity and went on to observing his little ones again. The titan watched as their small hands began to sift through the pile of dirt, grasping onto big juicy worms. Rogue kept his eyes locked to them as their tiny fingers forced the legless creature onto the hook, the metal curve impaling through its body. For a moment, he felt a little sympathy for the creature, but realized that his little ones were probably doing the tiny thing a favor. Being a worm in the ground didn't seem life a fun venture. Armin then took the third pole and threaded the hook through the worm as if it were a needle and thread. The boy carefully held the rod to the titan with the creature looking at it in caution. Rogue, as carefully as he could manage, took the rod between his forefinger and thumb – the relatively thick pole for a child feeling like a tiny twig between his large fingers. He was nervous holding it. His little one had worked hard to make it and with a slight increase in his strength he could so easily break the rod. He had to be very careful.

The two children then returned to the side of the river, keeping a good distance from one another before turning to the titan. Seeing how short the string was, Rogue re-positioned himself as well, lowering to lie on his stomach and to rest on his elbows. Not knowing what to do next, Rogue looked over to the small blonde – seeing that Mikasa had already submerged her hook out into the river and had her eyes locked to the twine with a level of expertise and patience.

"Okay Rogue," Armin smiled as he readied himself. "You have to be careful with this step okay? You don't want to accidentally catch yourself or one of us!" He chuckled with the titan blinking in wonder. "You have to cast out your line directly in front of you. Oh! And make sure you have a good grip on your rod when you do so! You don't want to accidentally let go and send your rod flying!" The boy laughed, the titan letting out a grunt, nodding his head in understanding. "Hold your rod back like this." Armin began to demonstrate as he held the pole over his head, the hook dangling behind him. The titan followed suit in his own version of the attempt – moving the pole to rest in the corner of his hand between his forefinger and thumb. Once he was confident that he had done it right, Rogue looked back to his little one to await further instruction. "Okay, now just copy me! Remember to keep your line straight and don't use too much strength in your case!" Armin informed as he flicked his rod forward in one fluid motion, sending the hook straight out before him and into the river. The boy then smiled back to him and awaited for the titan to copy his move.

Although he was fretful about accidentally snapping the twig like pole, Rogue swallowed back a wad of nerves and flicked his wrist in the slightest. Much to his surprise, his line and hook went exactly were he wanted them – just a few feet before him and into the gently flowing river. With his accomplishment, Rogue let out a loud squeal in triumph. He had done it on the first try! Hearing Armin give a round of applause, Rogue turned his head to grin in thanks, noticing Mikasa with a good-sized fish in her hands, removing the hook. She had caught one already! " **NIIKKAASSA! IISSH!"** The titan pointed, Armin brows raising in astonishment.

"Wow, Mikasa. You caught one already?" The boy spoke in awe as the girl placed the fish into the shiny bucket. She nodded.

"Yup." Mikasa confirmed as she made her way back to the dirt pile to get another worm. Rogue watched, completely spellbound as Mikasa then cast her line out again. The titan found his jaw slacking in the slightest. The fishing rods must work extremely well if his Mikasa had already caught a fish that fast!

"See Rogue?" Armin began again. "It's pretty straightforward. When you feel a tug on your line, just pull it up. If you have a fish, let me get it off the hook for you, alright?" The blonde smiled with the titan nodding. "Now, the key to fishing is to be patient and quiet. Remember to keep an eye on your line, okay?"

At his advice, Rogue responded with a quick nod and set his sights onto the hook. For several minutes, he remained quiet as he watched his line, getting a little lost in the glittering water. At points, he found his eyes veering over to his little ones, discovering that Mikasa had caught a second fish but threw it back and claiming that it was too small. Armin, caught a fish as well to join Mikasa's before returning to the scaly creatures' habitat for another go. Rogue's brow creased as he turned back to watch his line in worry. Why wasn't he even getting a nibble yet? He should have caught something by now should've he? The titan let out a long rumbling sigh, his chin sinking to the grass. This act of fishing was turning out to be not as fun as he thought. Dare he say, he was growing bored.

"Remember Rogue." Armin whispered. "It takes patience."

" **UHHGH. IISSHH. NNOO."** The titan worded, trying to think of how to get a fact across in human tongue. " **IITTE."**

Unfortunately, he didn't get sympathy for his statement. "Rogue – you have to be quiet or the fish won't bite." Armin responded, speaking in a lower tone to make his point clear.

The titan whined softly and returned to his dreadfully bland task of watching his line. His ears slowly sank in disappointment. How come the rod wasn't working for him? Could the fish sense what he was and was ignoring him? That couldn't be it couldn't it? The fish had to sense that his little ones were hunters too. There had to be something amiss with his pole. But what could it be? Curious as to why, Rogue discreetly lifted his line out of the water only to discover why his hook was being ignored. The curved steel was bare! A fish had stolen the worm off of it!

Wanting to inform his little ones of his misfortune, Rogue turned to the blonde, mouth open to project his news. However, before he could say a single word, Mikasa let out a gasp of surprise. A great splashing ignited in the water and the girl quickly tried to backpedal and pull her rod, but whatever was attached on the end was putting up a fight. Rogue's eyes widened in alarm. Was it possible that there was some underwater predator that he had no knowledge of? If so, if it pulled his Mikasa in would it make her its meal? No! He couldn't let that happen! Before he could emit a snarl and spring forward, Armin's face lit up in excitement.

"It's a catfish Mikasa!" He began, making the titan instantly loosen. "It's a pretty good sized one!"

"It is!" Mikasa huffed. "I think it could be more than twelve inches!" She pulled, her line going taught and the rod bending slightly, the fish continuing to retaliate in a flopping fit.

Knowing well that the child's strength wouldn't be enough to hoist the bounty of their hunt from the river, Rogue sat up and gently wrapped his hand around Mikasa's small body, catching his little ones by surprise. With no effort, Rogue lifted the girl's body into the air, the line and fish following her. The titan grinned in amusement as the two children continued to stare at him with complete awe, looking from the dangling fish and to the titan's smiling face. Purring at his success, Rogue then carefully took the line in hand and placed Mikasa onto the earth. He then handed her the end of the line, the fish being half the length of her body. For a moment, Mikasa continued to stare at his offering before finally taking the line from him. The titan sat proudly as he watched her continue to blink in shock. It was another brief moment of time before she finally found the words to speak.

"Thanks." She uttered, grey eyes beholding the now still catfish. "I can't believe we actually caught it!" Mikasa smiled with Armin bursting in laughter.

"He… he just picked you up!" He giggled, with the titan letting out a chirp as if to confirm. "Rogue just did it with ease!"

Mikasa beamed tenderly as she carried the fish over to the pail. "He did! I probably would have been in the water. Although it wouldn't seem like it even though it is smaller than I am, catfish surprisingly pack a punch and it caught me off guard!" The girl chortled softly as she expertly removed the hook from the fish's mouth and placed the scaly creature headfirst into the bucket – the tail overlapping the brim in the slightest. Rogue couldn't help but rumble in likeness at his Mikasa's enjoyment. Due to the incident that happened just a year prior, the girl was often reserved and quiet – usually having a stoic look upon her face. It was little things like this activity between the three of them that brought her out of her shell – becoming the unscarred child she used to be.

After Mikasa returned to her fishing, Rogue quickly showed Armin his predicament, letting the boy replace the worm before he lay down and cast out again. Instead of staring at his own pole though, Rogue began to watch Armin out of the corner of his eye. The boy was sticking an extra worm onto his hook, biting the inside of his cheek as he did so – wearing a determined look upon his face. It was clear to the titan what his Armin was thinking. He knew that the boy sometimes felt insignificant in comparison to Mikasa that seemed to excel at all of her tasks. The little blonde would never act crude or arrogant with jealousy, but he would simply try harder to outdo the other. Admittedly, he actually found it cute. Rogue continued to watch as Armin hoisted his rod far behind him, ready to use all of the strength in his body to cast out his line as far as he could. With his chest puffing out like a robin, Armin then swing his rod at an arch over his head. However, the hook didn't follow and a sudden prick behind his ear caught him off guard. The titan grunted in confusion, flickering his ear to feel something caught on a ridge of cartilage behind it. Puzzled, Rogue shifted his gaze to see that Armin's line of twine had never ventured into the water. Instead, the line was still behind him, traveling up to his ear making the titan realize that his little one had caught him instead. For a long moment, the two continued to stare at one another before Armin gave into laughter, his joy in his error causing the creature gurgle at the blonde's faux paw.

"Sorry bud! I didn't mean to hook you!" Armin apologized as he scaled up the titan's shoulder and retrieved the hook with Mikasa taking notice at what had occurred – the girl pulling her scarf up over her mouth to hold back her laughter. "That didn't hurt you did it?" The boy smiled as he patted his warm flesh, Rogue responding with a smirk and shaking his head. Armin then returned to casting out his line again, this time succeeding in not ensnaring the beast. To Rogue's surprise, Armin let out another laugh, blue eyes shining and cheeks red from embarrassment. "You know, I'm probably the first person in history to actually catch a titan!"

"You're probably right Armin!" Mikasa succumbed to a snicker. The blonde continued to chuckle.

"Yeah, you caught a fifteen inch catfish and to my luck I caught a fifteen-meter titan!"

Rogue grinned as the two continued to laugh. It was something that Rogue found that he couldn't do just right. Although the doctor said his vocal chords were pretty similar to a human's, he had an extra set and one was deformed. Sometimes, when he was alone, Rogue would try to copy his little ones' sounds of merriment – laughing, snickering, and giggling. Of course, he couldn't get it quite right, always sounding as if he was wheezing. The best he could do was huff repeatedly – something that felt a bit more natural to him as if it was how he actually laughed. He kept this under wraps for the most part in sake of his dignity. However, every once in a while a huff did slip from his lipless maw, but his little ones only mistook it for just another one of his many vocals that left his mouth. Someday they would know what it was. If he had a wish though, it would be for him to laugh like normal with his humans and his little ones. Instead, he expressed his humor through squeals, gurgles, chirps, and trills for the time being.

After the laughter died down, the three then returned to watching their rods and lines. Soon, an hour slipped past with no activity – not even a nibble. Rogue lay down, cheek resting on the grass as he stared languidly yet in irritation at the glittering river – using the top of his rod to stir the water in tight circles like his Carla and Grisha would do when stirring tea. He was exceptionally bored and quickly growing restless. Fishing was certainly not as fun as his little ones made it to be. He hadn't caught a single thing with his pole. He would have better luck fishing his own way – at least it would be much more interesting that staring at a measly piece of twine in wait for it to come to life. The beast let out another drawn out sigh, resorting to gently and repeatedly slapping the river's surface with the makeshift rod.

"You bored Rogue?"

Hearing his Armin's distinctive voice, Rogue shifted his gaze to see the boy giving him an apologetic look, the fatigue in his blue hues showing his own weariness as well. The titan grunted in confirmation.

" **BBOORRD."** He groaned, expressing his current state once again. True, he was really jaded, but he did want to catch at least one fish like his little ones did no matter what size it was.

"It's so weird." Mikasa muttered, still keeping her eyes on her lure. "They were biting earlier. Now they are just swimming around our hooks like we don't even exist."

Armin sighed. "We still don't have enough fish if me and my grandfather are coming to your house. These days, fish in the market are expensive too. I threw back the first fish I caught since it was small compared to the others. Maybe we should move upstream or something?"

Rogue grumbled as he continued to stare at the water, studying the many fish that were indeed circling around their hooks but not taking the bait. His little ones needed fish for some reason and he wanted to catch one on this excursion. Rogue shifted his gaze to his little ones again, absorbing their disappointed faces in full before turning back to his observation of the swimming fish. Perhaps it was time for them to try a more primitive tactic – his own way of fishing. Granted, he never actually caught any his way mostly because he was merely just playing or his strength proved to be too much. However, if he applied himself he could probably succeed in catching the river's bounty. Not to mention, it would make things a bit more exciting.

Nodding to himself, Rogue then sat up and placed his rod aside, catching his little ones' attention. The two children remained still and quiet as the titan then hunched over like a cat ready to pounce – hands tucked beneath his chest with his elbows pointed upwards with his feet nearly beneath him as well. The titan's feral greens then locked onto the swimming fish in concentration, looking for valuable and perfect prey. Rogue's brows pinched together in determination. He would catch a fish if it was the last thing he'd do!

"Armin? What is Rogue –

The titan however, toned out their questioning as remained focused, making his selection. Predatory pupils then spotted a fat trout, right for the picking. It swam slowly, floating along like a cloud in a current of air. It didn't appear aware or fast – looking like a good first catch to the titan. Rogue tensed his muscles, lifting his back end in the slightest as he prepared to pounce.

"Rogue? What are you –

Then the window opened, the titan surging forward in an instant. Water went in many directions as his large frame made impact in the shallow water. Rogue quickly looked down just in time to see the fish slipping between his fingers and back into freedom. With pupils blown wide, the titan grunted like an ape as he turned and made another grab, missing completely.

"Rogue!"

He ignored the cry however as he quickly rotated on his hands and feet again and lashed out, the fish barely escaping. Rogue then turned, water completely disturbed with waves now licking at one another and at the shore. The beast released a high pitched and exasperated growl as his eyes scanned the water, silently cursing himself for his actions disrupted the river and severely limited his visibility. Suddenly seeing a shimmer of scales, Rogue twisted around and brought his hands down in the water again like a bear going after his catch – a bit of lag and clumsiness causing him to miss yet again and splash Mikasa from head to toe in water.

"Rogue!" Mikasa alliterated as she dropped her pole and held her wet dress and scarf – the very red one that he had given her on the tragic night that they had met. "Really?" She sighed as she returned his splash with her own, one that was just like a gentle rain rather than an ocean wave.

For a long moment the titan continued to stare in his little one's grey irises, both unmoving and simply looking at one another. Then, a spark of playful retaliation went off within Rogue, provoking him to send a gentle splash right back at her. Mikasa gasped, eyes widening before she repeated her previous action of returning his move. This time, there was a ghost of a smirk puling at the corner of her lips. The creature gurgled in delight, knowing very well that he had caught her. Once more, Rogue sent another curl of crystal liquid at her, dampening her hair and clothes even further. Mikasa stood still, seemingly in shock until she abruptly removed her shoes and scarf and charged into the water at the titan like a brave and fearless soldier.

"I'm going to get you back!" Mikasa teased, suddenly opening up and shedding all of her inner turmoil and insecurities as she returned his harmless attack with her own – sending as much water as she could onto his frame. At this, childish intent swept over Rogue, the creature letting out a loud squeal and hunching himself over her and bringing both palms down next to her, soaking Mikasa's small frame yet again. To his enjoyment, his little one let out a toying growl and kicked water onto his face. The titan grunted in excitement and easily sent a wall of water onto the girl yet again – the girl's howls of laughter music to his tapered ears.

Suddenly, between the titan and the girl's exchange of attacks, a stray splash hit the titan from the side. Rogue and Mikasa turned to see that Armin had removed his shirt and shoes and had waded into the river. A big smile pulled at the corner of his lipless maw.

Then it became an all out war.

The two children began their aquatic battle against the beast, sending as much water as they could at the titan. With each return, Rogue soaked them to the bone. The river filled with waves as the titan continued to circle his little ones while Armin and Mikasa tried to dampen every inch of his body. Feeling that he had too much of an advantage, Rogue flopped down onto his side with a spirited roar. The riverbank was instantly drenched along with his little ones. Weakly, Rogue pawed at the two of them, acting defenseless and wounded. Seeing their chance, his little ones charged forward and pelted his face relentlessly with water. Laughter filled the circumference of the area, the titan's rumbles sending ripples through the water. Soon, he too was soaked – his long hair sticking to his scalp and flowing through the water like reeds. Rogue gurgled as his little ones hit him again. Taking his act to a whole new level, Rogue then faked his defeat by rolling onto his back and letting his long tongue hang from his jaws – his eyes even rolling back into his head in the slightest. His performance only made the two laugh harder, holding their stomachs as they tried to catch their breaths.

"Rogue, you're ridiculous." Armin chuckled.

The titan's tongue retreated back into his mouth as he smiled, purring loudly while he stared at them from the wrong way up – laying like a happy dog in the sun. As opposed to a wagging tail, Rogue's ears wiggled in glee. They certainly weren't bored anymore and the mood was now an upbeat one. For a long moment the trio breathed, trying to calm their rapidly beating hearts.

"Oh boy, our clothes are soaked." Mikasa sighed. "We can't go back like this or they'll ask what happened."

"Don't worry Mikasa. We can just go back to Rogue's cove and let our clothes dry there. We can wear some of the spare ones until they aren't wet anymore."

Mikasa nodded at the blonde's proposal. "Sounds good. Mrs. Jaeger would flip out if she knew."

Rogue simply remained quiet, keeping his smile to his face. His little ones had no idea that he knew the Jaegers and they were his parents as well. However, his little ones did not know this – and he decided to keep things that way until his parents actually told them. The reason why he chose to keep his relation to the Jaegers a secret was because of the sin he had committed on the night that he found his little ones. Although he saw them as filthy animals, he killed the three men that had murdered Mikasa's parents and had tried to take them to some horrible hell. Of course, if it was one rule that he always followed, an oath, it was to not kill humans. Because of what he had done, he never told the Jaegers about his contact with his little ones. He didn't want any of them to get in trouble. Plus, he had no idea how his parents would perceive him if they knew. They could see him as a monster like all of the other titans.

"Well, we have two fish, but I guess that's –

However, the titan's attention was thrown to the water yet again as he spied a slow swimming shape. It was a large catfish, and it was easily within his reach. The trill of the catch then hit him again, making Rogue roll back over swiftly with his two little ones quickly moving out of his way.

"Rogue?"

The titan paid no heed to their questioning as he quickly tensed and sprang forward, successfully cupping his vast hands around the catfish like a child catching a cricket. Feeling the characteristic flipping of fins between is palms; Rogue smiled and carefully hoisted his catch from the water and made his way to the shore with his little ones following him in interest. The creature then knelt down again and let the water drain out of the minuscule gaps in his hands. His little ones observed with great curiosity, excitement radiating from them.

"Did you get it Rogue?" Armin asked.

" **ESSS!** " The titan nodded vigorously, the realization hitting him. This was his first fish he had ever successfully caught without killing it. Although he had done it without his little one's rod, he had done it. He caught it. That was all that mattered. Finally, after a full minute, the water left the area between his palms. The creature then nodded with his Mikasa preparing herself, the girl opening her hands and tensing in preparation. Rogue then gradually unveiled his fingers and his little one snuck into his hold. Within a few seconds, Mikasa stepped back out into the open with the catfish in hand; the fish limp with whiskers drooping.

"Looks like it's a twenty inch catfish." Armin declared as Mikasa casually placed the fish into the pail. Armin smiled at the giant with the beast trembling in elation at his accomplishment. "Well Rogue, you caught the biggest fish out of the three of us! Congratulations!"

Rogue let out a pleased squeal of sorts, elfish ears wiggling in delight.

"As I said before, since we have enough now, let's head back to the cove." The blonde continued as he gathered their wet clothes and belongings. Still living off the high of his catch, Rogue hummed in pleasure as he picked up his little ones in a gentle manner as usual and placed them onto his shoulder – beginning his walk back home with an extra spring in his step.

**(POV SWAP)**

The titan's cove was as serine and peaceful as usual – a private nook in the deep part of the forest that was untouched by any outsider besides the titan's inner circle. They were seated in the center of the cove's meadow among the many flowers with the titan hovering over them, green eyes watching in extreme interest. The two children were wearing old clothes that they had gotten from Rogue's stash of findings. He himself was dressed in a pair of pants that was a size too big for him and Mikasa simply wore an oversize shirt that dragged the ground. The titan's pupils were wide in absorption. The creature was quite edgy and impatient. Rogue couldn't seem to sit still. The beast would shift in his spot, shuffle on his knees, tilt his head this way and that, get up a few times to do nothing in particular, and stare at them while he was crouched on his hands and feet like a waiting feline. Mikasa then quickly sat the bucket of fish next to her and opened up a small cooler, a wooden basket that's wood insulated the metal interior filled with ice. Armin blinked in astonishment as Mikasa then unveiled a knife from its holster and set it upon an old and smooth tree stump before them. The boy's brows lifted. He had not expected Mikasa to take on such a gruesome task.

"Mikasa – how did the Jaegers let you –

"Relax Armin. The Jaegers know that I used to go out fishing with my dad and that I used to flay fish all of the time. I've had a lot of practice with it. Don't worry." Mikasa inured as she pointed to the bucket. "Let's do your trout first."

For a moment, Armin remained petrified by his friend's response until he gave into a nod. It wasn't that he was disgusted by such a practice. He had seen merchants flay fish in the markets hundreds of times and his grandfather do the same when preparing dinner – even the beheading of chickens. It was just the fact that someone so young could actually do such a thing was what boggled him. In an almost bored fashion or a rather calm and focused one, Mikasa lifted his thirteen-inch trout from the bucket and lay it onto the stump with the titan watching them with extreme curiosity and confusion. Then – with swift movement, Mikasa brought the knife down over the fish's head – severing it before quickly sticking the blade into the fish's belly, sliding the edge in a clean cut. However, before Armin could express his amazement at her work, a loud shriek caused them to nearly jump from their seated positions. Alarmed, the two children looked up to the sound's origin, seeing Rogue's face lit up in horror. The titan's ears were flat against his skull and his wide pupils had shrunk. Instead of a crouched position, the behemoth was now awkwardly seated upon his hands and the tips of his feet with his rump raised a little and his head held stiff with his chin nearly against his collarbone. The hair on his head stood up and his right hand snaked up to cradle his chest – making it abundantly clear that he was severely startled. Rogue emitted a half hiss before looking to the two of them in a mixture of perplexity, fear, and anger. Armin swallowed, knowing that they should have told the titan to look away. Rogue was a sensitive being – especially about the creatures that lived in his forest.

Then, as Armin expected, Rogue came out of his stance and approached the two children with a disgusted look on his grim face. The titan sat roughly on his knees next to them and began to make a chorus of disapproving grunts, pointing at the spilled blood and guts upon the stump. Rogue looked to Armin and Mikasa once again with a heavy and questioning stare. Armin bit his lip, knowing that the both of them had failed to enlighten the beast about their true intentions with the fish.

"Sorry Rogue that we didn't tell you, but humans eat fish." Armin began with the titan's green eyes growing wide, brows arching in astonishment. "Mikasa and I were catching fish so we could eat them for dinner. We had to kill the fish so we could eat it and take it back home. You understand right?" Armin stammered, hoping that his less than perfect explanation would get through to the creature.

Rogue's brows pinched together further and his nose wrinkled in the slightest, setting back in bewilderment. The two held their breaths as the titan shuffled a bit, looking in the grass for a moment before he transferred his focus back to them. The creature still looked displeased, caught in a spell of childish need. The two children were familiar with the titan's behavior when he fell into such spells. It was rare that Rogue's mentality degraded to the whim of a toddler – the more stubborn and temperamental side of a toddler. It would often happen when Rogue wanted something badly that he wasn't supposed to have – such as a moment where the creature wanted to stick his finger in a bowel of pudding that Mikasa had brought for lunch once just to see what it was, the titan throwing a mini fit when she refused. The situation was only resolved with Mikasa gave in and poured half of her pudding out onto the ground just for Rogue to play in it. Now, it appeared that Rogue was doing the same thing. The giant grunted like an ape several more times before tapping the bucket with his finger – looking to the boy and girl pleadingly. " **NNYY!"** He whined, still batting the bucket. " **NNYY! IISH!"**

Armin bit his lip, feeling pity for the creature. Rogue sometimes had great difficulty in conveying what he wanted and what he was trying to say due to the fact that he lacked the ability to do so. It had taken a while for Armin and Mikasa to learn what each of the titan's grunts and vocals meant and decode his mispronounced words. When Rogue said 'NYY' it translated to 'my' with the 'n' often really being an 'm' since the titan couldn't pronounce the sound of the letter with his lack of lips. With Rogue indicating ownership of his catch, Armin knew what Rogue was implying. Mikasa's shoulders sank in the slightest, knowing the very same. Armin opened his mouth to express facts but Mikasa held up a hand.

"It's alright Rogue. It's your fish so you can have it." The girl beamed weakly.

Upon hearing this, Rogue's expression changed into one of pure happiness as he let out what could be determined as a squeal of glee. The titan quickly plucked his catfish by the tail between his forefinger and thumb, merrily waltzing over to the cove's little pond before flopping down on his rear and dropping the fish into the water. The creature's ears wiggled in amusement as he eagerly watched his pond's newest resident. Armin found himself suddenly trying to hold in a laugh despite the situation the titan now put them in.

"He's an overgrown toddler I swear." Mikasa chuckled. "I wouldn't wish him any other way though." She sighed with the blonde nodding in agreement. "I think the trout and my catfish will be enough though because I've only seen Carla eat small portions."

Armin smiled. "I really don't each much fish either."

The girl let out a snicker. "We can just say we had another fish but our friend from school wanted to keep it as a pet."

"Yeah, knowing him, that's what he's doing."

**(POV SWAP)**

Rogue's ears fluttered in elation as he continued to observe his pond's new resident swim and feed upon the bottom of its new living quarters. He purred to himself. He had worked so hard to catch it. The titan spent so long holding his pole and being patient until he resorted to hands on fishing to be rewarded with his perfect specimen. It was a surprise to him that humans ate fish. He had never seen his parents make such a thing when they came to his cove to 'picnic' and spend time with him. Of course, it didn't appear that the beings ate the fish raw like he had seen bears do; perhaps his humans had cooked it into a different form that he didn't recognize. He understood that his little ones needed to eat to survive unlike him, but since the two had fish of their own he saw no harm in keeping his for himself. It would now live peacefully in his little pond and free from the threat of a sharp blade.

He wasn't mad at his little ones for not telling him, it was likely that they assumed that he knew or they were so thrilled with the success of their hunt that they forgot to inform him.

The titan watched in awe as pale sunlight from above shimmered off the catfish's onyx scales, looking like thousands of gems. The catfish was something new and exciting in his personal pond. Before, it was only home to many minnows, bluegills, and other small fish that he couldn't name. With the recent addition, he now had something new to watch! Rogue shifted carefully to seat himself onto his knees. For several minutes he sat in peace until a strange sound invaded his ears – the melody of small cracks and a chirping sound that was similar to the breaking of china. Both confused and curious, Rogue followed the sound to a small patch of high grass that bordered his pond. With great care and slight fear of the unknown, the titan gently brushed back the long green blades to make quite the discovery. Nestled in a tiny nest of twigs and dried grass were six eggs – hatching eggs. Excitement instantly swelled in the titan's chest as he bent over closer to watch the arrival of new feathered friends. Rogue purred to himself as his emerald hues eagerly viewed a tiny beak break through a shell and other cracks form among the other eggs. He had never seen the birth of birds before. In his time in his forest, he had seen many mammals welcome offspring into the world. His deer birthed their young every spring in his cove. Seeing new life come into existence was always a joy for him and it often made him wonder about his own kind. He wasn't the only titan on earth, his parents and little ones telling him that there were many other titans outside the wall. They had to have babies somehow, perhaps in a way that humans were not used to seeing. He often wondered if his kind lay eggs like the things called 'reptiles' or if they made babies in their bellies like humans and the other animals did – maybe it was an entirely different way altogether. Titans grew and multiplied in some way. Perhaps one day he would find out how he came into the world.

The creature's jaw formed into a misshapen smile as he watched an egg split open completely. Inside, was a tiny bird with big webbed feet – 'ducks' if he remembered correctly. It was yellow as the sun, feathers matted and wet from the egg's innards. Rogue found himself purring loudly. He had seen young ducks before, but never newborns. The tiny creature shook its head before producing a series of soft peeps. Its beady eyes then looked to the looming beast, staring at him in full. As the other eggs began to break open, the minuscule duckling began to clumsily climb over the scattered eggshells and reeds. Rogue watched in awe as the small bird pushed its way through the wild grass and nestled against his hand – tucking itself as close as it could to him before settling. The duckling's action caused him to blink and his jaw hang in surprise. He had never seen such a thing before. The tiny animal didn't even know him so why had it approached him and even more so nestled against him? Hearing a series of chirps, Rogue then looked to see that the other tiny ducks were forcing themselves through the grass and joining the first baby right up against his toasty flesh. At this, Rogue melted in happiness at the touching gesture.

He sat there, watching the tiny ducklings – ears twitching in delight at their infinitesimal vocals. Their wet bodies had dried fairly quickly in his presence, yellow down fuzzy and full. Rogue felt giddy at the fact that they just kept looking at him like he was their entire world.

It was then that a thought crossed his mind. At the new fact, Rogue's grin dissipated and his brow creased in worry. Where was the mother duck? She should have been with her babies. Where was she? Had she left his cove for the moment or did something happen to her? The grim possibilities made the titan take a nervous swallow. Rogue rotated his neck to peer over his shoulder at his little ones who were finishing up their act of gutting the fish. Perhaps they would be willing to help him look for their mother first before he took action. Gradually, with utmost care, the titan slowly rose to his feet. The ducks were so small and one wrong move could crush or seriously maim them. Rogue then hastily swept to his two children, completely unaware as to what he had gotten himself into.

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin stood to check the dampness of their clothes as Mikasa lay the meat of the fish into the wooden cooler, making sure the ice covered their spoils. Fingers ran across the stitched cloth of the girl's dress and his own pants in expertise. The fabric was nearly dry, but still held a dampness as he thought.

"Well, our clothes are almost dry Mikasa and we could probably stand them even though there is a slight sogginess in some areas. Your scarf however, is still pretty soaked." Armin informed as he turned to face his friend for her input. Mikasa blinked slowly at his response, shoulders sinking in the slightest at the news of her scarf. If it was one thing that Armin knew with absolute certainty, it was that Mikasa hardly ever removed her red scarf that Rogue had given her on the day that they had met – a token from the titan for her to keep warm that night as she recovered from her horrific ordeal.

"That's fine. I can just carry the scarf. Wool takes a while to air out." Mikasa paused before gesturing to the cooler. "There is enough ice in here to keep the meat cool for four hours or so. Our clothes dried in pretty good –

However, the girl's words were lost as impending vibrations drowned out her vocals. The two looked to see Rogue approaching them quickly from his position at the pond. Armin remained skeptical as the titan grunted in what he could say was urgency as he plopped down before them. The blonde swallowed. Was something wrong?

" **ARRNNIN! NIIKAASA!"** Rogue began with his green eyes peering at the children in alarm. " **EEIII… DUUKKK!"**

His golden brows pinched together in speculation. "What is it?" Armin queried, unable to discern what the titan was thinking by his broken speech. "Is there something wrong?"

At his words, Rogue gave a quick dip of his head and pointed toward the pond. " **DUUK! LOTT!"**

Mikasa blinked. "Ducks?" She asked with Armin's shoulders visibly relaxing at the conclusion that the issue wasn't impending danger. "You saw some ducks?" The girl proceeded to quiz with the titan nodding. Both of the children knew very well that everything seemed to amaze the child like Rogue and that the titan sometimes made the biggest deal out of the simplest of things. Armin felt a smile wanting to come to his face. This was most likely one of those times.

" **DUUCCK!"** The titan assured, suddenly putting his hands together and pulling them apart to resemble an opening notion. " **IITTLLE!"**

"Oh, so you found some little ducks Rogue?" Mikasa smiled softly, the towering beast nodding again.

" **ESS! DDUUCCKK!"** Rogue voiced urgently. " **NNOONER. NOO."** The titan tried his best to word, but still unable to get his message projected clearly. Rogue opened his mouth again, but stopped himself as the three heard the tiny and frantic peeps sounding from the grass. The two children watched as six yellow ducklings forced their way through the flowers and nestled themselves against Rogue's hip. The titan's brows rose in shock and his pupils shank as the three looked on in awe. Seeing just how desperate each small duck was to get even closer to the behemoth, it then clicked within Armin and Mikasa's heads. The boy found himself trying not to laugh, now knowing just what had happened and what was currently occurring.

"Rogue?" Mikasa began in playful suspicion. "Did you happen to find some duck eggs and they hatched in front of you?"

For a moment, the titan continued to stare at their new company before turning his attention back to the two children to deliver a nod. " **ESS."**

The boy finally succumbed to laughter at the titan's answer. "Oh boy. Well Rogue – to put things simply, since you were the first thing the ducks saw after hatching, they think that you're their mother!"

With the truth soaking in, Rogue straightened his spine in alarm, a sound resembling a gasp leaving his lipless maw. The titan then began to produce several small grunts in confusion, looking down at the little ducklings nestled against his flesh in slight horror. " **NNOTHER?"**

**"** Yes. You see Rogue," Armin began to illustrate. "Some animals like ducks imprint on the first thing they see when they're born. Thus, that is why those ducklings are following and cuddling against you. Since the mother duck herself seems to have left her babies for good, and you were there when they hatched – well you can just call yourself a mom!" The blonde laughed with Rogue shuttering in the slightest.

" **EEIII…. NOO. B...BB…IIG. UURTT!"** The titan muttered as he carefully shifted away from the fuzzy ducklings – looking at them with a sense of terror and concern laden among the creature's brutish mug. Rogue's breath quickened as he grew more uncomfortable, the trio's eyes watching as the babies instantly turned toward their unwilling guardian and raced to be in his presence. At their actions however, Rogue let out another deep gasp and stood to scamper over to the pond, his weight causing the tiny birds to bounce until he kneeled down to point at the small and empty nest as if he could make the water foul listen. As the two children knew, the titan's attempt was fruitless as the ducklings simply nuzzled into his knees. Again, Rogue let out a loud sound of distress and stood up to dart for his tree. The two children gave into laughter as the titan clumsily climbed into his nest within the great hollow tree at the rear of the cove. Armin's grin grew broader as Rogue tried to make himself as small and as hidden as possible by hunkering down to where only his bright green eyes and the top of his hairy head rose above the edge of the natural nest.

"I think he's found himself in quite the predicament." Mikasa smirked from behind her hand, the girl's appendage substituting for the concealment of her scarf.

"Yup. I think so too."

The two children continued to watch in absolute amusement as the tiny ducklings made their way to the roots of the vast tree. Much to their entertainment, the children witnessed the titan's eyes widen ever further as the ducklings managed to find a fairly easy root to scale up to the titan's nest. With tapered ears flat against his skull in panic, Rogue droned vociferously and hastily climbed from his bed of leafy and dried greens and to the ground again – the ducklings quickly turning around and heading back down the wide root to trail him. As a last ditch effort, Rogue veered to his right and began to scale up the twenty-five-meter wall forged by nature. The beast then placed himself upon the rocky peak, seated like a cat on the top of a fence in an alley to peer down at his newly acquired young with restlessness. Sure enough, the ducklings soon waddled to the base of the rocky wall and attempted to climb – the children feeling pity for the young birds as they fell repeatedly and rolled over one another after climbing just a few inches. Looking back up at the behemoth, he could see the sympathy written all over he creature's face as he watched the sad sight play out before him.

"Rogue, really?" Mikasa beamed, finding the sight of a great and ferocious looking titan scared by six tiny ducklings absolutely hilarious. "He's going to have to get down at some point!"

Armin nodded and turned back to their clothes, checking the fabric again. Seeing that it was dry, Armin pulled their garbs off the line and handed Mikasa her dress. "Since they are dry now, we should be heading back to the Jaeger's house so they can cook the fish."

"Yeah, you're right, Armin. We've already been out too long and it's only about two hours until dinner."

"Yes that's true. We better hurry so they don't get suspicious." The blonde concluded as the two parted a moment to change back into their clothes. Once they were dressed, the two gathered their belongings and turned to the titan who was still perched upon the top of the rocky wall peering down at the tumbling ducklings. Armin snickered, the beast looked almost like a cat that was stuck up in a high tree and was too fearful to come down. The boy sighed, they couldn't wait much longer. "Rogue!" He called up to the beast. "Rogue!" Armin repeated with the titan turning his fretful gaze to the two children. "Come on down buddy, Mikasa and I have to head back home before the meat spoils!"

Rogue blinked at his request, ears wilting further as he glanced at the ducklings before turning back to the pair of kids. Emitting another distressed whine, Rogue quickly made his way down the rock face while avoiding getting near the ducks as much as possible. The megalith then briskly headed right for the two children and practically scooped them up into his palm and hurriedly placed them onto his broad shoulders – barely giving the two enough time to get settled as he strolled quickly to the cove's high exit. As they climbed out of the secret oasis, the titan rotated his head to see that the ducklings had followed him until they were unable before exiting back into the forest. Armin couldn't help but laugh, knowing that when Rogue returned to his nest the beast was going to be in for quite an ordeal.

**(POV SWAP)**

The living quarters of the Jaegers' household smelt of fresh batter and bread along with the aroma of cooked fish. Carla continued to chop vegetables as her husband prepared an extra fish that they had picked up at the market just for safe measure – knowing well that their son could easily distract his two new playmates and the children could bring back little or nothing to the dinner table. Mrs. Jaeger often found herself peeking from the window to survey the street that passed the front of their house, checking for the two children – she and her husband knowing the true reason for their delay.

"Any sign of them Mrs. Jaeger?"

Hearing the query, Carla paused in her observation and cutting to face Mr. Arlert who was currently setting up several places at the long wooden table. Mr. Arlert was Armin's grandfather and only living legal guardian. The man had taken the boy in after his parents died mysteriously – something that the elderly man was never given too many details about to the Jaegers' knowledge. Mr. Arlert was similar to her husband in ways being that he was soft-spoken and kind. The man however stuck to fishing rather than medical practices with a bit of creative writing on the side. He also knew nothing about their adopted son and the fact that his grandson and their adopted daughter were friends with a fifteen-meter titan residing secretly in Wall Maria. The Jaegers had often questioned if Mr. Arlert would fair better knowing the truth, but in the end they decided that their secret was best kept to themselves.

"Not yet." She replied. "They should be back soon though." Carla smiled in reassurance just as Mr. Arlert folded the last napkin and sat down at the table, letting out a long sigh in exhaustion.

"Ah I see. Mrs. Jaeger – do you and Grisha know this 'Robert' kid that Armin has mentioned? Have you met the lad before? Mikasa seems to know the kid too apparently."

The question made her stiffen in the slightest, her husband blinking thoughtfully at the comment before continuing to scrub a spoon. "Well, Mikasa mentioned that she and Armin go to school with him and they sometimes spend time with one another after classes end. I believe he lives on a farm or something in Wall Maria." Carla pieced together using the lies and fabricated story that the two children had pitched she and her husband. "We don't really know much more than that, but they do seem to be really great friends." She smiled, hoping the man would take the bait. Mr. Arlert nodded.

"I kind of figured the lad was a farm boy since Armin says that he and Mikasa always go to Robert's home in Maria rather than your house." The elderly man smiled as he poured himself a small glass of tea. "I don't know much either but Armin tells me that Robert is quite a lot of fun and is adventurous. He did say that Robert is a bit, well how should I say this without looking rude – mentally deficient? Armin said that he and your daughter actually tutor him which they take a lot of joy in doing."

'Mikasa told us that too." Carla smiled, forcing her feelings back into the depths of her mind. She and Grisha were fully aware that Rogue did have a sort of mental handicap but didn't know if it was simply the limit of his intelligence being a titan or a genetic defect that could have happened many years ago when their son said hello to the godforsaken earth. Rogue of course, rarely took any visible pity on himself of the fact that he had trouble in learning things to his parent's awareness. The creature seemed to be contently happy with what he was and how he had been forged by nature. Still, Carla found herself cringing in the slightest at the use of Rogue's simple intelligence. Being his designated mother, she naturally wanted to protect him. Of course, Mr. Arlert was a kind person and simply brought up the topic out of sheer curiosity with no harm intended. "They say he's learned quite a bit from them. His parents are usually working most of the time." Carla informed, a lump growing in her throat, feeling more guilt that she and Grisha couldn't visit the titan like they used to. Secretly, she didn't want Mr. Arlert to continue.

"I see." The elderly man trailed off. "Well, it's great to see Armin making friends. I worry about the boy a lot. He seems to be the target of bullies around here. But lately, in the past few years since he's met Mikasa and Robert, he's been the happiest that I've ever seen him!" The man beamed as he gave a warm chuckle.

Carla only exchanged a smile with her husband, knowing that Mikasa was incredibly protective over her friends. Rogue too was constantly on the alert to keep those he loved safe. Mrs. Jaeger grinned warmly in return. "Well, I'm glad –

"We're back!"

Hearing the distinctive voice of the blonde, Carla halted her words with the others abandoning their tasks to address the two children that had just entered through the front door. Armin and Mikasa wore smiles upon their faces as they put aside their gear. Carla then spoke in greeting, taking notice that their clothes looked slightly disheveled and were tainted with a few specks of dirt – wrinkled as well. As Mikasa approached her with the cooler, Carla could smell the hint of river water within the fabric. A smile came to her face, knowing what had probably happened. "So, how many fish did you catch?" She asked, removing the lid from the cooler, her eyes widening at the good amount of meat lying in the ice. "It looks like you caught quite a lot!"

The girl only shrugged her shoulders. "Just two really. A catfish and a trout. Sorry we didn't get more." Mikasa apologized with Grisha only letting out a chuckle in amusement.

"Well they must have been some pretty decent sized fish for you to have this much meat. Truthfully, we bought an extra fish at the market just in case – but it looks like you two got plenty for dinner! Oh well, it's always nice to have leftovers."

Armin nodded. "Yeah, the catfish Mikasa caught was about fifteen inches." The boy informed with his grandfather's brows rising.

"Wow Mikasa, that's quite an accomplishment catching fish that big. You're a strong girl aren't you?" He smiled with the girl's cheeks flushing crimson. Carla grinned as well, knowing that Mikasa probably had a bit of help from their titanic companion. "So – did Robert catch anything?"

Mr. and Mrs. Jaeger watched as the children hesitated slightly, bodies faintly tense. Carla found herself holding her breath, but exhaled as she remembered that Armin had probably formulated how to reply to such a query.

"Robert caught a large catfish actually, but he took it with him." Armin smiled. "He said something about wanting to keep it as a pet." The blonde explained, nearly making Carla slip a laugh. Knowing Rogue, that was the typical thing he would do.

The boy's grandfather chortled as the two children seated themselves at the great table. "Did he now?" He beamed but then frowned in the slightest, his face showing a bit of concern. "Is Robert not joining us this evening?"

Armin shook his head. "No, he had to go back home he – had to tend to some new ducklings that just hatched." The boy responded with a laugh, the Jaegers taking notice of Mikasa's slight grin as well, a sign that their response wasn't a fabricated fib.

Carla turned to the sink to prepare the fish for the batter, she and Grisha grinning to themselves. She sighed.

' _I wonder what he's gotten himself into now.'_

**(POV SWAP)**

Night had fallen upon the forest, coating it in blackness and shrouding it in mystery. It was a clear evening, the moon big and full, and its pale light sneaking through the gaps in the canopy. The light bugs flickered and sent messages, faint little stars that had descended down to the earth. The titan lumbered silently through the forest towards his hidden abode. After dropping off his little ones, Rogue wandered among the towering pines in wonder of what he was to do with the unexpected arrivals that were in his nest. His body slowly grew weary as the night transformed into midnight. Rogue knew he would have to retreat to his nest very soon. He never slept outside of it at night for someone could stumble upon him. The titan then entered the mossy clearing that held the rocky wall that surrounded his home, stopping at the edge and staring down at his clawed feet. He was overwhelmed with how the tiny creatures had followed him around. He was just so big and they were so insignificant. A single footstep made them lift into the air and fall over. Rogue gulped, his vast size could kill them so easily. If only the creatures stayed put in one spot and didn't feel the need to follow him. Things would be easier. The titan exhaled a heavy cloud of steam, his shoulders sinking with the weight of his arms. Perhaps the ducklings had wandered off in his absence. Maybe they went looking for their real mother. He wouldn't mind the ducklings being around, but his fear of hurting the active little bundles petrified him. When he had first met the Jaegers it was the very same.

Rogue sighed once more and finally took a step in advance. Surely the ducks had gone off to find their real mother. Yes. They had to. Climbing up to the entrance of his cove, Rogue paused and angled his ears about, listening for their familiar peeps and chirps, but all he heard were crickets and other creatures of the night. The behemoth sighed. They must have ventured into the forest. Perhaps their mother had found them. The titan then sleepily climbed into the cove that was bathed in pale moonlight, drenching everything in a bluish hue. The cove was so beautiful in the evenings and he often stayed up to observe its changes like how beads of dew glittered upon the grass like millions of tiny gems. Rogue then paused before the base of his tree, taking time to perform a well deserved stretch, muscles flexing as he reached over his head with his spine releasing any tension. The titan then yawned, tongue curling like that of a beast as a low rumble escaped his chest. Rogue scratched his hip as he scaled up the tangle of roots to the hallow of his tree. However, before he could flop into the pile of leaves, his glowing greens widened at what invaded his personal space.

Nestled together within the dried leaves were the six yellow ducklings that were sound asleep in the middle of his bed. Rogue's jaw hung open in shock, the creature spellbound. The ducks never ventured to find their mother after all. They had waited here for him to return. Armin and Mikasa were right. The little fuzzy ones now considered him, a massive titan, as their mother. Rogue winced, ears drooping as he found himself unable to look away or make a move. How? How was he to deal with six tiny ducklings? He couldn't just give them away to anyone – they would just follow him not to mention the recipient would freak out in his presence. His parents lived in the city with his little ones and the human city was no place for ducks nor was it for a titan. Rogue continued to stare at the little bundles in deep thought. Suddenly, an unexpected paternal feeling fell over him, a dormant instinct, the titan smiling a little to himself. What was he thinking? He could take care of these little creatures. His little ones and his parents were much smaller than him and he had adjusted himself to meet their dedicate needs. He could do the same for these ducklings. He could be their mother. It wouldn't be difficult. He was easily able to get worms and could catch fish. Plus, he had a private pond for them. In addition, his body was warm and could simulate a real mother duck well enough.

Yes, he would do it. He could make them his own until they no longer needed him.

With great caution, Rogue gradually climbed into his nest. The towering creature then carefully lowered himself into the cushioning of dry leaves, curling around the little ducklings like he would do with his own little ones. Guided by his sudden need to nurture, Rogue gently scooped up the tiny hatchlings, the babies stirring in the slightest as he placed them against his abdomen, the warmest area of his body. For a moment, the titan observed as the young ducks wiggled around before settling against the flesh of his belly. Rogue sighed as he lay his head into the leaves, smoldering emeralds still watching his new adoptions. A weak and fatigued grin pulled at the corners of his mouth again as he let out a feeble purr. His parents and little ones were right.

He was a great big softie.

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin and Mikasa hurriedly weaved in and out of the trees, all too eager to get to the titan's cove. The day had been a rough one. School was a bit unreasonable and demanding. The lesson was boring and they had to stay an extra hour for they had to clean the room – punishment from a single kid that had misbehaved. Due to the circumstance, they were later than usual when it came to their schedule of visiting Rogue. The two couldn't help their senses of eagerness. Due to the events of their last visit, they had no idea what they were going to find.

"Well Mikasa," Armin smiled. "What do you think happened when Rogue got back to his cove last night? Judging by the way he was, he's either too leery to go into his cove or he somehow slept at the top of the rocky wall last night."

At the boy's speculation, the girl gave into a smile. "Yeah. Rogue is a bit skittish about some things."

Armin chuckled. "True. I've noticed that he gets rather nervous at points. He was even scared to let us wade in the pond before."

" He's just protective." Mikasa replied, her mind drifting else ware as the two children entered the mossy clearing. They paused for a moment, looking up to the top of the rocky wall before beginning to circle the natural formation toward the secret entrance. "I guess he's not perched on the wall like he was yesterday."

"Yeah he isn't." Armin replied as the secret entrance came into their sights. "He might be in the forest somewhere avoiding the ducklings, but checking to make sure is a good idea. You and I could take the ducklings to a farm or something. I think Rogue would appreciate it. He's so big that one wrong move could crush them. We'll ask him when we see him."

"Yes, I'm sure our proposal will be a big relief for him." Mikasa responded as the two children entered the gap in the rocks, walking through a narrow tunnel infested with lizards and beetles. They kept to themselves as they followed the light on the other side. A gentle rumbling filled the little catacomb, making the two stop and look at one another in question. The sound was unmistakable.

"Well, he's in his cove." Armin muttered as they started forward again in caution.

"Could he have gotten rid of the ducks?" The girl pondered as the light grew brighter.

Armin opened his mouth to reply but cut himself off as he quickly ventured forward. Had Rogue really gotten rid of the ducks? Could he have possibly killed them on accident or something and he was in morning? Knowing just how sensitive the titan actually was, he and Mikasa quickly exited the tunnel and into the lush and spacious cove. The children halted in their steps, seeing the titan curled upon the ground right at the base of his tree, broad back facing them. Listening and watching the titan's chest contract and expand, Armin then made out that the beast was actually purring rather than moaning and groaning. The boy and girl exchanged bewildered glances before fleetingly racing to the front of the titan. Feet instantly stopped as they witnessed the scene before them. A small grin grew on each of their faces.

"Well, looks like he gave in."

Rogue lay in absolute content, body loose and lazy. The great creature hummed once again, sending a vibration through their feet. The titan wore a complete look of bliss, a grin pulling at his lipless maw and his eyes shut tight as he soaked up the company of the six little ducklings. The fuzzy creatures were nestled in his hair with the exception of a few adventurous ones that were currently climbing all over his fingers. It was truly a sight to behold, seeing a massive creature that's kind was considered to be mankind's greatest enemy laying with nature's precious newborns. Rogue's shadowed lids then peeled open to see his little ones. Armin's smile grew broader as Rogue's tapered ears wiggled while he gurgled in greeting.

" **ELLOO!"** The titan practically chirped as he carefully plucked the cluster of ducklings from his hair and placed them onto the earth. Rogue then sat up, still monitoring the positions of the waddling ducklings on the grass. The three watched as the six little ducks hurriedly placed themselves as close to the titan as possible, between his legs and cozying up against his inner thigh. Rogue huffed in amusement before his gaze adverted to Armin and Mikasa, ears wiggling again as he obviously waited to hear their thoughts.

"So I see you gave in huh Rogue?" Mikasa chuckled with the beast shrugging his shoulders and nodding.

" **EEAAH."** Rogue beamed as he expertly lowered a finger to tap the top of a duckling's head, petting the little creature with utmost care. " **DDUUK… GOOOD."**

"That's great Rogue." Armin spoke as the beast held his head high in pride. "Now, would you like to follow us to the edge of the forest to a farm nearby so the ducks can live there?" The boy queried, but not receiving the answer he thought he would.

Instead, the titan's cheerful look morphed into one of pure disappointment and shock as if he had just learned that he couldn't have something. A distressed whine slipped from the titan's lipless maw as Rogue glanced from the two human children to the six little ducklings. Questioning greens then turned back to them, Rogue's brow pinched together in a look of almost betrayal. Armin bit his lip. The titan seemed to finally give in to the ducks, but he didn't think that Rogue would actually intend on the opposite.

" **NOOO."** Rogue denied, straitening his back and locking his elbows in a firm stance.

"You don't want to take them to a farm?" Mikasa questioned with Rogue shaking his head plainly.

" **NNOO."** He repeated bluntly before lifting a finger to point at his chest. " **NNOOON."** Rogue insured, making the two children lift a brow at the titan's surprising stubbornness.

"Mom?" Mikasa continued to ask with Rogue nodding again.

Armin was speechless. Ever since the titan rescued them on that faithful night, Armin knew that the titan had some sort of protective instinct – one that was like that of a parent. A paternal instinct. He should have known that Rogue would pull something like this. Now, they were dealing with the fact that the ducklings had a new surrogate mother that came in the form of a male fifteen-meter titan with the mindset of a five year old. Of all the stunts that Rogue had pulled since they met, this was by far the most ludicrous one.

Rogue nodded again, staring at the two intently to get his point firmly across. Armin sighed, knowing that the titan had nothing but good intentions. Like the behemoth, he and Mikasa easily gave in.

"Well Rogue, I guess you can just consider Mikasa and I an aunt and uncle."

**(POV SWAP)**

Three weeks soon passed and the titan had gotten used to his new self appointed role as a surrogate. He was greatly proud of the job he had done in the duration of time since the duckling's birth into the harsh world. He had grown even gentler with practice handling the tiny bundles. He found that he couldn't pick them up and carry them like his little ones for they could easily jump out of his hand. They followed him safely in a line everywhere he went, keeping his body light so he didn't rattle the earth they walked upon. Rogue monitored the ducks' feeding, making sure they each got their fill of the minnows in his pond and the invertebrates that he dug up from the dirt. Just like a mother duck's feathery embrace, the titan made it his priority to shelter them against his toasty flesh when the moon dawned or when fatigue invaded their tiny bodies. The fuzzy ducklings served as great company when his little ones were off at the thing called 'school' or when his human parents were busy with the medical care of sick humans. His keen vision and attentiveness had noticed that his little companions had grown since their hatching. Their bodies were bigger and their necks were longer – feet larger as well. Their real feathers were beginning to replace their yellowish down with their little peeps becoming the true signature quack of an adult's. He was amazed at how quickly they changed compared to his little ones. The tiny humans grew slowly like trees rather than like weeds. He was glad it took humans a long time to physically and cosmetically mature. He wanted his little ones, Armin and Mikasa, to stay as little for as long as they could.

When his tiny humans came over to be with him, they aided him in the ducks' care as well. They seemed to enjoy playing with them, feeding the little creatures bread from the city, and making sure they kept out of harms way. Today, he and his little ones were actually taking a well needed break from their parenting routine to have some quality alone time together. Rogue had sealed the secret entrance of the cove and the three headed into the forest with the intent on playing a new game that Armin and Mikasa suggested. Even he would admit that he was thankful for the break. Nurturing the tiny creatures was surprisingly demanding, but worth it.

Rogue hummed to himself as he sat in waiting, back straight and hands neatly in his lap. He and his little ones had retreated to a part of the forest that he rarely visited, an area mixed with high and low trees, constant distribution of saplings among the mossy ground. A variety of birds were perched up in the branches singing in a chorus. The titan blinked in wonder as he watched his little ones gather pebbles from the underbrush and scoop them up from the patches of dirt. A tapered ear flickered as they filled their shirts, using the lower part like bowels as they gathered their bounty. The children then sat down the pebbles in the center of the clearing before coming over and sharing a portion of pebbles with him. The titan squinted, lowering a finger to stir the rocks like a spoon would tea. Green hues blinked, what were his little ones planning on playing?

"Alright Rogue. The object of the game here is to see how many birds you can frighten without talking or yelling." Armin began with a broad grin with the creature tilting his head in interest. "You have to throw objects into the trees to get them to fly."

The titan stiffened, emerald irises blowing wide. Was that what the stones were for? They had to throw them at the birds? No! That could kill them! Rogue then expressed his dislike for the practice with a rough grunt, brows lowering as he stared at his little ones in disapproval. " **IIRDDD. URRT!"**

Armin quickly shook his head. "Oh no Rogue! We don't aim at the birds! You throw the rocks just below or to the side of the tree. See, birds are sensitive and get spooked easily. Even though you throw a rock off target, they still move. Am I – making any sense?"

Rogue felt his body loosen, feeling better that they were not directly throwing stones at birds. Truthfully, he was all in for a bit of harmless fun. On the occasion, he did chase birds into the canopy and he did after all – frighten wolves and bears for both fun and out of protection. Complying, Rogue nodded for Armin to go ahead and explain further.

The boy let out a sigh in what he could label as relief. "Okay! Since you understand, I'll go first, then Mikasa, and finally you. After all the rounds, the one who has the most birds fly away wins! Sound good?" Armin asked the titan with the behemoth nodding.

" **GOOOD."**

The creature kept quiet and observant as he watched his two little ones take their positions in the center of the glade. Armin picked up a pebble and dawned a look of total concentration. His blue eyes were sharp and fully focused onto a short birch tree that was probably aged near a decade. The boy grasped his rock tightly and winded his arm back past his head, muscles tensing as he prepared to thrust the stone. Then, with the greatest growl that his small frame could muster, Armin threw the rock as far and as high as he could. The projectile sailed but with only the strength that a nine-year-old boy could produce. Armin's rock hit the trunk of the tree, catching a few branches and only rattling the perch in the slightest and frightening off a single bird. At this, the blonde showed the slightest amount of disappointment but quickly replaced the emotion with good spirits. "See Rogue? Pretty simple, huh?" The child beamed.

At his little one's display of enjoyment, Rogue nodded and emitted a deep purr in agreement. It did look like fun, a competitive game indeed.

"Alright." The girl began as she picked up her stone. "My turn." Mikasa set her sights onto a medium sized fir, the titan able to smell the many robins chatting with one another. A grin slowly drew itself onto his face – it was the thing that his parents described as a 'surprise' – an instance where the receiver never quite knew what they would receive. As if she had so much practice, Mikasa chucked the ball high into the needles of the pine. Six birds instantly fled from the safety of the green. Unlike Armin, Mikasa kept her celebration to herself – simply grinning beneath her scarf. The titan grunted a congratulation with Armin laughing.

"You make it look so easy Mikasa!" The blonde complimented with the girl shyly fooling with a strand of her hair. "Alright Rogue! It's your turn!"

At the permission to proceed, Rogue trilled merrily and happily began to dig through the small pile of pebbles in search of the perfect stone to throw. However, just as he selected the biggest of the group, the titan was promptly reminded of his massive hands and fingers. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't grasp the tiny pebble within his hand – only able to perform a pitiful sight of him just scooting the stone across the grass. Rogue heaved a heavy complaint in defeat, whining loudly and looking to his little ones in both apology and to plead for aid – ears wilting at his inability to do to the simple task. It was things like such that sometimes had Rogue cursing his size. It was true, when he had first learned what he truly was – he hated himself and wished to suffer for his mere existence. But as time passed, he only looked to the positives about himself. He was big and strong enough to protect those he loved, he could always heal himself when he was hurt, and he didn't seem to age or get hungry – let alone produce the waste that humans and animals sometimes expelled. To the titan, his differences only meant that he was well suited for protecting his family and friends. Still, there were little things that he still wished that he could do.

"Oh, sorry – uh here Rogue." Mikasa chortled sheepishly as she picked up the stone that he was reaching for and placed it between his thumb and forefinger. The creature wiggled his ears and cooed in thanks. Mirroring the two children, Rogue then selected a high tree and threw the tiny stone with all of his strength. In an instant, their eyes lost the minuscule rock. For several seconds they waited, seeing no bird leave its perch. Again, Rogue let out a groan – misjudging his power. His little ones only laughed warmly.

"Whoa there buddy! That was a bit too – strong there!" Armin snickered. "It's probably best that you just do your throws a bit more gently! You're so powerful that you don't have to exert yourself as much as us!"

"Remember Rogue, a little goes a long way with you." Mikasa reminded, the titan not quite catching her meaning but nodding anyway.

"Well, Mikasa is currently winning!"

For several minutes, the three continued to take turns in throwing their stones. Mikasa was winning by far, Armin was second, and he was in last place – throwing the rocks too fast and hard for the birds to not even getting a whiff of them. True, it did irritate the titan, but this was one instance where he didn't wish to win. His little ones had a big disadvantage against him and he took pride in their joys and celebrations. If he was on target, he would be in first and his little ones wouldn't be in good spirits.

Of course, the thing that had become clear to him as they continued was that the game had grown a bit repetitive and to him, almost dull. Rogue watched as Mikasa successfully frightened another small group of birds, giving Rogue an idea – one with the purpose to simply tease and change things up. At his plan, a devious smile pulled at the corners of the beast's maw.

"Your turn Rogue."

The titan wiggled his ears and pretended to select his stone, Mikasa coming over to place the one he would pick into his fingers. Of course, before she could help him, Rogue tilted his head and released a loud and playful roar up onto the canopy. The vast call purged the birds from their perches and at least fifty or so retreated past the canopy into the blue heavens. Rogue let out a gurgling laugh and looked back to his two companions, amused at their bewildered faces. After peering at their slacked jaws for what seemed like a full minute, Armin folded his arms, raising a brow in suspicion while Mikasa hid her laughter.

"Hey! No cheating Rogue!" The blonde scolded with a light chuckle. "That's against the rules!"

The titan blinked, perplexed by the claim. Cheating? What was that? Why was it against the rules? " **CEEETTINNG?"** He queried innocently, watching as the brows of his little ones raised at the realization that he didn't know the meaning of the word.

"Cheating Rogue is when someone does something that they are not supposed to do in order to win. It's not a nice thing to do." Armin quickly informed with the titan absorbing the information in full.

Rogue's grin dissipated in the slightest. Cheating? Was that what the word meant? He wasn't doing that! He was just trying to break the monotony. He wasn't doing any harm. No, he wasn't cheating. He was just trying to get a laugh or two. Even though he had been scolded, he was going to proceed with his plan. The thought made the titan smirk deviously as the two turned their backs.

It was going to get interesting.

Armin then threw another stone into a neighboring birch, managing to get ten birds to evacuate – the biggest number the boy had achieved yet. The boy's face lit up in excitement at his accomplishment, Armin jumping up and down in self congratulation and gesturing for Mikasa to take her turn. However, before the child could pick up her stone, Rogue roared again in a howl of pure pleasure – rattling the canopy and causing another big flock of birds to escape into the sky. Grinning in amusement, Rogue pulled the most innocent look he could make as his little ones turned around to face him yet again – pupils large and friendly as a look he had taken and mastered from dogs. Much to his enjoyment, Mikasa tapped her foot repetitively with a brow raised in cunning just like his Carla did when he got caught getting into mischief.

"Rogue… what do you think you're doing?" Mikasa demanded with the beast shrugging his shoulders and looking around as if he had done nothing to misbehave.

" **NOTINNG."** The titan replied simply with a rumbling purr. Deep down, he could sense that Mikasa was holding back laughter. He was almost there, he just had to push his plan a little further.

Mikasa sighed, shaking her head with her mouth sculpted in a weak smile. "Remember, no cheating. Do as he showed you Rogue." The girl pressed on as she willingly and voluntarily retrieved a stone from his pile and placed it between his fingers, not allowing him to pick from what was before him on purpose. Of course even as she scooted back while he prepared to throw, Rogue plotted his perfect moment to strike. He then brought his arm forward in a perfect pitch, but never released his pebble into the wind. Instead, he let out a loud and cheerful bellow that vibrated the trunks of small saplings and the solid earth beneath the three of them. When the roar died down into a deep and throaty rumble, his little ones tried to stifle their laughter but replaced their stunned expressions with one that looked similar to a scolding adult. Of course, seeing such a reaction from children made the titan only find them even cuter – if the same came from his Grisha or Carla then he would obey without a second thought, most of the time.

"Rogue – really?" Mikasa giggled, letting a wink of humor slip. "Now I know you're doing the on purpose." She grinned with Rogue humming waggishly. "Remember, just throw things alright?" Mikasa put forth again with the titan throwing his stone up to obey.

However, he wasn't going to do as such for long. His little ones never clarified if there was a size limit.

Secretly, as Armin and Mikasa went through and chose their stones, Rogue expertly reached around his back and wrapped his fingers around a considerable tree with a trunk as thick as his fingers. As quietly as he could, the titan gently pulled the pine upward, careful not to project the sound of snapping roots. Rogue kept his breathing and body quiet, watching as the girl's stone cleared five birds from a birch.

"Well Mikasa, you're still in the lead with twenty-one." Armin smiled. "I've got sixteen, and Rogue has eight – the flocks he scared away with a roar doesn't count!" The boy chuckled as he turned to the face the creature. However, before he could open his mouth to give him clearance, Rogue stood with a hoot and threw the fifteen-foot pine into the air. Limbs crackled like embers in a fire as the tree barreled through the canopy like a battering ram until it caught itself in a nest of vines as if it were a boar in a trap. The bark groaned and creaked, echoing beyond the circumference of the glade. Vines snapped beneath the stress of the weight, the tree falling again only to be caught by another pair of wooden arms. Birds flew in all directions in hordes – fleeing into the heavens and into the deep wood with calls of alarm echoing all around them. The leaves settled and the forest stilled once again, Rogue trilled in elation as he turned to his two little ones with his ears wiggling just like a pleased dog's tail. His little ones were stunned, mouths agape and brows high in bewilderment. The two emitted a few squeaks with Armin's lower lip trembling.

" **SSAARRE…. IRRD!"** Rogue announced pompously, rocking back and forth on his rear as he waited for his little ones to crack.

And crack they did.

The two children fell right into a fit of hard laughter, wheezing several times before Armin dropped to his knees.

"I think we should have specified how big the stuff had to be to throw into the trees!" The blonde beamed with Mikasa's face blushing.

"I guess that counted then, he did throw something." She surrendered to another giggle.

Rogue huffed, skin forming into a grin and cheered that he finally got the two little humans to give in to his antics. However, before he could begin to wiggle his tapered ears, the keen appendages captured the familiar sound of hooves.

Hooves that did not belong to a deer.

Instinctively, the titan froze and sniffed – pupils shrinking in alarm and his heart beginning to pound as he distinguished the intruder. The incoming animal was a larger specimen that he saw on occasion when his parents led him to the boarder of a farm – the kind that galloped. The other trespasser made the titan's blood actually chill. It was human, but it wasn't his parents. Powered by fear of being discovered and the hell that would come soon after it, Rogue lightened his vast form and swiftly scrabbled to his feet.

"Rogue? What's wrong? What are you –

The titan wasted no time evacuating the clearing and into the brush. His head turned this way and that, looking for a place that would perfectly conceal his bulk. He couldn't go far. What if the human approaching them was one of the evil men that nearly stole his little ones from the world? He had to be close enough to save them if that was true. The creature then hastily selected the trunk of a towering pine neighbored by thick spruces, nearly diving behind the wall of foliage. The creature hunkered down, making sure his tanned flesh couldn't be seen through the leaves as he stared at his little ones through the brambles. He kept his breathing steady and quiet. Rogue's ears lowered, cringing as the intruder closed in, nails digging into the ground as his nerves soared through the canopy. The creature remained still as a watchful hunter, observing his little ones exchange frantic gestures before the leaves rustled on the other side of the glade, silencing their words immediately. Much to the titan's alarm, the thing that emerged from the brush was one of the things he feared most.

A uniformed man on horseback.

Rogue's body shuttered. There was one breed of human that his parents warned him the most to stay away from – men wearing the brown decorated jackets, many belts, and the white pants. Uniformed men that were called 'soldiers' – those who protected the wall, monitored wrongdoers, and the very same that would expose him and kill him. The uniformed man before him was a strong but lanky soldier with blonde hair, prominent cheeks, and dawned the red flowers on his wares. Rogue couldn't remember what the soldier was called specifically, but he knew that the man was the kind that worked and guarded the wall – not the kind that roamed around the forest. The titan swallowed, if he was seen, he was as good as dead.

"Excuse me," The soldier began, making a knot grow in Rogue's stomach. "What are you children doing in this part of the woods? You should know that sometimes traffickers come through here – not to mention wolves and bears are known to be in this area as well." The man spoke sternly as he dismounted his horse and stood before the two children, looking absolutely intimidating. Anger flowed through the titan, but he dared not to growl. His humans told him that the uniformed men protected all the humans – so this man had no intent to harm – hopefully.

Armin swallowed, the titan's sharp eyesight noticing the paling on the boy's flesh. "Uh –

"My dad is nearby." Mikasa suddenly began without a moment's hesitation. "He's a doctor. He makes house calls for a living and he's at a patient's farm nearby."

The man's brow furrowed. "Doctor – you wouldn't happen to be Mikasa Ackerman would you? Adopted daughter of Grisha and Carla Jaeger?"

The titan heard the hitch in the girl's breath and watched as she became petrified. Rogue's ears pressed further into his skull. This man knew her! The beast swallowed fretfully, the situation was now even more dire. He didn't know how it could possibly end up.

"Yes?" Mikasa spoke barely above the ping of a raindrop.

"I see. Why are you two here then?"

"Dr. Jaeger told us to go get some herbs out here to make an antibiotic." Armin began suddenly, using several words that the titan didn't understand but assumed they were significant.

The soldier nodded. "Alright, but I suppose you two were having a bit of fun doing so." He continued, his voice still stern.

The boy's Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. "We just threw some rocks around to pass the time. Thyme is a bit hard to find and often it's irritating. We – try to be upbeat about it." Armin smiled, a bead of sweat forming on the back of his neck.

The man sighed, opening his mouth to emit more words, but his eyes drifted elsewhere, up to the ravaged canopy pierced with the tree. The solder's brows pinched together in complete befuddlement. Rogue's heart drummed against his rib-cage – the creature now able to hear its rapid thump in his ears. He was so ignorant! He shouldn't have thrown such a thing! His little ones couldn't possibly lie about it! No storm had swept through the land to uproot the tree and there was no other force of nature strong enough to uproot it except for himself! He was finished, like prey backed into a corner – tooth and claw of reality about to tear him to shreds. He had lost everything: his home, his little ones, his parents, everything!

"How in the hell did that happen?" The man muttered, speaking to himself rather than the two frozen children. "There was no report of any storms –

"Oh it must have been one of those stray gales that Dr. Jaeger spoke of when he comes around here. Since this area is in a basin, sometimes the wind gets trapped in it and causes sporadic whirlwinds. One must have popped up and uprooted that tree." Armin proposed, trying to make his voice as knowledgeable as possible with no ounce of nervousness.

The uniformed man blinked at the blonde's information, glancing from the uprooted soil to the misplaced tree. Finally, he exhaled again. "I trust that's true coming from Dr. Jaeger. He's the smartest non military man I've ever come in contact with – even saving Shiganshina from a deadly plague that infected the area before the two of you were born. I know he wouldn't send you out for supplies unless he knew that the two of you would be –

However, a distinctive series of sounds made the glade grow quiet once again and the titan nearly shriek in horror.

Quacks – specifically from his ducklings.

The titan watched in horror as five of the yellow birds waddled from the underbrush and approach his little ones. Dimly, they kept up with their native tongues and tilted their heads while they circled their two small bodies and began to snap at the soldier's boots. Like ants severed from a uniform line, they waddled aimlessly around the glade – most likely in search of him after they had picked up his scent. The beast's heart plummeted into his pelvis, Rogue mentally swearing that his heart stopped for several seconds. If his ducklings found him, all hell was going to break loose.

"The hell!" The man barked as he narrowly avoided one of the birds snapping at his belts. "There's no pond around here!" The male continued as he quickly scrambled to get back on his horse, trying to calm the beast as the duck continued to circle the animal suspiciously.

Rogue swallowed. He had sealed the ducks in the cove and their wings weren't developed enough to fly – the only possible scenario was that they somehow slipped through the cracks. The titan bit his tongue as his brain sent multiple impulses of fear and dopamine. It was only a matter of time before his ducklings located –

The titan nearly went skyward as he felt the light brush of feathers against his leathery skin. He froze, green irises shifting over to see that the sixth duckling had come to scale his hand. Snapping from his petrified state, Rogue briskly shoved the duck to the awaiting grass and cupped his hands over it, praying that not a soul heard or saw anything. After a few seconds of listening to muffled quacks, Rogue turned his attention back to the glade to see that the situation was still the very same – the solder trying to calm his horse, his stunned little ones, and the frantic ducklings looking for their designated surrogate. God how he just wanted it to end! The soldier to leave!

"Shit!" The man swore as his steed nearly reared as the water fouls nipped at the horse's leg. "Damn it! Well, you two are lucky I'm in a hurry to my mother's. When I come back through here however, you two better be gone and with Dr. Jaeger." The man concluded as he commanded his horse to gallop from the scene with a troublesome duck making a sound of dominance, spreading its underdeveloped wings and ruffling its feathers and plumage before turning back to the two children, shaking its tail feathers like a pleased guard dog. It was several long and pensive seconds before his little ones sighed in relief.

"I see one of the ducks is certainly taking after its mother." Mikasa muttered beneath her scarf.

"Apparently so." Armin exhaled, dropping to his knees. "Thank god he's gone. That was close. If the ducks hadn't showed up he would have never left."

"It was." Mikasa agreed as the ducks suddenly waddled at full speed in the titan's direction. "You can come out now Rogue. That man's gone."

Hearing the clearance, Rogue let out a long jet of steam in liberation and stood upright. He then made his way back into the glade with the little ducklings trailing behind him – excited to be in his shadow once again. The titan then kneeled sheepishly next to them, ears wilting and cheeks reddening knowing that his actions nearly had gotten them caught – that and he obviously didn't seal the cove up very well.

"Next time bud, don't throw trees." Armin chuckled. "That and next time we go out, we need to seal up the low entrance with a boulder AND mud." The boy continued as he watched the ducks push themselves against the creature's toasty flesh.

Rogue nodded bashfully in compliance, smiling crookedly and giving in to a bit of the humorous situation by flickering his elfish ears.

"Let's just not come back to this area. It's too risky." Mikasa muttered.

"Agreed. At least we had a good laugh though." The blond beamed as they began to head back into the safety of the deep forest.

"Yeah, at least we laughed."

Armin's smile grew larger. "I think it will make quite a story to retell some day." He concluded with the titan purring in agreement. That was true.

**(POV SWAP)**

Carla smiled softly to herself as she made her way through the green. Her eyes adverted to the canopy on the occasion, taking note of the mother birds tending to their young. The woman gripped her picnic basket in hand and held a tattered quilt in the other. This was the first day in nearly two months that she was going to visit her son and she was more than elated to do so. Carla hated to be away from him for such a painful amount of time, but she was reassured knowing that the beast had two small companions that served as loving substitutes. The fact that Rogue seemed to enjoy his two new acquaintances and had formed a strong friendship with them made Carla believe that Rogue no longer depended on her as much. The thought put her at ease actually. When they first met, Rogue was so very lonely and got that way easily. In the year before the titan met her adopted daughter and her friend, when she and Grisha passed through or made their rare visits, Rogue was nearly in tears every time he saw them. Of course, the titan could never live peacefully without her and her husband's existence.

He would be happy to see that she had come to eat lunch with him just like the old days. Carla couldn't wait to see the look upon the behemoth's face. To her, she was the mother bird and Rogue was her baby, he could never truly leave the comfort of the nest that she built.

Carla began to hum to herself as she finally entered the mossy clearing with the rocky wall. It was peaceful and just as usual, birds sang and many butterflies pollinated the nearby flowering plants. Mrs. Jaeger soon entered the tunnel and quickly began to make her way through. Her ears detected the titan's deep and affectionate purring, making Carla smile even further. Of all the many vocals that Rogue could produce – the beast's purring was her absolute favorite. Who knew that a titan of all creatures could make such an affectionate sound let alone show a great amount of love. Finally, she came into the sunlit clearing to find that the titan was up in his tree, the woman able to see a pair of feet hanging out of the hallow leisurely. Carla giggled to herself. Armin and Mikasa were at school so what on earth was her overgrown son doing?

Quietly rounding to face the front of the tree, Carla's amber eyes absorbed the sight of Rogue sitting upright with a big and lopsided grin on his face while he stared down into his lap with his ears wiggling in content. The woman sat down her items onto the ground and placed her hands onto her hips, brows raising in slight cunning. "Rogue my Dear, what are you doing? Are you going to tell your mother hi?"

At her voice, the titan's head snapped up from his previous activity. The beast's stunned expression morphed into one of pure elation – eyes shining brightly with life and his jaw forming into the broadest smile he could manage. Rogue let out an echoing squeal and began to stand and make his way out of the hallow – the woman noticing how carefully the titan was shifting as he maneuvered his way out of the nest. With the grace of a clumsy child, Rogue scaled down the tree's roots and placed himself onto his knees only to nuzzle her with his nose and cheek. The beast made a please little rumble, bringing Carla to embrace his face as best as she could, patting the hooked bridge of his nose.

"It's so nice to see you again, Dear! Have you been doing well?" Carla beamed, the titan sitting up and projecting a sharp nod. "I'm glad! I worry about you all the time, Rogue. I'm so sorry that Grisha and I can't be here all the time." She pressed on to get an apologetic look from the beast – a soft smile, arched brows, and wilted ears. "Well, I thought we'd have a little picnic together for old times –

However, before she could continue, a series of frantic quacks originated behind them, causing the woman to pause her statement and the titan to swivel his head around quickly like a surprised owl. To Carla's surprise, six ducklings descended down from the hallow, walking among a fairly safe root in a single file line. The feathery creatures were not truly babies but more along the lines of young adults. The signature yellow coloring was nearly gone and replaced with earthy brown tones. They were nearly matured with their wings almost ready for flight. Spellbound, amber eyes continued to observe as the party of ducks quickly waddled their way over to climb the titan's ankles to place themselves in Rogue's lap. The behemoth purred and lifted his head proudly to grin at Carla, making the woman realize that the ducklings that Armin and Mikasa mentioned on the evening where they feasted on fish where some that had obviously imprinted on Rogue upon hatching. It brought a giggle from her chest.

"So! I guess these little guys explain what you were doing before you noticed I was here!"

" **NNOONN!"** Rogue pointed to himself, his declaration making Mrs. Jaeger burst into laughter.

"I see! You are a momma aren't you?" She went along with the titan nodding again. "You're doing a wonderful job as far as I can tell Rogue!"

The titan trilled at her words, green eyes beholding the ducks finally take notice of Carla's presence. One by one, they climbed from his lap and warily waddled to her. The feathered animals circled her several times, tilting their heads in utmost curiosity. Knowing just what to do, she reached into her basket and pulled out an extra slice of bread, tore it to pieces, and offered it to the titan's feathered adoptions. Merrily and greedily, their beaks nearly swallowed the bred whole. As Mrs. Jaeger expected, the ducks edged closer for more, quaking for seconds but surprisingly not running her over for food like most ducks would. A loud grunt from the towering megalith reclaimed the water fouls' attention, the birds taking him in full before racing off to the small crystal pond. For a moment, Carla was awestruck at the fact that they obeyed the creature before she turned back to Rogue to see his look of fondness.

"I see you've raised them well."

* * *

Minutes later, Carla found herself curled up against Rogue's body. She sat in the crook of his arm with the titan himself laying on his belly with his opposite arm beneath his chin and his lower half sprawled out lazily beside him, looking a bit like a lounging lion. After she had eaten her plain lunch of a jelly sandwich she and the beast began to watch the six ducks swim around in the crystalline water, throwing another bread loaf's scraps for them to eat every few minutes. Truthfully, it didn't surprise her at all that the titan had done such a generous thing. Ever since the night that Rogue rescued both Armin and Mikasa from an impending hell and hearing the stories of how he made sure they were warm nestled against him like pups, Carla and her husband knew that Rogue possessed paternal instincts of some kind. She found it absolutely magical.

She continued to think as she watched the ducks swim about and duck underwater with their tail feathers in the air. Peeking from the corner of her eyes, she viewed the titan's expression of pure peace – the beast's irises lethargic and the skin at the corners of his mouth drawn into a tired smile. Seeing Rogue's behavior really made her wonder if it was really possible.

"You know Rogue," Carla daydreamed aloud, gaining the titan's attention. "Seeing you take care of these little ducks makes me wonder if there really is a way that titans reproduce that humanity is blind to consider." She opened up with Rogue lifting his head to view her in full, cocking his head to the side with curiosity. Carla smiled and rubbed the warm flesh of his arm. "It really makes me ponder. The population of titans is steadily increasing, so babies must be born somehow." Mrs. Jaeger spoke with Rogue's brows lifting in light of her conversation, now fully consumed by it. "Maybe it's eggs or perhaps even titans come into the world much like human children Rogue." Carla smiled softly and tenderly as her hand drifted to her stomach, thinking back to her many failures. However, she was snapped from her daze as the tip of the behemoth's index finger gently pressed against her torso, innocent greens looking at her with the beast gurgling softly. "Yes, no matter it being a human or animal – babies come from there." Carla paused as she watched Rogue blink in awe and remove his finger, ears flickering in thought. "Of course, like I said, perhaps it's similar but different." She sighed as she leaned back against his flesh, cupping her head in her hands. "You know Rogue, I often wonder if there are other titans like you. Maybe you had a mom even. Maybe you look just like her. Who knows right?" She smiled weakly at the titan who continued to stare at her questioningly. To her surprise, Rogue bore a bright smile and pointed at her again.

" **CCUURRLA… NOOON!"** The titan informed, wiggling his ears as usual before placing his cheek against her in nothing but love.

Carla found an incredible warmth swelling up within her chest at the titan's reaction. Even telling him that he possibly had a real mother didn't seem to deter him from considering her as his true guardian. Mrs. Jaeger couldn't help a chuckle. To her, Rogue was absolutely perfect. "I'm glad to hear that." She smiled. "So, when are you going to teach these little guys how to fly?"

At her query, the titan instantly lifted his head and his expression was absolutely priceless.

**(POV SWAP)**

The week had been filled with rain, making the forest green but damp with its crystal coating. Although the trees, flowers, and everything in between had been replenished, the ground was damp and muddy. The titan himself was never truly fond of rain, only going out in it for a short while to naturally cleanse his body and rid the oil from his hair. Not to mention, with the lack of sunlight over such an extensive period of time, he was more exhausted than usual. The ducks however, loved the gloomy weather. He would watch them from the comfort of the dry hallow as they swam in his pond and ruffled their feathers in likeness. His little ones of course, didn't come on the rainy days for exposure to the merciless elements was both inconvenient and unhealthy. His parents did the same.

Of course, he had been far too occupied with his current dilemma at hand. His Carla's words made him realize his massive faux paw and issue that he was required to address for the ducks would need to be able to in order to survive. He had to teach them to fly, but he lacked the know how and certainly the ability. How was he supposed to teach birds how to soar through the sky when he himself didn't have wings? In the breaks between showers, he made the effort to observe other birds – an activity that he was doing currently. The titan watched as a robin descended down from its perch to snag a worm from the moist earth, vibrant greens observing the bird's wings and how they moved. A tapered ear flicked in thought. Maybe if they saw him do something similar, the ducks would get the idea and try it out themselves. The titan knew he had to hurry, Carla had told him that it was close to the time where ducks, geese, and others birds migrate south during the cold months. The ducks couldn't stay with him. They would be cold when a white blanket smothered the land and they had to leave the nest like all birds – even if the nest belonged to a fifteen-meter titan.

Rogue tilted his head in consideration, looking up at the now blue sky through the canopy. It didn't hurt to try at least. It would feel strange, but it was necessary. He would make an attempt before his little ones arrived and then get their advice. Hopefully he would have some luck. Nodding to himself, Rogue then sat up in his nest and produced a high pitched and loud grunt, gaining the undivided attention of his feathered adoptions. The sound was one that he found to always grab the ducks' attention, a noise that made them actually stop waddling about to listen. The titan then climbed down from the tree and placed himself on his knees before them, their beady eyes staring up at him in what he could call perplexity. For a moment, Rogue scratched his scalp, a nervous little habit that he had developed around his ducklings as he often tried to guess how to aid them. He was going to look absolutely ridiculous.

The titan heaved a sigh before producing the same sound as he did before, keeping his little audience's attention. Taking a deep breath, he extended his arms out to his sides, bare wings that would never cut through the sky. Keeping his eyes on them, he slowly moved his arms up and down in a flapping movement. He repeated the move several times, but the ducks only quacked and tilted their heads instead of copying their titan mother. Rogue grumbled in slight irritation as several of the ducks began to waddle in other directions. He gritted his teeth. No! He had to get them to listen! He had to try again!

Rogue then stood upright and produced the same loud grunt yet again, gaining his company's attention. The titan then winced as he walked into the cove's meadow, feeling absolutely ignorant as he continued to flap his arms. However, even as the ducks followed him, they didn't even unfold their wings to try. Rogue paused at this, bringing a palm to his face like he had seen Armin do on occasion before lowering to his knees yet again. Deciding to be stern, he rumbled sharply and gave the ducks a serious glare. " **FFLLEEIII!** " He spoke gruffly, mispronouncing the word and sounding a bit like a stubborn toddler. " **FFLLEEI!"**

The titan prolonged to stare down at his adopted birds, unable to tell if he got his message across. Just to make sure, the titan lowered his body to where his chin rested on the grass before the ducks, green eyes burning into them – a sight that would make any ordinary man piss their pants if a creature such as himself viewed them at such a close proximity. " **FFFLLLEEEIIIII!"** Rogue spoke, drawing out his message, trying to make himself as clear as possible. A few seconds passed, the two forces nothing but a standstill until the six ducks began to quack again and quickly waddled beneath him. At his failure, Rogue let out a long moan and gradually angled his face into the earth in his own cone of silence and misery. How? Why were they not listening to him! His demonstration was clear! Easy enough! What was he doing wrong!

Before he could wallow in his own damning thoughts further, his nose picked up the scents of his little ones approaching from at least ten minutes out. His heart leaped in his chest at the news and he quickly stood upright. "Yes! Of course! He didn't need to fret! His little ones were here and they could help him teach his ducks how to fly! All too eager to carry out his plan, the titan quickly raced for the edge of the wall near the secret entrance – climbing over with ease as the ducks passed through the tunnel. The creature curiously waited a moment for the ducks to catch up to him before he marched in his little one's direction, keeping tabs on his feathered companies' distance. Finally, the scent of his little ones swept strongly through his nostrils, alerting him that they were close. Walking even easier, Rogue then brushed through a patch of trees and into a small clearing, meeting his little ones who looked up at him in surprise. Normally he waited within the safety of the cove for his best friends' arrival unless he was told to be at a meeting place, for both his safety and their own – plus it was convenient. Knowing this fact as well, the two children looked up at him in surprise – regarding the visibly concerned titan to the ducks that had stopped to gather around his feet. Rogue bent over with a moan, projecting his need for them to listen to him with utter seriousness.

Mikasa blinked, shifting her gaze at an equally worried looking Armin before turning back to the fretful titan. "Rogue? Is something wrong? Did something startle you?"

Rogue shook his head to project his denial, scratching his oily scalp for a moment in thought of how to word his query before biting his tongue in the slightest. " **UHHH… DDUUKK."** He hesitated, sifting through his small dictionary as he tried to match words with what he intended to say. " **EEEII… LERRRNN…UHHH… DUUKKSS."**

Armin tilted his head, brows bunching together as he visibly tried to decipher Rogue's speech. "Did – you learn something from the ducks Rogue?"

Hearing his little one's guess, Rogue denied with a shake of his head a low groan. " **NNO. EEII…NOO. EEII NOOO…LERR – TEECHH! FLLII DDUUKKS."** Rogue concluded, hoping that he got his point across clear enough, even going as far as flapping his featherless appendages and shaking his head. Finally, by the sudden lifting of his little ones' heads, he knew that they understood.

"Oh, so you want to teach the ducks to fly?" Mikasa began in realization. "However, you don't have wings and you don't know how to either." She continued with Rogue nodding clearly, producing a soft whine in the back of his throat to ensure that he needed their knowledge yet again. As he expected, Armin dipped his head in confirmation and smiled up at the titan, silently giving away that he had a solution to their current problem.

"Well, don't worry. I know just what to do." The boy beamed broadly. "Rogue – lead us to the biggest clearing you can find!"

* * *

Rogue blinked in wonder as he carried his precious human cargo upon his shoulders through the wood with his unexpected companions following close behind him. He had been walking for nearly an hour now, going extra slow for the ducks to keep up and be safe from his thunderous footfalls. He was heading for the largest and most secluded clearing he knew – one that was deep in the forest but had a clear view of the cerulean heavens. Like his cove, it was untouched by man with only the wildlife frequenting and residing among the branches, brambles, and dens. It was a quiet area that he often frequented to bathe in the suns rays – one of the only true places in the forest besides his cove that he was comfortable enough to expose himself without worry. It would be the perfect place to teach the ducks how to fly in whatever way Armin had devised. He couldn't help but wonder what the method was. It was certainly different from what he was trying to do by the way Armin supported it. He hoped it would be a success. Fall was upon the horizon and the deathly chills of winter would follow soon after. They had to hurry.

The titan's nostrils filled with the sweet aroma of honeysuckle – a plant that was abundant among the trunks of the trees, some that choked the bases of the pines and attracted birds whose wings were too fast for him to follow. It was always a pleasing scent to him, and it signaled that they were close to their destination. Emerald hues watched as the green began to thin out and open up into a wide patch of silky blades. The glade was as it always was, trees with all branches in tact even after the rain, a small pond, and the wall visible through the tops of the towering evergreens. Rogue took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the open air before exhaling a gentle stream of steam – a rare luxury that he savored every time he ventured into a slightly less sheltered area of his territory. A soft smile pulled at his skin cornering his lipless and skeletal maw. The place was perfect for the ducks to graduate to the sky.

"Is this it Rogue?" Mikasa calmly asked with the titan grunting in confirmation. The creature then carefully knelt to the earth and gently released his cargo to solid ground, keeping his lowered stance in wait for further instruction.

Armin rocked on his heels for a moment, nervously swinging his arms before looking up to the behemoth with an easy grin – bringing it to Rogue's attention that the small boy was leery about what they were to do. Upon sensing and seeing this, a knot formed within the titan's gut. He didn't have a good feeling about this. "Okay Rogue, here's how the ducks learn to fly. First off, have you seen baby birds learn how to fly?" Armin spoke, not pausing for the beast to answer. "Well, the mother pushes them out of the nest when ready. Ducks and other water foul learn by scaling a good sized ledge before leaping. You see where I'm heading Rogue? We need to get the ducks high into the air."

Rogue's hairless brows pinched together as he dipped his head slowly, understanding but not completely. **"ERR…TREEE?"**

The blonde shook his head. "No. Actually, so the ducks can have a clear path, you'll need to pick them up and toss them or push them off of your hand."

The titan's breath hitched at his little one's statement, letting out a huff of steam in a gasp. He had to toss them into the air! They could fall if they failed! Rogue quickly gave a disapproving growl, folding his arms childishly. Armin's nervousness made sense now.

"Rogue – I know it sounds dangerous, but it really isn't. It's nature. It's natural. It's their instinct. Trust me, it will work."

The titan stared long and hard at the young boy. His little one was usually never wrong about things. Perhaps it was true. Maybe this risky move was the answer to his predicament? Deciding to loosen up and trust the boy's words, Rogue slowly relaxed and nodded in compliance.

"Okay, just carefully pick one up Rogue and hold it to about the height of your chest. That should be enough distance."

The titan swallowed, the muscles in his neck quivering as he looked down at the ducks swarming around his feet. That height was awfully high and he was so incredibly uncomfortable. He had been the same way when his parents were trying to get him to pick them up. He was just so scared of dropping them and hurting him. Deep down, Rogue always feared such an outcome, unintentionally harming something would make him feel like a true monster. Physically and cosmetically, he was an unsightly beast – but he didn't want to become the definition of a monster. Rogue gulped for the umpteenth time, finally drawing up enough courage to gently go for one of the ducks. Seeing his palm as an open invitation to soak in the warmth, one of the mallards hopped into his hand and sat down. Rogue's ears wilted as he covered his palm with his free hand and gradually stood. For a moment, Rogue withered at the thought of what he was about to do before slowly uncovering his palm, unfurling his fingers and making his hand into a flat plain.

However, before he could wait for further instruction from his little one, the duck suddenly took off in the fastest sprint it could muster right for the edge that lead to the abyss. The titan let out a loud shriek and jerked in surprise. As a desperate attempt to stop the duck's impending death, Rogue reached a hand up to stop the horrible result.

But he was too late as the duck ran right through his fingers and began its plummet to the unforgiving earth, heading right for its demise with its wings flapping frantically.

The titan yelped again, trying to sweep a hand beneath the bird to at least cushion it's fall but he was too late. The duck suddenly began to change course – elevating upwards towards the sky.

It was flying.

The creature's jaw formed into a crooked and lopsided smile in joy as he watched his duck, a little frail creature that he raised so carefully, fly above the treetops and head for the wall. Below, his little ones cheered. Armin had been correct. He had nothing to fear. It was nature's way and he didn't neat to fret. Rogue let out a rumble in pleasure as he gathered the other ducks into his hand and stood – watching proudly as one by one they leaped off the sturdiness of his flesh and ascended into the sky, officially leaving his nest.

"See Rogue? You didn't need to be worried." Armin proved as the creature sat them onto his shoulder, the three watching as the ducks began to crest over the fifty meter wall with the titan's ears flickering in content.

"He was just scared like all mothers." Mikasa teased the behemoth who only rolled his eyes playfully and welcomed a pat to his neck.

They watched as the ducks disappeared over the wall into the land beyond, heading to warmer worlds to retreat from the unforgiving winter. Rogue gurgled softly, despite all the trouble he had gone through, it was worth it. He had been rewarded. Carla was right, being a parent was incredible. In fact, he wouldn't mind if he fell into the same situation again.

"You know," Armin began softly. "I really envy those ducks, but maybe one day we can go beyond the wall and explore the outside world for ourselves. We could see all those places that the book about the world tells about. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"It would." Mikasa muttered softly, leaning into the creature's neck as the trio fell into their daydreams.

" **OHHSEEN?"** Rogue asked, referring to the wondrous water that stretched as far as the eye could see. The boy nodded.

"Yeah Rogue, we could see the ocean, the fields of hot sand, the rainy forests, the rocky valleys, we could see it all one day. Maybe, sometime in the near future we'll get our own wings, take to the skies, and be free of this stone cage."

The titan purred in agreement, his lively eyes turning back to look upon the blue horizon. Yes, perhaps someday they could see the world, a much more forgiving one.

* * *

 

Sneak Peek of part 2!:

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, hope you all enjoyed this last bonus chapter. Next will be part 2!
> 
> Now, I briefly mentioned this before in a previous note, but I will be taking some time to come up with a full and complete storyline for part 2. I have the main points and events figured out as well as Rogue's past - all I have to do is put them in order and come up with what happens in between. As for the wait time for part 2, I would say about a minimum of three months or so. In fact before I wrote part one, I took the same amount of time planning it. This way, I can write and think of something that is quality and not just something that I'm shoving out quickly. Hope you guys understand!
> 
> Also, when I begin to upload part 2, expect updates every two months. I say this because it is very likely that I will be getting a job as a character sculptor for a gaming company pretty soon! (In fact, I've been working on a project for them this past month that took my time)
> 
> In the meantime, I'll be writing some of the main parts and I'll be making some illustrations that you can check out on my da or tumblr (same user name I have here)
> 
> Oh, and if you see this chapter on AO3, it will have another sneak peek at part 2!
> 
> Again, hope you all understand and stay tuned!


	21. Part 2: Chapter 21: Amiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two months after The Female's Titan's assault on Stohess, Rogue's life is steadily changing. He's become a celebrity among the public and thus well perceived. However, there is trouble in the shadows that the Scouts cannot ignore. The titan also begins to learn more about himself and his abilities.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead! lol I deeply apologize for the long time between updates. I was rather busy with a few work related things and other life instances. Not only that but it took me some time to plan parts of this fic. I was also waiting to see how the current arch of the manga was going to end since I plan to conclude part 2 there.  
> One thing I need to establish here right now is that there are no such things as titan shifters in this fic. Just a few 'species' of intelligent titans.
> 
> But now here is the very first chapter of Rogue Part 2!
> 
> Synopsis: Two months after The Female's Titan's assault on Stohess, Rogue's life is steadily changing. He's become a celebrity among the public and thus well perceived. However, there is trouble in the shadows that the Scouts cannot ignore. The titan also begins to learn more about himself and his abilities.
> 
> STAY TUNED AFTER THIS CHAPTER FOR IMPORTANT INFO CONCERNING FUTURE CHAPTERS.

Chapter 21

Amiss

Particles of dust floated around in the air, appearing like flickering fireflies with the light coming through the windows of the large room. A long and extravagant looking table stood dignified in the center with a velvety table runner laying neatly across it. Shelves on the wall were lined with records while other areas were less than orderly. In the corner, a trash pail contained wrinkled pieces of paper that were poorly covering up several empty bottles of whiskey and beer – a sight that was a visual peek into what the Military Police indulged upon behind closed doors and away from the public eye. Overall, the room needed attention and it was likely that it wasn't used quite often. In all honesty, he would rather rise from his seat and clean as opposed to spending his time to wait seated in a chair. Icy blues trailed to a rather expensive looking grandfather clock in the corner, seeing that it was already a half hour past noon. The meeting or rather appointment was supposed to be at midday, giving the Corporal the indication that they were late.

In irritation and combined with his current lack of patience, Levi's eyes drifted to the window to observe the present cityscape of Stohess. In the past two months since The Female Titan breached the wall in a desperate attempt to tangle with Rogue, the district had been steadily rebuilding both physically and in a mental sense. The ruins of burned and obliterated structures destroyed by the titans' quarrel were gradually being rebuilt. The citizens themselves from aristocrats to young children were starting to get over what occurred that tragic and overwhelming day. Not only did they have to endure the horrible sight of two clashing titans, but also the losses of family members and friends – the people learning to accept and cope with both.

For the months passed, the Scouts had been adjusting as well. With the appearance of The Female Titan, the Legion had grown aware that something was looming just in the shadows. They had all heard her words and felt that their worries were for reason. They were on their toes, knowing that there were other threats coming, lurking, and waiting. Hange herself had been hard at work trying to decode the DNA of The Female through the revolting bile of the titan pellets passed by Rogue – a process that he himself didn't care to see until there were results. Then there was the titan himself. After he had awoken for the first time since battle, Rogue was given a short amount of time to get his bearings back in order. Besides Hange trying to extract DNA, she was actually beginning to study and experiment on Rogue in light of his new and incredibly frightening ability. Levi actually felt himself shutter in the slightest at the mere thought of such. At the time that Rogue had gone berserk, he felt as if he was seeing the devil himself ignited in hellfire with unbridled rage. A true monster at work and his slaughter was horrifying. Since then, Hange had been trying to study Rogue's blood to find out more about the titan's body and how such an ability could be triggered – and used efficiently. To the day, they knew little to nothing.

Suddenly the door to the room creaked open, the quiet and somewhat peaceful mood instantly shifting to a much tenser one. Levi instantly left his thoughts and forced his attention on the other end of the room, standing to salute at who entered. It was a collection of people who made him uncomfortable. There was two seasoned MP's along with Premier Zackley who wore an impassive face – an expression that he couldn't truly decipher. They were also in the company of what looked to be the district mayor of Stohess – a plump middle aged man that had a face that looked as if he had never let out so much as a chuckle in his life. Levi dreaded this particular official's presence. The man would mostly ramble on about damage costs and other things he didn't care to address or hear. It wasn't that they couldn't pay the substantial fee; after all they did have The Female Titan's diamond shard that would fetch them a pretty penny. If anything, the Scouts were more uneasy about sharing their suspicions.

Of course, the one person that had grabbed Levi's full attention was none other than Erwin. The Commander of the Scouts himself was guided into the room by the two MP's in handcuffs – the man having been in prison since he took the fall for the destruction that Rogue brought upon Stohess during the battle with The Female. In the dim light, Erwin looked worn thin – stretched to his limit with the shadows only emphasizing his features. The Commander looked as if he had aged five years in a two month's span of time. The man's cheeks had sunken in the slightest – making his strong cheekbones a bit sharper. Erwin's eyes looked to have dark circles residing beneath them and his normally well-groomed hair was rather unkempt – looking though as if his blonde hair had been through the mercy of a gale and needed a good washing. Stubble decorated his chin for the man was more than likely not allowed to have a good shave while being in the iron pen. The Commander's simple white shirt and brown pants fit him loosely, suggesting that the man had certainly lost quite a bit of weight. Erwin's wrists were bruised and scratched from the handcuffs clasped tightly around them. Levi felt a spark of frustration swell in his gullet. The Military police probably treated the man as if he were a beast instead of human, knowing very well that Erwin had made the sacrifice needed to keep the titan out of the MP's vile hands.

With stern frowns of dislike remaining upon their faces, the two MP's began to undo Erwin's cuffs, the blonde letting out a sigh of great liberation as he rubbed his battered wrists. The two soldiers then began to make their way out of the room but not without muttering that they 'couldn't believe that such a man stuck out his neck for a titan' before shutting the door. Zackley then cleared his throat and took a seat at the end of the table, taking a moment to get settled and pulling out a notebook and rolling up his sleeves before gesturing to the others with a simple wave of his hand.

"You three take your seats. We have some things to discuss."

The Corporal quickly followed the man's order, seating himself with the Mayor across from him and Erwin adjacent to him at the end of the table. For a few seconds, it was silent until Zackley let out a vexed sigh.

"Now, as you may know, we are here to discuss the incident two months ago at Stohess as well as the financial income needed to repair the damages. Mayor Ekhel, if you would, please inform and address the Scouts of the funds needed."

Levi felt himself bite the inside of his cheek as the man pulled out his own documents before looking up from beneath his fleshy brows to stare heavily at the Commander and Corporal. "Two months ago, the Stohess District was victim to a titan attack that involved The Rogue Titan as well as a titan that appeared to be female. There were a total of sixty-seven deaths and approximately seventy injured. The damages to the city include much of the southern side that sustained most of the damages from fire and total demolition. The city's downtown also received similar damages as well. After thorough research it was determined that Stohess received a total of three million gold pieces in damages. This amount has been verified by the council and the King. The payment is due at the end of the month with no exceptions and no extensions are allotted." The man paused, looking up from his notes to stare at them with utter loathing and seriousness. Levi was able to detect an inward smile worn by the man, obviously thinking he had them. If it was one thing that most political figures were in Sina, is that they firmly were against the Scouts as a whole – all due to money reasons. They wanted nothing more but to see the Scouting Legion disbanded. Of course, Levi was wearing an invisible smirk, knowing just how they were going to get the Mayor's goat.

"I'm very glad to inform you that we already have your payment ready Mr. Ekhel." Erwin educated, still keeping his solid tone and commanding façade. Much to Levi's amusement, the plump man's level exterior instantly switched to a state of befuddlement – brows raising so much that the Corporal could actually see the man's top eyelid.

"W…what? You have the payment for the damages in full?" He stuttered. "You couldn't possibly have that in cash on you!"

Erwin folded his arms. "You are correct. We don't have that in cash."

The mayor raised a brow. "Then what sort of currency are you talking about?" He demanded, giving Levi his cue.

"Rare gemstone." He spoke simply, obviously catching the man off guard as he pulled out the necessary documents that Erwin had requested of him.

Ekhel sat back in his seat, brows now narrowing in disbelief. "Gemstone? Really? What gem could possibly cover your costs!"

Levi sighed in irritation through his nose and pulled out more important documentation. "Diamond, sir. A rather different type to be exact that sets our gem at a different tier than the common diamond."

"A different type of diamond!" The man nearly laughed. "I've never heard of such a thing! What could you have possibly come into possession of? Diamonds are only available to harvest in Sina I'll have you know!"

The Corporal kept his composure. "The diamond the we have come into contact with is something that is highly dangerous and deadly to obtain and come by. I'm talking about something we have dubbed as Titan Diamond."

Ekhel crossed his arms to rest upon his rounded belly. "Titan Diamond?"

"Yes." Levi continued as he reached into his jacket's inner pocket and pulled out a small shard that they had managed to acquire and slid it across the table to the mayor. "Titan Diamond is the product of a rare species of titan and their ability to harden parts of their skin. It is created through a rapid sweating process that contains the particles of diamonds as well as a titan's flesh." The Corporal educated with the Mayor looking at the shard in awe, transfixed by its surprising elegance – the light from the window reflecting across every face of the bluish gem. "We have already verified the legitimacy from a jeweler right here in Sina." Levi passed the man the certificate of authenticity. "The nearly one-hundred-pound gem was valued at over six million." Levi nearly chuckled, as he proceeded to watch the man's greed coax him into their presentation. "I'm pretty sure this will cover the damages and provide extra funds. Hell, I'm pretty sure many of you pigs here in Sina would fancy wearing jewels that came from the might of a titan. It's the same luxury of wearing fine and exotic furs of animals – except you're wearing the skin of the king of beasts. What's more, is that currently the shard is the only one you'll be able to get." Levi pressed, knowing that the Survey Corps were keeping a large amount stored away for emergencies. "Right now, the funds are on their way to the district's deposit box as we speak. So, as we stated, the payment has already been fulfilled and taken care of Mayor Ekhel." Levi concluded, icy blues shifting to the Commander.

"Is there anything else you need to address with my Corporal and I, Mr. Ekhel?" Erwin queried, still keeping the same tone.

For a moment, the man was silent, eyes scanning the documents provided and glancing at the stone in hand before looking back to the Commander. "No sir, I have nothing else to ask of you." The man concluded with Zackley nodding, interlacing his fingers as he rested his arms upon the table.

"If that is the case Mayor Ekhel you are now dismissed from this meeting." The Premier requested with the man getting up from his seat and quickly exiting the room with Levi noticing the Mayor slipping the small shard into his pocket as he closed the door behind him. The mood in the room seemed to instantly change into a much darker one as Zackley then focused his attention upon them, brows slightly narrowed and mouth in a firm grim line. "Now for the real reason why I called the two of you to this meeting today." He began ominously, the room dimming a little more as a cloud passed over the sun. "Before I lead into this, I want the two of you to tell only the truth. No lies. Do I have your word?"

Knowing this was it and they would have to give up everything they knew, both Levi and Erwin gave in to a single dip of their head.

"Remember, if you lie, you are doing so straight to my face which would bring a heavy penalty." Zackley went on, no sense of nonsense laden within his voice.

"We will tell nothing but the truth, sir." Erwin assured. "That's all we want to tell you now that we have a chance to speak with you in private with no interruptions." The Commander pressed, Levi knowing good and well that the last sentence was directed toward Nile's absence – which they were thankful for. All the Commander of the Military Police would do was interrupt and threaten with treason while completely ignoring the seriousness of the matter at hand.

Zackley was quiet for a moment before he gave a nod in return and opened a file that contained what looked to be written statements and other documents. "Now, two months ago, Stohess was breached by a titan that Rogue Jaeger intercepted and eventually killed. You stated to me as well as the court that this titan was after Rogue over a territorial dispute. However, after careful observation including witness accounts, we believe this is false. Commander, the titan – the sex was female wasn't it?"

"Yes." Erwin answered, Levi knowing exactly where the Premier was heading.

"Alright then. So instead of a territory dispute, this was a mating thing wasn't it? According to a professor here in Stohess, some females of certain species travel great distances in order to find their preferred mate. Some females of the species also do serious harm or even kill the male in the mating process as well. Tell me, is this true? Was this instance due to The Female Titan's need for a mate?"

"No." Erwin responded quickly, catching the man off guard. "It's a much more serious reason than that."

Zackley rose a brow at the Commander's blunt statement. "And what would that be?"

For a moment it was silent in the room except for the clock's taunting ticking sounding from the room's corner. Levi braced himself for how the Premier would take what they had to dish out next. There was no telling how the man would react the news.

"As you know," Erwin began solidly. "The Female Titan holds a great deal of intelligence. She was able to plot against us as well as being able to communicate through speech – although much less developed than our ability to do so but being far better at communicating words than Rogue. The Female Titan referred to Rogue as 'Coordinate' and claimed that she 'failed a mission' upon her defeat." The Commander informed with Zackley sitting up in his seat at the news.

"This titan could speak as well?" The Premier suddenly paused, looking up at the ceiling in thought before turning his focus back onto them. "What do you think she meant by Coordinate?"

"Sir, we firmly believe that The Female Titan was referring to some sort of alpha status of Rogue. We have noticed that he seems to have the ability to actually be able to order other normal and common titans to back away or command them to attack."

At Erwin's words, Levi watched as Zackley nearly stood from his seat, brows arched and jaw slightly slack. "You mean Rogue Jaeger has the ability to –

"Yes." The Commander interrupted. "We believe that The Female Titan was trying to defeat Rogue to gain the authority he has." Erwin stopped, letting out a heavy sigh and losing his imposing stature for the first time the meeting started. Levi swallowed, likely knowing what was to be put onto the table next. "Sir, there is actually another thing that has developed with Rogue. As you know, he has some sort of amnesia and cannot remember anything before his time in Maria, his DNA even suggests that he is from some other region entirely. Recently however, Rogue has been starting to have brief flashbacks of his earlier life. Granted, it's just fragments, bits and pieces. But there was enough to give us an idea that Rogue had most likely encountered The Female Titan in his past and engaged in combat with her then." Erwin paused with Levi watching as Zackley absorbed every word. "This is what we know now."

Zackley remained unspoken, watching the cubes of ice in an undrunk glass of tea bob like boats in a river before letting out a long and prolonged sigh. "I see." The Premier paused, still staring off into thought.

Levi was discreetly in a state of bewilderment. He expected for Erwin to share his suspicions about The Female Titan's very possible relationship with the other two titans in question. It caught him off guard, but from his experience, Erwin was never someone to be doubted. The man had to know something.

"Well then, what of Rogue's ability that was reported during the battle?" Zackley suddenly began again – changing the topic. "Corporal, from what I understand, you witnessed it firsthand did you not?"

For a moment, Levi remained slightly stunned at the change before nodding. "Yes, Rogue's new ability is something that we've called 'Berserk Mode.' In this state, his body temperature rises substantially to the point where flames erupt from his pores. He changes a lot cosmetically. His skin gets darker and his veins glow red hot beneath it. His teeth and claws sharpen and his eyes practically glow a blinding blue. In this state – he is much more feral and much stronger. He fights like an absolute – monster." Levi paused, recalling the moment where he had felt chills the first time he had seen the display. "According to Hange Zoe, we believe that these 'deviant' type titans have abilities unique to their breed. This Berserk Mode is Rogue's while the Hardening of the skin ability is unique to The Female Titan."

"The Female Titan's hardening ability – that is where the Titan Diamond came from, correct?"

Levi nodded. "Yes."

"Tell me more about Rogue's ability." Zackley requested as he took the first sip of tea he had since the meeting began.

"Well," Levi dithered. "When Rogue himself is in this state, like I said, he's completely feral. He didn't seem to recognize anyone except Ackerman and Arlert. He completely succumbs to rage. He's a wild animal. He practically tortured The Female Titan before devouring most of her until his belly was fit to bursting. When he ran out of steam, he collapsed and was asleep for days. When he woke up, he had no memory of the event. We have not tried to bring about his ability again since the event of Stohess."

Zackley hummed to himself, tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling in thought yet again before focusing his gaze back to the two men. "Do you think this is something that you could train Rogue Jaeger to control?"

The query caught Levi off guard. "Well, it's something that we hope we can. It would be very effective in battle, but we are not sure."

"I see. I ask this because the government has heard of this display of Rogue's power and requested that you train Rogue to use this ability to the efficiency level of The Female Titan's ability – doing it by will rather than by accident." Zackley hesitated, folding his arms, obviously not fond of what he was being forced to say. "They have declared that Rogue needs to learn to control his ability before you take any further expeditions into Wall Maria."

Erwin sat up at this as Levi's brows narrowed. The Commander then rested his chin into his hands all the while his elbows lay upon the table, clearly not fond of the government's decision. The Corporal didn't blame him. At a time like this, the hold on any missions was catastrophic. It was certainly news that they didn't want to hear. For several tense and agonizing minutes, it was silent among the three. If he could, Levi would have stepped out of the room to let out a slew of curses.

"As far as the investigation goes on who assaulted Rogue on your land," Zackley spoke up, changing the subject. "We haven't been able to uncover anything of value. Any lead or tip we received turned out to be a dead end. We're still working on it though in the meantime."

Levi only nodded at the more unfortunate news, biting his tongue in irritation. "Shit." He muttered beneath his breath. He knew that the matter was not to be taken lightly nor was it something to be forgotten. The assailants knew what they were doing with the use of iron bamboo bullets. The Scouts had a bad feeling about the incident. Really bad.

"As far as positive news goes, I did approve for Rogue to travel into cities and other military facilities under supervision by either you two or another Section Commander. From what I understand, Rogue is quite the celebrity now." The Premier chuckled in the slightest, giving in to the first bit of humor Levi had ever seen from the stern and serious man. It was uncanny.

Indeed, during the past time since the brawl and victory, Rogue's popularity among much of humanity had spiked – most of the attention thankfully being positive. The people of Katness that was home to many refugees including those from Trost, practically worshiped him. There had been visitation requests and even proposals to have the titan as a mascot for a brand of vodka as well as sculptors wanting to erect statues of him – which the Scouts agreed to. Yes, Rogue was certainly a superstar. Of course, there was always those who thought Rogue to be a nuisance, but the good outweighed the bad which eased the Scouting Legion's nerves in the slightest.

"Yeah, he's quite popular."

"I'm sure your headquarters received the approval this morning." Zackley continued. "Well, I believe that concludes our meeting. I hope you have a safe journey back to Wall Rose Commander and Corporal. In the meantime, we'll stay vigilant and continue our investigation. Good day to the two of you."

With Zackley standing from his chair, Levi and Erwin instantly got to their feet and saluted, watching the Premier give them a final nod before exiting without another word. Not speaking to one another, Levi led Erwin from the room. Even as they passed soldiers in the hall that would glance at them, they remained in their own shells – simply staring forward. After walking painstakingly through the Military Police's headquarters, the two men finally exited the front of the building where a carriage was waiting for them. The Commander and Corporal only thanked the driver, a scrawny young man that the Scouts often hired to chauffeur them to meetings in Sina or into town, as he opened the door for them to enter the snug little cabin with leather lined seats and curtains over the windows. Once inside, the door was sealed and there was a gentle tug as the carriage started off down the brick street, signaling that they were truly alone and could talk without a soul eavesdropping.

Levi exhaled roughly, still irritated at the government's declaration, but there was something that was troubling him even more so. "Erwin?"

The blonde took his attention away from peeking out of the closed curtain at the Corporal's voice – the serious look replacing his expression of relief. It was highly likely Erwin knew what he was about to say. "Yes, Levi?"

"Why didn't you tell Zackley about our suspicions with the titan bitch possibly having relations to the other two skinless bastards? I'm not a genius, but that seemed pretty fucking important. Did you have some sort of suspicion or something?" He asked bluntly, observing as Erwin sat impossibly straight in his seat even as the carriage went over a rough spot in the road.

"The reason why is that I believe Zackley was already aware of the possibility and has been for some time. His body language during the conversation makes me think so even more than I did before."

"Really?" Levi folded a leg over his other one and crossed his arms – a stance that he often took when he was irritated or uneasy. He wasn't sure which of the two he was currently.

Erwin nodded. "Yes. I believe that Zackley has probably had the thought since The Female Titan's attack on Stohess two months ago. I believe he's been keeping that idea a secret and it is rather evident as to why."

"So why has he been keeping his mouth shut instead of informing Nile?"

The man's face only seemed to harden further at the question. "Obviously, Zackley doesn't want the government to know. It's Nile's job to report to the king, and knowing King Fritz, he'll figure that the best way of ridding the problem is disposing of Rogue. Zackley knows good and well as much as we do that Rogue is our strongest soldier and greatest weapon. He's humanity's spear and shield. If he's exterminated – we stand no chance in hell in winning this war let alone surviving. That's most likely why he's kept his mouth shut." Erwin paused, blue hues slowly adverting to his dirty and cheap shoes that he had to endure wearing. "There is a small chance The Female Titan's mission that she mentioned may have just been a self-appointed one. She claimed herself to be a 'Warrior' but since she knew the human language it's likely she could have just caught it in passage and decided that was what she was. Rogue's brief memories were triggered by The Female even though he has seen the other two titans before. As of now, since Rogue is showing no signs that he remembers the Armored or Colossal, we can't rule out this theory either. Still – the other seems more likely Levi. I don't think anything is a mere coincidence anymore." The Commander paused, blue eyes feeling as if they were searing into him. "What I do know, is that there is a storm coming and it's coming from perhaps more than one direction."

**(POV SWAP)**

"Rogue! Could you stop wiggling your ears for one second!"

The titan purred at his little ones' chiding, teasingly fluttering his tapered ears again for his own amusement. The day was certainly a fine one. It was on the brink of autumn when the leafy greens were starting to change in tint. It was sunny without a cloud in the sky and the humidity was practically non-existent. Rogue always loved the particular time of year. It was perhaps the most comfortable for him and it was amusing to see all the small creatures hurry to fatten themselves up for the coming winter months. It was absolutely lovely.

Today however was a very special day for him. Rogue was boiling over in excitement. It was the first day he was allowed to go to the city. Granted, he had to wear his collar and there were quite a few rules, but he was going nonetheless! From what he understood, the Scouts had been working very hard for him to be able to go with them to Katness and other places and he was incredibly thankful that they did. He had always wanted to go to town with his little ones and look at the great deal of human things. The only times he had ever been through cities were for instances where the Scouts were just passing through with no time to stop. But now, he was finally able to get one of his wishes fulfilled. Armin had said that one of the reasons why they had been working hard for him to come to the city was the fact that he was what they called a 'celebrity' now; meaning that many people were very fond of him and practically worshiped him. He certainly wasn't used to such positive praise outside the Scouts. Two of the three reasons why they were going to town today was that something called a 'brewery' wanted him as a 'mascot' for a product and that someone wanted him to pose for them so they could erect a statue in his honor. The other reason why he was going out his family hadn't debriefed on with him yet, but they did say that it would be quite fun and he was really going to be helpful.

Hange had also said that his improvements and what she had lovingly dubbed as 'good boy' behavior also earned them permission to take him along. In the past two months, he had been working hard. Rogue was doing well in his intelligence courses. He was speaking a little bit better, using improved sentence structure which made him easier to understand. He could write his name with confidence now and he had even learned how to write his babies' names as well as a few of his favorite family members'. His reading was getting better, too. He had actually learned how to read a simple children's book. Granted, it was a book created for human infants with two to three words a page and only had about eight pages total, but it was still a book! His other more combat oriented skills were also improving. Levi had been teaching him new moves and how to perfect his current ones. He was also leaning techniques that he had never heard of as well. He was very proud of himself!

"Since we'll be there in a few minutes everyone, Armin and Mikasa – could you two go over the rules again with Rogue? You know how he is when he's excited!" Hange requested and teased from down below. Unlike his babies who were perched upon his shoulders, Hange rode on horseback a few meters before them. She led the way along with another veteran soldier, Nanaba. In the two months that had gone by, the titan had gotten to know Nanaba quite well. She was fair, soft-spoken, and was incredibly kind to him. When he was still living in the hells of titan infested Wall Maria, he had watched her often when she went up against his kin. Nanaba was swift on her invisible wings and very skilled and often showed interest when the Scouts had been observing him for the first time rather than having a sense of apprehension in her gut like many of the others did. Admittedly, he mistook her for a male when he first gazed upon her, tricked by her short blonde haircut, but of course he never told her about his confusion on the matter. He liked her company. Along with Hange, Levi, Mike, and Erwin – Nanaba was the other available superior that was required to accompany him to the cities and beyond. Today, for the particular excursion, it was just his little ones, Hange, Nanaba, and himself – the other members of the 104th stuck doing chores that the Corporal ordered them to do before his return from Sina. As much as he favored the company of his superiors, he did hope that one day he could go wherever he pleased with his babies. That included the outside world.

"Alright Rogue, here are the rules that you must follow okay?" Armin began with his blue eyes looking at him in what the titan was able to determine as sternness and reinforcement. "The first rule is to always stay with us. No wandering off. Keep vigilant and keep with the group." Armin began with Rogue giving an enthused nod in return. "No taking things that aren't yours. There are lots of shops that sell things where we are going. People pay money for things at shops so taking things without paying is stealing, Rogue. You cannot do that. We know very well that you like to take things for your collection, but it's different here. You will get in trouble if you steal." The blonde teen continued to explain with the beast giving a small dip of his head to assure that he was listening. "The third rule is that you can talk but no swearing." Armin put forth with the titan nodding, knowing very well that the vast majority of humans now knew that he could speak due to the event in Sina. "Rule number four is to watch where you step of course even though we are only going along the wide paths. Number five is try not to touch and sniff a lot of people. Unfortunately, there are still some that get the wrong idea about you. You can only observe a person if they approach and want to have a look at you. Overall Rogue, you just need to behave yourself." Armin smiled at him with Rogue giving an elated trill in reply.

"Oh yes!" Hange chuckled. "Rogue is a good boy so I don't think we'll need to worry about our own celebrity! My! He's got quite a full schedule today! We'll be meeting the two artists as well as a journalist who's looking to publish an article with an interview from Rogue himself!"

The titan tilted his head at the mention, not entirely sure what Hange meant. " **INNTRREEIIW? AHHT IISS INNTRREIEWW HAANGE? AHHTT ISS AANN ARRRTIICLLE?"** Bright greens looked at her awaiting an answer, but instead gaining the attention of Nanaba.

"An article Rogue, is a writing that's put in the thing that we call a newspaper. The newspaper is like many pages of a book without the cover and it contains news and stories that many copies go all over the walls so people can read it. Interviews are when one person asks another person a series of questions about their life, what they like, what's their favorite thing to do and so on. The interview is then published in the newspaper for all to read." The veteran beaned back to him. "You understand Rogue?"

As complex as it sounded, the behemoth dipped his head and let a quiet rumble slip through his teeth as confirmation. How interesting! He was going to be interviewed and many people would read his words! The mere fact made the titan walk with a bit more gusto, head held proudly and humming in rhythm from deep in his chest. His reaction enticed several giggles.

"Yeah, the interview was last minute, we sort of squeezed it into the schedule you could say!" Hange continued to humor them with Nanaba nodding and clearing her throat to start again.

"Afterwards we are heading to the Trainee Grounds over in Galhaut. The five of us Scouts are going to help out with a few exercises today. Rogue especially."

The beast blinked in surprise. Armin had told him once that he and Mikasa were trainees – those that were in training to be either a Scout, Garrison, or an MP. They were the soldiers with blades upon their backs and also called cadets on occasion. His little ones had only hinted around about the last place they were going on their excursion. But he had a pretty good idea what he was going to help with. He could only feel his excitement growing.

Today was going to be great, his heart fluttering in his chest as the city of Katness came upon the horizon.

After several minutes of him grunting in anticipation, did they finally make it to the western entrance of Katness. It wasn't as grand as the southern entrance that humans once used to come and go from Maria that was now only used by the Scouts when they left upon their expeditions. The architecture had gone from simple farm houses to stone and brick buildings bordered by cobblestone streets. To his left was what Armin told him was a 'fabric store' where humans bought cloth to make the things called 'clothes' to drape over their bodies. It was one thing that Rogue didn't fully understand as to why humans didn't just walk around bare like him. According to Mikasa, most males and females knew what one another looked like so it was a constant query at the back of his head questioning why they bothered. On his right was what looked to some sort of building that contained things that he often smelt like many of the things that came from the castle's kitchen and the nearby farms. In the front of it were baskets that contained objects like what his little ones called vegetables and fruits; items like beans and potatoes that he often saw growing in the Scouts' garden and what he was sure was apples by their smell. There looked to be other establishments as well that served different purposes, but the titan was more focused on the humans that were present. They had stopped tending to their usual activities upon hearing and feeling his thunderous steps to look up at him in surprise. Their faces were bewildered, stunned. Weren't they expecting him? Were these some of the few humans that didn't like him as much as the others?

"The Rogue Titan?" A woman questioned, with an apple she was still examining for purchase in hand as she stared at him. "I didn't know the Scouts were bringing him along today."

A child pointed excitedly, turning to look back at his mother with nothing but elation upon his face. "Look! It's the Rogue!"

"They brought The Rogue Titan today?"

"Look! He's here!"

The shopkeeper selling the apples laughed. "Well of course! Didn't you hear? Today is the day The Rogue Titan was approved to enter civilian territory. They plan to make a statue of him to honor humanity's first victory against the titans."

"I also heard that the new brewery wants to have him as the face of their company."

"The Rogue Titan is here?"

Feeling that the vibe was a welcoming one, the titan formed a lopsided and friendly smile upon his malformed face, letting a loud trill leave his chest. His beaming was instantly contagious no matter how unnaturally odd it was, everyone donning a grin of their own in return. Rogue then placed his attention upon Hange and Nanaba who were currently speaking with two Garrison soldiers who had come to meet their party. One of them was a young female whose hair tone confused him. It appeared nearly as silver as a blade like that of an elderly person, yet it looked to be a strange shade of blonde – platinum almost. Like Hange she wore glasses but like Levi she seemed rather serious but had a larger range of emotion, reserved was the best way to describe her. The other was a tall male who looked rather quirky, face formed into a laid back smile. He was an adult as opposed to the other that looked as if she were a teenager. Like his Armin, he had blonde hair but unlike the teen it was short. The man had a scruffy chin and the titan could smell the hint of alcohol upon his person. Overall, he did look a bit easier for one to speak to as opposed to the other soldier. He kept quiet and awaited any order as Hange and Nanaba dismounted their horses and shook the two Garrison's hands, smiling broadly in greeting.

"Greetings Section Commanders Hange and Nanaba, you're right on schedule." The silver haired woman gestured with her lips up in a small grin but with her body language still tight like a firm grip. The older male merely laughed with his hand gesturing up at the beast.

"Ah! The Rogue Titan himself!" He chuckled. "It's incredible to finally be able to see him up close! He's marvelous, fierce looking indeed!" He exclaimed in a relaxed tone that made a warmth grow in the megalith's chest. Hange nodded in obvious agreement.

"That's true! He's a handsome titan, but don't let that intimidating mug fool you for Rogue is actually quite the teddy bear and lovable lunk." The woman humored as she turned to the waiting titan. "Rogue my dear, lower yourself to join us! I want to introduce you to these two Garrison soldiers!" Hange practically sang in a merry tune.

Giving a quick nod to comply to the order that he had been given, Rogue made sure that his little ones were snug before beginning to carefully lower himself to his knees – being extra mindful of the nearby buildings. Once he was seated, Rogue leaned over with his ears fluttering before facing forward attentively, eager to listen as usual when he was being introduced to someone new.

"You three, this is Rico Berzenzka." The scientist gestured to the woman who simply dipped her head in greeting, looking almost proud it seemed. "I know that you've met Armin and Mikasa during the retaking of Trost briefly."

Rico nodded. "Yes, I met them when my squad was helping them clear the path for Rogue. I must say, they are great additions to the Scouts."

"Oh yes! We are definitely happy to have their talents! Not to mention, without them revealing their secret – we would never be in this wonderful position that we are now." Nanaba quickly agreed with Hange giggling in excitement as usual.

"Now this man here is Mr. Hannes, he's the one who enlightened us about the three of your connections to one another while we were still trying to capture Rogue in Maria."

Rogue's eyes instantly widened at the statement along with his passengers' as he understood what Hannes meant previously. The man had seen and remembered him during the breach? Upon hearing the hitch in his little one's breaths, Rogue registered that they seemed surprised at the confession as well.

"You mean – you saw us at the time of the breach?" Armin questioned, still sounding significantly flabbergasted. Hannes nodded charismatically.

"Yup! I was there to witness practically the whole thing! I saw The Rogue charge past us from his forest and past our soldiers – giving us the bird for firing upon him. In absolute awe by his abnormal actions, I trailed him through the chaos of Shiganshina to watch as he saved the two of you and tear apart a ten-meter titan like it was made of paper!" Hannes continued to explain excitedly, chuckling a bit with his body language and attitude suggesting he had a drink recently. However, even though he spoke of the titan's feat like it was a tale from the greatest adventure book, Rogue couldn't feel the same way. The soldier's words just brought back horrible memories – particularly of the very moment when his dear Carla and Grisha were eaten right in front of him. His heart dropped down to his stomach, ears wilting a bit. That was one memory that he would love to forget but couldn't for it was his drive and motivation to aid humanity in the war against his kin. Knowing her well and able to sense her change in aura, Rogue could tell that Mikasa's mind was being haunted as well.

"So – you saw everything?" Mikasa spoke quietly, her voice obviously more restrained. He could tell that she was dismayed like him, but judging by Hannes's façade he could easily determine that the man wasn't intending to make them upset. He was just so passionate that he had overlooked at just how they might feel. The others aside from Hannes seemed to notice the change as well.

"Ah yes!" He nodded. "I witnessed everything and –

However, the man suddenly stopped himself, scratching his head a bit and obviously backtracking. It was quiet for a few brief moment of unease until Hannes perked up again. "Anyway, so how about that introduction Miss Zoe?" He began on a different subject, clearly recognizing his error.

"Oh! Ah yes! I think we veered a bit off track! Allow me to formerly introduce Mikasa Ackerman, who graduated first in her class as well as Armin Arlert who had some of the highest written test scores in the trainees' history. And the titan himself is Rogue Jaeger – the infamous Rogue Titan!" Hange gestured to the three of them.

Sensing that was his cue, the creature smiled once again and let out a loud purr. " **ELLO! NICCEEE TTOOO… NNEETTT YUUUU!"** Rogue returned the greeting, his voiced words making the two Garrison soldiers take an impressed stance and shocking some of the nearby spectators who immediately began to giggle and whisper to one another. Hannes himself broke into a laugh while Rico simply nodded.

"So the papers and rumors were correct. He can speak." Rico assessed.

The tall blonde continued to chortle. "Pretty incredible! He speaks rather well too for a titan."

Rogue couldn't help but beam at the complement. If it was one thing, he was always self-conscious about it was his voice and the ability to form words. He remembered Dr. Jaeger examining him and saying that it was a wonder he could talk at all. Hange stated same thing upon one of her exams with him. Apparently, one of the 'cords' in his throat was malformed and thus rendered it completely useless. It didn't help much that he didn't have lips either. Compared to The Female titan who's tone and speech sounded almost like that of a human, his wasn't up to par. His voice was somewhat deep and raspy and it was impossible for him to pronounce some letters, but he was still very happy that he could convey words to those he loved no matter how strange they sounded. So hearing how well he was doing always made his heart flutter.

"Well anyways, Hannes and I are here to personally escort you to the square and help keep the walkway fairly clear for you. We are also there to handle anyone that may intrude on your business."

"Sounds good." Nanaba thanked the young woman with Hannes nodding and putting his hands together in a single clap with enthusiasm.

"Ah! Well it was nice to finally meet the infamous Rogue and the Titan Children in person and in such close proximity! It's an honor if I don't say so myself!" Hannes carried on his mirth before turning his back to them and waving them onward. "Now, shall we get going?"

* * *

"Look! It's him!"

"It's The Rogue Titan!"

"Oh goodness! Look who the Scouts brought with them today!"

"Well! What do you know! It's The Rogue!"

All around the traveling party were the more than curious spectators who watched the team make their way down one of the market districts. Almost like ducklings, they were following them close behind and would line up in clusters upon the side of the walk. Of course, Rogue wasn't paying too much attention to them. If he could use a phrase to describe himself at the moment, he would refer to 'a kid in a candy store' as Armin often said. Everything around him was a feast for the eyes! He could barely contain any excitement whatsoever. The titan's ears were constantly fluttering and rotating to listen to every sound and express his sheer fervor. A chorus of grunts and rumbles repeatedly left him as he observed his surroundings as they lumbered along. There was so many things to look at! So many different colors! So many scents to distinguish!

"Look!" Children pointed as he paraded by, nearly pulling their parents along. "Look at him!"

"He's here!"

Rogue couldn't help his synch of childlike intrigue. Along with his ears, his head was often swiveling about, forcing his little ones to grip his collar rather than any strand of hair or the cartilage of his ears. The titan's nostrils flared as he continued to analyze the smells that were no doubt the scents of food – exotic delicacies that he never caught whiff of when the Scouts settled down for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There was something that smelled spicy and fried, something insanely sweet, and something that smelled like a milky broth. Rogue exhaled, purring in pleasure as he proceeded to follow his superiors and look around eagerly. With each second that passed, his excitement only grew.

Turning his head again to look at a human flapping cloth out the window, his little ones struggled against his neck at the sharp and sudden movement, gripping the thick leather collar strongly and grunting in surprise. "Rogue – take it easy bud! Remember, don't get too excited. Follow the rules okay?" Armin chuckled in an anxious tone that Rogue continued to ignore. He couldn't help his demeanor. This was his first time in seeing the wondrous things before him!

"This is a sensory overload to him." Mikasa muttered, likely smiling beneath her scarf.

"Yeah, it is." The blonde returned with a soft chuckle.

"So how is he!"

Hearing the call of none other than Hange, Rogue directed an ear to her as his eyes continued to examine a container of flowers protruding upon a windowsill. Knowing the query was directed at his two passengers, he prolonged to look at the bright petals that butterflies danced upon.

"He's extremely thrilled Hange!" Armin called down to her. "Everything is catching his undivided attention!"

Her laughter rang through the street. "Well, we're not in any big hurry so he can look for a bit as long as he's a good boy!" Hange teased. "Just make sure he stays close and keeps following us!"

Rogue inhaled softly, savoring the smell of tulips and daffodils – flowers that didn't grow on the Scout's territory or where he lived in the forest. If it was one thing, he always caught himself doing was stopping to smell something that was new. He often smelled flowers and practically anything that produced an odor that he hadn't crossed before – thus was one of the reasons why he always wanted to go to the city. As he thought about it, he was doing the particular practice quite a lot as of late, even taking the time to smell earth and admittedly checking walls, low brambles, rocks, and patches of grass where other animals urinated – and he was pretty sure some of those scents were from some of the young male soldiers taking what they called 'a piss' during breaks between training sessions. He didn't really know why such a thing felt necessary for him to do, but perhaps it was just a simple need of wanting to know what was around him. Of course, Rogue had also taken notice that he was making even more of an effort to scent mark things as well; leaving concentrated traces around the border of the Scout's territory and even his nest in the barn he'd been given. He supposed that it just gave him peace of mind.

"Hey Rogue? We need to keep moving forward. Hange and Nanaba are getting pretty far ahead."

With the words snapping him away from his thoughts, Rogue quickly craned his neck to look upon the encouraging smiles of his babies, the beast able to sense their twinge of nerves beneath their facades. Facing the path again, Rogue took it into account that Hange, Nanaba, and the other Garrison soldiers were not too far ahead in his opinion. He could still see them, but he understood why his little ones were being so persistent. As much as he wanted to just stay and gander, he didn't want to get into trouble. With a sigh, the beast started forward again, feeling Armin and Mikasa pat his neck in reassurance.

"Good Rogue, as Hange said, you can look around but just as long as you keep in her sights."

The titan only crooned and nodded as he walked around a bend in the path, with his smile still upon his face. As long as he followed the rules he could look around.

But of course, as he rounded the bend as saw what was before him, childish intent and curiosity returned full blast and some of his desire to not get into mischief was forgotten.

"Look! It's the Rogue!"

"The Rogue Titan is here?"

"Huh? They brought him to town?"

Before the titan was what he could call the busiest and most abundant part of the market. There were many different shops lining the street, some temporary and others were permanent. The people had stalled in their shopping the second he appeared, looking up at the behemoth in the same matter as the others before them. As he had been, Rogue was only transfixed upon the vast assortment of human things around him. There were so many different articles he didn't know where to begin. Some things he recognized with clarity. There were books, bottles, and assortments of things that humans ate off of. Yet there were items he could find no name to. There was something that looked as if it turned meat into little pieces, a cylinder shape that children were beating upon, and many more objects that were nothing but perplexing. Rogue felt his heart lift and a trill left his maw, ears fluttering in elation. Oh how he wanted to look at everything! He wanted them, but taking things was out of the equation. However, his little ones and superiors said nothing about touching things.

"Rogue? Remember, be good –

The titan however, paid no heed to the soft warning and abruptly dropped down to be upon all fours, knowing he could get a better perspective on his hands and feet. The move nearly threw his little ones from his shoulders, but thankfully they had steadied themselves upon his bulk and collar.

"Rogue!" Armin hastily whispered. "Mikasa… he's getting out of hand!"

"Hold on Armin, he probably just got down to look at everything. Just let him. If he starts to upset anyone, we'll intervene. He's not going to be any trouble."

He continued to tone them out as he lowered further to quickly place himself onto his knees, his eyes set onto the first thing that had crossed his interest – an ornate flag with metallic threads. Rogue wasted no time watching the flag flap in the gentle breeze, quickly grasping the foreign fabric between his index fingers and thumbs. With a rumble reverberating in his breast, Rogue began his scrutinizing. Unlike the Scout's flag that boasted the wings of freedom, this one was long like a ribbon and contained ornate swirls and several letters – the word a bit too complicated for him to read. It was red as an afternoon sunset, gold tipped at the ends. The weaving was different, the threads looser and crossing in a different pattern. It was quite a feat! Rogue trilled as he continued to tilt the flag in his hand, lively green pools observing the reflective strands shimmer in the sunlight. The titan dipped his head, sniffing the cloth to further test it, but in doing so the beast took notice of another thing dangling from the side of the same building – something that looked even more interesting than the flag. Quickly, the titan took his attention away from his current object of amusement and took hold of a wooden circle that hung above a door.

"Rogue…you need to be –

All eyes were upon the towering giant as he took his time in observation. Rogue blinked in curiosity as he brought his mug even closer to the sign – eyes comically crossing in the slightest as he proceeded to fulfill his desire. The circle had an image painted upon it like those he had often seen in his picture books. Brushed upon the wood were three of the things his babies had informed him to be frogs. They were clustered together and holding what looked to be a string of sorts. There were gold letters as well, the titan able to distinguish a single word of the phrase. But of course, he couldn't care less what the depiction said. He was much more intrigued by the illustration's craftsmanship and artistry. The color was consistent, oils that had been glided smoothly over the wooden surface. Rogue was in awe, but he didn't know what exactly the significance of the object was. Why was the picture hanging on the side of a building of all things and not in one of his many books? Weren't pictures supposed to be in written stories upon parchment? Confused, Rogue rotated his head and produced a questioning grunt to his little ones, tapered ears facing fully forward and looking not unlike an eager child. Mikasa returned his query with a maternal smile as always.

"That's a sign Rogue. We use them to show where things are. Like what a road or path is called or what a certain building is. That sign goes to a restaurant and pub. It's where people gather to eat in the city and have a drink or two. There are many restaurants in Katness, Rogue. Each have different names as well. This one is called Die Drei Frosche or The Three Frogs." Mikasa smiled kindly with the titan grinning at the acquired fact.

"Yeah, Mikasa and I have eaten there before on several occasions. Now, let's keep going Rogue! We don't need to get too far behind!"

Although he still wanted to look upon what was in hand, Rogue gave a nod in compliance and rose onto his hands and feet once again to motion onward. Besides, there was so much more he had to look at!

"Ha! Look mom! He's walking on all fours!"

"He looks quite curious!"

Rogue's mind was pulling him in many different directions at once – completely spellbound and overwhelmed with everything. The titan's eyes immediately darted to a covered booth selling the shiny stones and beads. Rogue abruptly lowered his head to look in great detail, so much so that he practically startled the shopkeeper and his riders – the metal loop on his collar dragging upon the walk. The creature soaked up the sight before him. He remembered when he was escorted in Sina and seeing many of the esteemed women don the gems around their necks, wrists, and fingers. From the way he understood the custom, the female humans were the only ones to wear them. Perhaps they were for attracting a mate or something. He would never understand it. The titan tilted his head, watching the shimmering upon the surface of gems before feeling the shop owner's nervous atmosphere surrounding him. Knowing that the man would rather have him else ware, Rogue tore his attention away to follow a short scent among the brick walk, spelling something that had probably been spilt there once before quite a while ago – something that suspiciously was like the alcohol smell that radiated from Hannes.

"What is he doing?"

"You can tell he's intelligent. A normal titan would just walk aimlessly with a dead eyed gaze. He looks just like a child on holiday." A man chuckled.

"He's sniffing things like a dog. I never saw him do that the last time he was here. With his ears moving and everything he looks like he has a lot of animal traits!" A young male boasted with a chuckle. "I bet he's quite something to have around at headquarters!"

Rogue lifted his head with a grunt to continue his gandering, still walking upon all fours and twisting his neck to look upon anything that caught his eye. He rumbled deeply in his chest as he looked at things from chalices to simple satchels – the titan raising a finger to stroke upon the leather tenderly – comparing the material to his own skin that was a thousand more times tougher. The titan then turned again, nearly knocking his little ones loose, proving his movement was the last straw as Armin and Mikasa descended from his shoulder and onto the walk.

Armin chortled jokingly. "Since you are a bit overwrought Rogue, Mikasa and I are going to walk in front of you a bit alright?"

Rogue gave a lopsided grin and nodded as he proceeded to look about. The scent of perfume attracting his attention yet again, leading toward a table filled with fragrances in many small phials. However, his focus was snatched by a booth that contained the one thing that brought him the most joy. Toys. Simple children's toys. He loved them. They were the most colorful of things and each did something different. Toys came in many shapes and sizes and he could interact with them! His parents always brought him some sort of toy when they visited – and it was usually something that they made with their own two hands – a factor that always made their presents special. He missed them dearly. Curse his kin for taking them from him.

Thoroughly interested, Rogue lumbered to the booth where a plump man with a bushy mustache and a big grin upon his face stood and oversaw his products. The man was obviously friendly, smiling up at the titan with astonishment and looking welcoming overall. To return his kind look, Rogue beamed the best he could and wiggled his ears, gurgling deeply. " **ELLOO!"**

At his voice, as the others did before, there were many gasps. The man at the booth only let out a belly laugh.

"Well! What do you know! The papers were telling the truth! You can talk my friend!"

Rogue gave a small and almost bashful nod in return before proceeding to look down at what the man had available, completely unaware of his little ones walking further ahead and some of the surrounding conversations going on around him.

"So, The Rose Gazette was correct then. The Rogue really can speak."

"How did the titan learn such a feat?"

"Apparently the couple that used to live in Shiganshina taught him."

"His voice is a bit – odd, but I suppose that's the best a fifteen-meter titan lacking lips can do."

"Tsk, why did they even teach that thing to speak? It's a titan. It's a wild animal. The Scouts sure are milking that monster's stardom for all it's worth."

Emerald hues hungrily looked at the colorful toys out on display before him – the crude comment falling upon deaf ears. Upon the table were the usual things he had been shown or given before such as pull toys, simple puzzles that Hange often used in her intelligence tests with him – the titan usually having trouble doing them, a rocking horse that he admittedly wished he could fit on, and things like rattles for babies. However, there was one thing that easily caught his attention, an item that he clearly remembered. Laying in the corner of the table, was a stuffed bear; a teddy that was white as snow and had a pink ribbon around its neck. It was identical to the one that Carla had given him many years ago. The toy instantly made a sense of nostalgia wash over him. The bear was the first real toy she had ever given him. It was upon their third meeting when she came to educate him a bit about the world around him. The teddy was one of the things that Carla had planned to give to a daughter she wanted but then lost for she couldn't bear children. Thus, she had decided to give the stuffed toy to him as a gift for him to cherish. He loved that bear quite a lot, often sleeping with it so he would feel less lonely when his parents were not with him – the toy always holding their scent. It had been so comforting, helping him out a lot in his early days. Rogue could clearly remember how terrified he was when he first saw the trees and wall towering over his head. He was scared of nearly everything and only acted on instinct. But now, since he had been living with the Scouts and was having slight dreams about life outside the walls, he realized fully that he just had no memory of the time before Wall Maria and he had no idea how he lost it whatsoever. He had practically used the bear it until it fell apart into nothing but stuffing. The bear before him now was pulling him. Even though it wasn't the one he had, it held so many happy memories of his Carla and Grisha. He had to have it.

But of course, just taking the toy was out of the question. He couldn't steal. Sure, he could do it on the occasion around his family in a teasing manner, but here that was not tolerated. He had worked so hard to gain acceptance by the general public and he couldn't throw that all away. Suddenly, he remembered that Hange had gotten a ball for him once when they were passing through Katness. Quickly turning is head, he saw that Hange was entirely too far ahead and his little ones were beginning to desert him. Rogue hummed thoughtfully to himself. Perhaps his little ones had means to get it for him. Of course, when he wanted the ball, his little ones did try to deter him from it, saying that he didn't really need it at the present time. But this was something sentimental that he had to have before anyone else had the chance to take it.

With a plan in mind, Rogue let out several loud and deep grunts that morphed into a few 'barks' and several high pitched rumbles, not using words for a reason. His vocals easily gained their focus, the two turning back with surprised looks upon their faces. With their brows raised, his little ones jogged back to his still squatting form, an easy but suspicious look upon their faces. Rogue smiled, wiggling his ears and tilting his head – all part of his act that he had perfected over time, a means to get what he wanted.

"What is it bud?" Armin asked, placing his hands onto his hips and looking up at the beast who only tried to make his ugly mug as cute and innocent as possible.

Rogue only grunted and pointed at the bear, the shop keeper watching in a mixture of amazement and wonder with his little ones watching him fully. He titan beamed crookedly and continued to grumble and squeak as he pointed to the item while looking at the two teens with a hopeful gaze. Rogue himself called the very act 'playing titan'- which was his ace in the hole, Rogue hummed, keeping his shining green pools hooked upon the two, making sure to blink to appear as acquitted as possible. To his dismay however, Mikasa shook her head.

"Rogue, not right now okay? Besides, you don't really need that." She smiled in the slightest. "You have a stuffed deer remember?"

"Yeah Rogue, besides we need to get back to the group." Armin agreed. "Now come on. Mikasa and I know what you are pulling!" He laughed as he turned away to continue down the walk with Mikasa in tow, the titan surprised that his idea didn't work. He thought for sure his babies would get it for him. With his failure, he had to try a different approach. With a displeased grunt, Rogue gained their attention again and with their eyes meeting the titan, he slowly sat down onto his rump – making sure to keep his eyes glued to them before he let out a whine. His big body was like a boulder itself, once he settled there was no way of manually moving him.

"Rogue… really?" Armin sighed in slight irascibility. "You could just wait until we are done with your appointments. Besides, to get things from a booth like this or store it takes money to get –

" **CANN EII AVVEE NONNEYS THENN?"** Rogue interrupted, realizing where the teen was going in his statement, lowering his ears and his pupils dilating into the best form of 'puppy dog eyes' that a beast like him could manage.

The blonde exhaled, opening his mouth to likely retort, but was halted by Mikasa's hand upon his shoulder.

"Armin, I know he's done this quite often, but I just have a feeling he wants it for a reason." The dark haired-teen suggested, catching the titan by surprise and making him feel a little ignorant. With Mikasa's words, he could have probably just told them why he wanted such a thing rather than put on a display of theatrics. He felt completely injudicious.

The titan interlaced his fingers and craned his neck to look at the stuffed bear before setting his gaze back onto his little ones. " **UHH… ORRY."** He apologized before lifting a finger to the toy again. " **ITT ISS JUSST… CUURLA GAVEE NEEE BEEAR."** Rogue informed, remembering the moment well, the smile that was across his mother's face, suddenly feeling a bit better. Slowly, their faces fell the slightest in recognition before smiling in understanding.

"Oh, so Carla gave you a bear when they first adopted you." Armin spoke with many of the titan's spectators looking at the behemoth and take every word in.

"So that's why the Rogue was behaving like that." An older gentleman whispered to another. "The woman that took care of him gave him a stuffed bear just like that."

"Wait a woman took care of the titan?"

"Yes, it said it in the paper. A doctor and his wife that used to live in Shiganshina are the ones who found and raised him like a child they never had."

"He just wants the bear for sentimental reasons, Armin." Mikasa spoke tenderly, her lips curling slightly at the tips. The teen then reached into her pocket and pulled out a suede bag that was small enough to fit in her smooth palm. "How much for the bear sir?"

The man only laughed, his stomach practically bouncing. "I never thought I'd be this close in The Rogue Titan's presence, let alone speaking with him. I tell you what," The man continued as he picked up the bear. "Since you have done so much for us and this seems to be something that reminds you of someone that was and is still very dear to you – you can have it free of charge." The shopkeeper beamed up at the beast, Rogue's chest fluttering at the gesture. He didn't know quite what to say.

" **TAANKS!"** The titan finally replied after several minutes of shock. The man then nodded and put the stuffed toy in a brown sack and graciously handed it to Mikasa who acknowledged the man along with Armin before the three started off again down the road with the titan keeping himself in the odd position on all fours, remaining low so he could examine things much further. Sure, it probably looked quite odd that a hulking fifteen-meter giant wanted a small teddy bear, but it was one of the things where the symbolism ran very deep and he couldn't pass it up. His little ones had thankfully understood his need, but he still wanted to tell them more about it later when they could settle down for the evening.

"So Carla gave you a bear as her first gift to you Rogue?" Armin began, starting conversation as they moved along. "That's really interesting, a lot of families when they have a baby or adopt a child they usually give them a stuffed toy as their first gift. You'll have to tell us about that Rogue when we get a chance to settle down."

The megalith nodded. " **YEEAH. EEII WILLL TEELLL YUU EVVERYTING AATTER."** Rogue replied, keeping his attention away from his surroundings for the moment.

"So are you adding the bear to your collection?" Mikasa queried with the behemoth nodding.

" **ESS! BUUT ETT SECIAL DOUGHHH. EII ANN NOTT PLAYYING WIIT ITT. EII ANNN GOOINNGG TOOO KEEPP ITT SAFFEE. EIII TOORR UU –**

However, he was cut off and caught by absolute surprise when a series of aggressive barks met his ears – their sharpness nearly making him jump. Rogue looked up to see a man struggling to hold a strip of leather with a four legged creature resembling the wolves he loathed so much. He knew the creature instantly from seeing it so many times upon the flash cards often shone to him in his teaching sessions. It was a dog, more specifically a hound – the coat short and chocolate brown and ears floppy. Rogue had never seen a real dog in the flesh before. He had only seen them in books, on flash cards, and heard them though through the trees as their vocals carried through the wind. It was a chilling sound upon his ears and he always stayed far from it knowing good and well that a human was following the creature to a kill. He naturally tensed and felt his blood heating up. He did not like wolves and most certainly he didn't like dogs. If it was one thing he knew with certainty, he did not like the fact that his little ones were near it.

Not at all.

The dog continued to bare its teeth, flashing its fangs with saliva spraying from its mouth with each bark. The two teen's faces paled white as Rogue's pupils narrowed into slits, brows pinching together, and ears folding back. The titan's glare darkened, his nose wrinkling in disgust but he did not dare growl.

"Damn it! Stop it you!" The man scolded the furious hound, the dog refusing the order. Rogue produced a snort as a warning – steam jetting from his nostrils.

"Rogue!" Armin hastily muttered. "Come on! Just keep moving Rogue!"

The titan only responded as he shifted his body so he stood over his little ones, still keeping low and with his serious greens focused upon the dog. Even though it was leashed, he wasn't sure if the man would accidentally let the leather slip from his hands and allow the dog to get loose. He didn't care if he was attacked by the persistently annoying creature for only the blades and cannonballs forged by iron bamboo could pierce him. However, an antagonistic dog could seriously maim his babies or someone else in the crowd. Thinking quickly, the titan nudged his little ones on, still keeping watchful of the loud animal as his glare heated even further.

"He sure looks protective of those two." A woman trailed off as she continued to witness the spectacle with the many others.

"That man needs to control that dog."

"See? That titan is still very wild at heart. He looks set on killing that hound."

Armin suddenly laughed nervously, gathering the attention away from him. "Sorry, Rogue has never seen a dog before. I don't think he knows quite how to take it!"

The titan lifted his head a bit, relaxing his look in the slightest all the while he continued to stare owlishly. Just wanting to get his babies out of harm's way, Rogue urged his little ones onward again, but his slight move provoked the dog to lunge towards his direction and nearly pulling the short statured man with him and causing the human to lose his hat. That small jerk was enough though to put him more on edge than ever. Rogue turned to face the dog again, lowering himself to where his chin nearly touched the ground. The hair upon his head bristled and nearly stood all the way up as his ears folded over and pressed against his skull. Like the hound, the titan forced his face into a snarl – appearing beastly with his spine arching gradually in defiance. A growl threatened to escape his maw, but he held back – giving a low rumble instead. Why didn't the man just leave?

"Rogue?" Armin warned, prolonging the word. "Come on."

The titan of course was too lost in thought to hear the teen. The dog's move was the last straw, seeing it nearly get away from its master, he needed to step in. The hound needed to know its place – just who the alpha was in the very situation. But of course, he couldn't do something so drastic and violent or he would surely be awarded to the MP's on a silver platter. He certainly didn't want to scare anyone either. For a moment, the titan lingered among his thoughts before he decided to do the one thing that he could think of. Rogue allowed himself to relax to where his bulk was resting upon his knees and his facial expression changed to a more neutral one. The crowd and all was quiet as the titan slowly inched his face forward with the dog still struggling to get to him. He could practically feel the fear radiating from his little ones, but before they could react or protest, Rogue let his tongue slide out of his mouth to give the hound the sloppiest, slimiest, and wettest lick he could craft. The animal tumbled to the ground by the force of his tongue, tumbling over on the walk with saliva practically coating most of its body in a thick layer. Rogue smiled as he sat up further, watching as the dog scrambled to right itself and run in the opposite direction, dragging its master along with it. The scene provoked both relieved gasps and laughter. Feeling a sense of pride, Rogue held his head high with eyes shut tightly, letting out a trill in glee. Thankfully, the dog had not gotten out of the man's grasp and no one was harmed thanks to his quick action. Upon feeling a familiar touch upon his wrist, Rogue looked down at his little ones with the tip of his tongue peeking from his teeth to humor them. To his relief, his little ones let out a small amount of mirth.

"Rogue – really?" Armin slapped his wrist jokingly.

"I can't imagine how long it's going to take to get his saliva off –

However, the three halted their small exchange of words, finally becoming aware of a noise that had been sounding through the busy street. Rogue's eyes widened and his body stiffened. The titan tilted his head, ears facing forward as he took in the shrill noise, a sound that indicated fear and what he could tell as perhaps longing. Rogue blinked, he had heard the sound in Shiganshina on that day as well as sometimes in the far off distance. It was a cry of sorts. Wailing and choked sobs. Intrigued and troubled, Rogue looked in the general direction where the dog had been to see something astounding. The beast let out a perplexed grunt and angled himself to get a better look, his jaw hanging open in the slightest.

It was the smallest human he had ever seen. A baby.

Rogue's facial muscles only slackened in shock even further as he was naturally guided by curiosity to ease forward on his hands and knees.

"Rogue –

The titan stalled, hovering near the mother and child nervously as he continued to examine. The miniscule human was a tiny pink thing. It was chubby – the arms and legs looking like the curled sticks of bread his little ones often ate. Every feature was small, the little human's nose was tiny, face compact in addition to little ears along with hands and feet with stubby and short digits. It barely had any hair, just fine strands that resembled the scalp of an old human. Rogue arched his neck further and carefully shifted closer to the crying infant and its mother. It amazed him so. This was infant human young. Rogue felt his heart bounce within his chest. If titans really had the ability to reproduce in some way as he often theorized, then perhaps they looked somewhat like a human baby – just a bit bigger. It was something he always thought about. He had to have some sort of beginning. He couldn't have appeared out of thin air or was created by unnatural means. He had to have come from some sort of womb or egg and was birthed or hatched. He had to have been nurtured in some way, right? All living things came to be in the world that way. Titans were living things too after all. They had to come from somewhere. Anywhere. He really wanted to know.

Rogue proceeded to gaze upon the crying infant who wasn't calming in the slightest even as its mother tried to comfort it. He felt himself cringe as it continued to shriek, projecting its fear. The titan swallowed, ears wilting. The thing was so shaken that no matter what the mother did it didn't seem to calm in the slightest. Suddenly, Rogue felt a twinge – a natural pull of sorts. It was the same feeling he felt on the night he first met his little ones as well as some ducklings and kittens he happened across. It was a need to nurture – something that still made him wonder why he had such instincts, but something that he was very glad to have. He wanted to help and comfort. With the thought in mind, Rogue slowly crawled forward again with the crowd of people holding their breaths. He heard his little ones whisper another warning, but still he proceeded. The titan lowered himself a bit as he came closer to the mother who looked up at him in distress as he came a mere few feet from the baby. Her entire body was tense, brown eyes wide and fixed upon him, her arms holding her baby closer. For a moment, it was quiet except for the infant's wailing until Rogue released a soft and resonating quaver, a sound meaning to comfort in his native language. It was a vocal that he often gave his little ones during his time with them in Maria after the attack happened. The titan's ears fluttered lightly as he let out the same sound again, ending in a quiet purr. His wondrous green hues, soft and loving, observed as the baby began to settle, sniffling until its whimpering stopped. Gradually, the infant opened its eyes that were as brown as its mother's. The infant stared up at him with its small face void of emotion, making Rogue grow leery. He knew well enough that he wasn't beautiful or kind looking. His mug was ugly and built to terrify. Hell, his efforts had probably been for nothing and the baby was just going to cry again at his presence. However, he didn't want that to happen. The titan then decided to go along with another tactic. Everyone seemed to think he was funny when he was just being himself, so perhaps he could make the baby like him that way. With his new plan, Rogue wiggled his ears like a happy young calf and moved his mouth to make the biggest smile he could manage all the while purring loudly for all to hear.

In that instant, relief fell over the titan as the baby smiled and let out a small chortle. To his surprise, the infant lifted its arms and reached for him. Rogue's face fell along with many of the members of the nearby audience, completely bewildered. The titan tilted his head as the infant continued to reach for him. He then found himself lifting a hand and extending a finger, a gesture that began to make the crowd uneasy again. Rogue then realized his risky move and his finger stopped just a foot away from the still mother. What was he doing? He was insanely strong. This human was so small and he could easily crush it with just a finger. Feeling a slight prang of sorrow, Rogue slowly began to retrieve his digit, but before he could coil it, the mother's hand abruptly cupped the tip of his index finger. Rogue let out a small wisp of steam from his teeth as he let out a slight gasp. He froze, seeing the mother beaming up at him tenderly – something he did not expect. Whispers ran through the audience as the woman gently guided his finger to hover just over her baby. The tiny thing let out a coo and reached upward, small hands pressing against his rough and toasty flesh with a feather light touch. Rogue instantly softened. His heart warmed within his chest. To be accepted this greatly by a total stranger was one of the greatest feelings. Being invited to interact with a mother's young made him feel like much less of a monster.

"Wow! That was amazing!" A man in the crowd began. "The Rogue Titan is incredible!"

"So protective and attentive!"

"It's hard to believe he's really a titan. His demeanor is the complete opposite of those other monsters."

Rogue purred at the comment, watching as the baby lowered its tubby arms and began to dose off. Seeing that his assistance was no longer needed, Rogue slowly lifted his finger away with the mother giving him a small nod of thanks.

"Hello you three!"

Upon hearing Hange, the titan and his little ones looked to see the Section Commander, Nanaba, and the other Garrison soldiers standing behind his own babies. Rogue felt his gaunt cheeks redden sheepishly. The leaders of their party had to turn around because he had probably been spending far too much time beholding all that was.

"Hi Hange." Armin rubbed the back of his neck. Sorry, we just let Rogue kind of look around and take everything in."

The woman chuckled. "Ah I see." The woman beamed from ear to ear. "Now Rogue, you know you can't adopt that baby right? That baby is hers, besides you've got two of them already!" She teased, with many others humored by her comment. Rogue huffed, his face only growing a darker shade of crimson.

"I think we need to add on a rule, Rogue isn't allowed to take anything living home!" Nanaba elbowed Hange who wholeheartedly agreed.

"Ah yes! I imagine he'll also be overwhelmed once we get to our destination here. Well now, we must make haste to the square! We can't be late for our appointments!"

* * *

"So he saw a dog for the first time?" Nanaba began somewhere below him, hearing his little ones chuckle.

"Yeah he did."

"I wish I had been there! I would have loved to document his reaction!" Hange exclaimed, the titan huffing at her enthusiasm. "So what did he do?"

"Well, he reacted similar to the way he did when he came across wolves in Maria. He thankfully didn't snarl or growl. Rogue kept low with his ears back and kept his gaze locked onto the dog. He was keeping himself over us the whole time and tried to get us to move on ahead. He was mostly just protective." Armin explained.

"And when the dog made a move, Rogue quieted it quickly by pretty much giving it a very unpleasant lick." Mikasa smiled, igniting laughter from the small party.

"Let me guess, he gave you two the innocent puppy dog eye look after he did it?" Hange giggled with his babies shrugging their shoulders and nodding.

"Oh yeah, he did something similar." The blonde responded, looking back up to the titan who naturally beamed in return, giving a nod in agreement.

"You should have seen him with the baby." Mikasa continued, the titan able to depict that she most likely had a small and cunning smile upon her face. "At first he didn't know what to think either –

Rogue continued to listen, feeling slightly embarrassed as his little ones told of his exploration – cheeks tinting slightly pink until his greens caught sight of the scene ahead. His elvish ears faced forward, alert and focused. His jaw slackened, the creature stalling on the path as he looked before him. Like the glades in the woods, this was a clearing in a brick and stony forest. Around the large circular clearing was bordered by more shops and many restaurants. His head angled even further in interest. It was flourishing with all sort of activity. There were horses, pulling wagons, carriages, men getting their shoes shined, peopled feeding birds, and women pulling excited children along. The stone glade smelt of many things from freshly made food to things he couldn't identify. In the center of the clearing was what looked to be something that Mikasa told him was a fountain – a concrete pond with water shooting out of it. The castle had an old fountain in the garden, but it was cracked and hadn't pumped water for years so it was lovely to see one in all its glory. Rogue smiled, letting out an intrigued rumble. He couldn't wait to explore this!

"Welcome to our destination Rogue!" Hange announced with gusto. "This is the square, it's the hub of Katness district! It's the busiest part of town! This is where most events go on, where the farmer's market is, and much more!"

Rogue only nodded and replied with a vocal that represented his understanding. The square was the equivalent to the rivers and lakes of his forest it seemed – it was where everything got together.

Of course, upon his appearance, it was almost as if time suddenly stopped before him. All activity slowed to a halt and all eyes were upon him. He couldn't help but feel a bit of shyness nip at him, seeing so many smiling faces at once. There were the few wearing scowls nonetheless, but there were enough humans that welcomed his presence so he felt easy.

"Ah! He's magnificent!"

At the foreign voice, the titan looked downward to see two different men approaching his family. Though they both wore grins, the two couldn't be any more different. One of the men was dressed similar to those in the upscale district of Sina. He had a pair of round rimmed glasses, a vest with nicely tailored pants, and a tall hat – each piece of apparel color coordinated. His hair was light brown laced with silver that tied in with a nearly cut beard and mustache. In his hand he held a briefcase. Compared to the other man, he was shorter and a bit plumper, having a slight stomach. The opposite man was certainly taller, hair messier, and his garbs were well worn with what looked to be old paint splattered across his trousers. Resting beneath his armpit was what looked to be a large pad of paper. These must have been the men that they were to meet today.

"Hello Mr. Greggory and Mr. Banter! Glad we could meet today." Nanaba began formerly. "The Scouts would personally like to thank the two of you for the opportunities you have presented us with."

The man with the hat nodded. "It is quite the honor! Quite the honor indeed! So this is the infamous Rogue Titan!"

Rogue watched in amusement as Hange stood straighter after excitedly dismounting her appaloosa – throwing a hand up in a flaunting gesture. "Yes indeed! This is Rogue Jaeger himself!" The woman introduced with the titan greeting them with a flummoxed grunt and a small wave. "And the two recruits there are the equally famous Titan Children, Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackerman!"

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet all of you! My name is Charles Greggory, I'm the younger brother of the man who owns the famous Sly Fox Brewery. I've started my own brewery now and I've decided to call it Behemoth, specializing in beers and a variety of vodkas and rum. Naturally, we wanted a titan to be our mascot, but it couldn't be any titan. It had to be Rogue of course!" The man spoke confidently, sounding very organized in his speech.

"And I'm Johan Banter." The other man smiled, sounding mellow and easygoing. "I'm the artist and head sculptor who is designing the statue of you."

Rogue nodded, ears fluttering, still in awe that he was being honored with such.

"Shall we go to the bistro over there to have a bit of tea and get to work?"

With a nod from both the Section Commanders, the titan and the group made their way to a little restaurant with tables outside. Guessing as of what he should do, Rogue vigilantly sat down onto his rump before the eatery as the others got settled around a few neighboring tables. Rogue watched quietly with raised brows as a woman wearing a green dress came up to meet them; his little ones telling her the names of the drinks they wanted along with the others – the titan perplexed by the practice. There were many other patrons at the restaurant as well, asking for things from the green clothed humans and looking at him in awe. For a moment, Rogue watched two girls, a little older than his baby Mikasa, giggle and point at his midsection before he caught the sound of Greggory clearing his throat.

"Since I just need to do a simple sketch, I'll go first." The man began as he opened his briefcase and retrieved a pencil and a piece of parchment. "When I saw an image of him in the paper I knew I wanted our logo to be of his face alone. His features are angular and flow quite nicely. His serrated mouth and darkness around his eyes along with the signature pointed ears just says that he's fierce. His appearance gives that sense that he's incredibly powerful and merciless. We want our brand to reflect that edgy and tough factor! We want the same stature of the famous Rogue Titan, imposing. For this, I would like Rogue to give me a frontal view, I would like his expression to be sort of a look of cunning in a way – kind of like giving off the feeling that he's going to gladly attack if that makes any sense to you my giant friend."

For a moment, Rogue pondered about what Greggory was trying to imply until matched the man's words to meaning and gave a nod. Without being asked further, Rogue changed his friendly expression to one that he often gave Jean when he was about to prank or mess with him – a devilish grin with his brows narrowed, eyes shining brightly with intent. Greggory chuckled.

"Ah! That's perfect! It's subtle but very effective! Alright Rogue, I need you to tilt your head down so you can look at me." The man guided with the titan following the order. "Perfect! Now just hold your pose until I tell you that you can move my friend!" The man concluded as he started to move his pencil back and forth across the parchment – working quickly and skillfully. Rogue wished to watch closely, but with the command to stay still, he would have to refrain from observing. Seeing humans draw always amazed him. The first time he witnessed the art was seeing his mother trying to draw him to the best of her ability. He remembered being so overwhelmingly curious and asking Carla to show him how to do the same. After he learned the basic shapes, he would often draw with her in a cave to decorate it –only for him to destroy those drawings through a fit of rage when his parents first told him that he wasn't human like he had thought. He had seen Hange's always nervous assistant drawing on numerous occasions during her sessions with him as well as when the man would just sit outside and sketch whatever he saw. Truthfully, Molbit was incredible with his technique and someday Rogue hoped the man would teach him as well.

"Alright!" Greggory suddenly began after several minutes, the titan too lost in thought to realize that ten minutes had passed. "I believe I got what I want! When I get back to Sina I'll refine this sketch and turn it into our logo!" The gentleman paused for a sip of tea. "So what do you think my friend?" He asked as he held the drawing to the titan to see. Abandoning his pose, Rogue leaned in to peer at the man's work that was rough but skilled as well. The creature nodded.

" **EII LIKKE ETT!"** The titan worded, catching the two men off guard as usual and bringing further attention to himself from the other bistro patrons.

"Well! You can speak!" Banter began. "You have quite a talent!"

"It's amazing isn't it?" Hannes laughed. "You would never think but he sure does prove you wrong!"

Rogue huffed to himself as the others temporarily shared their humor before things returned to business.

"Now it's time for me to begin my work Rogue!" Banter exclaimed as he opened up his large pad and pulled out what smelled like charcoal. "The city wants the sculpture to be the moment of you carrying the boulder to seal the hole. So I need you to get into the same position you did then so you could carry the boulder upon your shoulders. Now," Banter suddenly beamed at his little ones. "The city also made a last minute change. They understand that the Titan Children actually stood by Rogue and protected him as he carried the boulder through Trost. So they would like Armin and Mikasa to be included in the sculpture as well."

Rogue watched in amusement as his babies' faces lit up in shock. "Really?"

Banter nodded. "Yes! They want you running below him looking like you are about to go into battle! Now, since I know that you guys are on a tight schedule, could you get into your poses please?"

With the request, Rogue nodded and got to his feet. Recalling how he had to carry such great weight, the titan got into the position he remembered – arms up and his cheek resting into his shoulder. Knowing that he had to make himself look like he was carrying several tons, Rogue braced his body, muscles tightening and bulging – the girls giggling in the corner yet again. He didn't question their actions as his little ones followed Banter's instructions as well, getting into their pose as requested. It was something that he noticed on occasion with some of the female Scouts. His ears catching their comments that mostly contained the words: godly, ripped, and the strange word 'sexy' – which Rogue foolishly asked Hange what it meant; the woman going into far too much detail than he cared to know. Rogue himself, after knowing the definition, knew he didn't fit the description whatsoever. In fact, he was the furthest thing from that.

The man continued his sketch with the beast and the two teens remaining still. The titan kept his stance, eyes veering every once in a while to look at other things, having no idea how much time had passed until his arms started to feel numb and his muscles hurt. Looking down, he saw that his little ones were struggling to keep their pose all the while the artist circled around them, flipping through his sketchpad and drawing from different angles and close ups of certain parts like their faces. Finally, the man sat his things upon the table and gave the three a thumbs up, signaling that he was finished. With a heavy exhale, Rogue dropped his stance and shook his limbs a bit to rid of the stiffness, thankful that he was done.

"Ah! Stupendous!" Banter exclaimed. You're a lovely subject Rogue. I'm sure many aspiring artists would love to draw you in a figure drawing session! Your anatomy is absolutely flawless!"

Rogue smiled bashfully and lowered himself to view the man's drawings along with his little ones, Banter's sketches much more like completed drawings than Greggory's. The artist then closed the pad and put away his utensils.

"Well now, it was nice to meet you all in person and I'm very thankful for the chance that I have gotten here today! Now, since there is a lot of work to be done, I better head off so my team and I can begin!"

Greggory finished his tea and stood. "Ah yes, I need to get this design back to the art department of Behemoth! Miss Zoe," He proceeded to say as he tipped his hat. "Miss Nanaba, Ackerman, Arlert, and you of course Rogue – I thank you for this opportunity and your will to be our mascot! We'll send you a sample of our products once everything is complete! I must be off now! Again, it was nice meeting you all!"

"Likewise!"

At that, Rogue bid a small farewell to the men as the others did. Not knowing what to do next, the titan kept quiet and observed as the woman in green came back and seemed to take more requests from his family and new acquaintances. The beast watched as a few of them sipped their tea before Nanaba pulled out something his little ones told him was a pocket watch and began to read it.

"Well, I suppose it would be best to wait here until the journalist shows up. We have about forty minutes so we could just eat an early lunch."

"Sounds good."

Upon hearing that they would have some free time, he naturally felt excitement wash over him at the thought that he had the possible opportunity to explore yet again. However, just as he opened his mouth to ask if he could look about, a small and high-pitched voice came his way.

"Rogue!"

The titan's ears stood up as he heard the familiar voice, one that could only belong to a child – one that he had the pleasure of meeting before. The little girl named Ellie. His malformed maw formed into a grin as he turned to see her running excitedly to him. She was just as he remembered, golden hair in pigtails and a tooth missing. Beneath her arm she still held the plush of him – parts of the doll showing the amount of love it received. As she sprinted to him as fast as her legs could carry her, Ellie dragged a young boy who the titan recalled to be her slightly older brother who he never formally met behind her. If he remembered correctly, when he saw the kid at the beginning of the 57th expedition before they left Katness, the boy was just as enthusiastic as Hange. Now however, the boy seemed nervous, he could almost say shy as Ellie pulled her brother to him.

"Rogue!" The little girl giggled as she stooped just a few feet from him, with the creature letting out a huff as he lifted a finger to lightly ruffle her hair – the child practically squealing. "Hi Rogue! I'm so happy to see you!" Ellie greeted, her voice small and adorable just as she was.

" **HIII ELLLEE!"** Rogue purred pleasantly, the boy's body tensing as he nearly jumped at his speech.

The young child laughed and turned to introduce her brother. "This is my brother Samuel, Rogue!" Ellie continued with her eyes lit up brightly. "Samuel, this is Rogue Jaeger! The Rogue Titan! I told you dad and I met him!" The child pressed onward with the titan grinning at the pair with delight. He always loved watching children interact.

Samuel swallowed, brown eyes wide as they continued to stare up at Rogue in awe. After what seemed like ages, the boy fretfully held up an unsteady hand to wave it. "H…hi?"

At the shakiness of the boy's tone, Rogue and the others chuckled softly. "Hey Samuel?" Hange snickered. "He may look fierce, but he's a big sweetheart I assure you!"

Rogue nodded at Hange's statement, purring louder to gain the kid's trust. The titan wiggled his ears to ease the tension further, looking back at Hange to lift his finger to gesture to the clearing, hoping that she would agree to his proposal. Thankfully, the Section Commander nodded and waved a hand.

"Just stay right in front of us and don't go past the fountain Rogue!"

Grinning, the beast nodded and picked himself up with both Ellie and Samuel following him in wonder. All eyes continued to watch as Rogue sat himself down, careful to see if anyone was near before laying halfway on his side with his chin nearly touching the walk, but not before noticing that a small cluster of children had seen Ellie and her brother approaching him and decided to join them. Rogue blinked in surprise at the unexpected addition of boys and girls ranging from the ages of Ellie to the age when he first met his little ones, but then his heart lifted even higher with a bit more excitement filling him. The more the merrier. The titan smiled, green eyes watching as Ellie quickly approached him and tried to hug his face as best as she could with all eyes upon the current spectacle unfolding, many of the children gasping or making vocals to broadcast their awe. Rogue purred at her loving contact, tongue sliding from his lipless maw to gently gift the child with a lick, further implying that he was glad to see her again. The creature continued to purr, completely entertained as Ellie pulled her brother's arm forward to place his small hand onto the titan's nose. Rogue's ears flickered in the slightest as he watched Samuel rub his skin in amazement.

"Wow, it's like leather." He muttered. "So – warm."

Rogue smiled further, watching as the other children braved any inner fears and joined in, running their hands through his hair, over his flesh, trying to look at his ears, and even prodding along his teeth. The display was enough to make many of the square's occupants stop and stare. Rogue huffed, rumbling deeply as he lifted his head, watching as many of the children began to climb along one of his hands, rubbing his tough skin and comparing their own hands to his.

"Wow! He's so big!"

"He's so much bigger in person!"

"The skin is so tough!"

"Look how big his hands are compared to mine!"

Rogue continued to gurgle, enjoying the children's company. It wasn't everyday he got to do this. He always loved babies. Ellie then grabbed the other's attention with a series of claps.

"Everybody! This is Rogue Jaeger! He's The Rogue Titan that saved us!" The girl introduced with the titan holding his head proudly.

" **ELLO!"**

"He can talk! It's just like they said!"

"That's his real name?"

Ellie nodded enthusiastically, jumping up and down. "Uh huh! It is!" She giggled. "Come on Rogue! Let's play!"

"Yeah!"

At the invitation, Rogue then gave into his childish antics. He had been right; the day was shaping up to be a great one.

**(POV SWAP)**

"Would you look at that! Children and a titan. Never thought I'd see them together and playing."

"How cute!"

"Why can't all titans be like that one?"

Armin found himself giving in to a chuckle, watching with the others as Rogue completely gave in to them. The titan was currently sanding on all fours again – trying to find the children as they ran around his bulk – their laughter carrying throughout the square along with Rogue's loud trilling and grunting. "I swear; Rogue could literally run his own daycare by himself."

"Yeah," Mikasa smiled behind the rim of her teacup. "He has the credentials. He's like a big kid himself."

Hange laughed. "Sure thing! From what the two of you tell me and from observation, Rogue's just great with kids and young organisms in general!" She beamed broadly. "His breed is so fascinating! Nurturing is certainly in Rogue's blood!"

"Haven't you already made that clear, Hange?" Nanaba tittered, sipping her tea with Rico simply smiling.

"After so many years of watching all those bastards from atop the wall give us dead eyed stares, this is quite the view!" Hannes joshed.

"Yeah when Armin and I were around the two experimental titans we used to keep at headquarters, it took some time for us to get used to them. All they did was growl and snap at people whereas Rogue just purrs and pretty much is everything a normal titan isn't." The dark haired teen explained as Rogue sat down and proceeded to let the children climb all over him.

"Hi there! Sorry I'm late!"

The party of Scouts and Garrison soldiers turned to see a thin young woman with a big smile upon her face approaching them with a journal in hand. At first glance, she reminded Armin somewhat of Hange. The woman wore glasses that seemed almost too big for her face and her black hair was messily tied in a bun, a pencil perched behind her ear. Unlike the Section Commander, the young woman wore a dress that was maroon in color and plain brown shoes. Quirky was the best word Armin could use to describe her.

"Ah! You must be Miss Victoria!" Hange exclaimed as she stood up from her seat and shook hands with the woman, the two looking almost like cousins or even sisters together.

"Indeed I am!" The woman smiled, her eyes adverting to the two teens. "Ah, and you must be Armin and Mikasa! The Titan Children!" Victoria grasped their hands in a firm and enthusiastic handshake. "It's an honor!"

"It's nice to meet you as well." Armin replied with Mikasa nodding in agreement.

"Armin and Mikasa this is Victoria Fausta, she is the famous journalist of The Sina Times!" Hange informed with Victoria nodding and looking out into the square at the titan who was now beginning to play catch with the group of children – one having brought a ball over. The giant was practically squealing with each toss, pupils blown wide like an excited cat. "And that must be Rogue!" See tittered. "My! He's incredible!"

Nanaba dipped her head in compliance. "Oh yes, he's one of a kind indeed. Shall we call him over so you can interview him?" She asked, but to their surprise, Victoria shook her head.

"Oh not quite yet! We'll let him have some fun first. This is a bit last minute, but in addition to his interview, they also wanted me to ask the two Titan Children a series of questions as well! It will make my article even more juicy!" She announced, catching the two teens off guard.

"Interview us?" Mikasa faltered, suddenly becoming a bit backward. Victoria hummed.

"Oh yes! No paper has ever interviewed you either since this incredible story first broke headlines! So it seemed perfect to have the three of you speaking out for the first time. Shall we get started now?" Victoria explained as she took her seat at the table and quickly ordered a cup of tea, opening her notebook and pulling out her pen along with what appeared to be a sheet of notes. As Victoria prepared herself, the others got comfortable again, the waitress bringing the tea as well as several bowls of soup the party had ordered earlier – a smooth chicken and rice. Armin took the moment to satisfy his empty stomach before Victoria let out a sigh and pressed the tip of her pen to parchment. "Now, it doesn't matter who answers most of these questions since the two of you will more than likely have the same answer. But of course, I'll have one every once in a while for a certain someone!" The woman giggled. "Now, from what I was able to gather, you met Rogue for the first time through tragedy. What was your first impression of him?"

The blonde teen put down his spoon. "When we first met Rogue, it was a shock as you can imagine. As we watched him brutally defeat the men that were trying to traffic us, Mikasa and I were frozen in terror. We of course had never seen a titan in person and were naturally overwhelmed with the thought that we were about to die, but then once the men had been dealt with and Rogue approached us with the intent to help and keep us safe that stormy night – we realized that Rogue wasn't any regular titan. He was something special."

Mikasa nodded. "Yeah, when we were nestled against him that first night, we realized that no matter what he was or how horrifying he looked, Rogue wasn't a monster."

Victoria enthusiastically ran her pen across the page of her journal, repeating their words beneath her breath. "So, how did you keep him a secret for so long if he had made his home in Maria before the breech?"

"Well, when he first found us, we had no idea that the couple, the Jaegers, had made Rogue their son and thus had set several guidelines for him to follow such as not exiting the forest and stay away from other humans." Mikasa began. "In that first year, we visited Rogue in his cove in secret. When leaving Shiganshina, Armin and I always made sure no soul was following us by circling the city if we had any suspicions and always traveling off the main path in the forest. Even though I was adopted by the Jaegers themselves, Armin and I never told them either until one day we stumbled upon one another in the cove. It was then that the Jaegers told us how they met Rogue and the four of us continued to keep Rogue safe from any prying eyes. We never had to worry about wolves or anything since we often smelled like Rogue and the wolves always associated us with him."

"I see! What were some of the things you two and Rogue did when you were children? What did you do before the breech happened?"

"Mikasa and I mostly just played with Rogue. Even though he's essentially a giant man, Rogue has the mind of a child and his disposition is like a mixture of such plus the characteristics of a canine and feline if I had to describe him. Thus, as odd as it may seem, Rogue loves simple games like hide and seek and playing ball which we did all the time. We would have adventures sometimes with Rogue as well. We would go fishing with him, look for geodes, and we even once raised ducklings together."

Victoria laughed warmly. "Incredible! So did you ride Rogue around the forest and everything?" The woman continued, sounding a bit like Hange when she spoke of some scientific procedure.

"Oh yes." Mikasa smiled softly as she indulged upon her soup. "We did it all the time. Armin and I were always on his shoulders going somewhere."

The journalist nodded and continued to scribe briskly. "Since you spent a lot of time with Rogue, did he pick up any traits from you?"

Armin had to chuckle, knowing very well that Rogue certainly had developed a few things since they knew him as well as learned quite a bit. "Well, Mikasa and I always tutored Rogue by teaching him new words as well as how to do things. Rogue got much gentler the more he handled us and when he saw Mikasa and I get into a friendly spat and flip each other off he began mirroring the gesture and learning what it meant quickly much to our horror." He chuckled with the others joining in their laughter. "Rogue even did it to the Scouts and the Garrison during their missions to capture him and when the Garrison shot at him as well during the breech."

"So! Tell me more about his personality!"

"Where do we begin on this one?" Armin sighed. "Rogue is basically the best friend you could ask for pretty much. If I had to pick out a few things to say it would be that Rogue is all about fun and a bit of gratification. He tries his best to make you laugh and loves to be praised. He'll do anything to help or comfort you as well. He's protective as well of anyone that he considers family. If anything approaches us that he deems as a threat, he'll do his finest to scare it away and he won't let any other titan get its hands on us."

"As far as more inhuman traits about him, Rogue constantly purrs when he's happy or trying love on you. He likes to smell and examine anything and horde everything that he deems interesting. Rogue doesn't like to sleep without Armin and I and will whine and howl if we try to sleep in the castle. He scents marks things, makes friends with horses and deer, chases small animals, and he pretty much gets into anything. Rogue loves playing in feathers and he's a prankster even. If you make him mad, he isn't shy about letting you know!"

"What does he do?" Victoria looked at Mikasa, eyes glistening with intrigue.

"Rogue spits, which isn't pleasant – especially to one of our friends that constantly provokes Rogue to do so."

"Ha! I see! I bet you two could go on for days about Rogue's characteristics, but we'll just move on with the interview. Now, when the breech occurred, Rogue broke into Shiganshina and was able to rescue the two of you but was unable to save the Jaegers." Victoria spoke with much less excitement, obviously knowing that she was treading on a touchy subject, the woman even shifting in her seat uncomfortably. "Rogue took you back with him instead of putting you both on the boats retreating into the interior. From what I've read before, you stayed with the titan for several years until the Scouts found you with him. What were those years like?"

Armin soaked in the woman's query like a sponge. He knew all too well that the story she just gave him was one that the Scouts fabricated in order to keep them safe from any charges of treason for keeping information to themselves. What he was going to say was mostly the truth though. "It was emotional and rough." He admitted solemnly, the horrors of that day still branded into his head. "We were devastated, Rogue especially. The Jaegers were his parents and he was so upset knowing that he couldn't save them in time. Rogue would cry, howl, and throw a raging fit for the first several weeks we spent out there. He would kill titans at that time out of revenge and to satisfy him. The Jaegers were very dear to us as well and it was surreal that they were gone. Even though Rogue was – rueful and troubled, he did his best to care for us and make living with him the best he could make it in the middle of hell. He went out to extinguish titans as well as get us food and supplies while we stayed in the cove growing our own vegetables. Rogue always protected us by warding away titans to not wanting us to use knives in fear that we would cut ourselves. The summers and springs were easy. It was late fall and winter where things were a bit difficult. We had to properly store food and wrap ourselves in wolf pelts while Rogue kept us very warm with his body heat. Like I said, even though it was hard, he always tried to make us feel better and for things to be as normal as possible. Through all the turmoil, his loving personality stayed."

"Interesting. Now how about that day when the Scouts found you with Rogue. Could you tell me about what that was like?"

For a moment, Armin found himself trying to conjure words, knowing the Scouts had given he and Mikasa a firm scrip to stick to if any outsider asked. However, before he could answer, Mikasa cleared her throat.

"Well, while Armin and I were in the cove, Rogue was busy trying to evade the Scouts in fear that they would take him away and separate us. During that time, we had no idea that Rogue had any prior contact to the Scouts. We don't know all the details of how he managed to slip away and escape into the cove, but the Scouts still somehow managed to follow him to where we lived – discovering the three of us. As you can probably imagine, they were stunned and probably frightened as Rogue tried to threaten them. Finally, after much calming and coaxing did Rogue accept and the three of us went with the Scouts into wall Maria. We were sworn into the Scout Regiment the day after."

"Ah, so how did you two learn to use the gear if you didn't have to go through training?"

"Admittedly, Rogue took us some and we lightly practiced with it in the cove and when we were in the Scouts, we were taught by Corporal Levi even further."

"Intriguing!" Victoria paused from her frantic writing to sip her tea and take her first bite of soup – the dish likely cold. "Just a few more questions and then I'll move on to your friend over –

However, Victoria was interrupted by a loud thud and a vibration that swept beneath their feet. As a chorus of snorts and grunts quickly gained their undivided attention – Armin nearly burst into laughter as he saw the sight afore him. Rogue had suddenly abandoned the game of catch to flop down and lie upon his back looking not unlike a giant hairless dog. The titan was panting before his sounds of exhaustion turned to toying purrs, obviously playing like he had been defeated by several children who had decided to conquer the beast by scaling up his bulk, the girls immediately going to his hair to braid it. Rogue smiled, his feet curling a bit as he further relaxed in a submissive pose – obviously in absolute bliss. Many of them snickered at the ludicrous scene. Rogue was certainly full of himself. Victoria tittered, resting her cheek into her palm with an admiring look upon her face as she gazed at the titan and the group of children.

"You two were certainly right. He's the furthest thing from a monster."

**(POV SWAP)**

A deep hum vibrated through his chest, the titan completely immobilized by his tiny new friends, many fingers scratching rigorously beneath his chin. Rogue tilted his head further, thoroughly enjoying the sensation, his eyelids fluttering. As his family spoke with a strange woman that was who he assumed was the one whom he would speak to later, Rogue gave in to the whimsy of the children. They were endearing to say the least and he liked their company. Rogue purred, tolerating the many girls who were braiding his locks and the others that were running along his stomach and trying to scale his arms and legs. The titan sighed, several of the children laughing as his chest rose up and down. It was incredible, the feeling of being recognized by others besides his family. He used to be so on edge when he would pass through a human city – burying the feeling beneath his eagerness and excitement. Now he felt absolutely welcome. He just loved being accepted and treated like something other than a beast.

Rogue let his frame relax even further, patiently waiting for his interview. He couldn't help but wonder what questions he was to be asked. Would they be about his time in Maria? Or would they be just general questions? He couldn't say and he hoped that when speaking he wouldn't mess up and blurt out something that should have been kept quiet. The great beast sighed again. He didn't need to worry. The Scouts wouldn't allow him to do such a thing if they thought it was risky or unsafe.

The titan continued to relax, aware that he had attracted quite the crowd that were spectating on the perimeter of the square, their whispers and words not going unheard by his ears.

"That is a sight I thought I'd never see."

"It's so incredible how docile he is. Do you think it's his breed?"

"I'm sure it is! He looks far different than any other titan!

"He's a gentle giant."

"I still think it's an act."

"Nonsense! He's completely the opposite of those bloodthirsty monsters!"

Rogue continued to evaluate the words spoken around him, taking in the praise and ridicule until he felt two small weights crawl up his skin to sit upon his Adam's Apple – the uncomfortable feeling making the titan lift his head in the slightest and sending Ellie and Samuel to rest in the dip of his collar bone. Naturally, the titan tilted his head, silently asking what they wanted and as usual they were all smiles.

"So how many titans have you killed Rogue?" Samuel grinned broadly, the query catching the beast off guard.

"Yeah! I heard you killed millions of titans!" A young boy exaggerated, throwing his hands in the air.

"How many!"

Hearing the children speaking, Rogue carefully lowered the small humans back down onto the brick walk and sat to face them. Next, he tried to count as much as he could on his fingers, but in truth he really didn't know the answer. He never thought to keep count. He was for certain that it was quite a lot though. Much more than the Scouts had probably slaughtered for sure. " **ERRR…"** Rogue scratched his scalp. " **EIII CAANNT COUNTT DAAT HII."** He admitted with several of the children laughing.

"Yeah, we were in Trost watching Rogue kill titans!" Ellie was quick to inform, Rogue tilting his head as he listened. "He was amazing!"

"How heavy was the boulder?"

Rogue smiled softly, amused by their innocent questions. " **HEEVVY!"**

"How big was it?"

**"IIGG! EETT AHHS BIGGRRR DAAN NEE!"**

Several of the children gasped. "Were you tired?"

He nodded. " **VERRY."** The titan replied, finding it funny that he was being interviewed by children before his real interview.

"What do you do when you are not fighting?" A young girl asked, the titan thinking for a moment and trying to narrow down what to say.

" **EHH…. SPEND TIINE WITTH AMMIILLY. EII – EXXLORRE"** The titan stumbled at the word, trying to figure how to pronounce it. " **EII PLAYY TOOO."**

"Do you have any talents?"

Rogue thought for a moment before huffing. There was one thing that he often did when he was alone as he waited for the Scouts when they performed and practiced the capture exercises. It was ridiculous and useless, but it would certainly amuse children. The titan gave a nod and took a deep breath and twisted his tongue as he needed it. He then parted his teeth and blew out a nearly perfect ring of steam, the children instantly intrigued and their hands coming together to clap. With another breath, Rogue blew out a second ring and then a third before moving his tongue again and shooting a straight jet of steam through the three rings. He then pressed his teeth together and blew again, steam forming into little individual puffs before he inhaled deeply and created a large ring of steam. Grinning widely, the titan then went for his finale of sorts and angled his head, holding a finger over a single nostril and exhaling – sending another stream through the large ring – the children practically roaring in laughter. Rogue hummed, wiggling his ears proudly. The silly act having gathered even more people and Hange's enthusiasm ringing across the square. His little ones were giggling, shaking their heads goodheartedly. Truthfully, Rogue had never truly showed the act to people. Connie was one of the only ones that had ever seen the exploit, the teen chuckling and calling it a great 'party trick' of all things.

"That was amazing!"

"So cool!"

"How did you do that! You don't even have lips!" Samuel demanded excitedly with Rogue gurgling and letting his long tongue fall completely out of his mouth so he could playfully point to it – many of the children's eyes widening at the surprisingly long feature.

"His tongue! It's big!"

"It's like my dog's!"

Teasingly, Rogue twisted his tongue around, rolling and curling it before pulling it back into his maw. His odd tongue was strange to him; he had no idea why it was such a length and the other titans' tongues were never as long, Rogue knowing the fact after ripping them out so many times in the past. The titan let mischief wash over him, wanting to make the children laugh even harder, Rogue suddenly let his tongue slide out again but quickly stuck the tip of it up his nose – something he had done once when he felt he had something up his sinus cavity and he couldn't reach it through normal means. At his action, the group of small humans instantly ignited into fits of cackling, some even falling onto their rumps – a few of the adults in the nearby restaurants even choked on their drinks. Rogue then pulled his tongue back into his mouth, giving the children a lopsided grin and huffing as they carried on their laughter – some of the young boys and girls even trying their hardest to do the same.

"You're so funny, Rogue!"

"Yeah!"

"It's incredible as to how far The Rogue is going to entertain those kids."

"I can't touch my tongue to my nose like Rogue!"

The beast continued to express his mirth, pleased that he succeeded in making his small followers' day. Rogue huffed as he still observed their merriment and failures to mirror him, but suddenly he felt uneasy, his chest tightening and his sense of security fading. The creature held his breath as a cold chill swept along his spine like a river flowing in winter. The world around him began to seem almost distant, slow and quiet. Rogue's ears swiveled in search, his pupils shrinking in the slightest. The feeling was strange, like there was a blight imbedded in the landscape. Rogue blinked, his hairs bristling upon his head. It felt as if a wolf was in a herd of sheep. Slowly, questioning greens scanned the crowd of people. There were working men, people enjoying meals, women searching for a product to buy, and those watching he and the young humans. Movement suddenly was captured by his perusing greens, provoking the beast to look to his right just in time to see something slip into a far alleyway. Rogue's ears pricked fully forward in interest, eyes narrowing in the slightest. From what he saw, it looked like a figure cad in black, perhaps even baring a hat of the same shade. Rogue frowned, then again it could have just been another pesky dog sneaking away. His ears faltered, his body relaxing and instincts loosening. Whatever it was, it had left on its way.

"Rogue?"

"Rogue? Are you okay?"

Upon hearing the concerned tone of Ellie, Rogue snapped his attention back to the group of children who had long ceased their laughter, each looking worried. Getting his bearings and catching up to reality, Rogue nodded and put on a warm smile, ears fluttering. " **EII ANN GOOOD!"**

"Rogue! Honey!" Hange's voice carried through the dell, emerald greens locking onto his family and the woman seated with them and the Garrison. "It's time!"

With the beast understanding, he lowered a finger to Ellie and Samuel's head, ruffling their hair in a playful farewell before standing and waving to the others. Carefully, the titan navigated his way back to the bistro and settled back down into his rump before his allies and babies. The woman that sat between Hange and Armin looked overwhelmingly excited, eyes large behind her glasses and her hands barely able to get her things together. After a few gratifying seconds of shuffling did she finally look up and dipped her head in greeting.

"Ah! Finally, we meet! It's a pleasure Rogue! My name is Victoria and it's nice to meet you!"

"She's the woman from the paper Rogue." Hange informed. "She's the one that's going to be asking you questions!"

Rogue nodded and gave the woman the warmest smile he could, emitting a deep purr. " **ELLO VVICCOORRIAA. NIICEE TOO NEET YUUU."**

"Likewise! I'm very excited to finally speak with the one and only Rogue Titan! I've waited so long and this is an absolute treat! Might I say that from hearing about you and watching you with those small children that you are quite the sweetheart and charmer!" She laughed with Rogue's cheeks tinting slightly pink at the complement before letting out a small rumble in thanks. "Now! Let's begin shall we? I think I'll start with the general questions so I and future readers can get to know you a little bit more before I move on to the more informative questions. Sound good?"

" **ESS!"** Rogue practically chirped, eager to begin.

"Alright." Victoria clicked her pen and pressed it onto the parchment. "So! You came all the way from Scout Headquarters for our interview and you truly got to explore Katness district for the first time! What did you think?"

Rogue quickly cleared his throat. " **ETT AHHS EXXCITING! LOOTTS OOF UMMMANNS! UHH… LOTTS TOOO LOOK ATT! LOTTS! EII SNEELLD NEWW TIINGGS! SAAWW LOOTSS!"** The titan tried to word. " **EII SAAWW AAHH DDOOGGG UNNG BAIIBEE FOORRR FIIRRSTT TINNE!"** He illustrated with Victoria nodding and writing quickly, the titan marveling her speed.

"Ah! So you are having fun so far! That's great! Now, what do you like to do when you are not killing titans? What do you do in your free time, Rogue?"

The titan tilted his head, thinking for a moment, there was quite a lot and he would have to really narrow things down. " **EIII LOOVEE TOO BEE WIITT NYY AMMILLE. LOOVEE TOOO PLAAYY… EXXLOOREE… COLLECCT TIINGGS… RAANKK RIIENNDS. EII LIIKKE EELLPPINNG TOOO. EII LOOVV ORRSEES UNDD TRAAINNING. OHH! ANND ANNGGEE TEECHEEES NEE."**

"I see! You sound like a pretty busy bee! So what all does Hange teach you?"

" **SHEE TEECHHESS NEE LOOTTS OFFF NEEW TIINGS. EEIII ANN ERRNIING APPHHAABET ANND BIGG NUNNBERRS. ARRNNINN ANNDD ANNGGE TECHHINNG NEE HOWW TOO REEADD!"**

Victoria looked shocked. "Reading? You are learning how to read?"

He nodded. " **YEAAH. THEYY ARRE ALLSOO TEECHHING NEE TOO SPEEK ETTTER."** Rogue paused to point at his teeth for emphasis. " **EEII ANN… NOOT ESST WITTH ORDDS. NOO IIPSS MAKKES ETT ARRD TOO SAYY TIINGS PLUSS MYY VOOCALL CORRDS ARRE NOOTT GOOD."** The titan attempted to explain, suddenly feeling a bit bashful telling about his handicap, hand nervously scratching his thigh. Victoria simply smiled.

"Aw, well you can certainly speak very well though! I see that you do have to subsite letters to suit you like 'N' for 'M' and 'D' for 'T' on occasion, but your speech is still very clear to me! So, do you learn other things like shapes and colors?"

Rogue dipped his head. " **YEAHH. NYY AVVORITTEE COLLOR IS GEEEN."**

Victoria continued to write. "Alright! They say you are really close to the 104th members who just recently became members of the Scouts. You and them are actually part of the famed 'Levi Squad' now. What do you do with them when you are not training?"

The titan wiggled his ears. " **SASSA ANND EII LIKKE TOO HUNNT TOGETHERR! WEE GETT MEAAT FORR SCOOUTTS. WEE HUNNT BOORS. KRRISSTA LIIKESS TOO BRAAIID NYY HAAIRR."** H **e** huffed with the occupants of the table giggling.

"I think everyone loves to braid his hair." Nanaba gestured to his locks that the young girls had toyed with earlier, Victoria laughing in agreement.

"Oh yes! It's just begging to be braided. Go on Rogue."

**"CONNIEE UNND EII LIIKKEE TOO JOKKE AROUNND. WEE DRAAWW D –**

"Rogue," Armin suddenly interrupted him. "Remember bud you have to keep things clean here." His little one warned, the titan's brows lifting at his lack of consideration, failing to remember that the shapes that he and Connie drew to tease others meant something lewd to humans. Quickly, the titan nodded in understanding.

" **WEE DRAAWW TIINGGS."** He corrected, skin at the corners of his mouth pulling upwards into a grin. " **EIII PIICK ON JEEANN. HEE LOOK LIKKE AHH HOORRRSE."** Rogue huffed with Victoria snickering, biting her lip. " **ONNN TIINNE EIII PULLEED JEEANN OUUT OFF HISS ROONN WEEN HEE AHHS ASLLEEP UND SATT HIMM INN LAKKE!"** Rogue described, recalling his greatest prank against Jean he had ever conceived. He had managed to pull the teen out of his bedroom while he was in repose on his mattress and carried him to the lake in their territory, and finally pushed the teen out into the water – Jean and his mattress floating in the center until the boy awoke both angry and confused. Needless to say, no one ever forgot it.

"I bet that was something to see!" Victoria spoke as she quickly took a few swigs of tea, the titan noticing her putting more sugar into it. "Now let's get into the other stuff! So you call Armin and Mikasa your little ones?"

Rogue purred proudly, curving a hand around the two teens' backs while being mindful of the other tables. " **DEYY NYY BAIIBIES! EII ADDOPPT DENN."** He emphasized, the two teens smiling warmly at him.

"Oh! Your babies?" Victoria queried as she took her notes, a brow raised in cunning. The creature nodded. "Tell me a little about when you first met them! I'd love to know what your thoughts were back then!"

" **OKAYY."** Rogue dithered in the slightest, knowing very well that the subject was quite a touchy one for the two, especially Mikasa. " **EII WAASS OOKKINGG OORR TTINNGS INN NNYY OOREEST… ANND EII SNNELT BLOOOD. EII AHHS SCARRRED. SONNETING AHHS RRONNG. SOO EIII FOLLOWEED DAA SNELL… ANND FOUUNDD…"** The titan stalled, looking deeply at Victoria and shifting his greens to Mikasa before looking back at the journalist – trying to drop a discreet hint that he wanted to skip the particular part where he found his little one's parents slaughtered in their own home. Thankfully, Victoria seemed to recognize his desperate message and nodded with understanding in her eyes and motioned for him to keep going. " **INALLY.. EII FOUND THE MEENN THATT WERE TAKKING NNYY BABIESS. DEYY URRT DEEM ANNND EII HADD TOO SAVV DEMM. EII ANTEED TOO ELLP… SOO EII SAVVD DEMM ANND TOOOK DENN TOOO NYY HOMMME. EII KEEPP DEEM SAFFE FRROMM RAAAIINN ANNND WAARRM."** He smiled. " **EII ALLWAYYS NEEW EII HADD TOO ROOTECTT DENNN. EVVEN DOOUGH DEEY ARRE SNALL BUT STTRONGG… EIII ANN ALLWAAYS OTTECCTIING DENN."**

"Aww, I see that they mean an awful lot to you! Now, could you tell me about how things were for you after the breech? I know it's touchy but I feel that most of the public would like to know your thoughts. You don't have to go into detail or anything. Just a simple statement will do." Victoria laughed nervously. "My – employer really wants it so I'm pressured to ask."

Rogue exhaled softly, chin dipping to his chest. " **EIII AHHSS… SCARED. RIGGHTENED UNND SSADD. EII ASSS SOO ANNGRRY TOOO."** The titan gritted his teeth, fingers twinging. He bit his tongue in the slightest, recalling the horrible image and the foul smell of spilt blood. After several seconds, he decided to keep going to get the question over with. " **BUUUT EII STIILL HADD TOOO KEEPPP NYY AIIBEES SAFFE SOO EII TOOK DEEMM ACCK HONNE. EIII… AHHSS SOO NAAD ANND UTTSETT… SOOO EIII KILLEEDD IITTANS.** He hesitated. " **EIII KEEPPT GAARRDINNG DEMM AFTTERR DATT. EIIII RRRAISSED DEMM."** The titan spoke, voice quieter.

"Ah, I see. Now, let's go back as far as you can remember. What was life like before you met your parents? How did you live in the forest?"

" **Ellll… EIII UUSST WOOKKE UTTT ONNN DAYY DEERE. EIII… DONNT RENNENBERR HOOWW EII GOTT DERR. ETT AHHS SCAREE. EIIIII NEEWW NOTTING. EIII STAYYDD INN NYY COVVV FOOR LOONG TINNE… YERRRS. DEEN EIII GOOT BRAVVE ANND WEENT EXXLORING. EIII STAYYEED INN ORREST DOOUGH. EIII AHHHS ONNLEEEY."** Rogue described before perking up. " **DEEN EII SAVVE CUURRLA FRROM OOLVEES!"**

**"** What did you think when you met Carla?"

Rogue smiled. **"EIII AHHS ANNAZEED. SHEE LOOKKED LIKKE NEE. EII… TRIEED TOO OOK ATT HERR BETTERR, BUTT EII AHHS ARRAID EII AHHHS URRTINN ERR SOO… EII LEFFT. EII ENNT ACCK TOO FINND HERR AND NETT GRISSA TOO. EII AHHS… AFRRAID EII COODD URRT DENN TOO, BUUT DEEY LIKKED NEE ANND ADDOTTTEDD NEE!"**

"Intriguing! So you learned a lot from your parents?"

**"ESS! DEEY TEECH NEE LOTTS! IKKE HOWW TO TALLK!"** Rogue swallowed, his throat straining in the slightest.

"Uh huh, now I can see that you are getting a little worn from answering things, so we'll move on to our final questions. The Female Titan – what did you think when you saw her?"

Rogue sat up a bit at the query. This was one that he had to be truly careful about. Levi and Erwin had both made it very clear to not tell anyone that she was familiar to him and it was quite possible that he had once known her before coming to the walls. Lest the Military Police would suspect him of sins he didn't commit. Even though a mating thing wasn't true, he couldn't say anything about that either not to upset the public. There was only one way to answer. " **EIII HATTED HERR. SHEE ANNTED TOO KILLL NYYY AMILLE AND EVERYONNE ESSE, SOO EII HADD TOOO KIIIL HERR."**

Victoria nodded with the titan reaching up to rub his throat to not only sooth it, but to ward her away from going into the subject further. "Oh yes! I think anyone would hate her upon seeing the anguish she brought upon you and your family. Now for our last two questions. There were many reports of you using a special ability that was dubbed as your 'Berserk Mode' what did that feel like? Do you remember anything from it?"

The titan tilted his head back in thought, recalling the time that he had to brawl with The Female Titan in Stohess. When he went mad, as most of the Scouts stated, he could barely recall feeling anything other than his most primal desires. He was consumed by rage that boiled within his blood and hunger for the flesh of beasts practically tore at his stomach. All he saw was red. He felt nothing else. No remorse. Nothing. No person around him seemed to exist at that time. It was just him and his prey. Even as he woke up much later, he remembered practically nothing, only the taste of The Female's meat as it stuffed his gut – something that was truly delectable. He knew that he would be practicing the technique soon to see if he could control it.

But he couldn't help but doubt the idea.

" **EIII… DONNT RENNENBRR ANYYTING."** Rogue finally replied, keeping his response simple and short. " **GOOING TOO ORRK ONN DATT SOON DOUGH. DOO TRAINNING TOO USSE ITT."**

"I understand." Victoria wrote before looking up with a big smile upon her face. "Now for my final question! Are you and the Scouts planning to go back to Shiganshina soon and seal the hole?"

Rogue blinked at that, not entirely sure what to say. There had been no talk about venturing back into Maria to fix the breech. **"HOOPELY SSOON."** The beast smiled, trying to hide how skeptical he was. To his relief, Victoria only wrote down his answer. To his surprise, she looked up and started again.

"As a sort of a closing Rogue, is there anything you would like the readers to know?" She beamed, the titan thinking for a brief moment before knowing exactly what to say.

" **EIII WAANT EVERREONNE… TOOO BEELVVE INN NEE. EIII AN IGGHTING… FORRR HUNANNITY."** Rogue's mouth formed a lopsided smile. " **EII… ALLSO ANNT NOO ONNE TO DDEE SCARRED OFFF NEE. LEEASEE… DONNT TREET NEE LIIKE AAAH NONNSTER. EIII NOOO EII ANN A…. TIITANN… BUTTT DONNT… JUGGE OOOK BEEII ITTS COVVRR."** The beast finished with the truth, trying to form something that his Armin would say. Victoria gave an approving nod and closed her journal and placed her pen behind her ear in conclusion.

"Awesome! This is great material!" She nearly squealed. "You were an absolute joy to interview Rogue! It was so nice to finally speak to the most unlikely and famous hero of our time!" Victoria complimented with Rogue's cheeks tinting crimson. "Now, I better get back to headquarters so we can begin to print this!" She giggled as she stood from her seat. "There will be lots of people wanting to read this! Again, it was lovely meeting you all and keep up with the great work you do for us Rogue!" Victoria bid farewell as she shook a few hands, gave him a pat on his knees, and dipped her head in a final thanks before walking off into the square and boarding a carriage. For a moment, the titan watched it roll across the square before the clearing of a throat drew his focus away.

"Now," Hange began with a stretch. "Shall we be off to the trainee grounds?"

With the Section Commander's words, the small party began to follow the two Garrison soldiers from the square with his little ones perched upon his shoulder as before. However, as he moved through the architecture and crowds of people, Rogue couldn't shake another unsettling feeling – the sensation of sensing a weed in the garden. A vulture circling over kill.

The feeling of someone lurking in the shadows.

* * *

Hours went by and the city with its noise, activity, and stone structures had long been left behind. The landscape had changed, one that was exposed with a severe lack of trees. It was simply a grassland with the only tall vegetation and mountains abundant upon the horizon. He wasn't used to the wide open spaces as big as this one. Sure, the Scout's headquarters had its desolate places, but there was always a forest nearby. Even to the day, he loved the security of the timbers, but the plain wasn't so bad. He could soak in the sun at least. Rogue smiled softly to himself, a bit excited about what lay ahead. It felt wonderful that he was asked to aid some potential future soldiers for the Scouts. He remembered his little ones had said they were once trainees and today was the day he was going to see what their life was like after he took them out of the hell that was and still is Wall Maria.

As the titan continued to walk however, his slight smile turned into a small frown – his mind beginning to drift among the fact that there had been someone following him in Katness. From the way he felt, this person didn't seem to have the best intentions. Even though he knew this, he didn't breathe a word about it to his little ones. After all, he wasn't very sure if it really was a threat or just a disgruntled individual being animal or human that didn't like him. Thus, he didn't want to say anything until he was for absolute certain.

"Rogue? Are you alright?"

With Mikasa's query silencing his thoughts and making him realize that he had been completely unaware that his little ones had been staring at him, Rogue turned his head. Quickly, he put on a smile and wiggled his ears to throw them off. " **EII ANN OKAEE."** He purred, nuzzling into them in the slightest. For a moment, the two looked a bit skeptical before Mikasa smiled warmly and stroked his jawline.

"Ah well, it's okay to be a little nervous if you are, Rogue." The teen began, the titan thankful that she seemed to overlook the truth. "The trainee grounds are quite a bit different from the Scouts' Headquarters."

Rogue angled his head, perplexed. The trainees' territory was not like his home? " **DIFFRNNT?"** He asked, needing an explanation.

Armin nodded. "Yeah. Since it's all about making soldiers strong enough to face titans, defend the wall, or work under the king it's quite a bit strict there. Our Sargent, Keith Shadis, is pretty over the top and it might take you a bit to get used to him Rogue. To give you an idea, he's sort of like Levi as far as swearing and insults go, but he yells a lot more – at the top of his lungs." Armin described. Rogue blinked in surprise, frowning a bit. He had never met a man like Shadis before. Sure, Levi did yell sometimes when he was really ticked off, but by Armin's description it seemed that Shadis yelled constantly. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. As usual, Armin noticed his stress as usual and patted his shoulder in reassurance. "Of course, you won't have to worry about him yelling at you Rogue! He's just going to be yelling at the cadets. It was really his idea for you to come here and help out. So really you are an honored guest you could say!" The blonde chuckled with the titan's unease fading a bit.

" **ILLL HEE YELLL ATT YUU DOOUGGH?"** Rogue questioned, worried that his little ones wouldn't get the same honorary treatment as him, his query making them laugh.

"Oh no Rogue! Mikasa and I aren't trainees anymore so he's not our Superior. We are helping too! In fact, the two of us along with Hange and Nanaba are acting as Squad leaders for the capture exercise." Armin explained further with the titan grinning and dipping his head in complete understanding.

"You will probably meet our class instructor too." Mikasa proceeded, twirling a string of his hair in her fingers. "His name is Mr. Alois. He's the one that teaches the trainees general knowledge of equipment as well as everything about titans that humanity knows of." Mikasa snickered in the slightest. "You can imagine Rogue, that when Armin and I were going through the titan class we sort of pretended to pay attention since we secretly already knew everything."

Rogue huffed, clearly visualizing the circumstance with his little ones. It must have been so awkward keeping such a big secret under wraps.

"By the way Rogue," Hange began over her shoulder. "When we do the capture exercise Shadis may want you to do that special move just to –

"Oh, looks like we are here." Nanaba interrupted, bringing the titan's attention to the land before him. The flat elevation suddenly dipped down into a slight knoll before coming to a cliff. At the bottom was a wide dirt area void of any green except for a forest bordering nearby. In the wide area was various wooden cabins that lay nestled against each other along with a wooden tower and several tall pieces with cables – the titan unable to name them. The place looked well used, paths made by footfalls worn into the dirt and the slight and very faint scent of sweat and tears hung in the air. Rogue blinked in interest, ears fully forward. This was where his little ones went after they left him. This was where they acquired their skills in slaughter and flight. The titan's ears naturally wiggled, suddenly feeling elation course through his body.

"Someone is excited." Armin chuckled as he patted his skin.

"Yup. Just remember to follow orders Rogue." Mikasa reminded as she surveyed what lay ahead with a keen eye. "Looks like everyone is in the mess hall for lunch so we are getting here right on time. I guess Shadis wants to go with a surprise approach."

Rogue continued to listen to his babies speak to one another about times that they had spent on the grounds ahead, his green eyes wide and innocuous as he watched a mule pulling a cart full of vegetables pass by them – the man steering it looking up at him with his mouth agape. The creature watched the man for a moment until he adverted his attention away. This 'Shadis' was certainly keeping his arrival and presence secret. He could imagine that the cadets were going to have quite a jolt.

"Also Rogue, the trainees that you are going to meet today have most likely never seen a titan."

Rogue's ears stood up in surprise. Oh yes, the trainees were certainly in for a shock.

"Well now, it's nice to finally see you here. You arrived just in time."

At the welcome, Rogue instantly halted and peered down to see an older gentleman approach them upon horseback and quickly dismount before Hange and Nanaba. He looked like a stern man, silver shoulder length hair slicked back behind him and posture as straight as a slice of pine. His uniform was amusing, the normally short jacket that each soldier wore was long and nearly down to his ankles. Rogue had never seen his little ones or any of the Scout's superiors wear such a thing, but perhaps this was a thing that only the superiors over the cadets did.

"That's great we arrived then!" Hange smiled as she shook his hand. "It's nice to see you again Alois."

The man nodded. "The same to you, Squad Leader. It's great that you are doing well. Nice to see you as well, Nanaba."

"Likewise."

"And this must be Rogue Jaeger." The man looked to him, his lips pulled into an impressed smirk. "He's quite the titan. It's great to have you here to help us out." He chuckled. "The trainees are in for quite a surprise today. Shadis simply told them that they were doing something different and it would be a real test of courage." Alois continued. "It's nice to finally meet you and I thank you for your help."

Rogue nodded in return, keeping his own odd and crooked grin. " **NIICEE TOO NEEET YUU! HAAPPEE TOOO EELLP!"**

Mr. Alois simply responded with a quick and grateful nod and look of poise before adverting his attention to the two teens upon his shoulder. "Ackerman and Arlert. I assume that you two are the legendary Titan Children." He spoke further with the two suddenly tinting crimson before giving a gesture of confirmation. "It makes perfect sense how you two aced my class with your unusually vast knowledge of titans." The man pointed out with Armin scratching the back of his head, liking embarrassed.

"Well the cat's out of the bag now!" Hange said merrily with the man sharing her mirth before scaling up to the saddle on his horse again.

"Indeed it is! Well, lunch is half over and Shadis is expecting us to see him before the exercise to prompt us for the session. This is going to be quite a surprise so let us thread lightly."

* * *

With the weight of his marrow and muscle lessened, Rogue walked quietly as a several ton beast possibly could as he followed the group behind Alois – keeping well hidden in trees hugging the property. Under the orders of Shadis, they were taking what looked to be a detour.

"This is the path we have the wagons carrying goods to go on since it runs behind the kitchen and ends at the Sargent's quarters. The trail goes around the entire grounds. The mail carts as well as our uniform suppliers use this route." Alois continued to explain. "None of the trainees will see you here even if they venture out of the mess hall unexpectedly."

Rogue simply took everything in around him as the man continued informing the others. The ground was unusually dry, signifying that there hadn't been rain in a while and only the trees that withstood droughts thrived. The scents of wildlife such as deer were few and far between – perhaps due to the fact that there seemed to be a lot of action on the grounds. Still, from looking around the forest it seemed like there was plenty of places for him to hide. Even though the trainees had the advantage of knowing the area well, they lacked the experience of facing a real titan and trapping it. Rogue grinned to himself. This was going to be their first lesson and he was the teacher. His ears wiggled, this was bound to get interesting.

"So how many trainees signed up this year?" Nanaba questioned with the man looking up for a split second in thought.

"This year we had about a hundred sign up – that's about a ten percent increase from the amount that graduated in the 104th. We had only about five or six dropouts this year – three of those were due to injury instead of cowardice." The man beamed. "I think it's all due to you, Rogue."

The titan turned his head away from the landscape at the compliment, in awe. " **RREALLE?"**

"Yes, you've given a lot of people so much hope ever since you surfaced. There are more people willing to join the Scouts than ever. Of course, you still have those few who want to be MP's and doubt you, but I think after today when you show your true colors they will change their mind."

Rogue only nodded with an affirmative grunt, wondering what the man meant by showing true color. The titan decided not to dwell upon it, he supposed he would find out from Shadis upon their meeting. He continued to keep to himself and his observation as they walked, ears fidgeting every once in a while to listen to his little ones tell a story about their time on the very grounds. After several scenic minutes of drifting, the titan followed the superiors around a small corner to the rear of a medium sized cabin resting on the edge of the brush. This cabin was different than those he came across in Maria. Unlike the small ones that he found abandoned in his forest, this one was immaculate, orderly, and clean unlike the ones he knew that were covered in moss, possessions strung out, and a skull from wild game hung over some doorway. The cabin before them was well cared for. The wood was smooth and none was splintered. The roof was void of any vegetation or fungi and a metal mailbox hung next to the exit. Overall, it was well kempt. Hange, Nanaba, and Alois then dismounted their equines and steered them over to tether them to a designated area. The man then tied the knot on the reins even tighter to ensure the steed could not escape before facing the awaiting creature and the others.

"This is Shadis's quarters. If you please, you may take a seat Rogue and you all can wait here."

The titan placed himself to sit upon his buttocks, keeping quiet as he lowered his little ones into his lap – the two perching themselves onto his knee. All was practically silent between the four of them, Hange and Nanaba smiling up to them and giving a thumbs up for encouragement. Of course, the titan knew the gesture was really meant for him. He could hardly hide the fretful look upon his face. He wasn't sure how to greet Shadis who sounded like a much angrier and stern Levi. Rogue thought for a moment, he never truly gave Levi an individual greeting. He really only did one thing that actually won the Scouts over and that was simply be himself. Of course, there was a certain gesture that every man in uniform gave one another that would be the best thing he could use in his arsenal.

"Just relax bud. There is no need to be nervous." Armin whispered up at him. "This is going to fun."

Hange nodded. "Just enjoy yourself during the session and – do that one new move you learned. I think Shadis will appreciate it."

Rogue blinked, stunned. Hange wanted him to use _that_ move? The titan felt himself biting is tongue in habit. His new move was one that Hange had surprisingly convinced Levi for him to learn, suggesting that it could actually be helpful in certain occasions. After explaining to him for a lengthy hour when they first told him about it did he finally see the Scouts' viewpoint. Ludicrous as it was absurd, it was actually safe if he did it without fail. It was certainly risky, but he himself had actually perfected it quite nicely, thankful for his keen instincts and agility that made it possible without harm. Rogue only answered with a grunt, giving a small smile. As much as he feared scaring a trainee half to death, he would do it.

Suddenly, the cabin door creaked open, making the titan sit straight in alarm, green eyes watching fully as Alois exited and stood aside, waving someone forward. The wooden planks of the cabin's back porch creaked, feet lifting heavy and rugged boots. Slowly, a man emerged from the overhead shadow. He was just as stern looking as his acquaintances described. His arms were poised behind his back and his posture was like a stony wall, firm and unable to be moved. The man's skin almost reminded him of his own, thick and tanned from the sun. The man's mouth was pulled downward at the edges in a sculpted frown, making it apparent that the male most likely had never smiled in his lifetime. His eyes were set deep, circled by wrinkles, brows sitting over them in a look he could not discern to be determination or annoyance. The man lacked any locks and he was dressed similar to Alois except for his jacket was a deep forest green. Rogue sat still for a moment, the man proceeding to stare heavily at him before the titan remembered to initiate his move. Rogue quickly positioned his arms in a soldier's salute, holding the pose. The creature expected the man to give some sort of response, but he stood there – simply giving him a hard stare. The titan swallowed, the aura growing more tense as a gentle breeze blew through the trees. Rogue's ears wilted in the slightest, completely unsure of what to do further. Perhaps the man didn't like the salute? Worried, Rogue slowly lowered his arms and placed them neatly into his lap. He dithered, the man's eyes traveling along his body, just making him feel more uncomfortable. The titan's ear twitched in thought. Perhaps he should just be himself. With the idea in mind, Rogue tilted his head in curiosity – ears wiggling before leveling out. " **ELLO."** He greeted, hoping for a response. But to his dismay, the man only remained still and unspoken. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the man shifted his gaze to Hange and Nanaba and cleared his throat.

"Rogue Jaeger." The man spoke, his voice deep, demanding, and gruff. "Well Section Commander, you were right. He's quite magnificent." His words making Hange take a proud stance.

"Why thank you! He's one of a kind!" She turned to him. "Rogue, this is Keith Shadis! He's the instructor of the cadet corps and he was formerly the 12th Commander of the Survey Corps – the Commander before Erwin."

Rogue's eyes widened at the intimidating man. So Shadis was once the Commander of the Scouts? The beast nodded with acknowledgement. " **NNICCE TOOOO NEETT YUU… SSIRR."** He beamed, bowing his head in the slightest before sitting straight again to listen.

"You as well." Shadis replied, his tone never truly changing, staying absolutely intimidating. Rogue could only wonder what the man was like when he was in charge of the Scouts. He was quite different from Erwin. Shadis then looked upon his little ones. "Ackerman and Arlert." He grunted, the only hint he gave to being humored. "So you two are the Titan Children. That explains quite a lot, especially how you excelled in your training and classes. The story of you three is incredible."

Armin's face tinted red. "Thank you, Sir." He said shyly with Mikasa only nodding.

"Our apologies for keeping everyone in the dark." The teen apologized, Shadis holding up a firm hand.

"No need for that. It was a smart move." The man paused before looking back up at Rogue. "The infamous Rogue Titan." Shadis trailed off. "In my years of being in charge of the Scouts, I've never seen a titan like him. He's like the perfect guard dog. A Doberman almost. Completely intimidating looking to scare the shit out of anyone at first glance yet underneath the tough exterior he's docile and friendly. Technically, he's the perfect soldier. Strong, fierce, all the while being tractable."

Rogue gave a small smile, not sure what to make of the man's speech and comparisons.

"Oh yes!" Hange began. "He's an absolutely perfect specimen! Studying his DNA, I found him to be a completely new yet ancient breed of titan! One with dramatically increased animal like characteristics and behavior and with the intelligence nearly like that of a human! His species has no taste for humans at all and hunger for the flesh of other titan species instead! He's truly a wonder! Rogue himself is incredibly curious and actually pretty playful. On a more military perspective, Rogue can speak rather well and understand verbal commands. He knows signals and formations. He follows orders very closely as well. He's also skilled in hand to hand combat, knowing some mixed martial arts moves even. As a titan, Rogue is much faster, stronger, and smarter! Overall, he's an absolute wonder!" Hange went on, her enthusiasm not even phasing Shadis who seemed to only absorb words and not her excitement. "There is also a new move he's learned during our capture sessions that certainly has the right amount of 'oomph' to scare the trainees!" He nodded, looking up at the beast again.

"So I see." He began with his arms behind his back yet again. "He's going to be perfect. Humph! Finally have someone besides myself who will scare the shit and piss out of the cadets. Hell, those on laundry duty are going to have one hell of time today. We'll need plenty of bleach for the lights." Shadis huffed, amused at the visual. "Alright Jaeger, I want you to do the capture exercise as we have agreed without going easy on them." The man continued, being straightforward as possible. "From what I've been told and from what I see you can be a bit of a marshmallow. Until I give the order to drop the charade, I want you to be terrifying. I want you to intimidate them. I want you to be stubborn, willful, and grumpy. Act like an animal, be vicious. What I'm saying is, I want you to behave a bit more like a titan, but still appear like you are under control. We need this to be realistic as hell. Do you understand?"

Rogue confidently nodded. Usually, he didn't want to do anything to make others scared of him since it was so difficult to earn acceptance. However, this was a helpful exercise to the trainees, preparing them for the rough life of a soldier. It was an act that he had to play, being monstrous. It was basically a game. He loved games.

This was going to be fun.

**(POV SWAP)**

His lungs expanded and compressed, the teen trying to relax his body as he looked out into the wide dirt field before him. It was surreal to Armin, being back at the trainee grounds once again – specially to help out. He stood as imposing as he could possibly look with his arms behind his back and feet planted firmly into the soil, something that was admittedly difficult to pull off since he wasn't the most visually threatening person. Mikasa stood in the same fashion next to him, dark eyes staring forward at the landscape as well; only that she seemed more like the one to make another highly uncomfortable. Nanaba and Hange were on the other side of them in the same stance. Nanaba wore a noble look while Hange looked as if she could barely contain her excitement knowing that she was getting the chance to show off her favorite subject. Armin nearly let out a chuckle, thinking that if Levi were with them he would say that Hange was having a hard time holding back a shit. The lunch hour was about to conclude and the trainees would be exiting the mess hall at any minute. The four Scouts were waiting in position, counting down the seconds until Shadis joined them along with the chime of the bell. Rogue himself was remaining in the nearby woods just behind them, ready for the order to come out.

Armin sighed yet again. This was also the first time he was going to play the role of a squad leader. He had never done anything of the sort and he wanted to do well so Hange could have a good report to pass to the Corporal. His thoughts faded instantly as the front door to the Sargent's quarters opened. The man still kept his seemingly impenetrable façade as he stopped to stand between them, hardened gaze looking up at the tower where the iron bell was hung. The man inhaled deeply.

"Time to begin." The man muttered, a small smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

The large bell then rang, the sound echoing across the grounds and bringing back memories, mostly those of him getting up at the crack of dawn to run laps with a weighted pack. Without turning his head, the teen watched as the doors to the mess hall opened with many of the younger teens, some of those only appearing to have just turned twelve, spill out onto the field. Many of them stalled for a moment, eyes wide in question as they spied the Scouts and Shadis. Armin could tell they were both confused and startled. Shadis then cleared his throat.

"ALRIGHT MAGGOTS!" The man shouted over the scurrying and chaos, his voice rough and lurid. "GET YOUR SORRY ASSES LINED UP! NOW!" Shadis ordered with an iron fist, serious eyes watching as the teens quickly got into their rows; quickly saluting before standing straight with their hands down at their sides.

It was things like this that made Armin glad that he wasn't in the cadets anymore.

"The Scouts are here?" One of the teens uttered. "What are they doing here?"

"Beats me."

"Is this part of that special exercise that Shadis mentioned the other day?"

"QUIET!" The man commanded. "LISTEN CLEAR AND FUCKING LISTEN WELL! YOU ARE NOW GOING TO TAKE PART IN A VERY SPECIAL EXCERSIZE ALONG WITH THE COMPANY OF THE SCOUTS! THIS EXCERSIZE IS GOING TO TEST YOUR SKILL, WITS, AND WEITHER OR NOT YOU CAN KEEP YOUR BRITCHES CLEAN!" Shadis began with several of the trainees looking at one another, beads of sweat forming upon their brows. "THAT'S RIGHT MAGGOTS! YOU ARE GOING TO BE DOING THE VERY SAME SESSION THAT THE SCOUTS PRACTICE DAY IN AND DAY OUT! YOU ARE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO EVADE AND CAPTURE TITANS!" Shadis informed, making a rustle of whispers run through the trainees.

"What! We just started maneuvering gear training a month ago! This is stuff that supposed to be taught in the advanced courses!"

"What?"

"QUIET! ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE TO YOU HEAPS OF FODDER EACH SCOUT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU. FIRST IS SECTION COMMANDER NANABA, VETERAN SCOUT AND SURVIVOR OF THE BREECH. NEXT IS SECTION COMMANDER HANGE ZOE, THE SCOUT'S TITAN RESERCHER. FINALLY, YOU HAVE ARMIN ARLERT AND MIKASA ACKERMAN. ARLERT'S SCORES FOR THE WRITTEN EXAMS WERE THE HIGHEST WE HAVE HAD IN OVER FIFTY YEARS WHILE ACKERMAN WAS THE TOP OF THEIR CLASS – THE 104TH TRAINEE CORE!" Shadis paused to let the information sink in. "OF COURSE, THE TWO OF THEM ARE ACTUALLY KNOWN BY ANOTHER TITLE THAT'S BEEN THROWN AROUND A LOT IN RECENT MONTHS. ACKERMAN AND ARLERT ARE INDEED THE INFAMOUS TITAN CHILDREN!"

Armin watched and listened as many faces looked upon he and Mikasa and began to gasp and whisper further.

"They are the Titan Children!"

"Those are the two that were raised by The Rogue!"

"I suppose they are here to teach us survival skills and the thought process of titans, after all – they lived with one. They could only be here to share knowledge during the exercise right?"

"They have to be! Why else would they be here?"

"SILENCE!" Shadis demanded. "FOR THE CAPTURE EXCERSIZE, YOUR ASSES WILL BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR TEAMS LEAD BY A SINGLE SCOUT. YOUR JOB IS TO RANGLE A TITAN USING THE MEANS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO RAPIDLY LEARN! KEEP IN MIND, YOU WILL NOT BE USING BLADES – ONLY CABLES! IF ANY TEAM SUCCEEDS, YOU WILL BE EXEMPT FROM YOUR NEXT EXAM!" Shadis proceeded to shout with many of the trainees looking to one another in excitement; Armin knowing that their determination was going to fade in less than a minute. "OF COURSE…" The Sargent sounded amused. "YOU MAY BE THINKING THAT WE WILL BE USING THE WOODEN TITANS THAT WE UTALIZE FOR OUR EXERCISES, BUT THIS IS A TEST OF COURAGE FOR YOU WORTHLESS WORMS!"

Armin watched as the man's lips curled into a smile at the trainee's state of unsettlement. This was it.

"INSTEAD – YOU WILL BE UP AGAINST… A REAL TITAN."

The statement instantly made the blood drain from the teens' faces, eyes wide in panic.

"W…what?"

Suddenly, a loud thump echoed across the yard, the vibration shaking the nearby structures – the sensation making all of the cadets drop and brace themselves. Leaves rattled and timber creaked as several of the pines behind them were being pushed by force. Armin nearly smirked, Rogue was going to make quite an entrance.

The earth shook again, footsteps growing louder and louder. Several of the trainees back peddled or remained too petrified to move. "OF COURSE, YOU MAGGOTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE UP AGAINST ANY REGULAR TITAN." The landscape quaked, a deep and guttural growl sounding across the grounds, making several of the young teens whimper. "ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE TO YOU THE ONE AND ONLY ROGUE TITAN!"

With Shadis's conclusion, Rogue's head slowly emerged from the branches. The titan's eyes were narrowed, brows lowered, and ears folded back – emerald greens glowing with a dangerous glint as the beast emerged fully from the brush, creeping slowly forward like a stalking predator. Rogue's breath was low and cavernous, like that of a true monster – rickety and laborious. As the titan walked, every muscle in his body bulged, rippling with raw power that would make anyone feel even more uneasy. With fluid movement, Rogue stepped over the cabin and came to rest just behind Hange – the titan standing tall to allow everyone to get an eyeful of him. It reminded Armin the first time he had ever seen Rogue in full, the titan looking like certain doom. Rogue then slowly lowered himself, gaze locked onto the trainees with his head unmoving as he seated himself upon his knees, back hunched in the slightest with several strands of hair cascading over Rogue's fearsome face. The titan's shoulders were hunched, arms straight and nails digging into the dirt. The creature's body swelled, Rogue puffing himself up to make him look even more fearsome and daunting, harsh breathing even louder and more threatening. Armin held back a smile. His best friend was certainly good at acting. Rogue could look like the most pitiful and helpless puppy one minute and appear as the very creation of hell the next. Many of the trainees could barely keep their composure.

Rogue continued to growl deep in his throat, steam leaking through the gaps of his teeth and nostrils with Shadis grunting in entertainment. "LET ME INTRODUCE YOU WORMS TO ROGUE JAEGER." Shadis gestured with Rogue parting his teeth to release a loud hiss that made many of the teens nearly trip over themselves in fear, Armin's keen eyes actually catching a few trainees piss themselves. "HE'S GOING TO BE YOUR TARGET! YOU MUST ATTEMPT TO RANGLE HIM. AS YOU CAN IMAGE, ROGUE JAEGER IS NOT LIKE YOUR REGULAR BLOODTHIRSTY TITAN! MISS ZOE, INFORM THESE HEAPS OF FODDER AS TO HOW DIFFERENT THE ROGUE TITAN IS!" Shadis handed the show over, the blonde catching a slight flash of concern going through Rogue's eyes at the use of Shadis's language, the titan obviously feeling a bit protective by nature, but seemingly accepting that the man's intimidation was for a good cause as he still kept his menacing gaze.

Hange nodded with a broad smile upon her face, her glasses practically glowing in the light. "Ah! Shadis is completely correct my Dears! Rogue is no normal titan! He is indeed a different breed entirely! The most notable difference is the fact that his intelligence level is indeed close to that of a human being! He understands what you are saying, signals, and what formation you will get in before you can make your move! All his senses are incredibly heightened and he can pick up your scent from more than a mile away! His ears are not for looks! He can hear you talking from at least half a mile! He's also nearly ten times faster and stronger than any other titan as well!" Hange spoke merrily with her audience stricken in panic. "And you need not worry about him eating or harming you, Rogue's breed only feasts on other titans – but do be aware of a new move we have taught him that might rattle your bones!" She laughed, reaching up to nonchalantly scratch Rogue's chin with the titan still keeping his eyes locked onto his new prey – giving them a snort. "He'll restrain you simply by grabbing your cables and throwing you into the trees or disabling your gear completely! You trainees will be working on the same level as us Scouts. One last thing – he's an expert tracker and loves to leave clues to throw the ones perusing him off! He favors the element of surprise!" Hange held her head proudly, grinning back at Shadis for him to continue.

"YOUR ASSES HAVE UNTIL FOUR O'CLOCK! THAT'S THREE HOURS! IF YOU ARE IMOBALIZED BY THE TIME IS UP, YOUR SUPERIORS WILL ASSIST YOUR SORRY CARCASS! IF YOU SHIT YOURSELVES, OR HAVE ALREADY DONE SO, PLEASE TAKE YOUR UNIFORM TO THE LAUNDRY FOR WASHING PROMPTLY. AFTER I GIVE THE SIGNAL, YOU WILL QUICKLY DISMISS TO YOUR QUARTERS AND HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO PUT ON YOUR GEAR, LEAVING BEHIND YOUR BLADES, AND RETURN HERE TO BE DIVIDED UP! TO PRESSUREE YOU MAGGOTS FURTHER, YOU WILL EACH BE ASSESSED BY YOUR TEMPORARY SQUAD LEADERS ON YOUR PERFORMANCE!" Shadis turned to the titan. "Jaeger – take your position."

All eyes watched spellbound as Rogue gave a small nod and rose to his feet, but not without tilting his head back and letting out an earthshattering roar that Armin felt even rattling his ribs. Many of the trainees covered their ears and some even got into a fetal position in the dirt, all the while Shadis looked absolutely amused. The titan's roar then leveled off into a deep rumble, green eyes flashing at them once more before Rogue smirked and bounded into the trees. For a moment, all Armin could hear was the hitched breaths of the trainees before Shadis cleared his throat.

"YOU ARE NOW DISMISSED!" The man's voice igniting the others to stand and dash off to their designated barracks, Armin making note that many of them would be stopping at the Laundry building afterwards. Rogue had put on quite the presentation.

**(POV SWAP)**

He slowly inhaled the scent of pine into his lungs – a scent that was never not comforting. He leaned casually against a wide tree trunk, index finger toying with the metal loop upon his collar, batting it as he waited for the teams of trainees to come near him. Most likely they were still being sorted or close to being ready to begin. During the short time he had to himself he went ahead and artfully set up his false clues. He had broken several limbs and nearly uprooted several trees – one of the traps he had in mind was to specifically guide the teams into a gorge so he could disable some participants. His ears wiggled, he had quite the advantage. Mike nor Sasha was present – the two Scouts whom could track him down the best. Levi wasn't involved either. His biggest threat was certainly Mikasa for her skills were great. Of course, Armin and Hange would probably figure out his decoys. Still, with him facing mostly inexperienced trainees, he certainly had a big advantage.

The titan's ears pricked forward, hearing the echoing ring of the iron bell – the whirling of gears soon following. Rogue sniffed hungrily, the teams seemed to be heading south, the four quickly branching off into different directions. The beast inhaled again, two of which were near him. He then peeled away from the tree and began to lightly jog through the forest, keeping his frame light as possible to move through the wood as silently as he could. He was going to be relentless and pull every trick he could possibly pull. After all, Shadis wanted him to not go easy whatsoever. He wanted the simulation to be as realistic as he could possibly make it.

After several minutes of jogging, Rogue slowed his pace into a smooth gate; walking steadily with ears facing forward – twitching at the sounds of human activity. The titan stalled, lightly moving to take shelter behind a wall of dirt and rocks, allowing the forest as well as himself too calm so he didn't give any indication that he was onto anyone. He sniffed, a small group was not very far ahead – having stopped somewhere themselves to most likely organize and plan. Rogue inhaled deeply, recognizing Hange's scent from the others, meaning he had come across her party. The titan couldn't help but to distinguish the other scents as well. One of the teens smelled of fresh linen, another the smell of chicken broth, many holding the odor of sweat, and one still had a hint of urine lingering upon them from their earlier accident. Of course, there were other scents he was interested in as well. The natural musk given off by the forest was quite therapeutic. There was the usual breed of giant pines, but there were other trees that he didn't recognize from his forest and the Scouts territory; some had leaves shaped like small fans, others had branches that were limp and weeping, and others has greenery that reminded him of small ferns. Of course, the particular forest was populated by the usual birches, maples, and oaks – the canopy created by the vast assortment shrouding him in dappled light. The wood also had the common smells of berries, other fauna, and water. Like the Scout's territory, there was a good lack of animals near him, but more seemed to be plentiful further. Of course, the lack of life around him was a good thing for this particular exercise.

Rogue's ears flickered, catching Hange along with the voices of several trainees again – the woman describing tactics to them. The titan nodded to himself and slowly motioned forward again, knowing it was best to move while the party of trainees was busy. The Section Commander was currently informing them of basic maneuvers to wrap their cables around him. Rogue followed the words, hunching over in the slightest as he prowled, careful not to snap any overhead branches and alert them. The brush thinned, forcing the titan to stop, but the position was perfect – Rogue lowering himself to sit like a feline, hands pressed near his chin and elbows poised back behind his shoulders upon a high knoll overlooking a small patch of the forest. Green eyes peeked intensely through a small opening in the foliage, observing a cluster of trainees with Hange as they sat upon the branches of several tall oaks. Elvish ears rotated fully forward to listen to their plotting.

"So, what do we do if Jaeger grabs us?" A young male asked the veteran Scout who snorted at his witlessness and laughed.

"First off," Hange began, still holding her gut – the woman obviously excited. "Just call him Rogue. Now to answer your question – unfortunately you are pretty much screwed if Rogue snags your wires or gets you in his hands!" The messy-haired Scout continued to laugh with the trainees looking at one another – startled by her words. "Of course, if you were ever to be captured by a regular titan, you would immediately hack their fingers off with your blades. If one were to grab your wires, there isn't a whole lot to do other than move quickly and disengage. But since the Scouts acquired Rogue, us getting grabbed is a rare thing! Of course, one must be ready if it occurs so the practices are still taught!" Hange spoke almost blissfully as she watched several of the trainees look at one another again before scrutinizing their surroundings, a girl pointing at a set of trees that he purposely scratched and damaged.

"Miss Hange, it looks like Rogue went that way!" The teen announced with the titan smiling mischievously to himself. To his unfortunate luck, Hange shook her head.

"Ah! But he didn't!" She chuckled. "If we were facing a mindless titan then the answer would be yes, but this is The Rogue Titan. That is a trap. That is where he wants you to think he went. Now look at the limbs to your left, you see how those high twigs have been severed?" Hange pointed with the others following her finger. "There hasn't been any recent rain or strong winds go through here and a squirrel wouldn't be strong enough to snap those branches. Therefore, our target went in that direction!"

Rogue lifted his head in alarm. As he expected, Hange figured him out. His original plan was for a team to go through his trap so he could surprise them from behind. No matter. He always had another plan – a practice he always did after the first attempts of the Scouts trying to capture him in Maria. He would just move on ahead and pick them off. As the small party began to gather their bearings and take to the air, Rogue lifted himself out of his position and quickly sulked deeper into the forest – looking for the perfect place to hide. After several minutes of searching, the titan came to a broad tree that was neighbored by several tight knit trunks of other trees on one side – forbidding any trainee to sail through them. Knowing what to do, Rogue smoothly slipped behind the large trunk and waited, his body incredibly alert.

Tapered ears twitched, listening to the characteristic 'whoosh' the gears made as the humans flew through the forest. Rogue's eyes narrowed in determination. They were getting closer. Their invisible wings beat louder and louder, signaling that they were gaining ground. The titan nodded to himself and prepared, lifting a hand – poised to strike like a snake. Green eyes watched as Hange flew by, completely unaware of his position. A trainee trailed her close behind followed by another and another. From counting them earlier, Rogue knew that there were nine in total, just two more soldiers left. An eighth cadet passed him and Rogue got ready, eyes locked on the scene in front of him. Then, a cable cut through the air, the titan quickly reaching out and snagging it in his fingers. The trainee it was attached to yelped as he swung a teenage boy from his designated path before yanking the cable backwards – pulling the boy into his palm like the toy he had seen called a yo-yo. Rogue carefully wrapped his fingers around the petrified teen, green eyes shifting to look at the trainee with an incredibly menacing glare. The titan grumbled – the throaty sound only making the teen tremble further – the male nearly biting off his lip as beads of sweat rolled down his face. Rogue let out a strong jet of steam through his nose – the action nearly making the boy scream. With his plan initiated, Rogue slowly uncurled his fingers so the trainee could simply dangle from his grasp by cable alone. In a way, he almost felt bad for the teen, knowing he was the first to be caught by him and he probably felt beyond embarrassed. Yes, he most certainly was shamed, Rogue able to smell the hint of piss that still lingered upon the teen from earlier – one of the many that had wet themselves during his main entrance. Slowly, Rogue lifted a single finger to his mouth, telling the male that he had better stay silent without so much a word – the action itself spooking the teen further. After giving the teenage trainee one last look of terrorization, the titan quickly hurled the boy up into the canopy, resulting in the male hanging from the branches like a marionette. Rogue nearly smiled as he turned and lightly jogged in the opposite direction of Hange's squad. This was already shaping up to be quite fun.

"Hey! Where's Claude?" Rogue heard one of the cadets shout behind him, the titan not looking back at the group who was likely looking at one another and their surroundings in fear.

"He's not behind us!"

Rogue kept running, picturing Hange looking over her shoulder in alarm, but then a devious smile crossing her features.

"What a clever beast you are!" He heard her mutter. "It's Rogue, he's most likely already hung your friend in a tree somewhere along the way!"

The behemoth beamed, turning to go further south on his original intended path. To up the ante, Rogue parted his teeth and released an unworldly howl – an invitation to the perusing group. He could practically hear them abruptly change direction.

"He's heading deeper into the forest! Follow him!" Hange ordered with Rogue nearly huffing in amusement.

Going through a stretch of timbers that shaded the floor from the light, Rogue dipped behind a large tree once again – hand poised like a serpent as it was before. After he caught another trainee, he would proceed to allow them to let their guard down – just to give them a sense of false hope before he would make the punishing move. He would make quick work out of the trainees, all of them. Once only their leader was left, as Shadis told him beforehand, their squad would be out of the running – their temporary commanding officer tasked with helping free his or her party. After everyone was together again, he would drop the act and return to his warm and welcoming self. Oh how he couldn't wait to look upon the cadets' faces once that transpired.

As she shouted orders, Hange flew past him along with seven other trainees, still unaware that he was lurking just in the shadows. Sensing the eighth member of their posse, Rogue reached out to snag a teen's wire and quickly tossed her into the canopy before she could register what hit her. Unlike the boy that was too consumed by fear to scream, the teen currently tangled up in the branches of a pine shrieked – alerting Hange and the others right as he charged straight forward at full speed.

"What the hell! He's behind us!"

"Miss Hange! Rogue is charging at us!"

"He's coming at us at full –

The teen couldn't finish as Rogue forcefully pushed his way past the squad to run ahead of them, green eyes glancing back – taunting the team to take their shot.

"Shit! He's playing with us!"

Hange laughed. "Ah! He is isn't he! Well – we can certainly play that game as well!"

Rogue blinked in confusion at Hange's words. What did she mean by that? The titan glanced over his shoulder once more. What had she meant? Why were they suddenly hanging back? Then, it hit him. Knowing what they had planned, Rogue quickly turned his head to face forward just in time – seeing Armin's team heading straight toward him, four trainees in which were holding the cable of another to form a large 'x' that was considered a makeshift net. Acting on complete instinct, the titan stopped and bent over backward mere seconds before the cables could make contact with his face. Arching his spine, Rogue planted his palms into the ground and quickly began to pull his leg over his head with the other still following. Although he was surprised by his maneuver, the others were even more so, but the titan quickly got his bearings and saw an opportunity with his keen instincts blossoming in the moment. Spreading his toes of his right foot, Rogue managed to grasp the crossed cables of the four soldiers. As his left foot came in contact with the earth, Rogue began to correct himself again as he swung his right leg upwards and released the four trainees into the unforgiving trees. The titan roared in triumph at his accomplishment that shocked the two flocks of humans as he charged forward again but not without catching two more trainees in his fingers and sending them into the canopy as well before racing further ahead. Hange and Armin had most likely met up before he made contact with the messy-haired woman's squad. They had to have planned to work together for the sake of having an advantage. He could only assume that Mikasa and Nanaba had combined their teams as well or perhaps Armin's team had just decided to intervene because there was an opening. The titan looked over his shoulder, quickly counting that there were eleven soldiers including the two Scouts perusing him at the moment. Four including Armin for his group and Seven including Hange for her group.

Rogue couldn't help but grin. He would disable them swiftly.

"What! You didn't tell us he could do that!" A trainee accused, Armin fumbling over his words.

"I actually… didn't know he could do that either. I underestimated him." His little one continued to dither, his cheeks likely flushing.

"Hey he caught us by surprise as well!" Hange laughed. "Let's continue our efforts! We need to get him stationary before the other teams do!" Hange agreed, her words confirming that she and Armin's squad decided to team up – something that Shadis never made a rule about so it was fair game. Their move was certainly calculative, but his reflexes and luck had saved him.

Rogue sharply turned through the trees, watching as their trunks gradually began to shorten. Since they were together and most likely plotting their next execution for capture, he would head to the natural trap that he had in mind. It would suit him perfectly – plus he would be giving a small and very abrupt lesson to the trainees about combat in open spaces. He was positive that Shadis and his own superiors would appreciate his surprise lecture.

The titan thundered along, his rapid pace making every natural structure quiver like someone in winter's chill. He rotated his ears behind him, sensing that the two squads were still hot upon his heels – and there was still no sign of Nanaba or Mikasa's squads. Their scent was only faint, so they were in the opposite direction of the so called 'playing field' which gave him the chance to take down his current pursuers first. Rogue's massive bulk cut through the trees, the wide basin coming into view before him. As the trees peeled away, the titan leaped forward with a loud bellow, sailing down a sharp embankment before his large feet planted themselves into the dry earth. The ground seemed to ripple beneath him in mild seismic waves – upsetting the once quiet basin. Rogue slid to a halt, dust rising up around his toned legs. The circumference of the area was void of any usable trees, only small saplings and juvenile pines that could not bear the weight of a human. There were only patches of grass and a murky pond taking up residence in the basin. It was the perfect place for him to gain a huge advantage. It would be nearly impossible for a trainee to wrangle him successfully. The young and inexperienced teens had more of a chance in corralling an angry bull into its pen rather than defeating him.

Seeing the squads crest over the embankment and come to rest on the dry ground before him, Rogue took up a stance, feet spread apart, his one hand just below his breast and the other level with his face with fingers ready to grasp. His brows narrowed and the skin at the corners of his maw curling upwards, a silent dare. Emerald greens noticed Armin and Hange giving one another keen glances, knowing very well what he was planning. After his brawl with The Female Titan, the Scouts did have a few capture exercises in more barren settings to prepare for similar circumstances on future expeditions. Hange grinned, placing her hands upon her hips before elbowing Armin lightly – looking absolutely tickled and intrigued.

"Ah! Well trainees! You're in for a special treat! You are going to get a crash course on how to handle trapping a titan on flat terrain!" She cackled with the remaining teens looking positively fretful.

"Er… what?"

"Oh you heard right!" Hange practically sang. "You are going to learn how to entangle a titan without using trees or buildings as leverage!" Armin nodded.

"Hange's right. In this sort of circumstance, you have to be creative. Remember, your hooks are made of iron bamboo so they will penetrate and grip practically anything. Usually, a Scout always resorts to shooting their cables at the titan – the only tall thing on flat terrain so they can take the beast out. Of course, the basin is a bit forgiving in some spots." Armin hinted. True, they could utilize the basin's dirt walls, but their cables couldn't stretch as far to hook on the other side if needed.

Rogue growled deeply in his chest, giving the teens a sense that he was growing impatient. Hange nodded.

"Alright, Hans and Schmidt, we need to restrain his arms –

"Right!" The two older males replied strongly, obviously the type that tried to act tough to impress their peers, but seriously lacked in the talent department. The dark-haired male lifted a hand and shot a cable forth, the speed slow and the grapple off target – the metal barb heading for his face rather than the back wall, something that instantly startled the teen as soon as he pulled the trigger. Before metal could pierce flesh, Rogue's hand caught the cable and before the teen could even blink, the titan pulled the cadet from his feet and quickly tossed the male into the less than pleasant pond. His tapered ears flickered, sensing that the other soldier had somehow successfully latched onto the wall behind him. The click of the gear's trigger hit his eardrum, signaling that the second trainee had released his cable. Rogue nearly laughed at the attempt. With speed that one would not think possible for a giant, Rogue reached behind his shoulder and caught steel. Almost nonchalantly, the titan swung the cadet over his shoulder and back into his palm where he quickly lifted a cable to his mouth and bit through it – displaying the act slowly as a direct taunt before tossing the teen into a patch of trees just outside the basin. Rogue then let out a steamy sigh, looking back at the group with a completely unamused and somewhat irritated expression. If the two boys had listened to Hange's further explanation and orders, they would have known how to not approach him.

"If it's one thing you always do in the Scouts or in any other military branch, is that you always listen to your superiors and wait until they are finished!" Hange's voice echoed across the basin, a bit of her hidden madness escaping her façade in the slightest. If it was one thing Levi had told him, it was that Hange was terrifying when she was angry. Admittedly, he could see the truth in the Corporal's words.

Hange and Armin then quickly began to give orders, their hand signals at a minimum for it was likely that the cadets were not even familiar yet with some of the Scout's maneuvers which he was positive were things that the trainees were taught in the classes that his little ones mentioned. As best as they could, they tried to take to the air simultaneously, a few of the younger teens still obviously not used to the triggers and switches on the hilts. Rogue grew alert, tightened his stance as he prepared for them to make a move, keeping on his toes if he needed to suddenly turn or shift.

"Alright! As Hange said, go for his arms! Disable his hands! Don't make direct frontal attacks!" Armin commanded.

"Right!" Hange agreed. "Wilson and Frey, circle and bide! Use maneuver twenty-three!"

Rogue let out another daunting roar. He knew well what the maneuver was. The Scouts had used the code briefly when teaching themselves how to capture him during their own exercises. The titan wasn't sure why commands that he obviously knew were being shouted. As he was coming upon Hange just a few minutes earlier, he heard them go over several key moves. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the trainees were still just starting to get their feet wet. Although, the theory had definitely crossed his mind was that Shadis wished that his family could make the cadets fail the test on purpose just to give them quite an insight. He wasn't too sure on that yet, but it was starting to seem like this was just all Shadis's trick.

Two cadets began to circle him counter clockwise, cables imbedded into his flesh. Their faces were cad in nervousness, sweat beading upon their brows as they propelled themselves to loop around his triceps, biceps, and across his chest and back. They were slow and rather clumsy, their wires not wrapping tightly whatsoever. Usually, when the Scouts pulled the same trick to pin him, the cables were so tight that they sometimes cut into him. Rogue simply let the teens continue, realizing that they did not possess the high grade steel cables that the Scouts had but rather the standard that wasn't used for capturing large titans. Perhaps Shadis really did want them to fail on purpose with the idea that they were getting 'a taste of the real world' after all. With the teens' wires almost to their maximum length, and the cables dearly draping from his upper frame, Rogue made his move. The beast simply lifted his arms, muscles tightening – flesh bulging and undulating beneath the coils of steel that began to unravel like a frayed rope. His chest and back expanded as he angled his arms upward with a triumphant roar, snapping the lines completely and sending the two trainees skyward. Before they could fall to the unforgiving earth, Rogue incased their frantic bodies into his hands and sent them into the pond. Hange's cackling at the scene practically bounced off the walls of the basin.

"Remember! You must get your lines nice and snug so your target can't lift a finger!" The woman laughed. "Rogue is quite the hunk! Just a flex of his muscles snapped your cables with ease! And you allowed him to do so! Speed must also be kept in check! Not only do you have to be fast enough to avoid being a titan's victim, you have to go at a high enough velocity to get your lines good and tight!"

Armin then began to give more orders, many of the teens looking at him for direction, another thing that was never to be done – taking your eyes away from your opponent, especially when said target was a titan. Sure, it was fine to do so for a split second but only if one kept their ears peeled for them as well. The trainees were focused solely upon Armin, not even monitoring him. To show them the error of their ways, Rogue pivoted and snagged a cadet's cable as it was aimed for the limestone, roughly pulling the yelping teen through the air, Rogue swinging her over his shoulder before bringing her back down to the ground and releasing, the creature sending the cadet to roll upon the dirt with her cables pulled far beyond usage. The cadet sat up, looking absolutely dazed and decorated in scratches and scuffs, but otherwise fine. The poor thing had no idea what had hit her.

"Remember! You must keep your eyes upon a titan at all times when you are currently engaging with one! Be vigilant! Never let your guard down!"

Of course, even as Hange addressed them the warning, Rogue took advantage of another unsuspecting cadet, lifting a finger to a cable to throw the trainee off their route – the exhaust guiding them to his awaiting hand rather than the comfort of a rock. With no effort, Rogue tossed the male into the waiting branches of a tree before searching for another victim.

"There's two more of you that's been taken out because of your lack of awareness!" Hange scolded. "You've spent too much time attempting to pin his arms. Remember, your opponent is smart. Smarter than any other titan. Change up your tactics! Rogue knows what you are going for and he can predict your movements! You have to be a little dirty! Wiley!"

Rogue released another bone rattling roar of challenge, hoping to entice them to their own defeat. Knowing that the trainees would be going by Hange's words, he knew where they would aim for next. Rogue nearly smiled as he caught Armin making a particular movement with his hand – one that silently gave command. Ah yes, he would take them out here.

The sound of a cable cut through the air, the long string of steel having been shot straight in front of him to the adjacent wall – the cadet intending on cutting in front of him. The titan nearly huffed. It was a mere distraction. As the cadet pulled their secondary triggers to propel themselves to the other side, Rogue made his move. The titan slammed his hand down upon the cable, pulling the taught steel to the ground and launching the cadet high into the air in a great arch. With incredible skill, the titan reached out to catch the teen in his free palm and quickly tossed him underhandedly behind his back to deliver the cadet into the spongey bushes. Then, he felt what he had been waiting for – the sensation of a grapple imbedding itself in the flesh near the base of his spine. With great speed, the titan moved his arm to yank upon the chord just as he felt steel wrapping around his legs – two trainees circling his calves with one sailing just below his kneecap and the other running upon the dry and cracked earth. Rogue nearly huffed, knowing that the cadets were not expecting what was imminent. With another bellow erupting from his breast, the titan launched himself up into the air, bringing his knees to his chest. The world seemed to move in slow motion; the cadets' mugs were petrified with their mouths opening so wide they bore their throats as their coils began to fall from his skin, his fingers encasing them and pulling them away. Rogue's bulk then descended, his weight tremoring the earth and making the fauna shiver like frightened dogs. With the three humans in hand, Rogue stood up and gifted them to the pond before turning in search of any more foes only to find his little one and Hange standing a few meters before him with proud looks – the only survivors left.

Two down. Two to go.

Above the moans and groans of the defeated, the clap of Hange's hands echoed across the basin with Armin nodding in approval. The woman's lips then drew up into a devious smile before breaking out in laughter. "Ah! What an incredible display!"

A teen twisted in a nearby tree droned in aggravation. "This is fucking impossible. I think my gear is completely busted."

Hange only hummed in amusement. "Ah! But it was a wonderful learning experience for you! You have a little more know how than you did when you started. Of course, you have much work to do if you ever want to go up against a titan let alone one as skilled and as smart as The Rogue." She spoke rather proudly with Rogue nearly breaking character to smile in thanks at her compliment. Hange then turned to Rogue once again who continued to keep his determined and aloof façade, snorting and grumbling for good measure as he took one last look at the worn and disabled cadets who looked upon him with a mixture of respect and loathing. "Alright Rogue, Armin and I are going to take our battered and bruised teams back – so you know what to do." She beamed maliciously and in cunning.

Rogue nodded, affirming them with a rough grunt before standing straight and throwing his head back to sniff the air hungrily. He easily caught the scents of his next targets – Nanaba's squad the closest to him. Hearing more moans as the trainees tried to get to their feet, Rogue gave them another hard stare with the intention of proving and branding the message that he was the alpha in this setting. As Hange and Armin fired off their signal flares to announce their loss, Rogue released one final roar and quickly charged out of the basin to continue his hunt.

* * *

He continued to run, keeping his frame light and agile. Rogue sniffed every few seconds to monitor the squad's position. He was certainly gaining upon them for they were just up ahead and continuing on their own path – unaware that he was trailing them. Rogue hummed to himself in thought. It was certain now that this was all a trick by Shadis. Hange and Armin were commanding and giving orders to fresh cadets that were just getting the hang of things. If Shadis really wanted the trainees to succeed, he would have given them the right cables to bind him. It was a perfect execution on the man's part. Though they were set up to lose the battle, the cadets were learning skills they would need in the future through hands on experience. Shadis was also schooling them to face their fears as well as going through a lesson of humility. He was damn positive that his little ones and superiors were in on it as well. However, if this were truly the case, then why was he left out of such a heads up? Rogue's only answer was that Shadis was fully aware that he would win no matter what the situation was.

The forest had since changed since he left the basin. He was in a denser part of the territory. It could be described as strange and eerie. Although the sun was still present in the heavens, the wood was doused in a dark shade of green – the canopy so thick that barely any light pierced through. It was overpopulated with moss and ivy – fungi sprinkled here and there to decorate the fallen trees. Rogue's piercing greens practically glowed beneath the thick canopy, his legs pumping as he moved through with surprising grace. His nostrils flared and his pupils remained searching. He was a predator on the hunt, closing in on his catch. Nanaba's squad was nearly straight before him. To take them out quickly, the best way to go about it was a full on assault. After that, he would go for his little one's team.

Rogue hunkered down as moved, a tactic that the female titan had done to gain speed. The whirling of gears sounded among the deep green, the titan's lively emeralds catching glimpses of fleshy tones through the foliage. With his nostrils flaring, it was no doubt that it was Nanaba's entire squad. He then watched as the team veered in his direction – positioning right before him by several meters and having no idea that he was approaching. The titan's skin pulled upwards in a smirk, eyes igniting in determination. It was time to make his move.

With his heart pounding and thundering within his chest, blood circulating throughout his titanic frame, Rogue charged forward at an alarming rate. If it was always one thing that surprised him, it was just how fast he could go. Steam spilled from his mouth, pointed ears poised against his head while his legs pumped. Even though he had lightened both tissue and bone, his footfalls could still be heard, but only at the very last few seconds. The fact rang itself true as Rogue drew closer, the group of cadets going rigid. They could barely look over their shoulders in time.

"Shit! He's right –

Before the single warning could be finished, Rogue surged between two males and took hold of their cables, swinging them in a parallel loop before releasing them to the waiting branches of the trees. Without slowing, Rogue reached out to snag another cable, pulling another cadet into his hand and tossing them into the brambles. He could practically smell their panic now. If he had snuck up upon the Scouts, they would have instantly evaded him by expertly dodging and would judge his position as he judged theirs. In comparison, the cadets were like little fox pups coming out of the den and into the outside world for the first time. A fourth cadet who was almost too afraid to pull the triggers upon his hilts, completely frozen in his wake, quickly fell victim to his hunt – the titan abruptly grasping him and pulling his cables into his mouth to sever them before leaving the young teen to the pines and willows. Emerald hues focused ahead, seeing that only four remained, including Squad leader Nanaba who wore a look of complete surprise. Rogue roared, his cry shaking the trees and sending the young trainees into absolute terror. Catapulting them into a state of irrationality. The cadets shrieked, and caught in their heightened state, they fled off their designated path – ignoring an angry Nanaba who's orders fell on deaf ears. The titan didn't miss her glance at him however, he knew what she wanted and what she was going to do next. With a slight nod, Rogue then roared and charged after the featherless fowl with Nanaba following at a distance.

The three frightened trainees flew through the foliage, whimpering and sounding like frightened swine. Rogue charged after them, but soon realizing that the cadets could not have picked a more perfect place to gain an advantage and potentially lose him. The trees, although not the giant kind that grew in his forest, had trunks as thick as his fingers and were incredibly dense, seemingly growing just a few feet apart from one another. The many spruces and pines acted like a large cage with wooden bars, his frame easily becoming wedged between a cluster. The teens flew further ahead, looking over their shoulders nervously, speed slowing – not sure whether or not to take the opportunity and engage in trying to capture him. Rogue howled, his bellow jarring the shaky souls who had only paused to congregate on if they should act or not. If it was one thing his massive bulk and weight was good for – it was plowing down obstacles like this one. With another blood curdling bellow ripping from within his gut, Rogue threw his mass forward. The ground groaned at the roots and timber cracked and snapped as the creature lunged, trees breaking like toothpicks and splinters showering down to the forest floor like rain. At this, the cadets screamed a few decimals higher than he thought it would have possible for each of them as they scrambled to take off again. Rogue snarled, saliva spraying as he tore through the pines. Trees fell away, pelting the earth as he pushed through – bright green irises still locked upon his prey that he had to catch and defeat.

"Shit! Shit!"

"Why couldn't have Shadis started us on a nice fake one!"

"This is insane! This is ridiculous!"

Rogue roared in pleasure as he continued his pursuit, plowing down timbers with the cadets scarcely avoiding them by the skin of their teeth. The titan pushed himself through the narrow passages and barreling through natural barricades, moving so quickly through the dense foliage that the cadets could practically feel his hot breath. The tightly knit trees then began to thin, giving Rogue the first opening to snatch his prey. With another beastly holler, the titan reached out between the pines and swiped at the cables of the trailing cadet – only to miss by a few inches and for his nails to dig into a neighboring evergreen, leaving large and deep gashes that would make anyone sick at the thought of the titan's sharp nails gouging flesh. Rogue snarled at his failure and with an extra thrust, the beast burst from the natural prison only to swipe at the same trainee yet again and succeed in wrapping his fingers around their traumatized body. Quickly, he pulled their cables to his teeth and cut steel before carefully dropping the trainee to the berry bushes. Rogue nearly smiled. Just two left in Nanaba's squad. The titan knew she was watching and he could practically feel her satisfaction with the job he was doing.

The titan motioned on, trying to make up lost ground. The cadets before him were fleeing at top speed, certainly using quite a lot of gas that was needed to propel them through the air. If they ran out, by default, he would automatically claim victory. He would make sure that would not happen. After all, where was the fun in that? Roaring once again for his own amusement and to intimidate the young teens further, Rogue mentally kicked himself into high gear. The titan's speed increased, nostrils flaring and absorbing scents that made him naturally want to stop and investigate. However, the scent and sight of his prey kept him poised and set in the art of his hunt.

"Damn! Nanaba is going to be so pissed we left her! We had one rule and we broke it Klaude!"

"Shut up! I know we fucked up, but… shit! Shit! SHIT!"

The titan continued on, the dark forest thundering around him. His legs flexed, muscles showing themselves off and pushing him further in his advance. Rogue growled deeply, the cadets only a few meters from him, but most definitely within striking distance. The titan then poised a hand, eyes hooked upon the unfortunate trainee nearest to him. Rogue then swung his arm in a wide but fast arch with the intent on capturing the trainee within his palm. However, before the young male could meet the folds of his tough skin, the cadet let off his triggers and allowed his body to freefall for a short distance before the teen pulled the triggers once again to speed ahead. The titan grumbled. A lucky dodge. A lucky dodge indeed.

The chase prolonged. The titan growing more and more eager to end the efforts of Nanaba's squad. The two remaining trainees were holding their own for the time being, running mostly on their own adrenaline. Neither were thinking rationally, minds only fogged with fear. It was something that would work to his advantage. From experience, Rogue knew that man didn't think well under extreme pressure. The more he thought about that fact though, the more that he realized that he was sometimes the same way. In this situation however, he was the hunter – mainly the hunter.

His footsteps echoed among the wood, the landscape opening up into a marsh – the forest floor suddenly being covered in shallow water that was home to many of the frog creatures that he knew of as well as other scaly creatures. Normally it would be serine, the dim sunlight peeking through the leaves to glitter upon the water in the dark forest – but with his weight and thundering steps causing the liquid to ripple and spooking all life around them, it was no longer that. Rogue growled deeply. The marsh presented a new and very difficult obstacle; that being the muddy bottom of the bog that would certainly slow him down only to give the cadets a huge opening. He knew instantly as the two teens flew into the marshland and water began to swarm around his feet that he would have to end it now. Otherwise, he could be in trouble.

Rogue roared as he sprinted as fast as he could through the water, kicking up damp earth and creating waves. He kept himself as light as possible, somehow avoiding to sink too deeply. Green eyes were set onto his opponents. He could get them. He HAD to get them. The cadets swooped low, obviously trying to conserve gas by trying to use what Armin described as either the thing called 'inertia' or 'gravity' to aid them. His nostrils flared, heart pounding as he examined his surroundings further, taking notice of what was before him. Dead ahead was a large and wide rock that hung over a sharp drop-off where the marsh continued. Rogue's eyes looked to the trainees, now knowing why they were flying low. The two teens must have figured that with them as low as they were, it would be hard for him to swipe at them upon leaping from the cliff. Rogue's eyes narrowed in determination. The trainees had no idea that they had just set him up to perform the one move that he knew would scare the hell out of them. It was something he had worked diligently on and he could perform it whenever a soldier was in the right position. Granted, he didn't like thinking about the move because it was quite vile and induced some polarizing thoughts, but in the right situation it would be necessary. In the very position, it was the perfect move to turn the tides of the particular battle at hand – and the best one he could use to damage even their soul.

He just hoped that he didn't miss – or worse.

Instinct took hold, the titan getting in touch with his hounding instincts as he watched the cadets sail over the rock. Rogue roared and dropped down to race after them on all fours knowing the angle that he needed to be. If it was one thing that Hange had said about him upon studying him during their expeditions and in Stohess, is that he could surprisingly run very well on both his hands and feet and was quite agile and fast. It was another thing that she suspected that his breed was adapt at doing as well if it was needed. Rogue pushed himself further, hands and feet bracing against anything firm to force him faster through the mud. Emerald eyes observed the trailing cadet, the world before him seemingly in slow motion and allowing him to focus and judge on the position of the trainee. Incredibly keen, Rogue prepared himself as his hands met stone.

"Yes! We're home free! There's no way he can –

The boy's words faded and fell silent as his eyes beheld what was transpiring. As he met the edge of the rock, Rogue thrust himself into the air with a powerful kick – looking not unlike a pouncing cat after a bird. The titan then opened his jaws as wide as possible, his teeth cresting over the cadet and the teen roughly tumbling onto his tongue. The beast's incisors and molars came down in a distinctive 'clack' over the trainee who was far too frightened to even screech a single plead. Rogue withered in distaste at the feeling of the human upon his tongue, simply because he knew the act was foul and reminded him all too much of his kin's diets. Sure, Hange, Levi, and Armin had climbed around in his mouth to either clean or experiment, but it always made him feel uneasy. To ensure, that he didn't accidentally swallow the teenager, Rogue moved his long tongue to the back of his throat before pushing the trainee up against the front of his maw – the boy protesting by punching and kicking everywhere he could inside his mouth. The titan then impacted the earth, the ground shuttering upon landing and throwing the murky water of the marsh onto the banks. Still standing upon his hands and feet, Rogue continued to try and restrain the panicked cadet with his tongue – trying not to gag or show discomfort as the human thrashed around the inside of his mouth. His ears fidgeted, nostrils flaring and making him aware that the other cadet that he had been perusing was stone still in the marsh. Remembering to keep up his act, Rogue breathed lowly, making sure to inhale and exhale raggedly. Ever so slowly, he lifted his head with a narrowed and fearsome stare at the other teen who had amazingly stopped upon a fallen log that arched over the cloudy water. Rogue growled deep in his chest, the boy's body was stiff with his face fixed in a mixture of shock and horror. The teen appeared as if he was looking at the incarnate of death itself.

The human only continued to cower, the odor of his perspiration sweeping through the creature's nostrils. The unmistakable smell of fear. He had the cadet right where he wanted, too calcified to move. Slowly, Rogue lifted a hand from the water and prowled forward, making sure to keep himself nearly at eye level with the boy. The titan's growls reverberated through the bog, the creature's eyes dark and intimidating with pupils as thin as paper. His shadow and form rose ominously over the teen, the other cadet's cables still dangling from his mouth – the sight menacing.

"Oh…oh… god… he… ate him. I'm… gonna…I'm dead." The trainee muttered as Rogue came to a stop over him, the titan watching as the cadet's pants grew wet. The beast satisfied at the response, but he was to take it one small step further.

Rogue let a deep rumble vibrate through his throat as he clenched his powerful jaw, severing the cables dangling from his maw, the move itself made the cadet drop to his rump and place his hands over his head, cowering and whimpering. The teen looked at him, pupils shrunk and trembling to the bone. Rogue then decided that the display had gone far enough, the titan gurgled and parted his teeth to spit out the other trainee who landed in the murky water covered in thick saliva – the teen too petrified as well to scream or move, the boy only staring up at him in shock. The two trainees continued to glower, completely speechless as Rogue kept his hard glare while he reached and pulled the able cadet's cable from the bark of the rotten log and brought it to his teeth. They did nothing but watch as Rogue clamped down on the tough steel to render it useless and thus defeat Nanaba's squad.

"What… the –

"Well now, it looks like we were bested." Rogue looked up to see the familiar blonde Section Commander sail down from the canopy and land upon the log. "Wonderful work, Rogue." Nanaba smiled up at the behemoth, the titan nearly wiggling his ears in thanks but settling for a rough grunt instead – making sure to keep in character. "You surprised us." She spoke kindly, but demeanor changing as soon as she looked upon the two trainees, Nanaba's eyes narrowing in utter irritation and distaste. "Now, I hope this serves as a prime example to the two of you. You must always listen to your Commander! If you had, you would have heard me devise and execute a plan to avoid a loss and gain a win. When out in the field, you can't let fear rule you! You must stay as level headed as possible and use your brain so to not make any rash decisions!" Nanaba practically scolded them, folding her arms against her chest. "You two have a lot of work to do."

Rogue only gave a brief nod in agreement with Nanaba, making sure to keep his façade serious. When he was alone in Maria, he had seen far too many fresh soldiers succumb to extreme terror and lose their life because they let panic corrode their poor souls. Of course, now that the Scouts had him on their team, every time it was envisioned that they were facing his kin upon an expedition, they seemed less shaken and alarmed. Dare he say, they looked as if they felt utterly safe with him. But of course, with the breech in recent years and the arrival and confrontation of The Female Titan, they were allowed to worry. They had to be on their toes and ready for anything.

"Well Rogue as far as –

The titan didn't bother to listen to her sentence as the whirling of gears could be heard echoing through the marsh. He lifted his head, ears rotating as he twisted around and began to survey like prey looking for a hunter, the roles within their very game suddenly reversed. It was the clear beating of translucent wings – Mikasa's squad was coming, most likely after having heard the commotion that he had brewed. Green eyes focused back on Nanaba who returned his knowing gaze with a nod.

"You know what to do."

At her words, the titan replied with a sharp grunt and got to his feet, quickly stepping over the log to race back into the deep forest and leaving several petrified and soiled cadets behind.

* * *

Looking over his shoulder, he watched and listened as a signal flare rose out of the canopy – having been fired by Nanaba to project their defeat. With his ears rotating, he could sense that Mikasa and her squad were right behind him. It was the last group and he wanted to take them out quickly. Any moment they would be showing their faces.

As if right on cue, leaves rustled as his little one and several trainees emerged from the green. Mikasa wore a look of fortitude while the cadets, as he predicted, looked mortified knowing what they were about to get into. Rogue faced forward yet again. There was a big difference besides genders between his Armin and Mikasa. Armin was an excellent organizer and planner. In battle, Armin plotted every movement he made. Mikasa on the other hand took a more straightforward approach when it came to combat. She nearly did everything head on. Needless to say, as far as commanding a squad, she wasn't well suited for such a thing. Mikasa and the cadets would more than likely come straight at him in an assault which was the worst thing they could do.

And he knew the perfect way to take them down.

With the skin at the corners of his maw pulling back into a smirk, Rogue bellowed – inviting the challenge as he suddenly sidestepped and veered to his left. There was one place he had noticed on his way into the grounds that would be perfect to execute a takedown.

"Quick! He's heading left! V formation!"

Rogue carried on, feet pelting the earth and gusts of steam pouring from his teeth which would utilize for later with what he had devised. Another key thing that gave him the upper hand was that he was going to do something that even his Mikasa had not seen. The only downfall was that he had one shot at it. He would lead them into a sense of false security and then strike. Suddenly, the trees parted in an abrupt manner and the ground fell out before him into a sharp hill. The titan could barely react in time, digging his heels into the rocky ground as he slid down the embankment toward a wide dirt path at the bottom that sliced through the wood. Sharp rocks threatened to cut into his feet as Rogue finally skidded onto the dirt road, surprising a wagon carrying food supplies at the bottom that he narrowly avoided crushing – completely spooking the horse and driver who's cart nearly overturned as they scrambled from his wake. Knowing they were fine, Rogue continued onward, looking over his shoulder to see Mikasa's squad sharply turning to trail him, several of the trainees struggling to keep their bearings. His little one though, still wore her fierce look of resolve.

"Harper and Hans! Sweep in from below and curve around to snare his ankles!"

"Yes, Section Commander!" The two teens acknowledged as they broke from their formation and attempted to gain on him, shakenly flying low. Mikasa was certainly clever with her particular approach, but her followers under her command were just getting their feet wet. With a devious smile coming to his malformed face, Rogue leaped sharply to his right yet again and began to quickly scale back up the steep and rocky embankment. Boulders flipped and overturned as he made his accent, the cadets swerving and swinging in all directs to avoid the debris. He then crested over the cliff and stood to charge again upright – heading right for the particular destination that he had in mind. His tapered ears twitched, monitoring as Mikasa and the cadets approached him again. As his little one had ordered before, the two cadets she had named angled themselves low, their shaky breaths not going undetected. Rogue's keen eyes watched as the pair of teens got on each side of him, just a few feet from the ground. They were certainly aiming to trip him. One of the trainees then failed to give his gear enough gas, forcing him to falter and run haphazardly upon the ground – the cadet soon tripping and rolling over and over until he was tangled in his own wires. The titan nearly tweeted at the result, one more future soldier was down and he didn't have to exert himself to aid in his defeat. Quickly deciding to narrow down the final posse a bit further, Rogue abruptly bent and swiped the other low flying cadet from the air and tossed him into the brambles. The titan could practically hear Mikasa growling at the blow to her team, but quieting as she most likely remembered the true plan at play.

He thundered along, trees growing less and less dense and the earth becoming harder and dryer, a sure sign that he was getting close and hopefully a sign that the exercise would soon be finished.

"He's headed for the canyon!"

"It's a dead end! We'll cut him off there!"

Rogue only grinned to himself. That was what they thought of course.

"Keep on him! We'll take him there!"

The landscape then opened up into a more barren and elevated one. Trees tore away to reveal reddened dirt and high cliffs that clearly displayed layer upon layer of sediment. Looking up, Rogue was able to determine that the canyon's walls were at least thirty meters, just high enough for him to utilize them in his plan. The titan charged through, paying no mind to the low and dried grass and the few supplies that sat about. It was likely that the trainees used this place for flying as well by learning how to do basic maneuvers. They knew this area well enough that it apparently led into an end where they were certain they could corner him – if he wasn't careful of course.

Dust flew around them, rocks quivering as he ran by and falling from their roosts. Rogue curved around a bend, following the only trail. It was then that he spied the dead end ahead. It was almost time to make his move.

"The intersect point is straight ahead! Keep formation! Speed up and gain ground!" Mikasa yelled as Rogue's eyes narrowed in determination. By the tone of her voice, he could tell that she was befuddled. She was utterly confused.

The behemoth charged forward, ears filling with the whirling of gears as he drew closer. Rogue glanced behind him, seeing that Mikasa's team was still in what the Scouts called V formation. Perfect. Green eyes narrowed. Twenty meters left.

"We're closing in!"

"Get ready to engage!"

"There's nowhere for him to run!" A cadet cheered. "We've got him! He can't do anything else!"

Rogue's feet thundered, the titan letting out a loud bellow. He was about to prove them wrong. Very, very wrong. The beast inhaled, letting his lungs fill to their maximum capacity before exhaling a vast and steamy cloud that shrouded them in a hot and opaque fog. The cadets behind him were instantly overwhelmed, breaths hitching and hearts surely pounding in their chests.

"Miss Mikasa –

"Keep flying! This is a defensive technique he uses! Be prepared! Rogue may turn and charge straight through us!"

"Wh – Section Commander –

Ten meters. It was time. Just as his temporary cover began to thin, vapors drifting away, Rogue put his plan into action. The creature launched himself to his left, placing his foot onto the steep rock surface before launching himself upwards toward the rock face to his right in one fluid motion, leaving the earth shaking more than ever.

"What!"

"What the hell!"

Rocks slid as the titan arched his body, turning as he leaped once again to get airborne. Everything seemed slowed, the world almost still. His muscles flexed and loosened as he twisted his bulk, eyes locked onto his completely stunned prey. Rogue lifted his arm from his side and swung through the fading mist as he descended. In one solid swipe, his hand captured the cables of the trainees with Mikasa only ducking within a fraction of a second to curl around his outstretched limb. The titan's bulk then crashed down, the beast landing on his feet and a single hand. The earth quaked, cracks tearing through the clay and rock, upsetting the landscape around him. The world then grew silent and still. Rogue heaved a breath, blinking his third eyelids to clear any possible particles. Quiet and raspy whimpers like those of puppies met his ears, making the creature become aware of his catch. Rogue gradually lifted himself to sit upon his knees and raised his hand to his face, holding the lines of all the terrified cadets. Keeping in character as he was ordered, Rogue rumbled deeply in his chest, giving his shaken audience a rough growl – one to project his dominance. His vocal only made them shutter further and provoked a few tears and the odor of urine to resurface. The titan snorted and adapted a somewhat aloof look as he stood. The match was over and Shadis's demands were certainly met.

"Well, that's certainly a new one, Rogue."

Feeling a light weight land upon his shoulder, the titan turned his head to see his little one giving him a slight smile, stroking his neck as she began to catch her breath. He nearly nuzzled her, but only grunted at the compliment. Mikasa then set her eyes onto the dangling trainees in his hand, her face riddled with judgement as she bit down onto her lip.

"They definitely are rough around the edges, but I'm not too good of a Section Commander yet. Armin is certainly suited for the role. I bet he lasted longer than I did." Mikasa chuckled softly. "This is a new record for you, twenty-five minutes flat. I'm sure Shadis will be enthused." Mikasa patted his cheek with the other trainees watching in absolute confusion – baffled by the sight of a beast and a girl exchanging a form of communication. "You did a good job as usual, Rogue." She smiled. "Now how about we head back to the grounds? I'm sure that everyone is in route to it."

Rogue gave a sharp nod and got to his feet, casually slinging the cadets over his shoulder and behind his back like one would carry a sack of flour. Mikasa then took a seat and held a lock of his hair as they went along at an easy pace, Rogue making sure to keep his disgruntled mood. Secretly, he looked to Mikasa and smirked, giving her a cunning wink – a gesture that he knew humans did when they wanted to secretly convey something. His little one beamed tenderly at him, patting his cheek yet again and looking back at the helpless cadets.

"The laundry department is certainly going to be busy"

At her statement, Rogue couldn't help but to give a huff in agreement.

* * *

The grounds finally revealed themselves after his short trek. The yard was bathed in midday's light – making Rogue forget that he had been woken at dawn by an early sun and by the number of errands he had already run. The commanding officers were neatly standing with Shadis and Alois who were alerted at his arrival by the sound and vibration of his steps. Shadis crossed his arms behind his back and kept his stern and impassive gaze as he looked from the titan to Mikasa and to the titan again. Rogue grunted a rough greeting and pulled the cadets from behind him to hold up in display, Shadis giving him a curt nod in satisfaction.

"Good work, Jaeger. Twenty-five minutes flat. Incredible." The man complimented gruffly. Rogue acknowledged the praise and lowered the trainees to the ground, dropping them from at least three feet from the soil to further project his arrogant persona. "You may take a seat now as we wait for the other maggots to get here." Shadis continued with Rogue complying. The Sargent then turned to Mikasa. "So, what is your assessment Ackerman?"

"Well Sir, they certainly need to improve their skill in quick and complex maneuvers if they ever want to join the Scouts – or graduate for that matter." Mikasa replied darkly.

"I see." Shadis simply replied. "It looks like there is work to be done." The man continued, his gaze boring into the cadets, his eyes absolutely intimidating. Rogue simply breathed cavernously in agreement. He couldn't wait for Shadis to reveal everything.

After several minutes, one by one, the other teams emerged from the woods. The trainees looked beaten and worn. Several of them were covered in bruises, small cuts, and many of them had twigs tangled in their locks. Their uniforms were dirty, graced with grassy stains, dirt, mud, some were soaking wet, and of course there were the many that had pants stained with excrements. Numerous teens collapsed onto their rears and knees in upmost exhaustion. Rogue grunted at his handiwork, hunching his shoulders a bit to glower deeply at the trainees who looked up at him in incredible unease, some of their cheeks red in embarrassment.

"Looks like you got Mikasa's team as well, Rogue." Nanaba beamed artfully at him. "Nice work."

He snorted in response and looked to Hange and Armin who only glanced at him, the blonde exchanging a wink as Mikasa did before. Rogue couldn't help but feel excited at the twist that was about to be spilled, but the titan was sure to keep his grizzly demeanor, brows lowered and appearing irritated and all around like a true beast with his guttural breaths. Shadis then cleared his throat.

"ALRIGHT YOU WORTHLESS WORMS! LINE UP! IT'S TIME FOR YOUR ASSESMENT!" Shadis began, shaking up the trainees and forcing them to scramble as best as they could to get into their same lines that they had before. Like a hawk, the seasoned man watched as the trainees attempted to get their bearings, shaking like little leaves as they stood in their spots. For a long moment, Shadis continued his hard stare before heaving a heavy breath again. "Section Commander Nanaba, your team as well as the others have clearly failed this exercise, but what do you say about your squad?"

"They clearly need work. Some of them faired rather well since we were ambushed, but three of your cadets disobeyed my orders – one even freezing in fear at the sight of their comrade inside a titan's jaws. So my assessment is a poor one." Nanaba didn't hesitate.

Shadis dipped his head. "Section Commander Zoe and Arlert, from my understanding and from what I see, the two of your squads teamed up but still met defeat?"

"Yes." Hange answered, adapting the more serious side to her. "They need improvement in their skills as far as maneuvers that could be classified as complex go, but it's a start."

The Sargent only nodded and then turned back to the collection of teens, clearing his pipes once more. "WELL THEN! IT LOOKS LIKE YOU MAGGOTS NEED TO WORK YOUR ASSES OFF A BIT MORE! YOUR PERFORMANCES WERE PISS POOR AND THE LAUNDRY ROOMS ARE SURE TO BE BUSY THIS EVENING." Shadis paused, shoulders sinking in the slightest. "You lost, therefore there will be no exemplariness. However – this was the very plan from the beginning."

At their superior's words, rustles of whispers went through the upset trainees.

"What! You mean this was – it was deliberate?"

"He – wanted us to lose?"

"QUIET!" Shadis cut them off. "Yes. This was very advanced curriculum and your asses were set to fail from the beginning. As I said, this was a test of courage. It was to see how you would react when paired against a real titan – as well as for my own damn amusement. I expected nothing more. The Scouts were in on it as well as the rest of your superiors here."

"You've got to be kidding me." A cadet mumbled.

"Shadis – just wanted to see how we would react with a real titan?"

"He got us. He got us good."

Rogue watched as a slight smirk pulled at the Sargent's lips. The man then folded his arms, giving the behemoth a sideways glance. "You can drop the act now."

The titan's heart lifted into his chest, eager to see the cadets' responses to his previous display. Looking at them, they were very startled and rattled by the entire event. To coax them that he was not dangerous, violent, or vicious by any means he would simply go with his best display of welcome and warmth he could give. Gradually, to emphasize, Rogue relaxed every muscle in his face and then smiled his signature crooked grin with his eyes shut tightly in bliss – a rumbling purr escaping from his chest as he wiggled his ears. A few jaws dropped and many cadets were absolutely speechless.

"It's… it is –

Rogue peeled open his darkened lids and tilted his head this way and that with his ears erect and fluttering. " **ELLO!** " He gurgled, making the trainees nearly jump.

"He – talked!"

"Is he not –

"Oh my god! How… he's not –

The titan then began to grunt, trill, and chirp – speaking in an ape like language as he carefully brought his legs out from beneath him. Knowing that he wanted and needed to convey his trust and that he was truly upon their side, Rogue inherently took a submissive pose- flopping onto his side and curling to lay upon his back with his friendly and warm façade looking at his audience from the wrong way up. As ridiculous as it appeared, it was an instinctual need to Rogue. It was just a thing that came and felt natural to him. Although he expressed his dominance when the time came, he gave into the need of acquiescing quite a bit. In the past, he would bare his belly to his parents, his little ones when they were children, and to some of his family whenever he felt like it. Sometimes, even he himself found the practice rather odd, but he supposed, and Hange as well hypothesized, that the need was something native to his breed seeing that they showed far more animalistic traits than other titan species. If it was one thing he knew though – it was that he was giving into the act more often as of late, just like several other traits that were manifesting in recent time.

"I… I can't believe –

Rogue then rumbled as he rolled back over to his stomach and nuzzled his face into Mikasa, his loud purring felt through the feet of the trainees as his little one stroked the bridge of his nose to acknowledge the affectionate gesture. The creature then held up his head with a profound wiggling of his ears. At the show, Hange spiritedly came up to him and patted his neck, emitting her signature laugh.

"Ah yes! This is the true nature of The Rogue Titan that you see before you! He's fearsome and ferocious in battle but he's an angel around people if he finds a liking to you of course! Rogue is probably the most lovable individual that you'll ever meet!" The Section Commander described. "And probably the best actor as well." One by one, the teens' shoulders began to visibly relax and several smiles spread across their faces.

"He's incredible."

"The Rogue is friendly."

"Man, he has us fooled!"

"Of course." Alois began. "In order to give you a realistic but safe experience we had Rogue act a bit more monstrous. Now, after the necessary matters are taken care of, you will all be joining us again for a more in depth lesson on titan anatomy."

Shadis nodded. "I hope this exercise gave you maggots a proper view into the harsh reality of our enemy. In the field your asses do not get a second chance." The man stalled to let his words sink in. "NOW, RETURN TO YOUR BARRACKS AND CHANGE INTO MORE SUITABLE ATTIRE! ANYONE THAT HAS CLOTHES SOILED IN SHIT OR PISS REPORTS TO THE LAUNDRY FACCILITY AND THEN TO THE SHOWERS!" Shadis cleared his throat. "GOOD WORK TODAY CADETS, YOU LEARNED YOUR FIRST LESSON IN UNPRETENTIOUSNESS!"

* * *

The afternoon was crawling in and the courtyard was full of now clean and refreshed trainees. Benches had been placed in an orderly fashion with each cadet seated upon them with a pad of parchment in their laps, the majority taking notes with the few in the back doodling as Alois and Hange educated. Armin and Mikasa were sitting in as well but were more or less eating an early dinner. Rogue himself sat neatly with his legs folded in front of him. His purpose for attending was for Hange to use him to illustrate his unique features as well as the many that attributed to titans in general. During the past hour, Hange had of course been talking nearly non-stop. She would have him hold up his hands so the trainees could see his nails and compare their density and shape, blink to show them his third eyelids, show them the strands of his hair, demonstrate his ability to speak, and let the courageous feel his tough skin. The titan of course had grown bored as the minutes ticked by with Hange trailing off every so often to iterate a long lecture about one single aspect. Rogue let his attention drift to the rustle of the trees, letting his eyes follow the cracks in the ground, and what he was doing currently – picking the dirt and mud out of his toenails. In addition to his mix of daydreaming and fidgeting, there was another distraction that he looked at on occasion. In the time since 'class' began, a crowd of people from nearby towns and villages had come gaze and watch him, the spectators standing just behind a fence that bordered the grounds. Among them were farmers, parents and their overly excited children, and a few off duty soldiers who had come at the chance that they could see him up close. Rogue still found it strange and funny that humans were just utterly fascinated by him – children especially. When he looked over every once in a while, he would always catch a few boys and girls trying to imitate him as best as they could. It was truly amusing.

"And that explains why titans let out steam on occasion. It is to regulate their high body temperature." Hange worded. "Now Rogue, could you show the bottom of your foot to everyone?"

At his superior's avowal, Rogue snapped out of his current state and repositioned to sit loosely with Hange approaching the rather dirty appendage as he went back to plucking the dirt from him again.

"Compared to our own, a titan's skin on the bottoms of their feet is incredibly rough. In fact, the skin on the bottoms of their feet is the thickest anywhere on their body – thus serving as natural shoes if you will! A titan's feet are designed to withstand great amounts of weight and the many surfaces they step on – including sharp rocks. Even iron bamboo blades have a tough time cutting into them. Now, as for hearing and their sense of smell, titans are very acute in both senses – in Rogue's breed they are heightened even more so compared to the common titan. A titan's nose is much more effective than that of a bloodhound! They can smell a human from at least five miles and for Rogue that distance is at least ten! Titans can hear very well and can listen to a conversation from at least a mile or two away. Rogue's ears are an absolute marvel." Hange continued with Rogue feeling the need to look at the class and move his tapered features about. "As you can probably guess, Rogue's wonderful ears can hear things much better than a regular titan. They are truly that of a predator. They swivel and move to catch every sound, even the pitter patter of mice. Rogue's ears also are used as a form of expression. For example, wiggling them means that he's happy, folder over against his head means that he's angry, and when they are drooped it indicates that he's upset. Now, any questions before we move on?"

Amazingly, there were a few trainees that actually felt the need to raise their hands, the titan silently cringing knowing that he was going to be sitting even longer. Hange excitedly pointed to a blonde female.

"You first!"

The teen nodded and stood. "How old is Rogue exactly?"

"Ah! Going by results from a few blood tests, Rogue is a little over a hundred – close to the first recorded sightings of titans. As for an exact age, we're not sure. Now, you in the back there!"

"Are we getting quizzed on this?"

This time Alois cleared his throat. "Yes, the info will be included on the next exam, so be sure you are taking notes instead of drawing in your notepads." The man suggested, making the few that weren't listening freeze up at their error.

"Any more questions?" Hange asked again, pointing to another young female. "Ah yes! You then!"

The teen stood and cleared her throat, her body language giving away her shy demeanor. "I – was wondering this since I first saw it, but since he is wearing a collar does that mean you consider Rogue Jaeger as a pet of sorts?" The query nearly making the creature huff.

"Oh heavens no!" Hange laughed. "Indeed, Rogue does exhibit many animals like qualities, but the purpose of his collar is mainly for protection! It's sad to say, but there are still a select few people that would want to harm Rogue and could possibly get ahold of maneuver gear or any other effective weapon on the black market and attack Rogue. The collar shields his nape quite well since, as far as we know, he cannot harden his skin to protect said area. Back before Rogue became the celebrity that he is now, we used the collar when transporting him through Sina just to give everyone the idea that we had him fully under our control. But yes, we do not treat Rogue as if he were a dog. Like every member of the Scouts, he is a soldier and treated just as equally. He trains with us, does chores, and if he's ever disciplined, he is put on cleaning duty like anyone else." Hange smiled. "Yup, he's no pet!"

Hange proceeded to ask further questions before leading into one of her other complex theories that the titan couldn't possibly grasp. Instead, Rogue returned to picking the dirt out of his remaining nails, digging out clumps of moss and small pebbles – even grabbing organic material from them that he assumed he acquired from the marsh. For several minutes he continued his act of grooming, making sure that every piece of sediment that he could get to was free. However, as he attempted to dig out a sharp stone, the same feeling that he felt several hours before returned. The incredible feeling of unease that made his spine quiver. Rogue swallowed. Something – someone was watching them. Discreetly, as to not upset the class, the titan sniffed, discovering something that severely alarmed him. The scent was the very same one that he smelled before. It was the very same someone. Slowly, Rogue turned his attention to the civilians watching the undergoing lesson, his hair beginning to ruffle and stand as his heartrate heightened. Elfish ears pricked forward, worried eyes scanning every face. The creature assessed every aura, looking for anything that seemed as sinful as the one person he was looking for. Finally, time seemed to stop as his gaze fell onto a man that had immersed himself in the thickest part of the crowd. He was dressed completely in black; a trench coat covering equally dark pants, shirt, and boots. The man's hat was black as well and possessed a wide brim – one that covered the upper half of his face and only allowing Rogue to view his thin lips and short trimmed goatee. His blood chilled. Instinct was screaming at him to growl and ward him off now that he was in his view. But since he didn't want to startle everyone and provoke any negative outlook, Rogue held any threat he could possibly produce in.

"Rogue?"

Upon hearing Hange, Rogue abruptly pulled his attention away from the male and back to his superior and listening group who had paused the lesson at his lack of involvement. " **ESS?"**

"Are you alright Rogue?" Hange proceeded to quiz. "You were looking a bit distant."

Knowing that he needed to lead her and the others off, Rogue put on a lopsided smile. " **EEII ANNN GOODD. JUUST OOKKINNG ATT KIIDS."** He lied, wanting to bite his tongue. Hange only beamed at his reply, looking behind her to view the spectators.

"Oh yeah, it looks like a few kids are reenacting you aren't they Sweetheart?"

Rogue only nodded in agreement as they returned to the lecture. Once again, the titan looked into the crowd – only to see that the man was no longer there.

* * *

Steam leaked through the gaps of his teeth, soft glowing greens looking out over the grounds. Night had fallen over the trainees' territory. It was eerily quiet, only a few crickets chirping and a few illuminating insects sending their messages back and forth. In the cove. he was used to hearing all sorts of creatures in the evening that sometimes lulled him to sleep. In his new home, he was used to hearing the melody of the music box he once received as a welcome gift. Due to Hange going an hour over in her lesson, she and Nanaba thought it would be best if they stayed the night and departed in the morning. After trying to decide where he was to fall into repose, Rogue had finally settled to curl up next to the cabin that was used for guests and where Hange and Nanaba were currently sleeping. Feeling that it was a necessity, the titan had tried to craft some sort of a nesting area. Not wanting to make too much of a mess, he simply tilled the dirt a bit before curling up and waiting for his little ones who were currently still having a word with Shadis. The creature really wished to be home however. He was very uneasy.

Rogue sighed and lay his head upon his hands, eyes looking intensely at a dried weed, watching as a beetle struggled to climb it – the beast lost in thought. He could not pull his mind off the strange man that he saw just hours before and that morning. In his lifetime, as far as he could recall, he had never felt such a sense of apprehension when looking upon a person. Sure, he felt very nervous when watching Levi for the first time in the hunt, but this man was different. Like an animal, he could tell that this particular human had bad intentions. The man had some sort of negative interest in him, but the creature couldn't place as to what it was. Could it be someone who would have rather seen him dead? Was it someone that knew the three men he killed so long ago? He couldn't say. Rogue just knew that he did not mean well and it meant potential danger for him, his family, and his babies.

Rogue snorted quietly, watching as the gust of steam from his nostrils blew the beetle from a crinkled leaf and across the yard. He was struggling with the idea of telling his little ones about the mysterious man. Whenever he told them about something troubling, they would get very hyped up on their own nerves. Even when Hange had made a huge mistake in mistranslation, his little ones were struggling to function. So, telling them his suspicions about something that he knew nearly nothing about seemed like not the best idea at the present time. After all, since The Female Titan's appearance, the Scouts were already worrying of an attack by other intelligent titans looking to spill blood. Rogue blinked, biting his tongue as he continued to look for some sort of solution. Perhaps it would be best to tell Hange or better yet Levi about the man. He was certain that his superiors would know exactly how to handle the situation. Rogue was sure that they could understand if he chose not to let his little ones know about the man for personal reasons and that they would tell his babies if the time was ever right. It was the most logical thing he could think of in order not to plague his little ones with distress. Rogue nodded inwardly. Yes, that was what he was to do.

"Hey Rogue."

Upon hearing a voice that was undoubtfully Armin's, Rogue snapped his attention away from the dried weed and his thoughts to give his children a fatigued smile, realizing just how tired he was.

"Sorry we're late." The blonde continued on as the two teens positioned themselves to lay in the crook of his arm. "Shadis and Alois wanted to catch up with us. They are both pretty amazed with you, Rogue. For the first time ever, we saw Shadis actually expressing his softer side!"

The titan huffed at the compliment and leaned in to gift his little ones with a small lick upon their brows as an overdue greeting before nuzzling into them and purring softly. Being with them always helped his own nerves. Mikasa reached up to stroke his cheek.

"You did great today." He leaned into her touch further, ears still swiveling to see if he could pick up any indication that an unwanted pair of eyes was watching. Mikasa was silent for a moment before clearing her pipes. "So Rogue, what were you thinking about before Armin and I got here? You looked like you were deep in thought."

"Yeah Rogue, you looked quite reserved."

Rogue nearly froze at the query, but managing not to lose his composure. " **JUUSTT…TIINKING ABBOUTT HOONE."** He lied, thankful that it was dark for his ears were likely red.

Armin tittered softly and patted his arm. "Homesick huh?" The creature nodded, letting out a whine for emphasis. "Well, we'll be back just before lunch so no need to worry. Everyone is going to be glad to see you."

Rogue only nodded in agreement and nuzzled into their bodies once again, glad that they had overlooked the real reason for his intense pondering. For several minutes, it was quiet between the three of them – their eyes looking up at the stars of the clear night sky. As the creature tried to make out shapes and connect the glowing white dots, Armin opened his mouth the break the silence.

"So Rogue, what was the deal about the bear you wanted? Mikasa and I forgot to ask you." The teen smiled with Mikasa nodding.

At the question, Rogue lifted his head and allowed the happy memory to flood his mind. " **WEENN CUURRLLA CAANNE TTOO VISSITT NEE FOORR FFIIRRTT TINNEE ENN NYY COVVE… SHEE BRIINGG NEE BEEARR ASSS GIIFF. DAA BEEARR LOOOKEDD DAA SAANNEE ASSS BEEARR EIII GOTT TOODAYY."** He explained, beaming softly. His little ones smiled, laughing in the slightest.

"Ah, so the bear we found today in the market was identical to the one Carla gave you as your first present!" Armin clarified with Rogue dipping his head in confirmation. "You wanted it for sentimental reasons didn't you?"

Not really knowing what the term 'sentimental' meant, Rogue only nodded and yawned with his tongue curling before letting his head drop next to his little ones – eyelids fluttering as he was completely spent. Still, he looked at his little ones with a half lidded gaze, waiting to see if they had more to say. Mikasa rubbed his cheek again.

"Tired huh?" The beast grunted to ensure. "Well, I bet you are. It was a big day for you as well as for us." Mikasa dithered, her palm still stroking his gaunt cheek. "It's best that we get some rest. We are leaving at sunrise." The teen smiled as she leaned in to give him a small kiss. "Goodnight Rogue."

"See you in the morning, bud." Armin yawned. Stretching before getting comfortable.

Rogue blinked slowly, watching as his little ones gradually fell into a deep slumber, making him slightly jealous, knowing that he was going to have a light sleep due to his great concern.

**(POV SWAP)**

The carriage continued onward, bouncing a bit as it went along the rough path. The interior was dim, the only light source peeking in from a slightly peeled curtain. The Commander and The Corporal sat in absolute silence. Erwin simply looked down in a notebook and Levi stared at every inch of the carriage's interior – silently reminding himself to have a recruit clean it later. Levi sank back into the plush leather backing of his seat, folding his arms to pair with his irritated scowl. The two-day trip back to Scouting Legion headquarters had been hell. Normally, it was rather smooth, but this time it pushed his buttons. The inn had lost their reservations, thus having them pay more for their rooms. They had been stopped by half the population it seemed that wanted to ask them questions about the titan, and they had gotten stuck behind a farmer that was moving his cattle to another field – the man having to endure the unpleasant odor of cow shit for over an hour. Now they were finally passing through the entrance of their grounds and Levi was incredibly relieved.

The cabin suddenly jolted, making Erwin firmly grab his seat and causing Levi to roughly hit his head against the wall.

"FUCK!" The Corporal hissed venomously, rubbing his scalp. "You would think our damn driver would have enough sense to avoid rocks in the road by now!"

Erwin let out a short sigh. "We'll be at headquarters in five minutes or so." The man assured, not sounding the least bit amused, unlike Hange who would have most likely been laughing.

"Good." The shorter male muttered as he turned his attention back to the window. For several minutes it was awkwardly quiet between the two. Levi finally sighed yet again. "How the hell do you plan to tell everyone about the government's decree on Rogue? I'm sure no one is going to take that well."

At his question, Erwin's face grew more serious but stress clearly showing with the slight wrinkling of his brow. "We'll hold a meeting in the mess hall at lunch. You and I will announce it there."

"What about telling the big brat?"

Erwin's frame slacked in the slightest. "We need to inform him during his trial run today when he tries to activate his 'Berserk Mode' before us."

Levi sighed, dithering a bit and feeling his nerves spark. "Erwin –

"You're were going to say that you are not sure about Rogue pulling it off?" The Commander intercepted, easily predicting his query. The man nodded.

"Yes. Erwin – Rogue literally has no memory of how he even triggered the ability. When we asked him about it after waking for the first time since then – Rogue was absolutely clueless."

Erwin's brows creased even further. "I know. I hate to say Levi, but there is a chance that Rogue will not be able to figure it out or it could be a defensive mechanism that could only be triggered when he's under extreme stress, undergoing tremendous rage, or it requires a great amount of focus and will. That's not the only thing though. If Rogue does manage to trigger it, who's to say that he won't be completely feral? From the information you gave me in Stohess, Rogue was absolutely wild, savage, and it appeared that he had no desire or ability to follow orders." Erwin frowned, exhaling a heavy breath. "Levi – if that happens, there is no guarantee that he can be brought back under control. Arlert and Ackerman did it once, but what if they aren't enough? What if he seriously hurts or unknowingly kills someone? You know what would happen if that were to ever occur Levi."

He tensed at The Commander's serious words. The man was right. If Rogue ever maimed one of their men, the creature would be put down like any rabid dog, exile would be the more generous option. Knowing this, Levi was on pins and needles. Rogue had to succeed. The titan had to master his ability. The man sank deeper into his thoughts. Was Rogue ever able to control his very ability before he lost his memories? Surely there had been a time where the titan used it to ensure his own survival or take down prey. Could there be? "I think," Levi stalled, trying to form some sort of response. "I hope Rogue was able to do such a thing in his time before he resided in Maria. Hange did say that the dumbass is starting to get traces of his memory back. Maybe the know how really is in his big head somewhere."

"That's the trump card that I'm hoping for." Erwin voiced as the carriage slowly came to a halt and signifying that they had arrived home. "I really do hope it's put into play soon. Very soon." The tall blonde suddenly beamed in the slightest as he leaned over to the carriage's door handle. "I do have high hopes for him though, Levi. From the time that I've been with him, Rogue is capable of great things and is full of surprises. He's smart and not to mention, he has a wonderful personality. Perhaps he can find success in this much more controlled environment." The man continued as he pushed the door open and allowed the light to fully spill in along with a series of chuckles and loud laughter. Levi blinked as he stepped from the carriage as his ears filled with roars of amusement. With his eyes finally adjusting to the change of light, the man looked up to see a sight that instantly counteracted half of Erwin's words.

"Big fucking idiot." Levi grumbled. "Erwin, when you said full of surprises, this is not what I assumed that you meant."

The Commander said nothing while the two men continued to stare heavily and with a lack of humor at the view before them. Levi's new squad was grouped just a few meters away, every one of them goofing off except for Mikasa who was only trying to hide a smile beneath her scarf as she wiped a piece of equipment. Even though they were tasked with cleaning weapons and supplies, the five were doing the complete opposite. Sasha, Connie, Armin, and amazingly Jean were practically rolling with laughter while Rogue himself had plopped himself in the middle of them all and gladly accepted Sasha and Connie's pairing blades that they passed to him – Rogue taking the time to stick as many of the swords that he could between the gaps of his teeth. It was ludicrous. From where he stood, Levi could easily count at least twenty blades nestled in between Rogue's incisors and counting. The titan easily wedged another blade in before huffing at everyone's as well at his own enjoyment, sounding purposely dimwitted. Levi's eyes narrowed even further. It was times such as this that really irritated him. Rogue would essentially reduce himself to a giant kid – an overgrown toddler. Like any child given chores to do, Rogue would eventually get bored and wander off, play with something meaningless around him, and get distracted from his work by smells that a normal human couldn't even detect. And sometimes, like what was afore him, Rogue would go off and fool around with the new recruits. Granted, most of the time, Rogue was well behaved and would listen to his superiors almost religiously, but the titan's natural demeanor would still get him into trouble.

Levi then decided that enough was enough.

"ROGUE!"

At his harsh and booming scold, the titan nearly got airborne as he yelped in surprise. The beast's pupils quickly shrank in fear and blades still in hand flew from his palm and into the grass. If the titan were a cat and a tree was above him, Levi was certain he would have leaped straight up into it. Rogue froze, ears lowering and his back hunching over in shame, the creature knowing good and well that he was in trouble. Finally, green eyes then shifted to Levi, the titan suddenly changing his tactic and giving The Corporal a hopeful smile – looking absolutely ridiculous with the blades still stuck between his teeth. " **ELLO EVVI!"** Levi frowned.

"Rogue, get the damn swords out of your teeth." He ordered gruffly with the titan blinking in alarm and quickly lifting a hand to push the blades out and letting them fall to the earth. "Now, didn't I say before that I wanted you cleaning the wall on the south side of the castle upon my return?" He continued with Rogue hesitantly nodding. "So what the hell are you doing right now?"

He watched as the titan bit his tongue, eyes darting around before Rogue gradually stood and bowed his head in apology. " **ORRY EVVVII. EEIII WIILL CEEENN NNOWW."** The titan concluded with a weak and rushed salute before hurrying off to where he should have been. With an agitated breath, Levi looked back to the other members of his squad who had immediately abandoned their childish activity to clean their gear.

"Kirstein, when I get back from visiting Shitty Glasses, I want all of these blades picked up and sterilized. I don't want to see any drop of residue from titan drool on them." He ordered with the teen reluctantly saluting.

"Yes, Sir."

After knowing that the situation was resolved and things were going as they should, Levi turned on his heel to follow Erwin as the man walked away from the scene. "I swear, it's like I'm raising a big baby sometimes." Erwin only chuckled.

"Well, it's the first time he's seen the rest of them in over a day and a half and as you know, separation is a bit different for him. I'm willing to overlook it this once. He's still a hard worker you have to hand it to him."

Levi only sighed, knowing that The Commander had a valid point.

"Well, I will collect you later at lunch to deliver the news. I'm retreating to my quarters to file some paperwork and process this month's funds. Let me know if Hange has finally found out anything new with her research on the surviving remains of The Female Titan yet." Erwin finished as he departed and vanished into the castle.

Knowing what he was to do next, Levi then began to make his way for the courtyard where the titan's barn was located, knowing good and well that was where Hange had decided to take up her work. Unfortunately for him, this was a required matter and he wasn't overly fond of seeing Hange right after a trip to Sina – the woman always running her mouth for hours after his return. She would likely be spilling every detail of their excursion of about how Rogue did this and that before going off on long tangent about what she was trying to discover. He knew she meant well, but Hange was Hange. More often than not annoying and hardly ever serious.

With the large sliding door already cracked open, Levi easily slipped inside the structure and sealed it behind him. The interior of the barn was a slight relief from the small chill in the air, the Scouts having thinly insulated it even so those staying with the titan in the winter could be a bit more comfortable. The large barn smelled of fresh hay as usual and was surprisingly orderly. A new set of pillows had already been torn by the titan with the feathers mixing within his own nest. As he thought, Hange herself was seated at her workstation that wasn't as nicely kempt as the rest of the barn – the titan's junk collection more contained than her mess. Papers having countless notes were strewn out in teetering piles and there were beakers upon beakers – some even broken beneath Hange's chair. Several steel coolers were to the left of the long desk – each preserving the remains of The Female Titan within cuts taken from Rogue's leftover vomit from two months prior. Hange herself was seated in the center of her workspace looking intensely into a microscope and scribing notes at the same time. Levi watched as she retrieved a baster and dropped some sort of liquid into the sample she continued to look at – swapping it out every few seconds to gander at one other. For the duration of the months that had passed, Hange had been tasked to find out about The Female's origins by examining her preserved DNA that was allowed through new means of preservation. From the amount of time it was taking, he got the impression that doing such a thing was not an easy task.

"Hello Levi!" Hange addressed, still facing her work. The tone of her voice caught him a bit off guard. The woman sounded deep into her work, serious but in a good mood.

"How did you know it was me?" He questioned as he approached her. The Section Commander let out a laugh.

"Because Levi! You are the only one that never says anything upon entering! You simply walk right up to my workstation and hover over me!" Hange teased as she grabbed another piece of parchment. Levi only rolled his eyes. "So! Did Rogue say hello to you? He was so happy to get home this morning! Poor thing! He was so eager and antsy at sunup! He was practically trembling as we left the trainee grounds!" She laughed, yet again talking about the titan as if he was her child, any hint of seriousness fading. "He's so endearing my Little Angel!"

The Corporal's brows narrowed. "Well, your 'Little Angel' said hello to me this morning by goofing off with my squad." Levi emphasized. "I caught the brat sticking a quarter of the swords we own between his teeth like damned toothpicks." He informed with Hange breaking into a laugh.

"Well what do you expect Shorty! Rogue is full of personality!"

Levi frowned at the less than favorable nickname. "You know; I'm amazed that I still have patience with that giant idiot after all he's done. For example, the time when you decided to have that sex ed. course requested by Erwin outside. Do you remember that? When you began explaining the parts of the male reproductive system Rogue actually had the metaphorical balls to ask why boys had a third leg." The man went on, silently cursing himself as Hange cackled, making him realize his unintended pun. He decided to press onward to capitalize on is frustration. "Another example of his antics is when he brought a fucking bear back to keep as a pet, when Rogue learned how to make 'arm farts' from Springer and did them during training, he put Jean and his mattress in the middle of the fucking lake, not to mention we had to deal with the aftermath of what happens when a titan drinks about three tons of beer." Levi shuttered at the memory. "Dealing with a drunk titan after returning from a meeting with Pixis is one thing and dealing with a hungover titan is another thing. Cleaning titan puke from a uniform is next to impossible." Levi grumbled with the messy-haired scientist still laughing before trying to catch her breath.

"He's just a character and that's how his mind is, Levi. He just likes to make everyone laugh. He's a giant kid and teddy bear when you get down to it!" She beamed. "Of course, Rogue getting quite intoxicated wasn't really his fault. That was really our negligence when we left a bunch of teens and young Scouts with a delivery of beer for the senior officers; they get drunk and an innocent Rogue joined in because he didn't know any better." Hange tittered.

Realizing that he was getting off track, Levi cleared his throat to snap Hange out of her state of delight. "Whatever." He sighed, folding his arms and reluctantly leaning against her desk. "Before I tell you the news that is to be shared in the meeting that Erwin is calling, did you find out anything yet?"

The woman finally turned to face him, adjusting her glasses by pushing them upward from the tip of her nose. Hange cleared her throat as if to gather herself before she let out a long sigh and giving him a slight smile. "Well I finally made quite a bit of progress and found out nearly everything we wanted to know." She spoke, keeping tabs on her enthusiasm – actually sounding normal for once.

Levi's brows rose at the surprising good news. He was not expecting Hange's response. "You were - able to find something about the bitch?" Hange dipped her head confidently.

"Of course. Granted, it did take me a while to extract her DNA from Rogue's. My mistake I was always making was trying to pick chunks of her meat out of his pellets, that proved impossible because Rogue's stomach acid tainted her flesh and it was difficult to separate no matter what solution I used to delude the stomach contents. Finally, I was able to take a direct and pure sample! I remembered Rogue swallowed some of her organs and I found her liver perfectly preserved!"

"Disgusting." He scoffed. Hange only hummed with intrigue.

"I wouldn't call it disgusting myself, but rather a scientific breakthrough in titan DNA extraction! As I was saying, I was able to cut a clean sample from the lining of her liver and I thankfully only got The Female's genetic code. It was quite telling. I was able to also take a sample from inside a bone fragment as well – which answered the question of how titan's lighten themselves to move faster. Their bone marrow can instantly morph to be solid like that of ours to have hollow pockets like that of a bird! It's fascinating!" Hange went on, obviously losing track of herself and treading onto a different topic. For the umpteenth time, Levi let out an exasperated sigh.

"As nice as that is to know Shitty Glasses, I need to know about The Female Titan in general. The other stuff you may or may not have discovered about titans themselves can wait."

Hange snapped her fingers in realization, shrugging her shoulders at her error. "Ah yes. Silly me!" The woman's demeanor suddenly calmed, giving off a more level and serious impression. "Okay, as I said before – her DNA was quite telling. Like Rogue, she's from a different region than your common titans, but unlike Rogue she wasn't from the same region as him."

"Really?"

Hange nodded. "In comparison, there were factors that suggested that The Female came from somewhere far southeast while Rogue's breed originated from somewhere in the far west. Now, if you look at Rogue's characteristics, physique, and genetic makeup – he's adapted and perfectly suited for a region full of forest like vegetation and regularly changing seasons. As for The Female Titan, her genetics suggest that she's well suited for a habitat that is a bit drier and has a warmer climate. The fact that she was skinless tells me that the lack of skin is a perfect way to regulate body temperate in a hotter environment – the ability to expel a lot more steam at a time. There's also suggestions that the area she resides in has lots of changes in elevation – hence her athleticism. Now, this next bit is just a hypothesis, but I believe the Armored Titan and the Female Titan are actually the same species."

Levi shifted in his stance. "You think they are one in the same? They look quite different, Hange."

"It's possible. In some kinds of animals, the male and female are vastly different from one another. For example, the male elephant seal has a large proboscis that it uses to make a roaring sound to attract mates, some male birds have brighter and more colorful feathers, and a large cat that was known as a lion whereas the male had a glorious mane of hair." Hange described, referring to some of the animals that used to be on display at the long gone zoos within the walls. "Hypothetically, what if the male skinless titan is armor plated? Maybe the reason is the same as the bighorn rams. Perhaps the males duel each other by charging in to one another for dominance or maybe to attract a female. Again, that's just a wild theory. The Armored Titan could very well be a separate species. The way that he and The Female harden their skin is completely different. For the Colossal though, that definitely the case."

Levi only nodded absorbing the information and trying to dissect each piece. "If you say that the bitch was from the southeast and Rogue was from the west, then how in the hell did they know one another?"

This time Hange was quiet, her brow creasing clearly in the lighting. "Well – that's a good question." She spoke, sounding perplexed for the first time in their conversation. "To tell you the truth – I'm not completely sure. It could be anything from a possible migration of one species to a chance meeting. I don't really know how they could have made contact." Hange sighed in defeat. "We may never know or it could take an incredibly long time for Rogue's memory to recover that fact."

The Corporal bit his lip. "I see." He paused, thinking. "What do you think the likelihood is that Colossal and Armored titans were working with The Female?"

Hange rocked in her chair. "I'd say it's a fifty, fifty chance, but it's far too confusing to call because a lot of facts really don't add up when you compare them to the natural way of exerting dominance. Plus, they are highly intelligent creatures. I can't really call it yet." The scientist sighed, pulling off her glasses to wipe a lens before placing them back into the top of her nose. "That's everything I was able to find out about our adversary by examining her DNA and all the speculations I had. So – what was it that you were to tell me? What did you learn from your meeting with Zackley?"

With that, Levi felt his irritation returning, the man tightening his jaw and grinding his teeth. "It's not the best news. The fucking government has ordered for Rogue to gain control of his special ability. Until he does – there are to be no more expeditions beyond the walls." Hange sat up in alarm, her bows rising in shock.

"That's the decree?"

"Yup."

Hange frowned, turning back to her desk. "This is upsetting." She muttered, not sounding like herself whatsoever. Levi almost felt sympathy.

"It is. It's mainly because we have no idea how to activate or even control his Berserk Mode."

However, Hange shook her head. "I actually do know how his ability was triggered. When the recruits told me the details as well as Armin's words – Rogue obviously activates the form when he's emotionally charged. The flammable substance flowing through his blood ignites when it is exposed to overwhelming heat. Ever notice how Rogue's body would steam when he was extremely angry? Rage is the fuel to the fire here. Sadness is also a gasoline. Rogue's Berserk Mode was activated by the thought that Ackerman and Arlert had been slain. Now, that's rather inconvenient isn't it? We need him to be able to bring it on by sheer will if it's possible. Either way, he must control it. It's like an overwhelming high or sense of ecstasy – difficult to get a grip on and remain coherent. In conclusion, it takes a lot of fuel and restraint. It's going to be an uphill battle for sure and I do not expect us to generate positive results on the first try." Hange paused for a drink, taking several gulps before setting the cup down on an old wooden coaster that was already damaged by water. "And yet, we could yield no results. The test could be inconclusive." She vacillated. "I do not want to resort to making him angry. Hell, even when three kidnapers had Armin and Mikasa in their clutches and killed the girl's own parents the change wasn't initiated then. We would have to REALLY piss him off before we would get a spark. Even if he succeeds – there is absolutely no guarantee he'll be the Rogue that we know and love. For all we know – he could suddenly see us as prey or charge over the walls in order to initiate the dire need to hunt. As much as I hate to, we need the capture equipment on standby, just in case we need to restrain him. Levi – anything could happen."

Levi's gaze shifted to the hay covered floor, eyes following every line. Hange was absolutely right and it was clear that Erwin trying to hide his apprehension as well. This was going to be a battle, one that had to be won quickly with the potential threat upon the horizon.

**(POV SWAP)**

The titan's throat rolled as he made a hard swallow. With tapered ears against his skull and in a sheltered stance, Rogue's nervous gaze looked around the wide recreational clearing. He did not like this. Every instinct told him to run but that was impossible. In nearly every tree that bordered the glade were the all too familiar barrel shots and barb cannons – the capture weapons that he did not have fond memories of. On the ground, circled around him several meters away were blade wielding Scouts. Rogue shuttered, their shivering and fretful faces coated in sweat made him all the more uncomfortable. The titan emitted an open mouthed whine to show his edginess. Was he really that dangerous when he activated his special ability? Was he really that terrifying when he fell into Berserk Mode? Looking at everyone, their faces were full of fear, tenseness, and a few like Levi and Erwin that looked expectant. Rogue had known that the day was coming that he was to undergo tests on his special ability – he just didn't imagine it to be like this.

Rogue whined again to project his unwillingness to participate. He didn't think he could even activate his ability. However, if he did, he didn't know how he could control it. If he didn't grasp it – he could unintentionally kill someone or his entire family.

"Rogue!" Armin began as the creature whined like a sick dog yet again, the titan turning to look upon the teen with worried greens. "It's okay – we are all here to make sure things go smoothly!" The blonde called to him, sounding like he was making up words as he went along and not really knowing how to put things delicately.

" **EIII DOONTT AANTT TOOO DDOO DDISS."** Rogue moderately begged, keeping his body language meek, hoping that they would decide to do things differently. To his dismay, Hange shook her head.

"No Rogue! We have to start testing this! It's essential that you start this training now!"

The titan shook his head, moaning again. Levi only scoffed, the man obviously in a bad mood since his return from his trip.

"Rogue. This is not something you can get out of. You have to learn how to use your ability. No if's, and's, or but's."

" **UUTT EVVII –**

"Before you say anything else Rogue, here is why we are doing this. I'll keep it simple. The King and the government ordered for you to learn how to activate your ability and control it. We cannot ignore that order. The MP's are already keeping closer tabs on us because of the many corners we cut to avoid them."

"You see Rogue," Erwin began – still looking like his usual stoic self. "They have decreed that the Scouts are not permitted or allowed to go on any expeditions into Maria until you have mastered your ability. As you probably know Rogue, that is incredibly inconvenient for us. I believe you are aware that there is a possibility that more intelligent titans could strike us again – some that may have even been working with The Female."

' _ **THE ARMORED ONE…AND THE COLLOSAL ONE.'**_ Rogue thought.

"We have no idea when we will have to act. And with us grounded – we can do nothing if anything happens. Do you understand how dire it is Rogue for you to learn your ability now?"

Rogue swallowed at Erwin's announcement. This was the reason why they wanted him to learn his ability? They were not allowed to go on the expeditions unless he did? Erwin was right. They could not do a thing unless he was able to control his newfound power. He had to succeed, especially since his brutal slaughter of The Female Titan could have woken a sleeping giant – or giants. He was unsure if he could even initiate a single spark, but he didn't have a choice in the matter. He had to do it.

He could do it. He could do it. He had to.

" **EII UNNDRRRSTNND."** Rogue sighed. " **EII WIILL TRRYYY."** The creature attempted to smile. Hange nodded in approval.

"Ah good! Now Rogue, do you have the slightest idea as to how you could trigger your ability?"

Rogue shook his head, knowing that the messy-haired woman had probably already asked him the question before but was doing so now in order to lead into something vital. It was true, he didn't exactly know how to replicate what he did in Stohess, but by the way Hange was speaking, it sounded as if she found out something.

The woman was practically beaming. "Ah well after some observations and some investigating I found out that your ability is triggered by high levels or certain hormones in your body – hormones that are elevated by anger. In other words, when you saw your little ones in Stohess and you thought they had been killed you succumbed to rage and thus became the rampant beast that devoured The Female titan. Ever noticed how you would steam when you were angry Rogue? You see, anger is a protective mechanism to cover up fear, hurt, or sadness. Anger becomes the predominant feeling behaviorally, cognitively, and physiologically when a person makes the conscious choice to take action to immediately stop the threatening behavior of another outside force." Hange continued with the titan a bit overwhelmed by her last sentence. "As I told Levi, anger is the fuel to the fire here. Your anger flares up hormones that heats your blood to ignite the flammable substance that flows throughout your body and detonates any primal need coated with extreme aggression. This is how you go Berserk in other words."

" **SOO…. EII HAVVV TOOO GETT ANNGRREE?"** Rogue muttered in disappointment. This had just gotten harder and more difficult. Sure, he had gotten angry many, many times in the past – but not once did he bring about any flames. Rogue swallowed a wad that was rapidly growing in his throat. He was dreading what the Scouts were planning. Were they to try and make him angry?

"No! Not exactly Rogue! At least not until we rule out that this doesn't work." Hange continued with the titan tilting his head. "We need you to try and bring about the transformation at will. We want to see if intense focus will trigger it. Like the Female Titan's will to harden her skin – we need that versatility with your ability, Rogue. So how about we try that?" Hange smiled sweetly. "Now let's start off easy here. Just loosen up as best as you can, take a deep breath and try to think about bringing on the transformation. Forget that we are here for the moment and try it out." Hange encouraged with a hand, waving for him to begin.

Rogue nodded slowly and inhaled, his lungs expanding to their fullest before the titan exhaled and shook his arms as if he was trying to wring the stress from them. Shadowed lids covered greens and he drifted into his mind. He needed to do it. The titan breathed, counting his every breath as most of the others held their own. He had to do it. Do it. Transform. Transform! TRANSFORM!

However, nothing happened. There was no temperate change. Nothing. Rogue opened his eyes to see the others slaking from their terrified stances and his little ones along with his superiors frowning.

"No change." Hange pointed to Molbit who recorded the attempt before looking back to the titan with a look of hope. "How about you try again, Sweetie! Try to focus a bit harder!"

The behemoth only nodded at the request and shut his eyes again. His mind began to progress into his thoughts once over. The titan tried to recall the feelings he could have felt during his heightened state in hopes that they would be of aid. First, there was the obvious anger that everyone described. The burning desire to kill was most likely there. Recalling his bloated stomach he woke up with after all was said and done – there had to be an overwhelming sense of hunger. Hunger. The titan continued to think. Did it feel like emptiness? Did it hurt? Rogue's eyelids tightened, skin between his brows bunching together. He needed to transform, feel what hunger against his kind felt like again. The only thing he remembered was what a full belly felt like – an odd sensation, abet uncomfortable at points, but it felt good. He continued to think more, but there was nothing. Rogue opened his eyes and hung his head in disappointment, afraid to look at his superiors that were certainly disappointed or irritated.

"Well," Hange began. "That was a good try Rogue, but how about you push yourself a bit more?"

Rogue meekly nodded and closed his eyes again and reverted back to his thoughts of focus. Yes, he needed to push himself more. The titan's face scrunched up as if had tasted something sour. The titan proceeded, actually physically pushing – face turning red until he stopped and let out a heavy breath, completely unsuccessful.

Levi groaned. "My god Hange, this is ridiculous. He literally looks like he's trying to pass a large shit hung crossways." Rogue frowned at the description, feeling like a complete idiot.

"Levi! Don't insult him!" Hange laughed nervously. "It's the first time he's trying to do this so encouragement is best!"

The man's face darkened. "He's not an infant. He needs – to do this." The Corporal concluded, his tone calming in the slightest, having a sudden change in heart. "Try again."

* * *

The sun had since peaked and began its decent back to the horizon. Over an hour had passed since he began, and he was only meeting failure. Nothing was working. Focusing was a joke. No matter how hard he tried to do so, he was just making his head hurt. His performance was so poor that now they were even trying to purposely irritate him to get a 'jumpstart' as they called it. They had shown him pictures of wolves and other things he didn't like, tried to pick aromas that he wasn't fond of, and now they were currently trying to trigger a transformation through name calling – which was otherwise an argument with Jean that was completely daft.

"You're a sorry piece of shit you know that! Making us resort to this crap just to make it so your ass will light on fire!" Jean yelled up to him, tone venomous.

" **FFAAAKK YUUU. HOORSSAACCEE!"** Rogue growled, growing agitated, the titan seated on his heels with his arms tight and eyes set in a dead serious gaze. Jean seemed to be stepping up his insults.

"Is that really the best you can do? Really? Is Horseface all you can call me!"

Rogue's face pulled back in a snarl. " **HHORRSSASS. HHOORSSE…SHIEET."** The titan replied confidently, a deep growl resonating from his chest. He was tired of this! He was tired of doing this! He wasn't making any headway at all! This wasn't working! This wasn't enough? He then realized that it wasn't Jean's chiding but rather his incompetence that was frustrating him more. Still, it wasn't bringing forth any heat or hunger.

"Damn, you're an idiot!"

The titan responded with a loud roar and reflexively spat a line of saliva at the rash teen; immediately coating Jean in a translucent slime that made the boy gag. Rogue snorted, looking away to show that he no longer wished to pursue a yelling match with Jean.

"That's enough of that." Erwin began solidly. "We need to return to the method of focusing only. We need to avoid trying to use anger as much as possible." Hange nodded.

"Yes, let's return to trying to focus only. How about it, Sweetheart?"

Rogue growled, grunting and speaking in an ape like tongue to get his point across. He was undergoing a flurry of thoughts – not really knowing which to go with. He wished to stop for a break. He was sick of not having any luck. His attempts were futile.

"Rogue," Mikasa began softly. "Please. We need to try again."

The titan looked down at his little one, instantaneously giving into a slight pinch of his softer side. " **FIIIINNNEE."** He worded, emphasizing his vowels as he was still peeved. Gradually, Rogue got back to his feet and everyone braced themselves as the creature shut his eyes to focus again. The titan searched the vast expanse of his mind, looking for any clues that could ultimately aid him. However, his brain was only jumping around to remember measly things like the smell of blossoms in the spring, the birds making their calls in the summer, and the vast white wintertime that swept everything in cold. Rogue's brow wrinkled, trying to get back on track- but there was nothing. However, as the titan desperately tried to bring about a transformation, the titan had foolishly stood with his knees locked and forgot to breathe. Dizziness hit him in a sudden wave, making the titan's eyes fly open right as his legs buckled and he came crashing down onto his rump and jolted everything around him. The creature swallowed and blinked several times, trying to get his bearings as the others picked themselves up.

"Damn it, brat! You have to remember to breathe you idiot!" Levi reprimanded, examining his garbs. "Shit. These grass stains are going to take forever to get out."

Rogue's cheeks flushed, the titan sitting up with his hands between his lap. It was then that his temper flared and he let out a roar and slammed fists into the ground. Damn! Damn it all!

"Rogue?"

Tired of everything and angry with himself, the behemoth scrambled to his feet and sat his sites onto the one thing that he could use to get away for a bit – the forest. With another howl of frustration, Rogue punted away a barb cannon – wood and steel scattering across the clearing as he stopped off to the woods, the creature ignoring the shouts in protest.

"Rogue!"

* * *

The forest had darkened in the slightest when the afternoon had dawned. The once rather tranquil setting was abruptly ended as Rogue briskly walked through the trees, arms straight to his side as he fumed. A snarl ripped through his teeth as he came to a small glade. To say that he was pissed was an understatement. Why wasn't he able to do it! Why!

Rogue's nostrils flared like a working horse and his eyebrow twitched. Finally, a gust of steam left his maw as he roared to the heavens as if to curse some sort of god that had blessed him with this misfortune. Rogue then turned and threw a first into the nearest tree – shaving off a large chunk of timber that in turn made the pine teeter and tip over.

_**'WHY!'**_ His mind screamed, loathing the fact that he had been given what he now considered as useless. Rogue bent over to a large rock and picked it up – tossing it across the dell like an outraged gorilla.

_**'WHY… CAN'T… I…** _

The titan let out another scream and kneed another evergreen, continuing his tantrum. The beast shuttered and then charged at a towering oak, ramming it so hard that it upturned several of the tree's roots. Rogue pressed his forehead into the bark and wailed. He lifted his fist again and brought it down to the trunk – the crack of splintering wood cutting through the forest. Lifting his hand again, Rogue weakly pelted the tree – over and over until he let his arm fall limply to his side. The titan inhaled deeply, growling to himself through a clenched jaw. Why? Why did his ability have to be this one? One that was hard if not impossible to trigger let alone control? No matter how much he got angry, no matter how much he wished to change there was nothing! What was a power good for if he couldn't use it? His ability was a joke!

Rogue lifted himself from the tree and walked into the ruffled clearing, staring down at his feet, taking in the detail of his pointed nails and dirty skin. Why couldn't he have been given a gift that was more manageable? Why didn't he receive an ability like The Female Titan's gift of hardening her skin into the glorious diamond? Beautiful but deadly body armor? Whenever she wanted she could create her shields. He envied her for that. His shoulders sank, body relaxing. Maybe… maybe if he could focus enough on trying to harden… perhaps he could succeed. With stubborn determination, Rogue lifted his hand to his face. Unwavering and resolute greens glared at the appendage, studying every form from the slight flex of a small muscle to the movement of a tendon. The titan then began to envision what he wanted, translucent armor all over every digit, his palm, and his nails.

_**'HARDEN!'**_ His mind ordered. _**'HARDEN!'**_

Rogue stared intensely, still seeing that his tanned skin was void of anything he desired. The beast's teeth grinded against one another. His breath grew harsh and black dots danced before his eyes. The beast then let up, inwardly panicking at yet another disappointment. A small whimper sneaked from him. Again! He needed to try again!

"Rogue!" Mikasa's voice echoed in the clearing, the titan taking a brief moment to look down to see her, Armin, Hange, and Levi approaching him in caution. Deciding to ignore them and return to his attempts, Rogue looked at his hand yet again, his malformed face wrinkling in concentration, unaware that the group below him was scrutinizing him in both speculation and worry. "Rogue – what are you doing?" His little one queried again.

" **TRRYINNG… TOOO… ARRRDDENN."** Rogue put bluntly with a snort as he continued to look at every detail in his hand, trying to conjure an image of impenetrable crystal spreading over his flesh. At his answer however, his little ones' shoulders fell and Hange's face dropped while Levi merely folded his arms and sighed yet again.

"Rogue," Hange began softly. "We've been through this remember? You can't harden your skin like she could, Sweetheart."

Her words swept through the titan's ears. He felt a lump form in his throat, his chest growing heavy, and his shoulders tremble in the slightest. He was in denial. The titan didn't want to believe such a thing. No! He could do it! Couldn't he? Rogue began to think desperately, his mind clouding itself and becoming jumbled as he still tried to focus upon his hand. His brows narrowed, the ends arching up as his watering eyes still remained on his appendage. The creature continued to ignore any protest as he stared. His hand started to tremble, noticeably enough to where his family below could see it.

"Rogue? Rogue… please."

However, the willful beast kept on. _**'HARDEN! PLEASE!'**_ Rogue inwardly begged, repeating his words over and over as they rattled his skull. Harden! Harden! Harden! His face grew red and became feverish. Everything suddenly felt faint and his vision blurred, his hand suddenly seeming far away. Bright greens smoldered as the dizziness returned. Then, the titan felt something run through his nose, a stream of liquid crimson - blood, trail over his teeth and dripping from his chin only to decorate his hand. The titan appeared almost dazed as he just continued to watch the blood seep into every little wrinkle until the frantic shouts from below made the titan snap his attention away and look to them with an expression similar to what a human looked like when they had been caught zoning out.

"Rogue!" His Armin called up to him with the beast blinking. "Please stop what you're doing! You're just hurting yourself!"

"Yes Rogue! Please just calm down! You don't need to stress yourself further!" Mikasa added with Hange nodding.

"Rogue just relax. The testing is done for the day."

The creature remained stagnant for several brief seconds until he gave a tentative nod, ears drooping. He didn't manage to accomplish a single thing. The Corporal then cleared his throat.

"Well, I don't think I've ever seen anyone try that hard to actually get hard before." The man began with a straight face and only a hint of humor in his tone, his words immediately making Hange snicker and Armin bite his lip to keep himself from laughing at Levi's dry humor that admittedly managed to pull a slight smile in his face – the beast knowing good and well what he was playing on since Hange took the time to explain the reference to him before, one that he found disturbing but was seen as being particularly funny by humans. Levi remained unamused, mouth in a firm line and brows slightly pinched as usual – his signature constipated look. "Well, it's just about dinner." He paused, steel eyes looking to the creature's hand. "Your nose is bleeding by the way, brat. You need to clean the blood off before you even think about walking out of this forest."

At the news, Rogue let out a surprised grunt with green eyes returning to his hand to spy the drying blood. For a moment, he still remained a bit stupefied by it, a bit in shock that the result of the exertion was the same as it had been before when he attempted hardening for the first time. Yes, it had to be cleaned, especially if he planned to sit with his little ones at their supper shortly. Not only that, but any titan with blood around their mouth probably didn't sit too well with anyone. Solely focused on the need to cleanse, Rogue nodded and unexpectedly gave into a sudden and seeded instinct as he opened his maw and let his tongue slide out from between his teeth to meet the flesh of his hand and crimson. The muscle moved across the red, Rogue taking a moment to get over the metallic taste before continuing. With his eyes half lidded, the creature continued to erase the blood, this tongue gliding over the top of his hand and easily going between the dips. Rogue then moved onto his fingers, tongue wrapping around each digit before he proceeded to his palm as attentive as he could possibly be with the task. Next, his tongue glided over his teeth before the tip brushed his chin and did a bit of detailing beneath his nose, ignoring the strange and perplexed looks from the party below him; Levi appearing positively disturbed. Rogue then lifted his hand again and proceeded to lap at his fairly clean wrist. For a moment, the giant kept up with his cleaning before a sudden realization struck him and he stopped mid lick. The titan's tongue retreated back into his mouth as he stared at his now spotless hand in sheer perplexity.

He had never done _that_ before.

Rogue's hair prickled as he remained stunned, unknowingly looking a bit comical to his audience who was surprisingly still silent. Never in his life did he ever feel compelled to lick _himself_ before. Granted, he did lick his little ones and other chosen family members as a way to express affection or comfort, but _never_ himself.

"Did he just –

"He was licking himself." Armin muttered. "He was cleaning away the blood… Rogue has… never done that before."

"Yeah," Mikasa pressed on, her questioning greys still upon him. "He's never done that before.

With his face reddening once again, Rogue placed his hand to the side. " **UUUHH… EEII DOO NNOTT NOO…. EII HAAVVE NNEEVRR DOONNEE DAAT."** The behemoth muttered, lost for words as he struggled to get over his embarrassment. Was this possibly another strange quirk his body was giving into?

Below him, Hange of course was wearing a look of absolute fascination and a big and nearly goofy smile painted across her face. "Oh my! How fascinating! I do believe that's a grooming instinct!" The woman squealed. "Oh! This is amazing!"

The Corporal looked at the woman as if she didn't have a head anymore. "What."

" **GRROONNING?** " Rogue queried with Hange nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! A grooming instinct is the need to regularly clean oneself to keep their fur, feathers, or in your case skin in good order. It's a form of hygiene. This resembles something that some carnivores do which is removing all traces of blood and other matter so as to not alert prey with the scent. It's absolutely astounding to see a titan do this!" Hange beamed as she answered his internal question, turning to his little ones. "So – he's never done this before?"

Armin rubbed his chin. "No, he's never exhibited anything like this." The teen paused, his eyes suddenly growing wide. "Wait, now that this has happened – there has been a few other things Mikasa and I noticed he was doing as of late." Armin continued, suddenly sounding grim with his body language. Hange quieted as well at his tone.

"What are they?"

The teen scratched his chin. "He's been smelling around a lot more lately and not what he normally sniffs out. Mikasa and I caught him vigorously smelling the base of a tree where a cat sprayed it." The boy admitted with Rogue's face tenting red again.

Hange's eyes seemed to widen even further. "I see; this could be his way of finding established territory by other animals."

"He actually rubbed the very same tree after smelling it." Mikasa added with Hange dipping her head in extreme interest.

"Sounds like he felt the need to mark that particular area as well, just to remind any passerby that the particular object was his. We of course have seen him mark things already so it seems like a likely reason."

"Actually, I caught him rolling all over the middle of the path that leads to the castle once." Levi frowned. "He looked like he was too damn happy as if he was experiencing some sort of orgasm."

' _ **WELL… IT SMELLED FUNNY.'**_ Rogue thought sheepishly, taking a seat on the forest floor and interlacing his fingers within his toes – a small habit of his. Hange's brows only lifted even further.

"He's also doing that thing where he's rolling on his side or back in some circumstances a lot more as well."

"Now that is rather interesting. So, when did you guys notice this?"

"Just a few weeks ago."

Hange dipped her head again before smiling and placing her hands proudly to her hips. "Well now, so he's taking territory into account, scent marking more than usual, and now he's grooming himself! How wonderful! It sounds like he's also getting into a submissive pose when he feels it's needed which points to a possibility of Rogue's breed being very social instead of solitary – a way of communicating." She hypothesized. "I believe that perhaps since some of Rogue's memories are returning, maybe some once dormant traits are resurfacing as well! And it makes perfect since for him to have such characteristics! After all, his breed was built for hunting and is very animalistic compared to other titan species!" Hange paraded merrily, nearly jumping up and down. "Who knows, maybe activating his special ability brought forth these instincts as well since Rogue was reduced to his most primal state! This is quite a discovery!" The woman bounced, Levi letting out yet another harsh breath as he rolled his eyes in utter repulsion.

"Whatever Shitty Glasses. However, I hope to hell I never find him licking his groin like a damned dog or else I'm going to lob off his tongue as many times as I need to." The man put so darkly that Rogue's spine straightened and a whine left his maw. Hange of course broke into laughter.

"Oh Rogue! Don't be embarrassed about anything! It's just nature's way! Don't be afraid to give into anything! It just says more about you!"

The titan hesitantly nodded, knowing good and well that he wasn't going to do what Levi just spoke about. It just sounded downright repulsive.

The Section Commander let out another hoot in amusement before clearing her throat to get on a new subject. "Well, today was informative! Even though we didn't yield any positive result from testing it gave us a bit of insight of how to go about such in the future. Now, let's return back to base. I hear the chef is carving up a good ham this evening!" Hange announced with his little ones grinning at the fact.

Knowing that he needed to be polite, Rogue grunted and held out an open palm in offering with the intent on giving his babies and other family members a lift. Understanding, they soon climbed into his palm and the towering beast placed them onto his shoulder and began to make his way back to the castle. As they spoke to one another. Rogue sank into his thoughts once again. Mastering his ability was going to be a very rough and uphill road – one that he wasn't sure he could travel.

* * *

The sky tinted dark as ink once again with small clusters of stars that signified a clear day ahead. The inside of the barn was toasty, the small lanterns overhead still smoldering and the compact iron fireplace burned on the opposite side of the room. Hange had long since left to her quarters for the evening – the first she was spending in her own private room rather than in the spare room in the barn. The titan's breaths rumbled throughout the open space, making the interior oddly serine. Rogue lay on his side in his nest, one that he had freshly ruffled and added more plumage to before getting comfortable. The titan smiled softly as he looked down into his hands where his little ones lay in repose. After their dinner, the new Levi squad had another training session that consisted of mostly carrying weights – an activity that wore any human out.

Rogue gently lifted a thumb and lightly stroked their brows, ears flickering in the slightest. Unlike his little ones, he couldn't sleep. He was in truth, restless. The earlier supper was quite awkward at points for him. Normally, during outdoor dinners, everyone always spoke to him and there was always a good laugh or two. This time it was rather quiet. The thing he truly found unnerving was the amounts of whispers from one Scout to the other about him. Some of the statements he could remember with absolute clarity such as 'why wasn't he able to grasp how to use his ability' or 'we'll be in trouble if something happens because the damned government wouldn't allow the Scouts to do as needed.' Rogue recalled how guilty the words made him feel, like he was a screw up. Due to this, he kept so quiet that those seated near him kept questioning him what was wrong and if he felt alright – the titan of course assuring that he was fine and that there was no need to worry. Now that he was pretty much alone, Rogue had all the time he could want to think to himself. He desperately needed to learn his ability since it was pretty certain that he couldn't harden his skin. Why wasn't he able to do it? There were times that he had been plenty angry before in his lifetime and nothing. Rogue's eyes narrowed, beginning to think about his most painful memory of his parents being devoured by that grinning behemoth. Why had his ability remained sleeping within him even as that horrible event transpired? He swore that he was so angry and upset that he was seeing red. It hurt so much! Why hadn't it activated then? The titan sighed, realizing that even if he reverted to his most primal state, he would have still gotten to them too late. Seeing his little ones as they were being swatted like flies, why did his hidden power manifest? Was it because he was weak? Why had it activated when it did? He didn't understand it at all. And he hated that.

Rogue let himself relax even further, spreading his toes a bit as he prepared to lay his head down next to the two sleeping teens and wait until his final ounces of energy were squeezed from him. However, before he had the chance to try and settle into his nest, an incredibly unwelcome feeling washed over him. His pupils shrank as he quickly lifted his head, ears erect and listening. The creature's hair began to fluff in alarm. Something was amiss – the world suddenly feeling darker. Instinctively, he sniffed only to smell the highly concentrated scent of hay. Something was off, he had felt the very same the day before upon seeing the mysterious man clad in black. Rogue lifted his head higher, eyes hooked upon the door as his heart began to pound. Was it possible that the man had followed him? Inwardly, he began to panic. He really didn't want to wake his little ones knowing that they desperately needed rest – especially if he didn't know for sure what was making him uneasy. After all, with old instincts surfacing, it could just be a stray dog roaming the grounds for all he knew. Rogue glanced from his little ones to the door. He needed to at least check to see if someone was really outside before he woke up everyone around him. Levi had made it painfully clear that if he ever disturbed anyone for no good reason, he would be finding himself in a heap of trouble.

As he weighed his options, the beast knew what was the best action he could take. He had to make sure it was safe. After all, one of his jobs was to guard the Scouts and their territory from any trespassers. Making his decision, Rogue then set his focus on carefully sliding his little ones out of his hands, incredibly thankful that they had been extraordinarily fatigued and were deep in sleep as he placed them into his nest. Making sure that they would be warm enough in his absence, Rogue diligently scooted a thin layer of straw over their bodies – leaving only their heads to peek out. Assuring himself once more that they were snug, Rogue carefully sat up and placed himself onto his knees. The titan's emerald greens shifted to the opposite wall where his collar was stored upon the roof of the spare room that was cluttered with barrels and spare cables. Rogue blinked, tilting his head a bit as his fingers plucked the accessory from its resting place. As much as he really didn't want to wear it, placing it around his neck to guard his weak spot would be wise. If there was really any trouble, he would need both hands to be free. With his fingers trembling in the slightest and his breath growing quicker while the apprehension grew, Rogue lifted the collar around his neck and began the process of fastening it, the beast having trouble with the simple clasp. Finally, after several failed attempts, Rogue was able to get the collar somewhat secure. With a final look back at his babies in his nest, the titan lightened his frame and quietly snuck out of the barn and sealing the door behind him.

With the dreaded feeling coursing through his veins again, Rogue stood and aggressively sniffed with his pupils blown wide and wild. The air was coarse and it put him in even more unease. The courtyard smelled of only brittle greens, hay from his barn, and the equines in the nearby stables. For a mere moment, Rogue second guessed himself, fearing that he had made an error. However, the sensation of incredible alarm shot up his spine again and kicked the creature and his instincts into high gear.

Needing to further investigate, Rogue began to prowl past the castle – nearly tip toeing as he passed the structures until he was far from it to jog without stirring his family. With his lively greens glowing through the dark, the titan followed the path towards the entrance to the grounds. The beast suddenly slowed his pace to a halt and took the initiative to scan his surroundings. His eye looked to the nearby tree line, the night vision that he thankfully possessed allowing him to see far into the brambles. There was nothing but fluttering insects. No other pair of eyes looked back at him. Rogue then turned his attention to the sward that stretched over much of the eastern territory, but there was nothing, not even the snake in the grass that he was supposedly searching for. The titan lifted his head and sniffed again, grunting with every inhale as his ears searched for any suspicious sound. The creature looked like any animal beginning its hunt as it searched for traces. His breathing was ragged, chest heaving as he panted. Nostrils flared, detecting nothing but the smell of the forming dew.

Rogue lowered his head and blinked in confusion. Could he have been wrong? Was it possible that there was an intruder somewhere else in the territory? Fearing for the wellbeing of his family, Rogue started off again in the opposite direction in search of anything. The titan traveled to the recreational clearing to find no trace of anything except the smell of the past supper and the smoldering ashes in a dying bonfire. Sensing that the area was clear, Rogue moved on to the rear of the castle grounds where the supply shed was located as well as other amenities. The area turned up no result as well. The only stench being the barrels of waste and the shed full of manure that the Scouts used to fertilize their vegetable garden. Making another round, he ventured to the laundry mill to only find traces of linen in the air and a lone sheet hanging on the clothesline. Finally, Rogue made his way back to the west side, stopping once again to sniff and analyze.

There was nothing.

There was no unfamiliar human scent. There wasn't even the stench of his kin.

Rogue's face succumbed to skepticism. Why was he feeling almost threatened by something? The man he had come into contact with wasn't around whatsoever nor was any other strange being. Initially, his second thought was that titans were invading, but there was no odor related to his kin and he was the only titan that was able to embrace life at night. The megalith whined in confusion. The area was clear, so why? Why was he feeling no nervous?

The titan grunted, ears folding back against his head as he grew more irritated. Every fiber in his being was telling him to preserve his territory. He was sure that there was nothing lurking in the shadows of the night, but with every sense firing like a bullet from a gun – he felt that leaving a fair warning was enough just in case. His pupils turned into slits as a growl resonated through his ribs, the sound carrying itself across the field before the beast walked briskly to the tree line. The titan quickly selected a tall birch and without a second to lose, leaned to brush his shoulder among the bark. After making sure that it was good enough, Rogue then backed away in the slightest and dug his nails into the tree – carving jagged groves to complete his proper marking. But of course, one spot wasn't enough and didn't satisfy the beast. Grunting and growling, Rogue marched forward and proceeded to mark other trees with his scent. The beast rubbed, scraped, and spread his saliva over every surface he could that surrounded his family's lair. After circling his barn for the second time, Rogue knelt down to roll upon a large bolder that sat upon the open field. The creature snorted as he continued to rub his back into it before returning upright as to conclude his session. The titan looked around, sniffing one last time before concluding that he and his family were alone for the time being.

Rogue's face pulled back into a silent snarl as he began to backpedal to his barn. The land was hushed. He could sense nothing. His body settled in the slightest as he took one final look before slipping into the barn and returning to the safety of his nest. The creature sat, taking the time to catch his breath and remove his collar. Even if someone was or wasn't out there, he would deal with them if they crossed the line. Rogue finally turned and lowered himself into his next and curled his hands around and beneath his little ones to hold them closer against him – the titan curling himself around them even tighter. Yes, if someone was foolish enough to approach them with harmful intent – he would waste no time in killing them. He could not answer why he felt so rattled. With no evidence to support any suspicion, the creature thought it best that he only remained vigilant.

Looking down at his sleeping babies, Rogue lowered his head to nuzzle into them – letting the energy flow from his body and rest welcome him with open arms. He would protect everyone no matter what.

As the titan slept, a figure on a far cliffside nodded in verification before vanishing into the dark void of the night.

* * *

_The light was muted, the world seemed enclosed. He blinked in confusion, head swiveling back and forth as he tried to establish his bearings. Where was he? This was certainly not his nest nor was it his cove. With his eyes adjusting to the subdued light, Rogue realized that he was in some sort of den – one that had clearly been occupied. Afternoon light came from a high hole overhead, outlining a rocky underground interior laced with ivy. There was a large rock on one side of the den and to his left there was what looked to be a nest – a huge nest. Rogue blinked, ears fluttering as he motioned cautiously to examine it. The leafy bedding was full of pine needles and leaves that he didn't recognize. The titan blinked again, he himself had never made a nest this large. Was it possible that there were multiple titans staying in here? He sniffed, nose twitching like a hound's. No, there was only two – himself and the scent of another titan with a similar musk. A stressed while left his maw. Where in the world was he? Why did this sheltered world seem so…_

_Big._

_Everything was vast, Rogue suddenly noticed. Things were much larger than they should have been. The vines were thicker, what he would normally consider pebbles seemed more like small boulders, and some of the leaves in the nest were as big as his…_

_Hand._

_The creature's eyes widened as he caught sight of his hands. They were certainly NOT like his or at least what he was used to. They were podgier and much less masculine. Rogue's heart began to pound, startled greens looking down to see his front side that looked ampler than normal. The titan realized that he was only standing about three meters from the floor. Rogue let out another panicked vocal. What was this! He didn't understand! Where was he! Where was his family! Where were his little ones!_

_Rogue looked around frantically. He needed to escape! He needed to find his family! His babies! Gazing upward, he knew that the hole up above was much too high, but behind him was what looked to be a low wall of rocks that had been placed with expertise. Desperate, Rogue ran as fast as he could to the line of rocks and began to scale them. However, it was proving to be a challenge. He could barely reach as far as he needed to, causing him to slide down roughly back to the floor many times over. Desperation then seeped through his skin, forcing him to cry and whimper. He needed out! OUT! OUT!_

_Gathering himself again, he began to scale the wall, his nails digging in as much as he could to get a grip. His body trembled as he continued to try. Finally, he managed to drag himself up and over the barrier and tumbling down the other side._

_However, he kept falling, deeper and deeper into a cavern. There was nothing to grasp to save himself. Nothing but blackness. Tears clouded his eyes. No! He needed to see his family! He needed to protect his babies! No! No!_ _**NO** _ _! It was over! He would never see them again!_

_Suddenly, his decent stopped and the world brightened. He was no longer falling into the abyss but rather sitting in a crumpled heap in the grass. The world was blurry, he could only make out shapes and colors. Everything hurt. He felt like he had been punched so hard that he had been knocked senseless. He panicked further, loud sobs forcing up his throat. He tried to blink back the tears, vision only improving to make out that he was surrounded by the shapes of towering titans. His blood ran cold. He was helpless! He couldn't fight! He was as good as dead!_

_His ears could hear muffled and coarse words, but he was too terrified to absorb them. Deciding that he needed to move before he was slaughtered, Rogue clumsily picked himself up and ran across a dell of sorts and diving beneath the first overhanging rock he could find. He wanted to go home! He wanted to go home!_

_Unexpectedly, everything was warm – welcoming. The terrifying atmosphere felt almost serine. Gradually he opened his still wet eyes to see that he was snuggling against a plump flesh surface that heat radiated from, seeping past his own skin and deep into his muscles. What felt like an open palm rubbed against his back and cradled his head; the touch was loving with the soul message given being that of comfort. For a moment, he debated on moving, but he was tired and the heat was far too soothing. He knew he was safe. Rogue then closed his eyes and gave in to the tranquility._

* * *

The smell of fresh hay wavered through his nostrils as he breathed, sunlight warmed his skin, sending energy through his bloodstream and signaling that night had passed. Rogue stirred, eyelids fluttering open to stare at the rooftop of the barn – taking notice of the clear sky that was displayed through the skylight. It looked to be another fine autumn morning.

"Hello sleepyhead!"

Rogue rotated onto his side to face his little ones, seeing that they were already performing their morning chores – Armin shoveling fresh hay across the floor and Mikasa attempting to organize Hange's cluttered workstation. The titan smiled and bid them good morning in his own native tongue. He was secretly thankful. It didn't seem like they heard any of his antics from the night before even upon his return.

"Did you sleep okay Rogue?" Mikasa questioned, making the beast freeze in fear at the possibility that he had been wrong. "Armin and I got up about two hours ago and you seemed to be dreaming about something. We nearly got Hange because you were twitching and almost muttering things in your sleep."

The titan relaxed, thankful that his little ones didn't know what he really went off to do. " **UUHH… EI HADD A DREEANN. UUTT EIII DONNTT UNNNDRRSTANND IT. EEETT DOEES NOOOT NAAKE NUUCH SENSSE."** He tried to explain, being truthful. He really didn't know what to make of his dream.

Armin put his trowel down and seated himself onto a bale of hay. "Do you think it could have been some sort of memory, Rogue?"

The titan thought for a moment, but he was still unsure. Everything just felt like a horrible hallucination except for the very end of his vision. " **INN BEGINNING… DAAA ORRLD WAASS BIIG. EIII WAASS… FALLINGGG. EIII FEELLTT SNAALLL."** Rogue hesitated, trying to recall every detail. " **EIII WASS SURROUNDED BEIII TIITTANNS…EIII RANN ANND HIIID. DEENN EETTT FELLT LIIKE… WASS AGGAINNSTT… SONNEONNE."** The creature bit his tongue. " **NAYYBEE… ETT AHHSS AA TIITTAN?"** Rogue questioned allowed, looking from the ceiling and back to his little ones who had stopped what they were doing to stare at him with stunned faces. Armin's jaw hung open a bit – was it possible that his little ones had figured something out that he couldn't?

"Rogue," The blonde began slowly. "I think… I think you were dreaming about when you were a -

"Guys! Guys! Guys!" A sudden address cut off the conversation with the titan and his little ones looking to the entrance to witness an over enthused Hange approaching them – her arms waving around in excitement. "I had an epiphany!"

Reluctantly abandoning their exchange, Armin and Mikasa smiled in greeting. "What is it Hange?"

The woman giggled as she hurriedly approached her desk and haphazardly dropped more paperwork onto her workspace, messing up the hard work that Mikasa had done to ensure that it was orderly. Hange then turned to them, her grin as big as it could possibly be. "I've been toying with many ideas as what to name Rogue's breed for weeks and I've finally come up with one!"

Caught in the moment, Rogue found himself galvanized by Hange's words. " **WHAAT?"**

The woman nearly squealed, wiggling her index finger at him. "Glad you asked, Rogue! Originally, I was leaning toward calling your kind 'Advancing Titans' but last night I had a wonderful idea! I found a title that suits your kind even better as well as pays homage to your parents! The word in particular means 'hunter' in an old language called 'German' and your kind are certainly made to be hunters! Thus, I believe the perfect name for your kind is Jaeger Titans." Hange beamed. "How do you like it?"

Rogue smiled, giving her a nod in approval and looking to his little ones for their own opinion. Armin and Mikasa's faces had lit up as well.

"That's wonderful Hange! Not to mention it's quite catchy too!"

Mikasa nodded. "I like it. You're right, it's perfect."

Hange nodded confidently. "It's settled then! I'll be penning it in the history and titan biology books!" She practically sang, the titan thrilled about having something to call his breed if he was ever questioned. "So! What was it you three were talking about when I got here? Sorry I sort of interrupted you!" Hange laughed before placing her hands upon her hips in expectance. Armin dithered.

"Well, we think that Rogue just had another memory come to him." The teen informed with Hange quickly becoming greatly animated again. The titan smiling until a sudden sense of alarm washed over him, the very same that made his blood run cold.

"Oh! He remembered something! What was it!" She practically jumped. "Tell me!"

Armin scratched his chin. "From what Rogue told us, Mikasa and I think Rogue had a dream about when he was –

However, his little one's words were abruptly cut off as Levi quickly charged into the barn, urgency clearly present on his face.

"Levi what –

"Suit up and get ready for battle. The Armored Titan has been sighted approaching the wall bordering the nearby village of Ragako."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of part 2! Now I'm going to take the time to establish a few things.
> 
> Firstly, and I've debated this time and time again, but I am going to wait until April when season two is released to start the second chapter of part 2. I say this because I feel I need a good grasp on the setting of things like the Clash of the Titans arch. I think it will help me produce something much better when I write things out. I do have everything important planned though. However, until April rolls around... I'm going to be writing the chapters for Rogue's past and I plan for it to take up about 4 to five chapters. After April rolls around, updates should come every one to two months :)
> 
> In the meantime, please check out the 'Attack on Titan: before the fall' manga. I'm going to be referencing a few things from it in Rogue. I also plan to end Part 2 of Rogue at the conclusion of the Shiganshina arch in the main series.
> 
> Also, feel free to follow my tumblr account: redcoaster. I post lots of WIP updates on this fic there. I also see lots of guest comments here and I always feel bad that I can't answer them, but feel free to ask me questions there!
> 
> But yes, I'm excited to finally be posting again! So stay tuned for updates!


	22. Part 2: Chapter 22:Unraveling the Thread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Scouts begin their mission in Wall Rose to seal the breech and evacuate the citizens. As the day wears on, hints of what could have happened in Rogue's past comes to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Hello Everyone! I'm back! Firstly, I'm sorry for the wait. I decided to hold off on writing this chapter and uploading it for two reasons. I know quite a few of you only stick to the anime so I held off to not spoil season 2 for you. I also wanted to get a better idea on how things looked setting wise. Plus of course the usual occurrences in life like work and such.
> 
> This chapter lays the groundwork for what's to come! It's made to make you formulate questions XD You are going to learn quite a bit. You also get to meet two special titans in this one (you guys may know who) PLEASE NOTE: I have changed these titans names so to not confuse you with how things are in cannon. Remember, there are no such things as titan shifters in this AU and I did this not to confuse anyone. ALSO NOTE: THIS CHAPTER HAS SOME GORE - like some of the previous chapters. But what's snk without gore?
> 
> Also, you are going to get some POV's from Mike and Sasha. ALSO NOTE, before you read this chapter, it might be wise to familiarize yourself with the Attack on Titan spinoff manga "Before the Fall" I reference it quite a bit in this chapter so it would help to know the characters at least. I've dropped many hints about Rogue's past in this one!
> 
> IF YOU SPOT ANY ERRORS, PLEASE PM THEM TO ME SO I CAN MAKE CORRECTIONS!
> 
> ENJOY!

**Chapter 22**

**Unraveling the Thread**

There was a rapid thumping against his chest, his heart was practically pounding against his ribs like an animal trapped in a cage. His muscles were tense, every strand seemingly quivering. His spine was experiencing a constant chill. The beast's fists were curling and unfurling in his lap as he sat and waited – nerves horrid. His worried greens observed as soldiers, his family, rushed about the grounds gathering supplies – the sounds of concerned phrases, shaky words of fear, and the grunts and whinnies of horses being hauled from their stalls. He watched as blades were dropped haphazardly while men with trembling hands placed them onto wagons. The sun was shining, the temperature warm, and the recipe for a good looking day if not for the foul ingredient that had been thrown in.

Rogue was in a state of disbelief.

It seemed like only yesterday that he had defeated and devoured The Female Titan – a creature with an agenda. Now, there was another threat. More titans. In particular, The Armored One that he had seen breach Trost. Was it true? By the way his senses were overreacting it had to be. But was it really THE Armored Titan? Could the Garrison have made a mistake? Rogue shook his head. Who was he kidding? Of course it was true. It was always said that the words of the Garrison messengers were exact.

And so he sat in the front of the castle, waiting as they prepared to go into battle again. Rogue reached up, hand pulling at his leather collar. He felt almost numb and the world seemed to be in a dense fog. He didn't know what was going on nor what was planned. The Commander was bound to be out soon to issue his orders. More than anything though, he feared for his little ones and what their assignment could be. Armin and Mikasa – they had nearly been killed by The Female. The Armored One, he would surely be a much more unforgiving foe.

He wouldn't be able to live with himself if something were to happen to his babies.

"I know you don't like it much my little titan but this time, you need to wear your collar."

Hearing the familiar voice, Rogue snapped out of his current state of mind and peered down to see Hange along with his little ones, the scientist looking more serious than anything and the two teens wearing a metaphorical mask to hide their nerves.

"It's essential that you wear it Rogue." Hange proceeded as she and his little ones made sure their straps were buckled. "It has sheets of iron bamboo steel on the back of it as you know. If you were to encounter The Armored Titan, you would need the extra protection."

Rogue blinked, his head hanging in the slightest and his hand lowering. " **EII NOO."** He replied, trying to figure out what to say next, his eyes drifting to his little ones. Suddenly feeling the need to comfort, he awkwardly lowered himself and nuzzled into them – emitting an almost pitiful purr. For a moment, the two teens seemed stunned until Armin and Mikasa hugged his skin in return – the dark-haired girl reaching to stroke his nose as she always did.

"It's okay, bud." Armin began, his voice revealing that he was obviously uncertain and likely going to lie. "Mikasa and I will be alright. You just need to focus on what Erwin orders you to do."

"Yes Rogue. You don't need to worry. Armin and I plus the rest of the recruits have trained hard with you over the past two months. Our skills of evading and perusing have improved because of you. Please… just focus alright."

Rogue's ears lowered as he sat up again, whining in the slightest. He was still uneasy. " **ROMMISE YUU BEE SAFF. DOONT… PUT SELVVES ENN HARRNSS WAEE TO HELLP NEE."** He put forth, giving in to a weak smile. **"DAT NYYY JOOB."**

At his words, the two dawned looks of sympathy. "Let's – just focus on both our orders and assignments all right?" Armin replied, his voice oddly quiet.

Rogue could only reply with a grunt, watching as many of the Scouts began to gather and wait afore the castle. He didn't really know what to make of his little ones' words. Although, it sounded as if the worst happened they would defy his wishes to keep him safe no matter what. Rogue's brow creased at the thought. He wouldn't let it get to that no matter what.

Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, he rotated his head to see his superiors emerge from the castle. Erwin, Levi, and Mike made their way through the uneasy soldiers. They were fully suited and appeared just as stoic as usual. Erwin's face was formed in a look of utter seriousness – perhaps an ounce of urgency. The man's thick eyebrows pinched together and the tips of his mouth drooped into a slight frown – a look of displeasure. Levi nearly appeared the same as always with his signature look – the small male seemingly more constipated and irritated as usual. Mike just looked as equally repulsed just like the others – a contrast from his normal mellow appearance. Truthfully, he wasn't too familiar with Mike as he was with his other two superiors. Rogue only knew the man to be of little words with a nose like a hound. Mike was very loyal though. His skill, from what he had seen during his time back in Maria, Mike's talent was second to the famed Corporal. The titan observed as Erwin quickly scaled a crate that was still waiting its turn to be loaded with his two officers standing next to him, straight and staring ahead at no fixed point in particular. For a moment, Rogue watched the Commander continue to survey the scene before him – the titan swallowing back the lump in his throat. Erwin could order anything. He had seen the man being relentless with his instruction on rare and dire situations before and he could likely take the risky route again.

The tall blonde's hard blues blinked, as if he were examining the circumference to ensure that the entire legion was present. After looking, without even skipping a beat, Erwin cleared his throat, his breath gruff and giving away at just how angry he was with the situation. "ATTENTION SCOUTS!" Erwin's imperious voice boomed – instantly grabbing every pair of eyes and ears. "THESE ARE YOU ORDERS AS WELL AS INTELLIGENCE ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION I MUST SHARE WITH YOU. APPROXIMATELY FIVE HOURS AGO, THE ARMORED TITAN BROKE THROUGH WALL ROSE IN AN AREA SOUTHEAST OF HERE. THE GARRISON HAS TAKEN THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS OF KEEPING TITANS OUT. HOWEVER, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, SOME HAVE GOTTEN IN – HEADING STRAIGHT FOR RAGAKO." The commander spoke without missing a beat. "WE HAVE TWO JOBS FOR THIS MISSION. WARN AND EVACUATE CITIZENS AND SEAL THE BREACH. LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THESE INSTRUCTIONS. YOU ARE TO AVOID CONFRONTATION WITH TITANS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE." The man put forth, igniting several faces to drop and Rogue's heart to skip a beat. "THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT OUR SHIPMENT OF SUPPLIES, INCLUDING BLADES AND GAS, WASN'T DUE TO ARRIVE UNTIL TWO DAYS FROM NOW. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS IS A DIRE ISSUE AND WE CANNOT WAIT. THIS ISN'T IDEAL, BUT YOU MUST CONSERVE YOUR RESOURCES." Erwin paused, letting the information sink in, soldiers now looking more horrified than ever. Inwardly, Rogue panicked. His little ones wouldn't have much to use to defend themselves. If they were caught in a dangerous situation; they could be in serious trouble if they were not with him. "A TOTAL OF THREE TEAMS OF NINE WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE DISTRICT, GIVING THE WORD TO EVACUATE TO SINA'S INTERIOR BEFORE RETURNING TO EHRMICH DISTRICT. EACH TEAM WILL BE LEAD BY A VETERAN, TWO SECTION COMMANDERS, AND HOLD SEVERAL EXPERIENCED SOLDIERS. THE OTHER TEAM THAT WILL CONSIST OF HANGE, LEVI, AND I WILL BE TAKING ROGUE TO EHRMICH DISTRICT TO GATHER SUPPLIES BEFORE HEADING TO THE BREACH. WE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY MANY SOLDIERS TO ASSIST IN SUPPLY TRANSPORT. ONCE THE BREACH IS SEALED IN THE MORNING, IF NEEDED WE WILL GO TO CHECK OTHER SAFE POINTS FOR THOSE THAT MAY NEED TO TAKE REFUGE. REMEMBER YOUR SIGNALS AND OTHER SAFE PLACES IF PLANS NEED TO CHANGE. ALSO, IF YOU ENCOUNTER THE ARMORED TITAN – ONLY THE EXPERIENCED WILL HANDLE HIM. ROGUE IS ONLY TO BE USED AS A LAST RESORT. KEEP IN MIND, WE DO NOT NEED TO FORGET ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FEMALE'S POSSIBLE CONNECTION TO THE ARMORED. WE CANNOT RULE OUT THE IDEA OF THE COLOSSAL SHOWING UP AS IDEA IS STILL ON THE TABLE." Erwin spoke seriously, heavy words weighing down upon his audience. Rogue felt a lump form in his throat. "STAND BY FOR YOUR ASSIGNED TEAMS." Erwin proceeded as he took a piece of parchment from Levi and began to read through the list of names.

Rogue's mind was swimming with thoughts again as he nervously listened to the Commander's sorting. He himself was to go to the city nearest the breach – having no idea where his little ones were to be placed. Surely Erwin wouldn't separate them! Surely not! Rogue continued to listen to the list of names, making note that the Commander had not yet announced those of his little ones. Perhaps the man really was pairing them together for safety reasons or he knew the fact that he himself did not like Armin and Mikasa, his lovely babies, to be without him on dangerous missions like this one let alone any in general.

"THE LAST TEAM WILL BE LEAD BY MIKE, NANABA, AND GELGAR. MEMBERS WILL CONSIST OF CONNIE, SASHA, KRISTA, JEAN, LYNN, ARMIN, AND MIKASA."

The titan's blood ran cold as he heard it. His little ones were not with him. Not at all. The decision instantly angered him – face flushing red. Rogue's ears pressed themselves into his wild locks, eyes gaining a dangerous glint. How could Erwin make such a choice! How! Suddenly, the titan hissed loudly to project his displeasure at the man, unable to hold back a natural reaction. The vocal had instantly gathered everyone, including the Commander's undivided attention. It was silent except for his coarse breathing – the others simply stunned. Eyes were shrunk down to pinpricks and the Corporal's face was twisted up in a look of absolute repulsion. Still, Rogue found himself too caught up in his own worries and desires. " **ITTLE ONNES NEEED TOOO BEE WITTT NEE!"** He demanded. " **ETT NOOT SAFFE!"** Green eyes glanced to the other new recruits of his squad, deciding that they shouldn't be without him either. " **ALL SNALLL ONNS WITT NEE!"** Rogue demanded further, planting his index finger into the cobblestone beneath him to further imply his point before naturally shifting his weight to hover protectively over his own babies and as much of the teenage Scouts as he could. Rogue prepared to give a low but feeble growl, but seeing the Commander's hard gaze at him made him sit up at his error. The titan practically paled as the man's thick brows bunched together – the beast completely mortified.

"Rogue." Erwin began, his tone hard and sounding much more stern than usual. "Those are my orders. In the rescue and evacuation portion of this plan, we need as many able bodied soldiers as we can and as many tactical people as possible. They are needed else ware."

Rogue blinked in disbelief. He had just spoken against Erwin's words! If that was one thing no one was to ever do it was talk harshly to your superiors. How could he let him lose himself! He didn't mean for such a response to happen! It practically slipped out of him. A mixture of terror and shame swam within his greens as his ears wilted. His heart was pounding again at the very thought of his outburst – he could barely look up at Erwin. He could practically feel the man's as well as the Corporal's stare burning into him. Rogue's gaze only fell to his feet. All he could do was give one sharp nod in apology, hair bouncing around his face. Feeling both completely stupid in light of his error and utterly horrified at the fact that his little ones and delicate family were being sent out performing the riskiest part of the plan, he only sat and listened to the Commander continue his speech.

"REMEMBER YOUR QUANTITY OF SUPPLIES AND YOUR SIGNAL FLARES. EACH GROUP HAS AN ACOUSTIC ROUND FOR ADDED MEASURES OF WARDING OFF ANY TITANS. THE EVACUATION UNITS HEAD OUT IN TEN MINUTES AT MY COMMAND. THOSE WITH THE SUPPLY CONVOY WILL DEPART IN TWENTY." The blonde concluded as he stepped down from his perch and began to follow Mike to examine the wagons.

"Rogue, why did you do that?"

Upon hearing the query, the beast cringed and lifted his head to look at a rather concerned Armin and Mikasa. He found himself looking at the many different cobblestones again. " **EIII… DIDDN NEEN ITT."** Rogue tried to explain. " **EII… COUUD NOOT ELLP ITT."** The fretful titan continued further, his fingers snaking between his toes out of habit. " **ETT… SLIIT OUUT."**

It was quiet between the three, the titan noticing that Hange was listening and watching closely. "Rogue," Mikasa started, her voice breaking the tension. "We know you are nervous about us being part of the other group. We understand you are scared. But please, have faith in us all right? Besides, if it makes you feel any better, we are being led by some of the strongest and most experienced Scouts we have."

His head lifted a little at her statement. That much was true. Mike, Nanaba, and Gelgar were seasoned Scouts and he had seen them in action numerous times. They had bested the leftover titans from Trost and survived the wrath of The Female Titan. It was possible they could handle The Armored Titan, ward him off if need be. The fact that they were strong soldiers eased his nerves a bit – but only in the slightest. He couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

"I know you are a beast you big brat, but that doesn't give you the excuse to act like an animal."

The titan's spine instantly shivered at the familiar scolding. Rogue lifted his head to see Levi now standing next to his little ones with his arms neatly folded across his chest and looking even more aggravated than before. " **EVVI… EII –**

"I try to avoid calling you a beast Rogue, but that was downright uncalled for. Care to explain what the hell that was?"

Just as he opened his lipless maw to apologize again and try to explain himself further, Hange stepped forward with a hand held to the Corporal, looking the complete opposite of her usual self.

"Easy Levi. I don't believe he could help it. Rogue's parental instincts flared up that's all it was. He meant no disrespect. He's just – really nervous Levi. Rogue's scared like the rest of us. Also, you know how his new traits have been surfacing lately as well." Hange implied, ending on a note that left room for question. The man let out a long sigh, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I know that." He sighed. "I understand and I can guess what's going through that big head of yours, brat. However, you need to focus on the mission ahead. We can't have you in the fog. I'm sure you remember the beginning of the fifty-seventh expedition when you worried about Ackerman and Arlert too much. We lost a few lives because you were too apprehensive. Even though every one of us is scared shitless deep down, we bury those fears to get the job done. You just need to focus on getting the breach sealed. The faster you do that, the faster we get to head out and unite with your little ones. Of course, that means you can't do a half-ass job of it."

Rogue felt himself loosen a little bit at the man's advice and speech. Levi did have a point. The quicker he could get things done, the quicker he could see his babies again.

"In addition, you have both Mike and Nanaba in charge of them. Mike is one of the most gifted soldiers the Scouts has ever had. His skill alone is a force to be reckoned with."

Rogue nodded in agreement. Indeed, Mike was talented. So much so that when they initiated capture exercises, Mike was usually one of the toughest individuals to trap. Another intelligent titan would have a hard time with him.

"You see Rogue? No need to worry!" Armin beamed feebly. "We'll see one another again."

The titan's shoulders slacked, the beast coming out of his hunched over position. Yes, those were valid points. His little ones had a chance. Besides, Mike's nose could smell titans from a mile away. He could quickly alert them if there was danger and his little ones could hastily be taken to a safe place. " **OKKAE."** He nodded. " **EIIII TRUUST ERRVINN'S CISIION."** Rogue expressed. " **EII… NEEED TOOO TELLL** **ERRVIN ORRY –**

"You can tell him on the way or when we arrive in Ehrmich district." Levi sighed. "He's currently preoccupied. Use this time to prepare if you know what I mean Rogue." Levi put simply as he walked off to chide at other soldiers to hurry.

For a moment, Rogue found himself watching the man before droning quietly as he turned to look upon his little ones. Instinctively, he lowered his frame to nuzzle into their small bodies again, emitting a soft purr before letting his tongue slither from his mouth to gently lap at their faces – showing both affection and concern. Rogue then lifted his gaze in the slightest, staring into his babies' eyes with remorse. Even though he had been reassured, he still didn't like the situation one bit. He just had a sinking feeling in his gut no matter how much he was told not to worry. " **YUUU BEE SAFFF."** Rogue muttered, almost feeling guilty that they were having to go through such again. " **BEE AVVARRE."** The titan tried to explain, using hand gestures to describe surroundings. " **ONNLLE… IGGHT IFFF YUU NUSST."**

Armin smiled, patting the tip of his nose. "Yes bud, Mikasa and I will be careful."

"Of course, you need to be careful too, Rogue." Mikasa beamed softly. "Don't do anything too rash."

He huffed at her concern, pressing his brow to hers in appreciation. Rogue knew better though. If it came down to it, he would have to fight.

"Oh boy, I see Momma Rogue is coming out again!" Hange humored as she hurriedly walked by with the last of the gas canisters beneath her arms. "You two Titan Children might want to get to your horses! Erwin is going to sound the word anytime now!"

"Yes, Sir." The two replied abet unenthusiastic, turning to the titan once again to pat his nose. "See you in the morning Rogue."

"Love you big brother."

" **LUVV YUU."** The titan uttered, watching his little ones mount their equines after double checking their supplies again. Rogue remained quiet, simply looking at them and the new recruits of the Levi squad. Now ready to depart, he could now see the fear laden on their faces. Their pupils were shrunk, knuckles practically white, and they looked frozen and stiff. Connie in particular looked absolutely confounded. The young man's eyes were as wide as possible and the blood seemed to have drained completely out of him by just how pale the teen was in appearance. Instinct told the titan that something was amiss with the young man besides overwhelming nerves. However, just as he decided to address Connie to question what was wrong, the Commander's booming voice echoed throughout the area.

"EVACUATION UNITS NOW PROCEED! GOOD LUCK!"

With noble but shaky salutes, the soldiers of the first unit charged fourth. The stampede of mares and stallions leaving behind dust among the cobblestone path. Rogue watched his precious babies look over their shoulders, giving him one last glance before rounding the bend and escaping his sight entirely. For a long moment the rest of the chaotic world was nothing but a blur to him. Rogue kept to himself as the other soldiers began to finish up their loading and hooking up their steeds or placing saddles. It didn't matter how many pep talks could have been given to him, he still didn't agree with the way things were ordered completely. Deep down, he was still terrified for his little ones. He just felt so uneasy about the entire ordeal. Rogue's eyes drifted to the nearly empty supply wagons – watching them line up. The beast's brow wrinkled in the slightest in thought. He didn't get it. Why was Erwin doing such preparations? It had to be one of the man's calculative practices yet again. Surely it was. The Commander had something in mind that he hadn't caught onto yet and was slow to understand. The titan knew he would find out sooner or later.

Oblivious to the minutes that had ticked by, Rogue's attention was stolen away momentarily by Erwin's commands – the battalion rolling out. Swallowing the wad that had nestled within his throat, Rogue slowly stood and began to trail the unit, keeping himself as quiet as possible as if to not alert any hidden enemies early on. Oh how he hoped that he wouldn't run into the Armored Titan, The Colossal, or anything else for that matter. Still, he couldn't help but wonder. Why were the walls being attacked again? More importantly, was it possible that this was some elaborate scheme? Was _SHE_ involved?

The titan's hand went to his brow, trying to find solace for the moment. His thoughts were swarming in far too many directions. Every fragment was mixing up as if they were individual ingredients cooking in a stew. There was no time to dwell upon possibilities. None, He would have to figure things out later while trying to sort out the reasoning by the way the very mission at hand was being organized.

The day was growing to be more rotten by the minute. Oh how he prayed that it wouldn't get worse. But knowing his luck, he knew that life was not always kind to him.

**(POV SWAP)**

He could feel the heaving of his horse's sides beneath him, hearing its rough breath as it galloped with the others. Armin's hands were still shaking even as he held the reins. Since the announcement of the breach, they had never stopped trembling – his entire frame was coursing with shutters. He simply couldn't believe it. The Armored Titan had crawled out of hell yet again to wreak havoc and The Colossal was possibly looming somewhere ready to advance. Armin dipped his chin, his golden locks swarming and whipping around his head in the wind. His mind was only conjuring up one reason and it was clear that the Commander was fully aware of it. Erwin had probably been suspecting it since the news of the breach came to them. The enemy was certainly or definitely seemed to be planning something. It was very likely that they were here for the very same reason The Female was. Rogue. Or rather they were after Rogue's status. Of course, that was his first thought. There were other ideas teeming in his head – the very same that the Commander had conjured. If this was a planned attack, then the possibility that the two enemy titans were indeed working with The Female would be correct. Could Rogue really have some sort of alpha status among all titans in the region? The more he thought about it, the more it didn't seem to make sense. Both the Armored and Colossal attacked during the first breach. The Armored broke the wall barricading Trost but quickly left the scene. Titans were purposely led in.

Armin sat straighter in his saddle as he thought further, his mind turning like cogs in a well-oiled machine and going in many different directions. Was it possible that there was much more to Rogue's talent? Going by The Female's words, the idea was looking to be more of a fact. He though harder _. 'Rogue's scream that Mikasa and Levi witnessed in the forest – he was commanding titans, but was he actually commanding or – wait. Rogue hasn't had any recollection of –_

"Armin?"

Mikasa's voice shook him from his stupor, the blonde teen rotating his head to meet her gaze. Amazingly, she still retained her stoic façade, an almost unamused expression that masked the fact that she was alert and aware of her surroundings. Even though Rogue could read the girl's body language with the skill that he could read a novel, Armin could tell by the way that Mikasa was gripping the edge of her scarf that she was just as tense as the rest of their squad. He silently wondered if she was contemplating the same things as him. "I'm alright Mikasa. I was just thinking." He dithered. "Of course, I'm edgy too."

Mikasa ceased to reply, for several minutes, it was only silence between the group. Cerulean blues drifted around the landscape that raced past. It had been several hours since they had left Katness district and had been riding through the countryside. There were only patches of small forests here and there and a few trading posts along with farm houses. Small villages were few and far between. Normally, it would have been a lovely place to just kick back in the field and do nothing but watch clouds and relax. At the present time however, it was the least ideal battlefield possible. If they were ambushed by titans, they would have little places for their grappling hooks to embed themselves into not to mention no areas to take cover if needed. Although they trained with Rogue, he still wasn't as proficient as Mikasa or a veteran in the specific area of skill. The odds were certainly against them.

Why was hell knocking on their door again?

"Yeah," Jean began, breaking the silence. "I can't believe this is happening. We just dealt with The Female not long ago! From what I understand, Stohess is still recovering." The teen paused, Armin watching as Jean gritted his teeth. "We certainly didn't need more of this shit to happen."

"Yeah, I agree with you." Gelgar spoke over his shoulder. "This is the one thing we didn't need. Worst timing as well."

Armin only nodded in compliance to the man. Gelgar was someone who he didn't really speak to often in comparison to the other veterans. He reminded him of a member of the Garrison, simply for the fact that Gelgar fancied alcohol of any kind and would drink any chance he got and during any special occasion. It was a common thing to hear stories from Nanaba, Lynn, and many others of Gelgar being hungover. For Armin, he had only seen the man drunk twice – during a birthday dinner for Hange and the man wasn't even close to being sloppy drunk as they often called it. Gelgar was more of the 'talkative drunk' type. During the dinner, the man had literally talked about the weather for over an hour. Of course, Gelgar was the first truly drunk person that Rogue had witnessed and he and Mikasa had to do quite a lot of explaining to the baffled titan. Not soon after that the answer to a question formed during a celebration was realized. It was Gelgar who had brought the alcohol to the event – the man getting away with it due to their superiors being in Sina. Most of the recruits had taken part including himself. Armin couldn't honestly remember whose idea it was to 'see if the titan could get drunk' but he certainly remembered the result. Rogue definitely was the sloppy drunk, talkative drunk, and funny drunk all rolled into one after they dared him to consume an entire storage barrel of cheap booze. Thankfully, Rogue remembered almost nothing of the event, but the titan and Gelgar faced the Corporal's wrath the following morning. Aside from the love of alcohol, Gelgar was skilled as a soldier and Erwin often let him command small squads. This was the first he had been paired with the man, and it was very clear to them all that Gelgar was completely and utterly sobered up.

"I think all of us agree with Jean here." Armin heard Lynn begin with Henning gesturing his agreement. The blonde teen didn't know much about the two since they were often with other squads even during training sessions. They did seem to be some sort of couple though for the pair always appeared to be together.

"I think it would be best if we limited the chit chat." Nanaba passed over her shoulder as they rounded a curb on the abandoned path, one that ran next to an old barn with swine still in their pins, a family scrambling to their horses at Henning's warning as they passed by. "You never know when they could be upon us. Be alert."

"Yes!" They retorted. Armin swallowed, eyes drifting around once again before catching Mike looking over his shoulder at them before transferring his gaze onto the other veterans. The man then stared ahead once again. Next, the experienced Section Commander cleared his throat.

"I might as well say it since I know each of you are thinking about it as well." He began with Armin and the others sitting straight in their saddles. "Erwin is acting on a hunch. He's been considering the facts ever since the news of the new breach and has made his plans accordingly. The Female Titan may not have been alone in the hunt for Rogue's status. You all should know this hypothesis that was drawn up long ago." Mike paused as if to allow his words to sink into the listeners of his speech. "Every bit of this is just speculation. We could also be wrong entirely and the enemy could simply be looking to perform an extermination. After all, Rogue has stated that he's seen the Armored before yet the enemy took no interest in him."

Armin blinked at the man's statement. A simple extermination. In all honesty, he secretly prayed for such a theory to be true. The Armored and Colossal didn't seem to take any interest in Rogue. Not to mention, Rogue had no memories resurfacing of them even after he had seen the two titans. It was the best bad case scenario. He relaxed in the slightest, but still – Rogue was a mystery even after years of knowing him and the Scouts had been wrong before such as with The Female Titan's intentions. The teen thought harder, nose wrinkling in the slightest as he watched his horse's mane tangle and thrash. Erwin was still holding on to their original theory with a vice grip. Perhaps it was due to the influence of another experienced and higher power believing that the titan enemy's actions were much more thought out for a purpose other than bloodshed. Zackley or Pixis were likely candidates.

Hell, for all he knew Rogue could be some sort of titan king and the others just wanted to overthrow the crown. How he hoped for such not to be true.

"So," Mike continued. "Which of you know this area?" The man queried, starting a new topic. Sasha quickly raised her hand as if she were a child in class.

"I do sir! My village is not far from here. In fact, Connie is from –

However, Sasha paused in her answer – breath caught in her throat with her gaze set onto the teen who had all but been completely silent after they departed – which Connie being quiet for long periods was completely unheard of. Armin swallowed fretfully. His friend looked frozen, terror plastered on his face. Connie's teeth were clenched and the teen appeared to be barely breathing. In fact, the shaven boy was shivering like he had been out in a cold rain for hours. Armin looked harder, Connie's pupils were shrunk, gaze forward and eyes appearing as if they had never blinked in the past hour. The young man was as white as a corpse. He had never seen his friend like this. Ever. Not even during the events of Trost.

"Connie?" Armin asked, his voice coming out much softer than he anticipated. The terrified teen only stared forward for what seemed like an eternity until his Adam's Apple bobbed.

"My… my village." Connie stuttered. "My village… is Ragako." He swallowed roughly, completely petrified. "It was where - the titans were headed… hours ago." Connie's body shook harder. "My… my family. My… family lives there."

The world seemed to stop at the teen's words. Armin felt his stomach drop. How could he have forgotten? He had always heard Connie talk about being from Ragako. He recalled the teen also had a younger brother and sister but their names had escaped him. No wonder his friend was paralyzed with trepidation.

Mike's eyes widened at the recruit's announcement – a stark contrast from his common mellow look. "Alright. These are your orders! We are nearly an hour away from Ragako. There is a chance that any Garrison soldiers stationed close by could have given them the warning to evacuate. But that chance is slim. Nanaba and Gelgar, you take Springer, Ackerman, Arlert, and Kirstein. You go to Ragako to assess the situation and do whatever you can to help there. Myself, Blouse, Lynn, and Henning will branch off –

However, the man stopped himself, his head lifting suddenly like a doe in an open field. Armin observed, his heart beating faster as the man's nostrils flared at every inhale and exhale he took. Mike's gaze then narrowed, head turning to the right. Crows flew from the tops of pines from the nearby thicket. Even on his horse, Armin could feel the earth vibrate beneath him. It was an all too familiar sensation that announced the fact that titans were coming.

Several of them.

"There are titans approaching from at least a two hundred meters!" The man announced hastily as the group watched a total of ten titans lumber out of the thicket – their sizes ranging from two to thirteen meters. Thankfully, none of them were the Armored, but then again any regular titan was something to dread. "Prepare to –

However, before Mike could give another order, the group of titans did something that Armin had never heard of or had seen before.

They stopped.

The blonde's eyes widened at the spectacle. Each and every titan just stood, completely unmoving and gazes locked onto them. No vast lungs expanded, no nostrils flared, no large muscle twitched. They were completely silent. A shiver ran down his spine, heart pounding against his ribs. What were they doing? Sure, he had seen mindless titans do strange things and heard stories about what abnormals would do on expeditions from the older Scouts, but he had never heard of anything like what was before him.

"What the hell are they doing?" Gelgar uttered, knuckles clearly white.

"Are they actually – watching us?"

Then the unexpected happened. One of the larger titans abruptly leaned forward and jumped – twisting in the air before landing back down with the ground shuttering like their bones. The monster then charged forward, running at them awkwardly but at full tilt. At this however, the other nine titans took off in a complete sprint – each and every one of them heading right for them. Everything around them trembled, just like an earthquake. Armin's breath hitched in his chest, his heart finally faltering.

"What the hell!"

"My god!"

"The hell are they –

"Are they _all_ abnormals!" Henning questioned above the relentless pounding against the earth. Armin's jaw went slack at this. Aside from the intelligent titans like Rogue, The Female, and the other skinless beasts – abnormals were an absolute nightmare to go up against for their completely erratic and unpredictable behavior. Afore them though, were TEN abnormals that were hurriedly heading right for them with eyes infected with nothing but hunger. The teen's blood drained from his face, the odds of survival hitting him like Rogue's fist against a titan's skull.

Instinctively, he and the rest of their squad cracked their reins to propel their horses faster.

"SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLANS!" Mike ushered loudly. "LYNN AND HENNING GO WITH BLOUSE TO HER VILLAGE AND THOSE SURROUNDING IT. I'M BRANCHING OFF TO BUY US SOME TIME! IF YOU ARE ABLE, I'LL REUNITE WITH YOU IN THE MORNING WHEN WE MEET AT EHRMICH! IF YOU ARE TOO LOW ON SUPPLIES TO MAKE IT, GO WITH PLAN B! GOOD LUCK!" The man quickly concluded as he steered his horse away from them and into the fray.

It was simply silent at the Section Commander's desertion, each set of eyes wide as they watched Mike pull further and further away from them and into the depths of hell. Armin's body stiffened even more. This truly was one of the worst case scenarios.

"Please don't tell me he went off just to be the hero!" Jean panicked, succumbing to a bit of irrationality.

"No! He's being strategic!" Nanaba quickly defended. "We could be in serious turmoil if he hadn't broken off from us to distract and dispatch a few of them. He's saving us. Mike doesn't want us to use what little supplies we have just in case there is the need later." She turned to look upon them. "Remember, Mike's skill is second to Corporal Levi's. Making him one of the very best soldiers we have. Have faith in him."

"Yes, sir." Jean began, voice tainted with regret. "Sorry for my outburst."

No words were said as they continued to pull away and make their escape. Armin cautiously looked over his shoulder to see that the titans' attention seemed to have indeed shifted to Mike and away from their squad – the fact further implying that the man's actions were the right call. They still said nothing for several minutes until they were out of harm's way and came to a fork in the path – splitting into the two teams that Mike had requested at Nanaba's order. He secretly drifted into his mind again. The abnormals' behavior was baffling. They had all stopped at the same time. All at once and surged forward all at once. Like a pack. Like a team. Like a brigade. Armin felt sick to his stomach. Something was seriously amiss and he had a horrible feeling that things were about to get worse.

**(POV SWAP)**

His face was stoic if one were around to look at it. His jaw was clenched, brows slightly pinched together at the hell that was quickly approaching – one that would never stop. Mike's heart beat just as quickly as his horse galloped – eyes locked onto the advancing titan horde. Inwardly, he was stricken with confusion. Sure, he was baffled by the sudden invasion of Wall Rose and the possibilities of what was happening – but even more so was what he was seeing at the very moment. He had been in the Scouts for years, his skill and knowledge having kept him alive. However, days in the field as well as his long since passed days as a cadet reading book after book could not have prepared him for the sight of a swarm of abnormal titans and their bizarre and unheard of action. Normally, abnormals charged forward straight for the highest concentration of human scent – their movements always awkward and much more erratic than a standard normal titan. It was true, Hange had noted that they could actually think in the slightest for just short bursts – something that had been determined through extensive observation and experiments. However, he had never seen or heard of abnormal titans doing everything in unison. Mike's brows narrowed further, strands of dusty blonde hair bouncing in the slightest. His fingers gripped the strip of worn leather making up his steed's reins – it was going to be challenging to successfully dispatch the hulking demons.

Mike whipped the reins, eyes studying his opponents with a practiced gaze. He would have to be quick. Taking them out while they were clustered was the best course of action. He didn't have to use as much blades or gas in such a manner as he did when engaged into a titanic stampede of behemoths. Just on the edge of the horizon, there was what looked to be a collection of older buildings –some with their purposes clear and others that he questioned. If needed, he would have to utilize the remains of the deserted village in order to navigate and gain leverage to execute the impending slaughter. He needed to perform his act of execution quickly. He would much rather unite with the others than stick around the village and wait till the cover of night. Mike studied his approach, his mind made up with the decision and conjuring a strategic plan of extracting the napes of the incoming abnormals. The man then clicked his tongue and clacked the rains, throwing his horse into a sprint. He would not get struck down – if he did it wasn't going to be without a fight.

With his first targets being the strange titan that had jumped before as well as a shorter abnormal, Mike angled his horse periodically, judging the distance before shooting the grapple into the titan's thigh and propelling himself off his saddle. The powerful thrust sent him speeding across the grassy earth, the heels of his boots digging into the dirt and organic blades like he was skiing down a snowy slope. His brows narrowed into an angry but determined glare as he pulled the triggers harder – sending him upward into the beginning of an arc – using the much larger titan as leverage. He had to be quick with his brutal work – abnormals and their unpredictable movements could easily kill him more swiftly than any run of the mill titan could. With his pairing blades poised to slice, Mike easily cut through the short titan's nape like butter. Nimble as he could be, he quickly shot another cable to the taller titan – hitting it in its shoulder. Before the beast could twist in an attempt to elude him, Mike rocketed upwards and made his way to the exposed nape – cutting it from the rest of the monster's body. As the towering beast fell, he quickly released another one of his gear's grapples into another towering titan and leaped into the fray yet again – cleanly cutting the nape away of another giant that he was passing by before plunging the unique swords into the nape of another behemoth, not even caring to relish in the sweet sound of a titan screaming in agony.

' _Easy, nothing fancy. Just get the job done.'_

Mike contemplated, turning again to search for the next titan to make his target. However, to his surprise, the beasts stopped again – only for them to spread themselves further apart from one another – every pair of lifeless and hungry eyes meeting upon him again. Quickly, as the titan started to dissolve, he launched himself at another member of the horde, twisting to gain momentum before plowing through another one of the creature's napes. Blood sprayed all over his garments, momentarily staining them red before the crimson evaporated into nothingness – hiding his good deed to humanity. Five down. Five to go. Seeing that the abnormals were much more scattered to properly slay in one swift move, Mike quickly called to his horse with a loud whistle. As he thought, his well-trained steed galloped through the steam and calamity in search of him. Experienced from the exercises with Rogue, Mike swooped from his toppling perch like a bird of prey, anchoring his cables into disintegrating corpses to steady himself as he made his balanced approach into his horse's saddle. Like he had been performing such a complex act since the day he came to the god forsaken earth, Mike planted himself firmly and perfectly into his saddle. The whiskered man focused yet again, keeping his senses alert and himself aware of the abnormal titans around him. Due to their current positions, he would have to wait until they came to the abandoned village so he could gain more traction within the current duel at hand.

He clacked the equine's reins once again, urging his horse onward towards the barren village. The earth vibrated beneath him again, his sharper than average senses telling him that one of the beasts was not far behind him – he could practically feel the heat radiate from its flesh, smell the stench of old carrion attached to the monstrosity. His mind was still struggling to understand what was occurring. The movements of the abnormals didn't make any sense, even more than usual. Why had they fanned out in the slightest after he had dispatched a cluster of them? It was almost as if they were actually _continually_ thinking – the very idea of the possibility making the burly man shutter. Something simply wasn't right with any of the titans – something was amiss with the entire situation.

The advance of thundering footsteps kicked him back into reality. Mike gritted his teeth, his molars practically grinding against one another. It was right on his heels! If it decided to bend down and swipe – he would be done for! The man dug his boots into the stallion's sides, whipping the reins yet again, pushing his steed to the limit. Mike nearly breathed a sigh in relief as his horse's hooves met the old stone path, aged buildings rising around him. The village looked to be nothing out of the ordinary, just one that one would use as a pit stop on their way to their destination. The small shops were just the essentials: food, water, feed for animals, and a single outlet for garments – the place was probably home to really one or two actual residents. His heart nearly leaped from his chest as he heard a tremendous crash from where he had come from, rubble barely missing him but sending up a torrent of dust. Looking over his shoulder, he witnessed the titan that was pursuing him before try to wedge itself between two of the three story stone structures – he thing's bloated belly making it difficult for the ten-meter to get through, its grinning jaws dripping with saliva and pale eyes wide with a maddening hunger. The sturdy architecture stood no chance. He would have to execute it quickly. Mike turned his attention forward again, just in time to see a steeple of an old church as the titan managed to push through the buildings. The creature let out a garbled roar, the surrounding windows shuttering as Mike shot fourth his cables and prepared to make his move. His index fingers pulled the triggers, thumbs adjusting the angles to propel himself up the spire. With another squeeze of the triggers, Mike propelled himself in a wide arch around the steeple, curving and turning with what one could label as grace. The titan's attention was still trying to follow where he had begun his accent, displaying its lack of intelligence. The behemoth then caught Mike's movement, rotating its head to catch him in its voracious gaze. The beast however was too late as the seasoned Scout completed his arch around the spire, swords poised into position as he sped right for the nape. Blood met his hands and clothes yet again as the blades slashed through the hide and muscle, cutting the titan's weak point out in a large chunk that fell unceremoniously back to the earth. Mike then landed upon the highest roof before him, looking back to see the titan's lifeless body fall in a heap onto the nearby structures. Six down. Four to go.

Mike breathed in exasperation, lungs heaving as he tried to capture his breath. After he regained his composure, he turned to survey and check the positions of the other abnormals. As he did, his eyes met those of another massive titan – one with short hair, an almost gentle looking smile, and its arms wrapped around its rotund belly as if it were with child. However, Mike was thrown into a state of both confusion and alarm again. Like the titans before, it was simply standing still – barely breathing. All the creature did was stare at him. It made no move to advance. His eyes narrowed, pupils slowly drifting around the village to see his other targets – all of which were simply standing around to look upon him. They did absolutely nothing – the bloodthirsty beasts were reducing themselves to nothing but living statues. Mike's eyes scanned them once more, looking for any signs that they would spring forward again. An eight meter's nostrils flared, a medium sized titan's lip twitched, a slight ripple ran across the short haired titan's rounded belly. Upon hearing a slight rumble, Mike rotated his head to see one small titan still moving about in small circles before looking up at him upon his current perch and coming to the base of the building to scratch at the wall in a pathetic attempt to reach him. His eyes narrowed. The titan was a miserable looking creature. Its head was as big as the rest of its body, the eyes reminded him a bit of those of a bug – bulging to where they were nearly positioned upon the side of its head. The beast's lips were oversized, chapped and its teeth nearly hung out of its mouth. It was so horrid looking that it appeared almost comical – it and the short haired titan could almost be compared to caricatured figures in the tasteless news comics that he often saw in the Sina Times. Mike continued to assess it. There was no way it could get him from where he stood, so he began to plot his next move. ' _The other bastards still haven't moved yet, and they seem perfectly content in staying put. The three meter below won't be much of an issue.'_ Mike thought, turning his attention to the sky – seeing that it was slowly inching past noon. ' _I don't know why they are behaving the way they are, but I don't need to dwell on such a thing. It wouldn't be wise to stick around until nightfall, just in case they move again. I only have a single pair of gas tanks, and I used almost half of my fuel. If I killed these bastards, I would be using more and wouldn't likely have a single drop left for any titans I could encounter on the way to Ehrmich district. It's wiser to run. I have more of a chance in surviving –_

However, the man's train of thought was abruptly cut as a strange scent swept into his nose, one that made him freeze and ignite with confusion. Mike's eyes narrowed, brows wrinkling. The scent clearly was one that he identified as the stench of a titan, but it was _exotic._ The aroma was even more bizarre than Rogue's natural musk. It smelled like - hair.

The earth then shook, the roof of the building trembling – the first vibration followed by another and another – heavy footsteps. Footsteps that clearly belonged to a very large titan. With his heart beginning to pound, Mike rotated his head to his left – only to see the most bizarre creature he had ever beheld.

He had never heard about any titan quite like the one that was before him.

The strange behemoth was absolutely massive, and to Mike it had little resemblance to a titan at all. Nearly sixty percent of its body was covered in shaggy and thick chocolate colored fur – only its somewhat of a potbellied stomach, its back, and face was barren of hair. The titan's arms were ridiculously long, hands going past its kneecaps. The head of the creature was certainly odd as well. Like Rogue, it possessed pointed ears – although slightly shorter. Its face looked like a hybridization of an ape and a human. Its eyes and nose were close to the appearance of a middle aged man's while its mouth looked like a primate's – the distance from the titan's nose longer, wide lips, and rows of canine like teeth peeking out of its slightly open jaw. Its hair upon its head was short, but blended into a long beard that grew from its chin and the little hair that was upon its back. It walked oddly, like its weight was too much for it – arms swinging with each hefty step. The creature was just wandering, eyes thankfully not set upon him yet.

It looked like a beast.

The sight of it made him set his decision into stone. Mike quickly stored his blades and whistled for his steed, watching as the horse came galloping across the field at his command. ' _Yes. I'm not sticking around. That abnormal worries me. It's – gigantic, at least seventeen meters tall. I've never seen one of these bastards covered in fur before either. I've bought enough time for the others to safely escape. I'm getting the hell out –_

Mike however couldn't finish his line of thought as the strange titan suddenly did something that he was not expecting whatsoever.

It quickly bent down and encased its massive hand around his equine.

The man's face fell in sheer shock and in absolute terror as he watched The Beast Titan squeeze the shrieking animal, its yellow eyes igniting in pleasure as blood decorated its hand, flesh giving way to protruding bones.

' _IT WENT FOR THE HORSE! TITANS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO –_

Mike had no time to react as The Beast Titan suddenly pulled its long arm back, muscles bulging noticeably in its chest before it threw the stallion in a perfect pitch – the force so powerful that the animals skin peeled like a potato as it came straight for him at a line drive. Mike barely had time to react, he shifted out of the way – but seconds too late. His dead horse hit the rooftop where he was previously standing, knocking him from his perch. The man tumbled, covering his face to avoid the debris as he fell from the rooftop.

His situation only got worse.

Mike opened his eyes to see the small large headed titan reach for him – its hands wrapping around his torso in a vice grip. Unable to pull out his blades to escape, the man only watched helplessly as the little beast opened its mouth and bit down upon his leg with incredible strength. Mike screamed, feeling his kneecap shatter and fibula snap along with every fiber of his muscles tearing. Blood spurted, soaking through his pant leg. It was absolute agony.

Absolute torture.

However, as he attempted to free himself, the small titan bit down once more, catching his leg again, the man screaming. This was it. He was going to die. He was done for.

" **WAIT."**

At the deeply spoken word, the world seemed to grow silent. The wind barely blew, no birds chirped, and the small titan froze at the command. Mike's heart pounded in his chest, the voice was too rough and deep to belong to that of a man. The ground shifted beneath them, Mike turning his head to The Beast Titan, watching as it neatly knelt down and folded its hands into its lap. The creature smiled down at him, almost cunningly but masked as a gentle grin. Its golden eyes were half lidded, but swimming with shreds of cruelty. Mike however, paid little attention to the small details of its face – mind hooked onto one thing. ' _Did it just – did it just really –_

Mike's thoughts were silenced as the smaller titan groaned, opening its mouth once again to bite down upon his leg – nearly severing the limb with the man growing lightheaded from the blood loss. Still, he kept his gaze onto the hairy behemoth, watching as its face twisted into a slightly disgusted expression. Spellbound and terrified, Mike observed as The Beast Titan parted its lips.

" **HUH? I THOUGHT I JUST TOLD YOU TO WAIT."** It spoke, making the man's heart falter as the titan reached down and wrapped its vast hand around the head of the smaller titan, squeezing it with such force that its skull was crushed – the thing's eyeball coming out completely from its socket and blood seeping from the cracks between the monster's fingers. Mike's breath shuttered as he tumbled back to the earth, simply watching as The Beast Titan let out another irritated sigh, paying almost no heed to the abnormal titan's brain matter now decorating the small circumference around them. Mike was speechless, simply sitting upon the earth in a growing puddle of his own blood seeping from his nearly detached limb. The pain however, was dulled by his own terror and shock. ' _It – spoke. Like Rogue and The Female. It's… it's another deviant!'_ Unable to find his tongue, Mike simply stared at the creature with a gaping jaw. The Beast Titan blinked, sighing heavily as it looked at its steaming blood soaked hand – appearing as if it was almost bored as it studied the remains of its deed for several more seconds before its yellow eyes drifted onto the frightened man again.

It then smiled again, a single brow raising in cunning – a very human like expression that make a shiver course down Mike's spine. The gesture almost looked like a noble getting ready to make an acquaintance, but with the ferocity seeded and laced within the titan's eyes – it was very clear that this was not a friendly introduction – this titan's act of freeing him from the jaws of another was not done out of kindness but malice. Mike's breath shuttered, what on earth was it doing?

The Beast Titan then briefly glanced down at the maimed but regenerating titan below him before letting out a black chuckle. " **AH, PUPS. THE YOUNGSTERS DON'T LISTEN TOO WELL DO THEY?"** The titan looked to him as if it was expecting him to give some sort of answer, its voice alarmingly casual.

' _Pups?'_ Mike thought, still far from grasping his tongue. ' _What the hell – what is it… talking about? Why is it – why is it doing this?'_ The Section Commander's mind paused, watching as the titan's cruel smile dissipated, turning into what he could almost identify as a puzzled frown.

" **WELL, I WON'T BOTHER WITH INTRODUCTIONS SINCE I SEE NO POINT IN GETTING TO KNOW YOU."** The Beast Titan continued, making Mike's heart pound at its subtle but telling statement – the man feeling wooziness settling in to his wounded body. The hairy titan tilted its head, an ear flickering. The seasoned Scout grew weak in his joints as the titan lifted a finger to point at him. " **INTERESTING. YOU GROUP OF HUMANS HAVE CRAFTED A DEVICE MADE TO KILL US IT SEEMS. IT HAS BLADES, AND IT ALLOWS YOU TO FLY LIKE BIRDS. YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT OUR NAPES THEN."** The Beat Titan frowned further, lifting its hand to stroke the hair upon its chin. " **SO, WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT WEAPON?"**

He grew dizzier, his mind fighting a cloud of haze. ' _How – why? What is it talking about? My gear! What does it want with –_

The creature sighed, placing its hands over its knees, eyes half lidded and its brows raised. " **HMM… WELL I'M GOING TO HELP MYSELF TO YOUR INGINUITY."**

Much to the man's horror, The Beast Titan lifted its long arm – and reached for him. Instinctively, as the shadow of the creature's hand cast over him, Mike let out a scream. In a pitiful attempt to protect himself, he scrambled to double over with his hands upon his head – cowering like a child during a thunderstorm. He could only whimper. This was it. He was to die. His life was over and no one would see his death. He couldn't warn the others, but at least he had spared some of his fellow soldiers for the time being. At least they didn't have to witness this monster.

However, death did not come to him. Mike felt a slight tug on his back and a slight current of wind sweep over him as the arm lifted away. For a moment, he remained still, too fearful to move any fiber of his body. The silence however brought him out of his pose, vision littering with black dots as he set eyes onto The Beast Titan again. In its hand was the motor containing the reels and fans to his gear – the most important piece that made the maneuver gear work. His heart plummeted. Although he couldn't even get to his feet – his chance of escaping on his gear was now gone.

The sight before him illustrated nothing but his impending doom.

The titan brought the piece of equipment closer to its face, nostrils flaring as it sniffed the steel and eyes clearly scanning every inch of it. " **HOW INTRIGUING. MARVELOUS. THIS SMALL THING MAKES YOU ABLE TO SOAR."** The hairy giant paused, holding the device between its index finger and thumb, looking at it completely unamused. " **HOW – UTTERLY INCONVENIENT."** The Beast Titan alliterated as it pinched the vital piece, the essential part to his gear crushing into a piece of useless metal as if it were a bug.

' _Why is it – wait. Is this titan with - could it… really be? Or… is it acting… alone?'_ Mike thought, his body struggling to hold onto consciousness.

The Beast Titan then sighed yet again, gaze drifting to the trees as it lifted a finger to scratch its tapered ear. " **WELL, I SUPPOSE I SHOULD GET ON WITH THE MAIN QUESTION I HAVE BEEN MEANING TO ASK."** It spoke, intimidating golden pools flashing back to Mike.

Then, its almost casual mood completely disappeared, making the man's color drain from his face as The Beast Titan's façade transformed into a look of seriousness to a level that could be called dangerous as it leaned inward. Its golden eyes practically stared into the Section Commander's soul, down to his very core with the man's fear only heightening. Goosebumps invaded his clammy skin. The creature's eyes narrowed, burning with absolute wickedness.

" **NOW, WHERE IS ATLAS?"**

The question made a veil of silence fall over them. Mike's eyes widened with sheer confusion. _'What? Atlas? What… is it… talking about? Is it a… map? Or is it a –_

The Beast frowned, exhaling in irritation. " **MAYBE I SHOULD REPHRASE THAT. WHERE IS THAT DESERTING AND USELESS TITAN NAMED ATLAS?"**

Mike blinked and sat up through a wave of both nausea and wooziness. ' _Atlas? Atlas… is a… name? The name… of a titan?'_ The sentence echoed in his spinning head. He wanted to ask, ask so badly – but his throat felt constrained, squeaks only escaping his lips. The Beast Titan frowned further, steam leaving his nostrils.

" **EH? WELL PERHAPS YOU HAVE SEEN HIM THEN. HE'S A GREEN EYED TITAN."** The creature elaborated, making Mike's heart skip a beat. " **HE'S A BIG ONE. HE HAS SKIN AND POINTED EARS. HAVE YOU SEEN THIS ATLAS HUMAN?"**

The man's mind ignited with realization and even more questions at The Beast's query. Mike all but retreated into his head, eyes blown wide at what he had just heard. ' _Atlas – is he really… talking about… could Atlas be –_

His thoughts were silenced as The Beast Titan slowly began to stand with a deep exhale, the ground shifting beneath him. " **I GUESS WE DO NOT SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE AFTER ALL. IT SEEMS THAT I AM JUST WASTING MY TIME HERE."** The titan turned and began to walk the way which it came. Mike teetered a bit, blackness ready to welcome him into its embrace, but the man suddenly became alert once again as his eyes watched The Beast Titan abruptly stop. The creature looked over its shoulder, blinking in an almost bored manner as it looked beyond him. **"OH, YOU CAN ALL MOVE NOW. NO SENSE IN WASTING GOOD MEAT."**

The earth then shook again, large feet pounding against it and making the Section Commander aware of what was happening around him. The titans that were previously standing still doing nothing but observing, had been ordered to move – given clearance to devour him.

With the instincts of common prey, Mike made a last desperate attempt to get away – a completely fruitless endeavor as he only managed to crawl a few feet, his nearly detached leg flipping in wrong and in impossible directions. "No! No! Please!" The man was reduced to begging. A large hand wrapped itself around his arm, the bone crushing instantly and his body pulled backward – away from any sort of hope he had left in him.

He was doomed.

A set of teeth sunk into his shoulder, his own blood spraying into his face, his vision became blurry and the world began to darken. The small titan returned to encase its jaws around his lower half.

Grind! Snap! Pop!

The sounds of his breaking bones met his ears once again, blood decorated the earth in a crimson puddle as his legs were torn free and beginning their journey down to a monster's gullet. As another set of teeth dug into his side, shattering his ribs and crushing his lung – leaving him to vomit blood, he began to think of his life. He remembered the pleasant days of him as a child, the day he joined the cadets and met some of the greatest souls he could ever meet, he remembered his initiation as a Scout, the day he actually befriended one of the very creatures that was currently devouring him – a day that everyone else once thought impossible. The faces of his mother and father flashed before him, the taste of mother's milk, her cooking the best meals she could make, his father always coming home tired and how much he himself looked like him. His life had been great.

"No!"

Mike screamed, the sound hollow before he began to choke upon his own blood. Meat was torn from his body, his intestines spilling out like ribbons and all the creatures did as they ate was smile – gurgling in pleasure at the taste of their prey. He could feel the life practically leave him, his throat tearing with each choked scream.

"No! Please!"

" **SO – YOU COULD SPEAK AFTER ALL? SUCH A SHAME THAT YOU WERE TOO TERRIFIED TO DO SO."**

Teeth then met his skull, bone cracking and wetness pouring down his back. Mike quit clinging to any thoughts he had as his arm was ripped free from him. The creature latched to his head began to pull as the small titan yanked on his pelvis, his body feeling like a frayed rope. Incredibly, the man was able to let out one final scream to the heavens before everything went black – the once seasoned Scout ripped in half by hungry jaws.

It was then silent again, the only sound in the abandoned village was the licking of bloodied chops.

**(POV SWAP)**

The Beast continued to walk, brows pinched in the slightest at the result of its latest misstep. Even though the human didn't speak until his own mauling, he was able to gather some shred of evidence that what he was looking for was closer than ever before. They had never come this fair in their quest.

The seventeen-meter behemoth rounded a corner into a clearing complete with a small stream and mill, the light of a soon arriving afternoon bathing the single structure and small fauna. From behind the mill, the ever familiar Armored Titan stepped out – golden plates creaking with the shift of his exposed muscles. The Beast frowned. The Armored too, was empty handed. He only hoped that his partner had found more pieces to the complex puzzle. The Beast then came to meet the other giant, the two standing shoulder to shoulder and facing opposite directions.

" **SO, I TAKE IT THAT YOU DIDN'T FIND OUR TARGET?"**

The Armored Titan grumbled, the plates on his face parting away to reveal his mouth. " **NOTT… A SIGNN."** The titan spoke, voice restrained but deep and guttural. " **HUMANSS WOULDD NOTT… SPEAK. I… COULD NOTT… SMELL HIMM. THEY DIDD NOT… HELP. SO… I DIDD AS YOU ASKKED, EZEKIEL."**

The Beast Titan let out a breath, irritated that none of the insignificant beings had given their target's location. " **UNFORTUNATE. I HOWEVER PICKED UP A SMALL PIECE OF EVIDENCE THAT WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR IS INDEED HERE BEHIND THE HUMANS' FORTRESS."** Ezekiel began, watching out of the corner of his eye as the Armored Titan's bright yellow pools widened in interest. " **I CAME ACROSS A MALE HUMAN THAT WAS IN POSSESSION OF A DEVICE THAT ALLOWED HIM TO FLY AND KILL OUR KIND. I BELIEVE THESE TYPES OF HUMANS ARE THE ONES YOU SPOKE TO ME ABOUT SOME TIME AGO."** He paused with the other titan nodding to confirm. " **THIS MALE WAS TOO FIGHTENED TO SPEAK, BUT I BELIEVE HE KNEW OUR GREEN EYED TITAN VERY WELL FOR THE SCENT OF THE BASTARD WAS ALL OVER HIM. THUS, THESE FLYING HUMANS ARE QUITE POSSIBLY THE KEY HERE IN FINDING HIM, ANSGAR."**

The Armored Titan, Ansgar, nodded again. " **I SHALL… SEEKK THEMM."**

" **WE COULD HAVE NOT PICKED A BETTER DAY TO. I SHALL RETREAT FOR THE TIME BEING AS YOU CONTINIUE YOUR SEARCH. I WILL ACT AND PROVIDE AID IF NEED BE. GOLIATH WILL BE ON STANDBY. I WILL BE LEAVING JUST BEFORE THE SUN RISES. IF YOU SUCCEED IN THIS MISSION, YOU ARE TO DO AS INSTRUCTED."**

" **AS… YOUU WISHH, EZEKIEL"**

The Beast Titan took a step in advance before pausing to express a final thought. " **ALSO, IT'S HIGHLY LIKELY THAT OUR FELLOW WARRIOR IS DEAD ANSGAR. MIXED WITHIN HIS MUSK WAS HERS. YOU BEST BE CAREFUL SHOULD YOU ENCOUNTER HIM. IF HE HAS MASTERED HIS POWERS – YOU MAY NOT STAND A CHANCE AGAINST HIM."**

**(POV SWAP)**

Sasha made her way through a woodland, the low canopy blocking the steady afternoon sun. Lynn and Henning had branched off just minutes prior to warn the nearby villages as she herself was heading right for her own. She swallowed fretfully. The odds were not in her favor. Her hometown, Dauper, was nearly as south as Ragako, meaning that there was a very real chance that titans had already made their way into it. Not soon after their group split ways, she and the two squad leaders that she was paired with encountered two fourteen-meters abnormals that exhausted nearly half of her gas and dulled her single pair of her blades to where they were almost unusable. She would have to avoid any further contact with the bloodthirsty giants if possible. She needed the essentials for getting back to the group. Sasha swallowed, fighting the lump that had taken residence in her throat. She hoped that her father escaped at least. He was the last living family member that she had left – the others having left the earth due to old age, sickness, or hunting accidents. Hopefully, titans as a cause of death would still be off the list.

The brunette steered her horse around another bend, her mind thinking back to her father. It had been three years since she had seen him or her village – time being spent in The Cadets and The Scouts. Sasha could vaguely recall the day before she left to join the Military. She had gotten in a mild disagreement with her father. Although she couldn't remember the full gist of it, Sasha knew that it was over the conservation of food and the effects the breach had upon the farmers of Maria. She had been selfish in that argument – having stolen food from the storehouse. Her father had said that perhaps they should give up hunting to farm and provide food for more people. Thinking back at the fact, the teen couldn't believe she didn't agree with him. Sasha signed up for The Cadets soon after to serve and aid humanity. Her hunting skills were put to good use in The Scouts. She could track the creatures that had taken away their lives and help destroy them to get back what was theirs. Any gardening techniques she knew, she shared with her regiment and utilized her hunting skills to hunt for game with Rogue in toe to treat deserving soldiers. She really hoped that her father was safe so that she could apologize for her arrogance so long ago. She hoped that her home and its residents were able to evacuate.

She hoped for the best.

The trees continued to pass her. Sasha kept her keen eyes sharp, searching for any slight clues that a titan was nearby, passed through, or any sign that the residents of Dauper fled unscathed. So far, things looked ordinary. She knew better however. The animals were silent, just as they always were when a predator was around. Her chest grew heavy, knowing it was a sign that she didn't wish to see knowing that it didn't mean good news. Memorizing the land by heart from her long hours of exploring it when she was a child, Sasha pulled on her reins to guide the horse to her left – leading the equine onto the dirt path that would lead her to her village. No sooner after she began to let it guide her, Sasha spotted her first shred of evidence on the fate of her village.

Upon the dirt path were the tell-tale tracks of horses and carriages. All of which were fresh – at least a few hours old. ' _The stable horses, the town must have got to them in time and escaped.'_ Sasha thought frantically as she continued to study the path as she rode along. ' _Perhaps father is –_

The teen's thoughts halted as a new set of tracks appeared in the soft earth, ones that made her heart sink and her hopes diminish. It was a set of footprints, not mistakenly a small titan's – one that could have been no more than two meters tall. The tracks were fresh, but more so than those related to the village citizens. The fact made her steady herself a bit. The monster had arrived into the village long after the residents left. ' _Why wouldn't a titan follow a group of humans?'_ Sasha pondered. " _If it's an abnormal like the others have been, it would have gone after the largest group of humans the closest to it. Unless –_

She paused in her thoughts, the realization dawning upon her. _'Unless there are a few people that were left behind.'_ Sasha contemplated, her breath growing ragged. ' _Any titan, normal or abnormal will go for any opportunity that they have for a morsel of food."_ With the damning and great possibility hanging in her head, Sasha commanded her mount to go even faster through the wood. Within minutes the thicket peeled away to reveal her village.

"When did all of this get here?" She asked herself. Indeed, her small hunting village had grown. Before there were less than thirty residences and just the essential shops. Now, it seemed that her village had become a small town. Cresting over the hill, Sasha could easily spot an entire market, a bank, a church, and many other new amenities she couldn't label. A cloud drifted over the gradually sinking sun, coating the area in a shade – making the once flourishing place feel melancholy and creepy. Sasha urged her horse faster with a few clicks of her tongue, ordering her horse to leap across a drawn bridge to the other side - a technique that a normal horse had no chance in achieving, the Scout's horses having been bred for their agility.

Sasha knew the first place she was headed, her home in search of her father – hoping that he was among those that escaped. Again, she began to examine her surroundings. It was clear that the part of town was vacant, no living soul to be seen. The surrounding structures were mostly in tact – only a few would need rebuilt. Although she lacked the nose of a titan, Sasha could certainly smell the iron like scent of blood. Human blood. She could feel herself sweat, her heart beginning to pound. Sasha steered her horse around another bend – coming face to face with the remains of slaughter. There was no full carcass, only pieces such as arms, a leg, and fingers scattered along the walk that was now stained red. A dead horse lay nearby, mostly likely smashed when a behemoth had grabbed its rider. Sasha felt a wave of nausea as her eyes continued to stare, watching flies already gather. She had been through Trost and the bloody 57th expedition, but she always lost her appetite and was always shaken down to her boots at the sight of what the titans would leave behind. Shaking her head in a sad attempt to regain her focus, Sasha then began to survey once again, seeing no life within the cracked and broken windows and no soul trapped in any rubble, she began to move toward the outskirts of town. She paid no attention to the fact that there were many new establishments around her, but rather looking and listening over her equine's cantering hooves.

' _Something is off here. It's much too quiet and not even scavengers are here for easy pickings. The small titan must still be around. And if that's true, then there must be someone else here that got left behind.'_ Sasha thought, her eyes suddenly widening in realization. ' _Oh no! She could still be here!'_ The teen kicked her horse into a gallop, heading right for a small house on the southeast side of Dauper. When she had departed from her home three years prior, she knew nearly all that lived in her hometown. There was a widow that lived with her young daughter on the border of Dauper. The pair was quiet and mostly kept to themselves. The daughter didn't play much for she was always taking care of her mother for the woman was paralyzed. Sasha couldn't remember their names just their faces – her mind too much in a flurry. It was entirely possible that they were barricaded in their home. She could only hope that the titan hadn't found them yet.

Within minutes, she arrived upon her destination – a small cottage on the corner of town. It was a bland building; it could even be called boring in comparison to the rest of the structures. Every fixture was basic and there was no colorful paint. Sasha paused, stopping her steed for a moment to listen. The sound that met her ears made heart rise to her throat. She had heard the sound so many times before – that of a predator feasting upon its kill.

The titan was nearby.

Listening closer, she heard something else that only elevated her fear. It was a series of strangled grunts and whimpers. In her years of hunting with her father and by herself, she only knew it as one thing – the very thing that kicked her into high gear yet again. She pulled at the leather reins of her horse's halter, turning it around to circle the structure until she came to the back. The rear of the house was just as bland if not more than the front. Behind the house was nothing but a shabby piazza like the one back at the castle, littered with sprigs of weeds that had pushed their way through the cobblestones. A lone well sat in the center of the yard, looking worn. Sasha's eyes easily caught sight of the one thing that she had been dreading – a sight that made her blood chill.

The back door to the cottage had been ripped off its hinges, laying aside in splinters. Just beyond the doorway, she could see the crouched form of a two-meter titan with its rear facing her. It was clear that it was feeding, blood pooling beneath it and the stench wavering through her nostrils. It was like a scene in a horror novel, but the thing that unnerved her the most was what the window adjacent to the doorway revealed.

The mother's daughter, a girl no older than eight with short blonde locks, was seated on the other side of the glass – her gaze fixed upon the scene playing out before her. At first, Sasha concluded that the girl was dead – only to be proven wrong when she caught the faint rise and fall of her chest. The teen's hair stood on end, knowing and preparing to carry out her next action. She had to rescue. There was no other option. She had to defeat the two-meter. She couldn't hesitate any longer than she already had. Time could not be wasted.

Quietly, she dismounted her horse and hastily tied it to a lone post before turning to face the horror before her. Thankfully, the titan hadn't twisted to greet her yet with its jaws, most likely too enwrapped with its kill. Sasha felt sicker at the thought. Such a beast the thing was to care more about filling itself with flesh rather than her presence or its naked nape. Recalling her studies in The Cadet classes, she knew that some abnormal titans relied one sense more than the other. Perhaps the one before her used primarily sight. If it was true, she would have to kill the beast quickly. She had no other options. The teen then took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to come.

Ever so slowly, Sasha's hands met the hilts of her gear to lift the blades, finding evidence to the fact that she had made a miscalculation, a grave miscalculation. Her pairing swords were absolutely dull with even chips of steel missing. Worn down by constant abuse and slicing of titan skin. At this, a shutter ran through her body. ' _Oh no! They are duller than I thought! There's no way that I could break its skin with these! How am I going to –_

Sasha then stopped mid-sentence, her frantic eyes catching sight of an old ax sitting by a pile of weathered wood – looking like it hadn't see use in years. Knowing that it was her only option, the teen briskly walked towards the tool and wrapped her trembling hands around the handle. Picking it up, she knew it was heavier that her blades – most likely made of steel. She was uncertain if she could even break the beast's skin with it. She would have to hit the nape with tremendous force, but even that may or may not split the flesh. She could still defend herself with it though if need be – and it was likely to come to that. Sasha took a step in advance, her ankles feeling weak as she approached the doorway, her breath hitched and beads of sweat sprouted upon her skin. She paused for a moment. She needed to keep herself together. She was a soldier, one of the top ten in The Cadet Core. She was one of the strongest graduates and thus had to be tough. Sasha inhaled and exhaled deeply to regain herself. She was the hunter here; she would not allow herself to become prey.

Returning to a determined state of mind, Sasha approached carefully, like a cat stalking a mouse as she stood just inches from the doorway, her eyes falling upon a gruesome sight that made her heart thump rapidly again. Her nose wrinkled at the foul odor of blood, mass amounts of crimson soaking in the wooden floor. The titan was still seated upon the blood saturated ground, chewing slowly with its eyes sealed shut in what Sasha could label as pleasure. In its grip, was the mother of the young girl. The teen could only blink in shock as the realization came to her.

The mother was being eaten alive.

The woman's eyes were half lidded, dark beneath them due to the great amount of blood her body had spilled. Her arm and leg was held in the titan's hands. The sight of the woman's leg nearly made Sasha's stomach turn over. Massive chunks of carrion had been bitten from the limb, muscle stands dangling out of the creature's mouth and out of the open wound. The fibula was snapped in two, sticking straight out of the bloody meat – the creature even enjoying the taste of the marrow. The most alarming thing that Sasha noticed was the fact that the widow could feel absolutely nothing – not even the beast's teeth brushing against her skin. It was clear to Sasha, no matter how much she wished to, she could not save the mother. The woman had lost far too much blood and her leg was beyond repair. The look upon the mother's face told her that she too was fully aware of the grim fact.

The paralyzed woman's hand then unfolded upon the floor, her index finger gesturing to the window. Sasha could feel her heart sink. The young girl was clearly in shock. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, pupils dilated as she continued to watch the gruesome feast – almost completely separated from reality. To the child, Sasha or her surroundings didn't exist – just the image of her mother being devoured before her. The teen gulped, she would have to do what was needed quickly.

Planting her feet firmly upon the ground, Sasha gripped the handle of the axe in a stronghold, her knuckles turning white at the force. Then, like a hunter, she charged to attack with a cry of dominance – swinging the axe in a high arc and smashing it down upon the titan's exposed nape. To her dismay, the old blade barely broke the skin, but amazingly the beast kept on with its business. Determined, Sasha swung the axe again, bringing it down upon the same spot as before but was quickly reminded as to why the military never used pure steel weapons. With the second hit, the blade bounced upon the titan's hide so harshly that the top half of the tool turned weapon snapped in half – the blade flying inches past her head to become lodged into the ceiling.

' _Shit!'_

Sasha froze, feeling almost paralyzed herself as she slowly looked back to see if the titan had finally noticed her presence. It only continued to sink its teeth into the woman's gaping wound further – the limb close to being separated. Sasha gulped, praying that the beast wouldn't look up as she slowly passed by just feet from it as she made her way to the widow's stunned daughter. The mother's eyes met hers for a final time, Sasha swearing that there was a little bit of peace and relief laden in them. Still, the teen felt so guilty.

"I'm so sorry." She muttered to the woman as a final apology while she made her way to the young girl – the titan still failing to notice her. The girl, despite Sasha's actions, was still watching the creature feast – her grey eyes swimming with nothing but a mixture of fear and bewilderment. Knowing that it was only a matter of time before the two-meter would turn its attention onto them, Sasha lightly grabbed the girl's shoulder. "Hey!" She hastily whispered, shaking the girl in the slightest – the touch bringing the girl from her stupor with a gasp. Ensuring that the child wouldn't scream, Sasha cupped her hand over the girl's mouth – looking at her intensely with the young girl now completely alert and aware of her surroundings. "Listen! I'm Sasha, I'm a Scout! I'm here to get you out of here so follow –

However, the teen stopped mid-sentence as she watched the girl suddenly shift her gaze behind her, eyes widening even further and her body tensing. Knowing just what was happening, Sasha turned to see what she was dreading. The small titan slowly lifted its head up away from its prize for its greed. The creature's eyes opened to reveal cold blue irises – those that only looked as if they belonged on the most starving man. For a moment, the three only continued to stare at one another until the beast's jaws parted to let out an open mouthed growl, blood and sinew dripping down its chin and coating the front of its chest. Its legs shifted beneath it, the beast's growling growing louder and bloody saliva seeping from between its teeth. It was clear to Sasha as to what the creature was about to do – lunge at them at any second. With the girl still behind her, the teen snaked her hand around the girl's, her eyes catching an item upon an old shelf that she had not noticed when she came in. Upon the top of a shelf and buried beneath a layer of dust, was a weapon that could buy her enough time so she could get herself and the child to safety – if she was able to reach it. It was a bow with two arrows lying next to it – the handmade hunting gear likely having belonged to the widow's late husband and saw no use in many years. If she could manage to blind the beast to rid it from using its primary sense, then she and the mother's daughter could slip away on horseback. Looking back at the titan that was lifting itself onto its haunches, she knew that she would have to work swiftly and quickly.

Sasha watched the muscles in the titan's legs, the slight tensing sending her into action. Pulling the girl along, the teen nearly leaped to her right, seconds before the two-meter lunged forward with a roar to crash where they were standing moments before. As Sasha rounded the table that resided in the room's center, the titan shrieked as it pounced yet again. Dishes flew and shattered as the titan plowed into the piece of furniture, the wooden table caving beneath the small giant's weight. Sasha felt the corner of the table dig into her hip to break through the skin, but high on adrenaline, she easily ignored it and quickly grabbed the bow and arrows, pushing the girl ahead of her and pointing towards their only exit.

"Run! My horse is just outside!" She ushered as she trailed after the girl – the titan lunging again and colliding into the wall just behind her. The teen pushed herself after the girl, placing one of the arrows between her teeth and lowering the other one into the bow in preparation. The afternoon light met her skin as she made her way through the doorway, seeing the young girl approaching her disturbed horse – the equine whinnying and shifting due to the calamity that just occurred within the cottage. ' _I'm going to have to blind it quickly! I only have two shots!'_ Sasha concluded as she gave herself a little more distance before turning with the arrow poised. The titan charged forward again, pushing itself upright and barreling trough the doorway, the façade of the building crumbling and beams snapping as it roared. She quickly aimed and released the old arrow, the point meeting its mark in the titan's left eye. The creature shrieked in agony as more of the cottage came down over it, the ruckus causing her horse to rear at the harsh sound and to Sasha's misfortune the horse bolted – its strength uprooting the pole and tether. "NO! You have got to be kidding me!" Sasha staggered. With her steed gone, she would definitely have to subdue the titan and make a run for safety on foot.

Even if she could get away, there was no guarantee that she and the child wouldn't come across another titan or two. She couldn't count on her horse finding her again after such a spook. The odds were not in her favor. The young girl picked herself up off the ground, the teen surprised that a hoof had not come down upon her. "Run!" Sasha cried desperately. "Run along the trail! I'll come find you!" She pleaded, the girl only gasping.

"Sasha!" The child warned frantically. "Sasha!"

The teen turned back to the beast, seeing that it had crawled from the rubble and was snarling at her yet again, its bloody grin haunting. ' _I need to blind it here! For us to have a chance in escaping. I can't miss –_

However, Sasha didn't have time to finish her thoughts as the creature charged forward with its jaws wide, moving on all fours like a hellish animal. She didn't have time to ready her arrow in the bow. As the titan edged closer, a primal instinct fired throughout her body – a surge of adrenaline that made the world crystal clear. Releasing her own battle cry of sorts, her hand flung the bow away while the other gripped the deadly arrow, the teen ready to strike the one place were any weapon could penetrate a titan. Before the beast's putrid breath could rustle the hairs upon her skin, Sasha lunged forth with her weapon raised and with every bit of force she had – plunged the arrow straight into the beast's cornea. The titan let out another bloodcurdling screech that rattled hear eardrums.

She wasn't out of the woods yet.

Sasha could clearly feel the titan's weight around her, arms wrapping over her back. The teen's breath became hitched as she felt her ribs practically creak – lungs compressing with the force. She needed to get away! She needed to see her friends and father again! The blood on the titan's chest began to seep through her uniform, the smell nauseating and enough to propel her again into high gear. Using a move that she had learned from her father himself upon a simple self-defense lesson as a child, Sasha quickly placed an open palm beneath the titan's chin and pushed upward, forcing the titan's head up with a crack. Utilizing the blood to her advantage, Sasha managed to maneuver beneath the beast's bulk to free herself – leaving the crippled titan moaning and pawing at its face. Knowing good and well that time could not be wasted, Sasha quickly ran for the girl to take her hand and bolt.

"Come on! We need to move quickly to give us distance between it!" Sasha urged as she held on tightly to the little girl, her heart pounding. As cruel as it sounded, she hoped that if the titan managed to get the arrows out and regenerate that it would return to the interior of the cottage to continue its work. At least the beast couldn't take the woman's daughter too. Within minutes, the pair came upon the drawbridge exiting Dauper. With no exchange of words, Sasha hoisted the girl over the gap and quickly followed suit.

They kept running. Even though her lungs ached, her legs kept pumping.

Minutes passed as Sasha guided the child down the path which she came. The thicket around them was quiet again, making the teen feel almost alone once anew. After a quick but thorough observation, Sasha slowed her run to a jog and began to allow herself to think yet again. The titan must have gone back for the girl's nearly deceased mother and the previous titans in the area were likely roaming around far ahead looking for their next meal. Of course, there was blood upon her shirt that could hone one of the beasts to her position. She would have to get rid of it soon to not put their safety in jeopardy. She would attempt to call her horse as soon as she was absolutely certain that they were not followed whatsoever. Sasha's eyes then widened as she recalled the young girl in her possession. Worried for the child's well-being, Sasha looked over her shoulder to see that the reality as to what transpired had swept over the girl again. Grey eyes were once more wide and unblinking with her jaw not clinched in the slightest. She could feel her own heart ache at the disconnection the mother's daughter displayed. It seemed as if the girl was just letting her drag her along with no objection.

"You're – so nice."

"Huh?" The child's sudden words caught her off guard, making her slow her jog into a brisk walk. "What?"

The girl let her gaze drift to her feet. "Everyone in the village knew my mom's legs were bad. Mr. Blouse sent a group of men to help my mom as he helped other children escape." The girl explained quietly, making Sasha's brows raise in astonishment. "The men didn't help. They just stood outside and said that my mother would only slow them down."

The statement made her feel sick yet again, but she willed herself to listen further.

"I was so scared." The girl continued, the pair slowing to a regular walk. "I couldn't move."

Sasha didn't quite know what to say to the girl, but she needed to comfort. "It happens to even the Scouts when they see certain titans." The teen reassured. "I'm – so sorry about your mother. We couldn't have saved her. She lost so much blood." She gritted her teeth. "I wish I could have gotten to you earlier."

The girl only let her head fall again, finally blinking as she simply stared into the dirt path, the pair having completely stopped. Seizing the moment as an opportunity, Sasha examined her surroundings yet again to check for any signs of titans that could be nearby. When her search revealed nothing, Sasha lifted her fingers to her mouth and gave a whistle, hoping her equine could hear it. She would need her horse to get to Ehrmich where hopefully the Scouts or the other branches of the Military could escort the girl and others to Sina in a more secure manner.

"Sasha?"

Hearing the query, Sasha paused in her attempts to place her attention onto the girl. Much to her surprise, the child had traded her petrified façade for a more serious look. "Yes?"

"Sasha… The Rogue Titan is with the Scouts correct?"

At the innocent question, the teen could feel her chest tighten. Was it possible that the girl was angry and resentful that she was the only one of her regiment to show up – the famous titan slaying titan not with her to squash the two-meter like an insect? "Yes… he's in Ehrmich district so they can get supplies to fill the hole." She stuttered, fearing the worst.

The child nodded. "Okay, but I think he's looking for him."

"L… looking for him?" Sasha queried, heart beating wildly again.

"The Armored Titan. He was here. He – could talk just like they say that The Rogue does in the papers."

The teen's jaw began to slowly drop. ' _The Armored can talk as well!'_

"The Armored Titan killed several people, but before it did it kept asking us where the traitorous green-eyed titan was. Rogue – he has green eyes doesn't he?"

Sasha's eyes widened even further to the point that they were completely open. "Y…es. Yes, he does." Her mind began to contemplate. ' _Traitorous? What… what did Rogue do? What happened to him?'_

"The Armored Titan also said a name I think, but the screaming was too loud so didn't catch it."

' _A name?'_ Sasha pondered frantically. ' _Could it be –_

"Sasha," The girl captured her attention yet again. "I think Rogue could be great danger."

"Sasha!"

Her heart skipped a beat, her ears catching the sound of galloping hooves. A great sense of relief washed over her as she turned to see her father approaching with a team of the other villagers – the man having her horse in tow. She was safe. They were safe.

"Dad?" Sasha muttered, still finding herself surprised, watching as he quickly dismounted from his horse and embraced her in his arms, the teen almost too stunned from her ordeal and the news she just learned to return the gesture.

"Thank god yer' safe." Her father began again, his rough voice and deep woods accent calming her. It had been far too long since she had heard it. "We were comin' back to look for anyone that got left behind when we found yer' horse." The man's eyes widened as he spotted the blood upon her garbs. "Sasha! Are ye hurt?"

Quickly she shook her head. "I'm fine! It's not mine," Sasha trailed off, watching as the girl was led back to the group and placed onto a horse to sit with one of Dauper's residents, her father's eyes following the child as well and obviously coming to the correct conclusion.

"I see that the guys I sent to help that gal's mother didn't make it." He sighed, adjusting his hat. "Damn it."

Sasha opened her mouth to tell her father what really happened, but decided that she needed to address a more pressing matter first. "Dad! Can you escort me to Ehrmich district? I have an urgent message for Commander Erwin!"

With no hesitation, he nodded. "Of course Sasha! Hop on!"

She dipped her head in thanks and mounted her much calmer steed. One of the villagers quickly offered her their clean shirt that she hurriedly accepted before riding out into the woods towards the district. For several minutes, her father was quiet – all eyes upon their surroundings to ensure that they were well off before turning to his daughter. "I'm glad to see yer' back Sasha. I'm very proud of yah."

Sasha blinked before giving into a smile. "Thanks dad. It's nice to see you too." Her cheeks reddened in the slightest, her father grinning at her in likeness before letting his face grow serious again.

"Now, I wonder what that titan of yer's did to piss off that armored fella. Must've been pretty bad for that bastard to show his face 'round here again."

Sasha gulped, knowing that the Scout's hypothesis about Rogue and The Armored Titan connection to The Female were highly true. "Yeah, I wonder too."

**(POV SWAP)**

"Springer! Slow down!"

"Connie!"

Armin observed fretfully as his friend pushed his horse further and further ahead of their party. As time had passed and they rode closer and closer to Ragako, Connie had grown more and more disturbed. His friend could barely sit still in his saddle, his flesh was pale, and he was constantly wiping the sweat from his hands. Armin didn't blame him for his behavior. He was the very same five years ago during the breach when titans first invaded Wall Maria. Thinking about it, it haunted him even more now than it did back then. Rogue, his best friend, could be the very reason as to why it happened in the first place. The very thought unnerved him. If the Armored wasn't back for just treating itself and the other titans to a feast, then he wondered as to what Rogue could have done. He really wanted to know Rogue's past more than anything.

"Connie slow down!"

Hearing Krista call out to the buzz cut teen, Armin pulled himself from his thoughts and onto reality again. Connie was almost several meters ahead of them, pushing his horse to the limit. Armin swallowed. What the teen was doing was risky and dangerous. Sure, Connie was frightened, but like treading in unsafe waters, the teen had to calm down. Otherwise, things would get worse.

Nanaba grunted, her lips drawing into a snarl as she suddenly whipped her reins. The act put her horse forward in a charge, the animal sprinting until Nanaba pulled, making the equine curve sharply and come to a stop right in Connie's path. The teen's horse immediately halted, rearing in protest at the abrupt obstruction. Connie's face turned into a mixture of frustration and surprise.

"Sir! What!"

"Springer." Nanaba began firmly. "You need to stay with the group."

Connie's eyes narrowed. "But Section Commander! My family –

"Connie!" Nanaba interrupted. "I understand what you are feeling right now and I believe many of the others here can relate. However, you are a soldier. You must remain calm in situations like this one. You can't just go and behave brashly. You could easily put yourself and your squad mates in jeopardy. Behaving like you are, you could attract titans to us easily or be caught off guard by one. If your parents did survive and were able to make it to safety – I'm sure you would like to be there to greet them." The woman finished, the world still for a moment – Connie's jaws completely slacked before his cheeks flushed. The teen blinked several times before hanging his head in shame.

"Sorry, Sir. I'll stay with the group." Connie apologized quietly, his words almost running together. Nanaba smiled sympathetically.

"Alright. We'll move quickly. You recruits follow Gelgar and I. Ragako is just up ahead, so we need to be cautious. Follow our orders closely. You all need to be very alert from here on out."

"Understood."

No time was wasted as they were off again, riding in silence with the others looking around in search of titans that could be lingering in the nearby thickets – ready to steal another morsel. Armin swallowed, keeping to himself yet again. Back when he and his friends were cadets and Connie spoke of Ragako, he had described it as just a sleepy village that was merely another place in the countryside to just get what one would need, rest up, and pass through. Connie had noted that it was made up of casual farmers that raised small collections of crops and cared for animals like chickens and dairy cows – the village profiting off eggs and milk. His friend had spoken so much about how he wanted to do more than just milk cows all his life – wanting to prove to his parents that he was a good enough soldier to join the MPs and serve the king himself. Rogue had changed Connie's decision though – one that the teen had said was for the better. He could serve humanity with the infamous Rogue Titan, helping them to defeat the titan scourge.

"Hey Armin?"

Hearing Mikasa's fretted tone, Armin came back to earth to focus upon the dark-haired teen.

"Yeah?"

He watched as Mikasa nervously pulled her scarf over her nose, eyes narrowing at the horizon up ahead. "I have a bad feeling about this. I'm expecting the worst to be honest with you, Armin." The teen whispered, giving him a sideways glance as their team began to ascend up a hill.

Armin sighed, experiencing the same. "I do too, Mikasa. I don't think an entire village could survive a sudden attack by titans." He paused, thinking further. "Something is not right with his entire thing. I think we're missing a piece of the puzzle somewhere."

Mikasa exhaled. "I agree."

He said nothing as they continued on, the teen's blue eyes watching the sky, observing as it seemed to grow more orange by the second. It was only a few hours till nightfall, and he was looking forward to it. At least he could let his nerves wind down and some decent time to think. He wanted to put any of the pieces of the elaborate puzzle that he had together.

The entire event made him sick to his stomach.

Their squad continued to advance, the teen observing his superiors ahead of him. However, at the top of the knoll, Nanaba and Gelgar suddenly came to a halt. Armin immediately tugged on his reins, his horse nearly bucking in protest at the sudden command. The steed finally came to a halt next to the blonde Section Commander who looked to be almost frozen solid as she stared ahead. Following her gaze, Armin then witnessed a damning sight that made his frame go rigid.

At the foot of the hill was a small village, Ragako. It was composed of small plaster houses resembling those that once stood in Shiganshina. Connie would have been right about it just being a pit stop on a way to someone's destination. Now however, it was anything but.

It looked like a natural disaster had struck.

The vast majority of the buildings were damaged, roofs were caved and walls were torn down. A few houses looked to have been knocked off their foundations. Smoke rose up in an ominous cloud to the heavens, the area still dusty from the invasion. Armin's nostrils flared as a scent met his nose, one that enticed flashbacks from Trost's cleanup. Armin swallowed, any hope that he had for Connie's family had diminished. It was evident that the worst had happened.

Peering over, he could see the teen's face fall – skin nearly white and golden eyes swept with sheer terror. Connie's hands shook as Armin practically watched as the other's knuckles turn white as well. The male's lip quivered, Connie paying no attention to anyone else as they looked from him to what was left of Ragako.

"No… NO!" Connie screamed, suddenly charging down the steep hill and ignoring Nanaba's previous warning. "Mom! Dad!" The recruit cried. "Sunny! Martin!"

"Shit!"

"Come on!" Gelgar began as he pushed his horse after the teen. "We need to get moving!"

They redeployed quickly, his heart pounding rapidly. Glancing over at Mikasa, she wore a look of incredible concern – matching his own. As they drew closer, the odor became more putrid and it made his stomach churn even more. Mikasa and the others as well seemed to notice it, Jean in particular with his hand snaking up to his mouth and brows knitting together. Armin swallowed, if the smell could reach as far as it could to paralyze him at their location – then the carnage was going to be terrible.

Finally, at the bottom of the hill, he and the others followed Connie closely as they approached Ragako. Armin mentally prepared himself as they entered.

They quickly came to a dead stop.

Armin's mouth fell open, a squeak leaving him. Any scream he had was caught in his throat. The world suddenly seemed so quiet and still. The environment around them was so red. The teen began to sweat, suddenly feeling sicker to his stomach. He had been used to seeing gore in recent years, slicing open a deer's belly to cutting away the nape of a titan and watching Rogue brutally tear the towering beasts limb from limb. This brand of gore though was like that of Shiganshina. This was absolutely unnerving and revolting.

There was no way that he would even find the comforts of sleep the coming evening.

Connie's village had no stone paths or brick walks. It was just the earth – the ground saturated with spills and splatters of blood. Wreckage of the modest houses lay strewn across what could have been considered as a village square, but Armin paid no attention to it. He could only look at the bodies.

Or rather what was left of them.

Littered amongst the rubble were the mangled corpses of Ragako's residents. They were a titan's leftover table scraps. Arms, hands, and legs lay draped over bits and pieces of debris – flies circling around them and buzzards fighting over fingers and toes. Even organs lay out in the afternoon sun; brain matter decorating stones and even a string of intestines hanging off a collapsed roof like clothesline. One or two torsos could be spotted, the beasts' teeth marks still left in them as chunks of the meat were removed. A few 'lucky' corpses had simply gotten smashed by rubble whereas others were crushed beneath the weight of a titan's foot – simply a mushy pulp mixed with bone, skin, and hair. A few dead animals lay to rot in the sun as well, a few spared horses nickering and expressing their stress from in the stables. Weak fire burned here and there, producing the smell of burning flesh that had hit their squad full blast. The most disturbing things though, were the titan pellets scattered in various places, each translucent ball holding the heads and body parts of the village victims – frightened faces within completely frozen in time, the pellets still dripping with a mixture of mucus and saliva.

Ragako looked like the aftermath of a war.

Hearing a rustle next to him, Armin tuned to see Jean leaning over his horse to vomit – the very thing that Armin was struggling to hold in. Mikasa, with her scarf over her mouth, only stared at the carnage with distress laden in her irises with the others sharing the same expression.

"My… god." Gelgar stuttered. "This… is –

"Mom!" Connie suddenly cried. "Dad!" The teen charged again, his horse haphazardly stepping through the wreckage.

"Springer! Wait!"

At the teen's careless charge, the squad started after him, riding their horses through the wreckage with utmost caution. He could barely look down knowing that there was more carnage beneath him as he and the rest of his squad trailed Connie. Following the frantic teen and his horse, they weaved in and out of buildings, shadowing the male if he was to take a detour. Armin swallowed. Connie was beside himself and he damn sure hoped that no titans were in the area. Finally, Connie slowed his horse before a small cottage with a fenced in enclosure attached to it. The house, like the others, was nearly in shambles. One of the walls was falling apart and half of the roof was missing.

The young male cried for his parents yet again, failing to steer his horse away from a beam lying upon the ground – the equine's leg catching the wood. The horse juddered as it tumbled, making Connie roll in a short fall to the ground. Alarmed, he and the others dismounted to ensure that their longtime friend was fine and likely chide him for his recklessness yet again, but the teen surprised them as he scrambled to his feet – likely running on adrenaline. Armin watched silently, preparing himself as he observed Connie attempt to open the door to his home, the teen's palms sweaty and unsteady. He bit his lip as he watched the boy curse beneath his breath and slam into the door with his shoulder. At the impact, the wooden door fell away to allow Connie to rush inside.

His fellow soldier then stopped, simply standing in the center of the destroyed cottage.

Weary, Armin entered with Mikasa, only to find that the dwelling was empty. There was nothing but rubble. Food was scattered around with broken cutlery and wooden bowls. Clothing was ripped and the furniture was in pieces. Large wooden supports lay like fallen logs in a mess of shingles. Connie stood in the center of the room, twisting his head around to examine things in a state of bewilderment.

"M…Mom?" Connie muttered. "Dad? Martin? Sunny?" The teen paused, bending down to assess the ruble, his hands gripping chunks of his home and tossing it from his wake. After what seemed like minutes, Connie paused before standing upright. Armin watched as the recruit's face began to regain its color. "I – I don't think they are here." He said simply, letting out a shaky sigh.

"There were some horses missing from the stables. Perhaps your family retreated on them." Jean suggested with Krista nodding in agreement.

"Yeah Connie, I bet your family was able to get to safety, your house looks to be on the edge of your village." She enlightened with Connie calming even further.

"Yeah," He began quietly. "We did have a horse of our own. Knowing my dad, he probably put my brother and sister on it and sent them toward the closest district. My parents possibly went to the stables and got horses there. My dad – he always had a plan just in case titans invaded Wall Rose." Connie elaborated, giving another sigh in relief and smiling in the slightest.

Armin said nothing, there was a feeling that he couldn't quite shake from him – a feeling that everything afore them wasn't as it seemed.

"Well," Gelgar began, gathering their attention. "We still have orders. We need to search for survivors. Nanaba and I will check the north side of Ragako while you recruits scan the south side. We might need the spare horses, so after we complete our searches we will take the three remaining. Connie, your horse, if it's injured too badly you'll need to use one of the remaining three, got it?" The man glared daggers at Connie, Gelgar clearly showing his vexation with the teen.

"Yes, Sir. I apologize for my ignorance."

The Squad leader only nodded. "Good. Now, as it stands, this village is a beacon to any titans that might be in the area. You all have fifteen minutes and not a minute more to scout your perimeter. We'll meet back here before departing. Understood?"

"Understood!" The group of teens responded before the two veterans left the devastated cottage.

"Remember, be extra careful. Be very aware of your surroundings." Gelgar paused just outside. "Stay together as a group."

"Yes, Sir!" They saluted as their superiors mounted the equines yet again, simply acknowledging them with a nod before riding off into the maze of buildings and dwellings.

Jean folded his arms, looking over to make sure their horses were sound before turning to the team of recruits. "Okay, where should we start?" The teen looked at Armin, obviously expecting an answer from him.

The blonde rubbed his chin, before his mind latched onto the most obvious and logical answer. "The best thing to do right now is to search the houses. Some people likely ran inside to take cover. If there is any living person still in this area, they would be there. There's no need to look under any piles of rubble for if anyone was caught beneath it they would have been crushed. Besides, if anyone was trapped, they would have heard the horses arrive in Ragako and called out for help. The houses are where we should start. And remember, we shouldn't call out too loudly. As Gunter said, this area is a beacon for titans right now. If any are lurking nearly, we don't need to attract them to our position. We need to search quickly at all costs. Even though there are buildings around, they wouldn't serve us well if a titan came along. They're too short for us to gain much altitude on with our gear. And – we don't have much supplies, so constantly using gas to circle around a titan would put us in jeopardy."

"Armin's right." Mikasa agreed. "Let's start with the houses."

In understanding with the plan, the small group of recruits began to focus their efforts in search and rescue. Almost in silence, they scouted the homes and businesses of the southern part of Ragako. So far, the homes were providing nothing – their interiors only possessing torn apart furniture and messy attempts to retrieve belongings. Every so often they came across a body or two that was either crushed or just a fragment of a whole. One such individual had chosen the path of suicide, the man simply sitting with his gun still in hand and a hole blown through his head. They said barely anything to one another, only asking if they were all right or that they should move on to the next house. Connie was just silent.

Ever since their search began, Armin had let his mind roam. Something was eating away at him, not adding up. Connie's father had sent his children off to the next village before taking his wife across town to the stables. If the titans had attacked so suddenly, the village wouldn't have had a warning of any sort. How could Connie's parents have safely made it across town to the stables in time? Armin swallowed, no matter how much he wrapped his brain around the fact, the grim possibility that his friend had been wrong was looking more and more likely. He really hoped and prayed that Connie was right though.

Nearly ten minutes into their search, the recruits left another empty building that was barely recognizable as a dwelling – the residence holding nothing. Routinely, they headed to a neighboring structure that once had a complete porch and intact roof. A sign lay unreadable and broken in the rubble, flames slowly eating away at it. The ground was worn where the entrance was, suggesting that the place was previously frequented quite a bit. Connie cleared his throat.

"This was the town's tavern. Quite a lot of people came here so maybe some people were here when the attack happened." Connie explained as Jean pushed open the door – the wood creaking loudly.

"If anyone is here, I hope they are at least so –

Jean's words trailed off as they witnessed the interior of the tavern. It no longer looked like a place to get together to have a good drink. Armin pinched his nose at the stench. The one roomed bar was covered in slowly steaming saliva and what he could determine as pieces of a titan's stomach lining – the pink tissues draping over knocked over tables and broken bottles. The smell of titan vomit was among the worst odors to ever breach his nose – the smell like a mixture of decomposition, sick, and spoiled meat. He had witnessed Rogue's pellets which didn't smell as bad as those belonging to a normal titan's, but were foul nonetheless. In the room itself were two nearly perfectly round titan pellets, each several feet tall and full of human remains – bodies soaked in blood and half broken down by acid. Like the others around Ragako, the humans inside had frozen expressions of horror. The round pellets were highlighted by rays of the fading sun overhead; a titan obviously having regurgitated its meal upon the top of the building with the weight of the pellets making the roof cave beneath them. Armin's hand covered his mouth, trying his utmost hardest not to vomit. If he had a mirror before him, he could only guess that his face had flushed green.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to seeing these." Jean uttered, pinching his nose even more and looking absolutely pale. Armin knew what Jean really meant, knowing that the teen was cleaning up titan pellets when he came across Marco's body.

"Do you guys think anyone has ever survived?" Krista asked innocently. "Like – being eaten whole by a titan and then come out in one of its pellets alive?"

"Who knows for sure, but I do remember a story my dad used to tell me." Jean replied. "They say many years ago that a pregnant woman who was the leader of some kind of crazy cult that worshiped the titans was eaten by one of the bastards. When the titan passed its pellet, the woman was already dead, but her baby however survived." Jean paused. "I think they thought he was an actual titan for a while and called him the "Titan's Son" or something. I don't really know how the rest of it went or even if it's real or not though." The teen sighed. "I damn sure don't think anyone could survive a titan's stomach though if they were swallowed whole – the acids and heat alone would kill you. Then again, you don't see many titans swallow people whole – I think they just fancy chewing us up."

"Yeah." Mikasa began, Armin knowing very well what she was recalling. "You don't see them swallow them whole – they just bite and chew." She trailed off quietly, a few strands of her black hair falling over her face. "Well perhaps we should get on –

However, Mikasa stopped herself, eyes growing wider as she looked next to her. Confused at her sudden pause, Armin and the others looked over to see a petrified Connie. The young male was standing straight and stiff, looking at the second pellet with pupils the size of a pen tip. Connie's jaw quivered, and his breaths were rickety. The teen tried to speak, unable to get words out as his eyes began to shed tears. A massive knot grew in Armin's throat, a sense of queasiness filling him knowing that his hunch about the real truth was in fact true.

"M…mom…Dad?" Connie droned, eyes growing wider as he fell to his knees. "No. It – Mom! Dad!"

Armin felt himself growing sicker once again. Within the pellet were two people, a man and woman that were like the others, corroded from titan stomach acid and soaked in blood. Even though they were in a state of decay, they still bore a resemblance to Connie. They were his parents, faces fixed in looks of terror. The others standing in the tavern said nothing, simply watching as their fellow soldier broke down.

"No! This… why did this happen!" Connie exclaimed, squeezing his eyes shut. "Mom! D…ad!"

Armin hung his head, knowing the feeling of loss all too well. When his grandfather was crushed by rubble during the first breach, he was absolutely devastated. His grandpa was the only family member he had left after the death of his own parents that he was too young to remember. Now Connie was getting ready to experience the same thing – something that he wanted no one to ever go through. But he supposed that in this cruel world – it was a natural and common occurrence.

As Connie continued to grieve, Krista left her standing position as the first person to move. The small blonde knelt next to the teen and lightly touched his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Connie." The girl spoke softly, face somber and her usually bright blues dull with sorrow.

As he expected, Connie said nothing in reply. The young Scout only weeping softly. Minutes ticked by as Krista proceeded her acts of comfort by rubbing the boy's shoulder. Jean sighed heavily, Armin watching as he shot Mikasa a glance before looking at him. Silently Mikasa nodded, gripping her scarf. It wasn't hard to figure out what one another was thinking. Sticking around to morn was out of the question when the village was a ticking time bomb. Experiencing the sensation before, they knew that sticking around wasn't good for Connie's mentality.

Finally, Mikasa took a step forward, her face stoic and in a difficult to read expression – the very same that she had worn many years ago on the night that her own parents were murdered. The dark haired teen paused in her step, putting herself between Connie and the pellet to block his view. Armin then observed as she lowered herself to the male's level and placed a firm hand onto his unoccupied shoulder. "Connie?" Mikasa asked, her voice smooth but soft. "Connie?" At his name, Connie reluctantly opened his eyes, now bloodshot from tears – the teen wiping his nose. Seeing that she had his attention, Mikasa continued. "Connie, I'm – so sorry about your parents. I understand what you are going through for I experienced the same many years ago when those men killed my parents and when a titan devoured the Jaegers. Right now though, you have to be a soldier. Be strong. The situation is dire and there's no time to stop. Many Scouts lose their loved ones, but we reserve the best times to grieve." Mikasa finished gently, slowly standing back upright.

For what seemed almost like an eternity, Connie simply sat before letting out a shaky sigh and reaching up to wipe his face. "I… guess you're right Mikasa." He began as he gradually got to his feet. "Thank you. Thank you so much. I just hope that –

A sudden vibration shook the tavern, dust and dirt sprinkling down from what remained of the ceiling. Armin froze, his heart pounding as the thuds grew louder. This wasn't good.

"Shit!" Mikasa hastily whispered, quickly drawing her pairing blades, the others scrambling to press themselves against the wall.

The earth shook again, cavernous breaths growing louder, shaking his ribcage. Armin swallowed, a shiver running down his spine. A titan had arrived and was in search for a morsel to fill its gullet. The timing couldn't have been worse. The ground shook again, the sound of clanging and rattling bottles of brandy meeting their ears as the entire tavern quivered. A shadow descended over them, blocking out the sunlight that had once beamed in through the damaged roof. Saliva then descended into the room, creating a puddle onto the floor. Ever so slowly, Armin mustered the courage to look up. With blue eyes wide in fear the teen observed the underside of a large titan's chin, the creature thankfully not peering down into the room. The titan rumbled, sounding almost like a grotesque reptile with its neck vibrating and throat bobbing. Jean's hands snaked down to the hilts on his swords, the others in the room following his action. Armin gripped the handles to his blades tighter, his heart nearly leaping as the titan stopped over them. This was a horrible scenario. The way they were positioned wasn't ideal. If they ran out the door, they would immediately fall into the titan's line of sight. The squad couldn't fly out of the gap in the roof since the monster was directly over them. At the very thought of their lack of options, the hairs on his neck stood on end. He would have to conjure up an idea quickly.

"Fuck." Jean whispered in an irritated tone. "It's right over us and there's no way to get out without being seen."

His mind began to churn. "Let's hope that it's sense of smell is thrown off. I hate to say it, but I hope all of the blood confuses it. I also hope that there isn't any more of them. Unfortunately, though I think Nanaba and Gelgar would have noticed a titan this big and extinguished it. The fact that it's here means that they are likely having their own encounter on the north side."

"Oh no!" Krista ushered hastily, careful to keep her voice down. "How are we going to be able to escape and kill that titan? It will see us if we run out the front entrance."

"I'm working on it." Armin ensured, his eyes returning to watch the beast again, the titan sniffed, reminding him of a starved dog begging for scraps. Titan growled, shifting its weight in the slightest, but still not moving from its position. He knew. The beast had smelt a trace of their scent, but with all of the gore and sinew, it couldn't pinpoint their exact location.

"Shit! Shit!" Connie uttered, his mind clearly only focused on the enemy overhead despite the brutal blow that had been delivered to him only moments before. "We have to get out of here!"

Armin blinked, watching as the titan continued to look around but otherwise remain where it was standing. It became clear that they were not going to escape the tavern unnoticed. All they could do was just distract it for one moment so they could make a break for it. "Everyone." Armin began with their eyes immediately setting upon him. "I have an idea. But we have to be fast." He informed as he slid down the wall and picked up a lone bottle. "When this grabs the titan's attention, as soon as it does, we bolt outside through the tavern's exit."

"Alright. It's better than staying here and waiting to get eaten." Jean agreed. Armin nodded.

"Mikasa, if possible, this titan looks like it moves around on all fours. There's also a good chance that this one is an abnormal too. If you can, maneuver around it as soon as we get out and cut the nape. After we kill it, if we are still alive." He gulped. "Then we find our superiors."

"Sounds like a plan." His longtime friend acknowledged. "We'll follow your orders, Armin. Out of all of us, I think you're best suited to arrange formations for a plan of attack if needed."

Armin simply dipped his head, eyes narrowing in determination. "Remember, be aware that there may be more titans just outside." He spoke as he gripped the half empty bottle of alcohol even tighter and pulled his arm back in preparation. "Everyone ready?"

Without a single word, they nodded in unison, each of them getting onto their toes preparing to run. Armin inhaled and exhaled deeply, praying to himself that his plan would work. It had to. It was the only one that gave them a chance at surviving. Not wasting another second, the blonde aimed and threw the bottle – the unfinished drink landing right on the bar itself, the glass shattering into pieces and the liquid splashing over the cracked wood.

The titan above the tavern stalled, letting out a sharp grunt before quickly looking down into the cabin at the source of the clamor, the fresh Scouts catching a glimpse of the beast's red eyes before turning in the opposite direction and launching into a sprint.

At the sound of their pounding steps and their rattling gear, the titan turned its gaze to them with a snarl. The towering giant then let out an angry roar and plunged its head into the tavern, opening its jaws wide as it pushed itself toward them like a hound digging for moles. Armin continued to run, the others hot on his heels as he gripped his blades and aimed a cable right for the nearest and tallest structure. Pulling the triggers, he propelled himself out of the titan's reach and onto the rooftop, landing roughly but otherwise without a scratch. Jean, Connie, and Krista landed on other close by and intact buildings. Mikasa quickly and expertly swooped in a curve and pushed herself skyward, abet using a good amount of gas but achieving a height that would make for a good distance to dive in and strike. The titan itself was slowly lifting its head from the tavern, red eyes still searching the demolished structure, almost as if it was wondering how they had managed to squeeze out. Now that the titan was in clear view, Armin took in its appearance. The titan's eyes were indeed a ruby red, an uncommon color that could be considered rare. The beast had stringy and matted hair that draped down just past its chin – lips formed into a wide and malicious grin. Its body was lean, slightly muscular but with ribs still clear to view. As he had theorized, it was a quadrupedal titan, but it looked to be more than capable of getting on two legs if needed. Armin swallowed, abnormals like this were always a bit of a challenge. He hated that Rogue wasn't with them, their titan friend could easily slam his foot down on the nape of the beast afore them.

Mikasa then began her decent, gas propelling her faster with the teen's swords poised. She was right on target. She could kill the monster easily. Suddenly, the beast's red eyes shifted, its nostrils flaring wildly. Armin's heart skipped a beat, seeing that its sights were now locked onto their small group. Before Mikasa could make the fatal blow, the abnormal charged with a screech, pulling Mikasa harshly along with the teen dislodging her cables as fast as possible. Thinking quickly, Armin and the others pulled their triggers to launch themselves into the air seconds before the titan's face crashed into the edifices. Splintering wood and bricks showered in all directions, the creature quickly lifting itself up in search of them again. Regrouping on a rooftop, Armin knew that this titan was going to be hell. There was only one way to take care of a beast that moved quickly like so in such terrain. It would take a lot of gas depending on how long it would take to stop it, but it was all they could do. This titan would certainly follow them if they retreated.

"I hate to say this but we're going to have to distract it while we slice away its tendons. Jean and Connie, you two go for the tendons in its heels, wrapping yourselves so you get a good angle before cutting out the tendons while Krista and I," Armin hesitated, knowing he was giving himself one of the most frightening and risky parts of the job. "Krista and I will distract it by weaving through the district. Mikasa, you follow close behind it and then hit the nape just after I give the orders for Jean and Connie to make the cut. Don't attach yourself to it for we can't have it pulling your cables beyond use if it keeps charging forward like that. You can't lose your cables before you run out of gas. Ready?"

"Understood!" They replied to his declaration while the titan prowled towards them again, it's movement almost cat like. Swallowing his trepidation, Armin signaled Krista to follow him in a dive off the roof before sailing forward, flashing by the creature's face with the titan looking at them like one would a fly, the beast nearly galloping to make chase. Armin then watched as Jean and Connie began to follow his orders, diving from the rooftop and soaring just behind the titan's rear with Mikasa following soon after. Armin gulped again, his heart pounding as he and Krista pushed themselves forward. The beast was fast, bones likely lightened in order to gain ground on them. He decided that he should end things just as quickly as they started.

Looking over his shoulder to check if the others were on the same page, he spied that Connie and Jean had barely managed to secure themselves to the backs of the beast's ankles, but were otherwise more than ready. Mikasa as well had her blades drawn. Nodding to himself, the teen looked over to the small blonde only to see her looking back at him, eyes fearful, but otherwise asking if they should proceed with the next step. "Alright Krista, NOW!" He shouted over the titan's thundering footsteps. Like when he trained so much with Rogue, Armin looked over his shoulder at the hungry beast and aimed a grapple into the flesh of the titan's shoulder with Krista doing the same. Thinking quickly, Armin then released his triggers, stopping the flow of gas, leaving he and Krista suspended midair – the titan moving faster than ever toward them. Quickly bringing his legs over his head, guiding himself upside down, Armin pulled his triggers again, both he and Krista rocketing backwards and safely past the titan's head, the teen nearly smiling to himself at their success. Just before the beast could slow to a stop and turn in search of them again, Jean and Connie dug their blades deep into the titan's tough flesh, blood spraying and the abnormal howling in agony as its tendons were severed. The abnormal stalled and Mikasa went in for the kill.

Of course, battling abnormals was always unpredictable.

Without warning, the titan reared backwards to stand upon its knees – completely ignoring its damaged ankles. The beast then turned towards Mikasa, roaring and holding its arms up like a bear, its hands swatting oddly but effectively at the raven-haired girl – Mikasa narrowly avoiding the advancement. With its crimson eyes following her, the titan shifted, walking upon its knees and constantly twisting, not giving Mikasa a clear shot at its nape. Quickly thinking, Armin turned to Jean knowing he was the second best at maneuvering, waving his arms to gain his attention. "Jean! Go for the nape! I'll cut behind its knees!" He yelled watching as Jean nodded in confirmation before he ascended. Armin then swallowed, turning to Connie who still appeared stunned by the whole event. "Connie, back me up." He asked with the teen agreeing.

With a deep breath, Armin focused – secretly praying that his execution would work. Knowing that he was wasting time upon the rooftop, the blonde then sprang forward, hooking his cables just so – the placement just right for him to sail straight across the street and right over the back of the creature's knees. As the beast continued to swipe at Mikasa and Jean tried to curve around the bulk of the titan, Armin propelled himself forward with his pairing blades lowered and crossed like he had been trained to do. Metal then bore into meat once again, the force rattling Armin's arms as he passed over the back of the beast's knees. Steam and blood met his face, the male closing his eyes in an attempt to repel it as he landed upon an adjacent wall. Armin quickly rotated his head to observe his work – only to find that he hadn't cut deep enough for the impairment to be effective. However, Connie had been right behind him – the teen performing the very same move but succeeding in what he failed to achieve, the titan halting its movements to fall forward onto its hands. Although Connie was short just like he was, the boy had a bit more muscle mass. Armin didn't mind the fact that he didn't have the bulk that most boys did. He supposed that his mind made up for it.

At the deep gash now carved behind the beast's knees and the creature struggling to get up, Jean was able to finally make his move. With his face pulled into a snarl, the male dove for the kill like a falcon with its talons ready to grip and carve into flesh. The titan let out a final shriek as its nape was cut free, the monster falling back to the earth with the ground quivering from impact. Armin sighed in relief. They had done it.

He then lowered himself from the wall and back onto the blood stained walk. Connie and Krista tried to catch their breaths while Jean and Mikasa landed to join them, the pair breathing rapidly as well.

"Thank god we were able to get that son of a bitch." Connie exhaled. "I was getting worried for a second."

"Yeah," Armin breathed. "Good work you guys."

Jean smiled in the slightest. "Honestly, I'm glad you were here at least, Armin. From what I remember, those that walk around on four legs are tricky to approach. After seeing how it could move, I'm glad we didn't rush it." He chuckled in the slightest. "Armin, I have no idea how you come up with strategies so quickly. By the time I would have, there was a good chance that the titan could have s –

The teen couldn't finish his sentence as another vibration shook their party to their cores. The scenery quaked as another titan emerged into their view. Armin's heart pounded. It was a twelve meter with a grin just as wicked as the previous beast. Inwardly, he began to panic knowing that he used quite a lot of his limited gas supply. Quickly, his mind began to think in an attempt to conjure up a second strategy. They would have to take care of it quickly.

The behemoth then took a step forward, but just as it did, the ever familiar whirling of gears met his ears. Lifting his gaze, his bright blue pools caught sight of Nanaba – the veteran moving in nearly a blur as she cut away the creature's nape.

"You kids alright?" Gelgar approached them, stowing away his dulled blades as the second titan fell.

"Yeah." Armin studied the man, making note of his stressed features and alarmed eyes, giving away the indication that he and Nanaba had engaged in combat just as he thought. "We're fine."

"That's good." Nanaba began as she motioned to stand with their rattled group. "Did you find any survivors?"

For a moment, Armin found himself unable to speak, his eyes looking over to briefly observe Connie peer down at his feet before Mikasa cleared her throat.

"No. There was no survivors." She paused, biting her lip likely at the thought of how Connie's parents were discovered. "We'll explain later." She sighed, trying to discreetly get through to the two older Scouts that it was a subject that was best disclosed privately or later. Much to Armin's relief, the pair understood what Mikasa was trying to convey.

"Alright." Nanaba paused, putting away her blades. "We encountered three titans plus the two that you did, they are probably stragglers that were attracted by the smell of blood here – meaning more are likely on their way to investigate. We must do the obvious. We need to get out of here. Before we do though, how low on supplies are you?"

Armin gulped as he and the others directed their attention to their gas canisters. The tanks were light – meaning that he was practically on empty. If he tried to use his gear, he would be running on fumes. "I'm nearly out of gas." He admitted.

"Yeah, me too."

"After that abnormal I think pretty much all of us depleted more than half our fuel." Jean announced with Nanaba nodding with consideration.

"We have some, probably a little less than half. With this in mind, we are going to have to resort to Plan B."

"Plan B?" Krista asked. Gelgar dipped his head.

"Yes. Instead of us risking everything in trying to reach Ehrmich district, we are going to head to Castle Utgaard which is about six miles from here. Castle Utgaard was once Scouting Legion Headquarters for this portion of the wall many decades ago. It hasn't been in use for years, but it's the safest place to wait until morning. Even though we could move towards Ehrmich at night, our horses have been worn from the trip here and need rest. To put it bluntly, we are staying the evening at Castle Utgaard until the main Scouting Party comes to our aid. Erwin knows to check there after the wall is mended tomorrow. We can't risk our enemy finding out where we are."

Armin and the other recruits nodded in understanding. Nanaba then whistled for her horse with each of them following her actions. The woman sighed.

"Still, you must all keep on your toes and alert. With the information we have, we must prepare for the unexpected."

( **POV SWAP)**

Everything was bathed in soft moonlight, the giant white orb in the heavens full and on clear display. It highlighted his exposed skin in an almost blueish tone and traced over the rooftops of the buildings of Ehrmich district. Rogue sat alone inside the courtyard of the Garrison Headquarters, keeping to himself with his legs folded neatly afore him. The courtyard was quite different than that of his family's headquarters. The Garrison piazza was completely enclosed, surrounded by a grand stone building that made the area absolutely private and seemingly far removed from the rest of the district. The ground was also made up of cobblestone with no overgrown gardens like that he knew. The entire courtyard was lit by several small torches upon the walls and a large freestanding one that was located nearly in the center. Around the edges were weapons ready to be used or packed supplies to be loaded in the following morning.

Rogue shifted impatiently in his seated position, feeling on edge. They had arrived just a few hours before and long after the sky turned black as ink. Immediately, his family had placed him in the courtyard with the message that he was to keep fairly quiet and on standby for any possible orders. Levi had also shared with him that this was where he was to spend his evening as well. Rogue blinked, not feeling up for rest as he looked away from the gleaming moon and across the courtyard. Hange and Erwin were eating a late but well deserved meal. What was left of Levi's tea was seated next to them, the short man absent for his sudden need to 'take a shit' as he often said. The Commander and Hange weren't saying much and exchanged very little words as they ate.

The titan's ear flickered, swatting away a cumbersome moth as he looked to his far left to one of the only two entrances of the courtyard. The archway led to what appeared to be a small mess hall of sorts before it opened to the street outside. Rogue only observed one thing: the many frightened residents of Ehrmich evacuating the district. His heart quickly grew heavy at the sight. They all had solemn or panicked faces – some mates even dragging their crying children along. It was heartbreaking not to mention it brought back bad memories. Rogue shook his head to try and rid the paralyzing image of the first breach off his mind, but was ultimately unsuccessful with his queries and thoughts about their current situation.

The titan's green eyes drifted to his hands placed in his lap. He had only spoken to Erwin once on their trek, simply to apologize for his actions. However, he didn't ask any other query. Erwin had to have a good reason as to why he chose to do things in such a way. After having quite a decent time to think to himself, Rogue guessed it was because it would be more logical to keep him on standby. After all, they couldn't possibly know the Armored Titan's movements. With other titans around, the beast would be difficult for them to track. Of course, another thought was stuck upon his mind. The Armored could very well be after a morsel just like any other titan, but he wondered. Could that monster really be with the female? If so, why were they after his so called 'alpha status' as the Scouts had called it?

Rogue shook his head yet again, blowing out a cloud of steam – his mind getting mixed up and confused. Inwardly, he cursed his intelligence but quickly calmed and moved onto another subject in fear that he would draw his superiors' attention away from important matters they were likely discussing. A cry of a young child drew his attention back to the evacuating crowd, his heart sinking. His little ones were the other reason as to why he was so uncomfortable. He prayed to whatever god that existed that they were safe and not in the belly or pellet of one of his kin. Ever since he had departed from home, he couldn't stop thinking about them or silence his worries. Hopefully they would be back any second on their horses with Mike, Nanaba, Gelgar, and the other recruits in tow. Still, it had been an awfully long time since darkness had fallen and the other titans had retired for the evening.

Rogue swallowed, he wouldn't know what to do with himself if he had lost one of his precious babies.

The titan exhaled, taking his attention away from the fleeing humans and placing his focus onto one of the many unarmed cannons that sat in a row in preparation to be loaded onto one of the many wagons come morning. Perhaps trying to find some way to entertain himself would calm his nerves. Making sure that no one was paying too much attention, Rogue lifted a finger to the large iron cannon. With a delicate touch, he rolled it towards him, the wooden wheels it sat upon creaking in protest. Checking once more for wandering eyes, Rogue then proceeded to roll the cannon back and forth before him – eyes hooked to the moving object. However, it was really just nervous fidgeting that he was doing more than anything. Watching the wheels rotate, ears twitching, he could only hope to hear the hoof beats of his little ones' horses. He continued his attempt at distracting himself, a sudden instinct sparking throughout his brain – one related to amusement and play. Rogue's pupils dilated, making his eyes nearly black as he started to bat the cannon to and fro even faster with both hands – the titan looking like a large cat. Rogue produced a quiet and high pitched humming, letting himself drift into his own world, unaware that the rattling of the moving cannon had alerted some as to what he was doing.

"Rogue? What are you doing, Sweetheart?"

Upon hearing Hange's voice, the titan jolted – nearly knocking the cannon over as he returned to reality, all his worries and fears flowing back to him. Rogue swallowed, his head lowering as he turned to look bashfully upon Hange, feeling completely mortified. " **EEEZINGG NNERRVVS."** Rogue explained pitifully, feeling his cheeks heat up further in embarrassment.

Hange smiled tenderly, placing her hands onto her hips as she looked at him cunningly. "I see that my lovely titan!" The woman chuckled, reaching up to pat his knee in a gesture of encouragement. "I know your nervous Rogue, in fact all of us are." Hange continued, her voice at a normal tone of volume for once. "Of course, you probably shouldn't play with the cannons." She gestured to the heavy weapon, the titan taking note that the iron piece was now sitting oddly on its mount, making him feel more sheepish – his shoulders slouching. "We kind of need those for tomorrow. When I'm nervous, I always take deep breaths and –

"Shitty Glasses, please don't tell me you're trying to give him an educating lecture. All you do is make him paranoid."

Rogue lifted his head, seeing Levi approach them with his ever present scowl on his face and arms folded over his chest. The titan was a bit glad the man was done with his business, perhaps he could get some information from him.

Hange looked on at The Corporal defiantly, shifting her weight onto one foot. "Oh Levi, there's no way I've ever make him pa –

"Please, one of the best bad examples was back when you held the outdoor sexual education lesson. Your dumb ass let Rogue sit for the duration of the reproduction process. Hange, that night he dreamt that he was pregnant and it took me as well as everyone else five hours to convince him that it was a god damn nightmare. Plus, as I said yesterday, he kept trying to ask everyone what the third leg was." Levi counted, making Rogue's face heat up further in embarrassment. "Now, don't get me started on you explaining the concept of April Fool's day to Rogue." He eyed her dangerously. "Thanks to your big mouth, that is now my least favorite holiday of the year."

Hange cackled. "Hey, you have to admit, Rogue hiding your laundry and purposely slobbering on you to make more laundry was funny, Levi!"

The man sighed heavily in irritation. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't. Anyway, as for what I was originally going to ask, were there any new developments?"

With all the joking aside, Hange pondered, glancing back at Erwin speaking with other military officials. "Well, all I've heard is that some citizens from Dauper survived and are almost here. Other than that, nothing much."

Rogue's brows lifted in alarm. What about his little ones and the rest of his squad mates? " **BAAIIBEESS?"** The titan asked, his voice catching in his throat. Hearing his desperate question Hange quickly turned to him, wearing another warm smile.

"Don't you worry my titan! I'm positive Armin, Mikasa, and the others are all safe and sound! After all, they are with Mike, Nanaba, and Gelgar! I think you'll be seeing them soon!" She stroked his knee, giving it a promising pat. "So don't you worry!"

He beamed feebly in return, bending over to press his nose into her. Hopefully she was right. Lifting his head again, Rogue then turned to Levi – wanting nothing but answers. " **EVVI?"** The titan began, the short statured man shifting his gaze to the behemoth.

"Yes Rogue?"

The titan found himself biting his tongue, trying to figure out how to word his query. " **WHHII EII… WHII EIII HERRRE?"** Rogue asked, hoping that The Corporal could answer him.

Levi exhaled through his nose. "It's a bit obvious and I'm surprised that you haven't figured it out. Erwin and I were discussing things on our way here and we were able to definitely rule out the possibility that this is just an extermination. In fact, the hypothesis about the Armored and Colossal having relations to the Female is all but true at this point. However, we are considering that there is something about Rogue that makes him unique which is likely this alpha like control he has. The attacks done previously were obviously planned. Think about it. If those two bastards broke through the wall the first time with the intention of devouring the last of the human race, they would have broken through all three of them at once."

"But," Hange cut in. "Perhaps they could have done it to conserve on the food source, that way they could have morsels for then and more for later –

"Impossible. The two deviants broke through the walls the first time, probably with the plan to draw Rogue out of hiding and to see if he was even inside the walls. The advancement stopped and a few years passed. That was 845. In 850, The Armored Titan broke through Trost but went no further – indicating that they were trying to flush Rogue out of hiding after discovering traces of him perhaps in Wall Maria." Levi paused with both the titan and Hange's brows raising. "The Female Titan's appearance is what really supports this. Compared to those two bastards, she was perfect for combat and the ideal hunter to track and capture Rogue. Now, here they are again going for another attempt. As far as we know, the Armored hasn't left Wall Rose yet, meaning this is a desperate attempt and they don't want to leave empty handed. We brought Rogue here not only for him to help us, but to hide him. Rogue is here so we can keep him well concealed and discourage those two deviants. It's painfully clear that The Armored is stronger than him and we can't afford to lose Rogue. It gives us time to also gather our heaviest artillery for when we have to fight that beast. Rogue is only to be used as a last resort. Not to mention, you are also here because we can't count on you having any ability to harden as well."

Rogue's breath hitched in his chest, feeling utterly ignorant that he hadn't been able to see the truth before – likely because of his nerves. They WERE looking for him! His brows wrinkled. Why? Why was he that important though? With his head now clearer, it didn't make any sense. Why him in particular? Surely, there were more alphas that his superiors described! Was there something more with him? Not only that, but it stressed him out even further that if they couldn't take out The Armored One, he would have to. Like Levi had stated, he knew he wasn't as powerful as the terrible creature. With no know how of his own ability, he felt even more distressed.

"That is – enlightening." Hange trailed off, rubbing her chin. "It makes me wonder exactly _WHY_ they want Rogue so badly and why they were willing to even take him alive nonetheless. Could there possibly be something more to his abilities? Maybe more to him or his breed even? One thing is for sure, we are missing valuable pieces to the puzzle here. Maybe there's even more to the meaning of coordinate that we know." The fatigued woman sighed. "I wish there was a way that we could jog his memory. I bet Rogue's past would explain all of this."

Rogue only lowered his head, grunting in agreement – now feeling utterly guilty and useless. It seemed to be silent for an eternity, the only word having been a curse from The Corporal. Finally, the man cleared his throat.

"We'll likely never know for sure. I don't care what's going on until we kill those bastards to end this charade." Levi shifted his gaze to him. "By the way brat, I'm surprised that you're not snoozing like a baby yet. You are usually out by ten and here it's almost midnight and you're still kicking. You don't even look the least bit tired."

The titan's spine straightened, head tilting back in consideration – greens looking to the moon overhead. " **YEAAH. EII… GUESSSS NYY NEERVVS ARR KEEPINNN NEE UPP."** Rogue reached to scratch his scalp, shrugging his broad shoulders before looking back to the two higher ups.

"Well, Rogue sweetheart perhaps you should just try and relax with some deep breaths to help you unwind – tomorrow is going to be a big –

"What in the hell is that asshole doing here?"

Rogue looked to the short male in surprise, both he and Hange observing The Corporal's hard and icy glare in the direction of the entrance, quickly following it to see who the titan had not expected.

Pastor Nick.

The religious, rude, and crazed man as he had the unfortunate pleasure of knowing was standing with his back turned toward them. The pastor appeared to be watching the evacuating citizens. Rogue leaned forward, eyes narrowing not in disgust but in confusion. Why was Nick here of all people? Didn't he reside in Sina? Why would he be here in Ehrmich district? The goliath studied the man further. His stance was much different than he remembered, it was more imposing the last time he had met the man. Now it was almost shaky – he could practically see the man quivering beneath his robes. Rogue swallowed. What was Nick's purpose for being present?

Rogue watched as Erwin quickly noticed the man and strode over to him, placing a hand onto the pastor's shoulder and starling the individual. The titan watched them exchange a few words, unable to make out anything due to Levi's grumbling. The giant blinked in confusion, watching as Erwin guided the priest to their group. The titan swallowed, mentally preparing for the sticks and stones coming his way.

"So, what the hell are you doing here Pastor Nick?" Levi asked bluntly, looking absolutely unamused.

The man's face wrinkled up in disgust. "The nerve of you to ask what I'm doing here!" Nick growled. "Because of that." He pointed to Rogue, finger shaking. "Because of that unholy beast! The church and its followers had to remove ourselves from Sina and relocate here because of your titan's doings – landing upon sacred ground and causing enough bloodshed to feed the devil himself!" Nick narrowed his eyes, looking at their party fiercely. "Now, because of him, those monsters are back and they will wipe us all out. Your titan is better off dead!"

Rogue's breath hitched, heart nearly stopping at the man's statement. His superiors looked upon Nick who was breathing hard and trying to calm from his outburst. The words reverberated and repeated themselves in his head – the titan catching something that peaked his interest. Why would Nick say something of the sort, unless the man -

"Hold on." Levi began again, the male's brows bunching together, eyes almost having a dangerous glint ignited in them. "You – you know something don't you?"

The titan could practically feel a layer of tension drift over them as the priest's face practically fell – eyes immediately adverting else ware. Rogue watched the man's face tint red, the change in hue clear in the firelight. Nick's jaw clenched, the man's fists coiling. He could only breath and stare upon them. Was it really possible that Nick knew what was going on? Did he know something about himself that he didn't?

Erwin cleared his throat, breaking the long silence. "Judging by your body language, I'd say that you are very aware of whatever is going on here." The Commander spoke deeply and seriously. "In fact, I think it's the reason why you are here. Clearly, you have been keeping some amount of knowledge from us and that information makes you certain that Rogue Jaeger should be dead."

"Listen!" The man hissed. "You are all ignorant! Foolish and unenlightened! You have no idea the magnitude as to what is happening here!"

Silence met and embraced the group yet again. There was also confusion infecting each of them. Hange's eyes were the widest he had ever seen them, Erwin's gaze grew more intense, and Levi looked nothing like his usual constipated appearing self. Rogue felt nothing, nothing but his jaw hanging hallway open and quivering. The titan's pupils had shrunk, ears pressed to his skull, and for the first time in his life – he felt his skin infest with goosebumps.

What the hell was going on.

What the hell was happening.

"Commander!"

The titan nearly jumped at the voice, the familiar tone pulling him out of his numb state. Sasha hastily entered the courtyard, the teen out of breath and looking worn. The girl ungracefully hopped down from her horse – the deprived steed racing for the nearest water troth while Sasha quickly and messily saluted. Rogue's nerves fired off again, his heart lifting higher into his tight chest. Sasha. The teenager had returned alone. His little ones were not with her nor was the others. His heart started to pound. What had happened! Where were his babies?"

"Blouse?" Erwin began. "You're alone? What happened?"

"Sir! Near the beginning of our mission we decided to split into two teams due to an abundance of abnormal titans. Mike branched off to buy us time while our team split up to investigate Ragako and Dauper. I along with Lynn and Henning headed to my hometown, Sir! Lynn and Henning investigated another nearby village while I went home." Sasha paused, taking a deep breath. "Commander, several citizens of Dauper witnessed The Armored Titan invade the village! It is as we thought! The Armored Titan is searching for Rogue!"

Rogue watched collectively as each of the veteran Scouts' brows rose. The Armored One! He was looking for him!

"Give us the details. Tell us everything you were able to gather." Levi demanded. "Don't leave anything out."

"Sir! They stated that like Rogue and The Female Titan – The Armored could speak." Sasha continued, the titan as well as the other Scouts present going rigid.

"What did he say!" Hange demanded, suddenly much more intense than her casual appearance before.

Sasha swallowed, Rogue watched her eyes glance nervously at him before setting themselves on her superiors again. "He didn't say much. He asked only one question according to the villagers. I'm saying this in his exact words. The Armored Titan asked them 'where the traitorous green eyed titan was' he said that and that is all the villagers remember, Sir."

It was then quiet again, Hange, Erwin, and Levi looking absolutely pale in the moonlight. Rogue could feel the color drain from his face as well. Only one word struck him and was clearer than all others. It was a word meaning to deceive, and that word made him grow even more paranoid. _**'NO. HOW… HOW COULD…'**_

"A – traitor?" Hange uttered, her words quiet. "How… what is –

Levi looked absolutely disturbed. "What in the hell is going on… what on earth did Rogue –

Suddenly, Hange twisted around with the titan catching a glimpse of her face – the woman having a snarl like a wild animal and her eyes burning with anger. As long as he had seen and lived with the Scouts, Rogue had never witnessed Hange furious. Never. The Section Commander's hands gripped around the collar of Pastor Nick's tunic and violently pulled the man toward her to where her face was mere inches from him.

"Now." Hange began darkly. "You better tell us everything you know or you better pray to whatever god you believe in right now or so help me." She nearly growled, almost speaking through her teeth.

Nothing could be heard except for the crackling of ashes in torches. Nothing else in the world seemed to exist except for he and five humans before him. The priest struggled, pitifully trying to squirm against Hange's relentless hold. Minutes seemed to pass, but were mere seconds. Suddenly, Nick stopped his fruitless act of trying to free himself from the trap that he was currently in. The man sighed, hanging his head in utmost shame.

"Alright. I'll – talk." Nick uttered with Hange abruptly dropping him with the man landing in an embarrassing heap upon the ground.

"Since you've complied, I encourage that you tell the truth or risk being prosecuted for treason." Erwin spoke bluntly, the man's face having no hint of humor in it.

The titan watched Nick pick himself up and brush off his cloak. The priest stood, looking almost broken with his gaze lowered to Hange's shoes as if he were a child caught in a lie. The man sighed yet again before finally lifting his gaze to them. "The royal family of the walls sometimes entrusts the church to carry and guard their secrets. Before I continue, I must point out that I don't know much about this particular secret myself. In fact, I know next to nothing. Over the decades, information gets lost or dies along with its members. All I can really say and all that I really know is that Fritz is a puppet of the real royal family. The real royal family's name is Reiss. The royal family… has knowledge about a very powerful weapon, a powerful entity of sorts that can be used to rule against the titans and even humanity itself. The Reiss have hidden themselves away for this very reason. They have very little contact with citizens within the walls and none with the government whatsoever. However, fifteen years ago – a bastard child was born from Reiss blood and from a simple house maiden. That child was raised in secret until her existence was leaked. Five years ago, the church was entrusted to hide the child – she was enlisted into the Cadets and joined the Scout regiment as of this year."

Hange gasped. "The child is one of our new recruits then? Who is it!" She demanded, grabbing the man's collar again.

"The child," Nick struggled through Hange's grip. "She may not know everything and she could know nothing. She has eyes as blue as the heavens and hair as golden as the sun."

Rogue's eyes widened as the realization came to him. " **KRRSSA."** He spoke up, his superiors looking to him with Levi's brows narrowing further.

"Krista Lenz." The man clarified. "So Lenz is this child. A Reiss – someone of royal blood that can help us with this so called secret. Now, tell us this girl's true name as well as what Rogue has got to do with all of this."

A bead of sweat ran down the man's brow. "I nor the church was not told her true name. Your titan – is likely the very one that has knowledge of this ancient power. The Reiss child could be the key to discovering it. This is all I know and this is all I have to tell you." Nick closed his eyes and lifted his head strongly. "Dear goddesses, please forgive me for my sins for disclosing what should not have been said."

Rogue let his hand drift to his chest as if he could slow his rapidly beating heart. He felt as if he had just been hit with a cannonball to the head. So, Krista was actually someone of great importance and he – was supposed to have the facts on a weapon that could dominate the titans? How? How could he know that! According to everyone, he had lost nearly all of his memories with few resurfacing. How could Krista, or whatever her real name was, help him quickly recall the answer? His hand snaked to his head, feeling absolutely disoriented. Not only this, but The Armored One had called him a traitor. He was so confused. Dr. Jaeger did say that he could be the key, put onto the godforsaken earth for a purpose. Rogue inhaled sharply before exhaling shakenly. What on earth happened to him before he woke up in Maria?

"So, somewhere in Rogue's memories – is knowledge of a very powerful weapon that can be used against the titans?" Levi began, looking at Rogue with suspicion and clearly in deep thought.

"Actually," Hange began – her voice serious and firm. "I have a theory that makes more sense."

"What is it Hange?" Erwin questioned, still looking as concentrated as he was before.

"The Reiss know of a powerful weapon or entity that Rogue could possibly have knowledge of as well. The Armored, Colossal, and The Female knew of this. What if, this entity actually IS Rogue? It would give the titans a reason to go after him. Not only that, but The Female Titan called Rogue 'Coordinate' which is a word that means to order."

"Hold on." The Corporal interrupted. "Are you saying – that this big brat, is some sort of fucking titan king?"

Hange sighed. "It's plausible, yes. Of course, I could be wrong entirely. We don't have all the facts yet so nothing is set in stone. Our first order of business after this current issue is dealt with, is to question Krista and see what knowledge she has of this. She must know something. Until then, we have to make do with what we have and find other possibilities. Even though," Hange's eyes drifted up to look at his own. "It's certain that Rogue is much more special than anyone originally thought."

Rogue simply sat, completely bewildered. Was he really –

"Hange, you may very well be right. However, we need to focus on finishing up with the supplies and Rogue needs rest. We'll try to figure this mess out in the morning." The Commander concluded, glancing at the towering beast once before walking off towards the entrance of the courtyard.

"Erwin is right." Levi sighed. "As enlightening as this is, we just need to focus on what needs to be done to take out The Armored Titan. So let's finish up and get some rest. If Nanaba, Gelgar, and Mike's team isn't back tonight it is likely that they are staying at a safe point for the evening. I know you're overwhelmed brat, but get some rest. Things are going to be critical tomorrow."

Rogue only nodded meekly, only knowing that even if he felt tired enough to sleep – he couldn't even if he tried.

**(POV SWAP)**

Stars hung overhead, covering their party with a glittering blanket. The full moon was high in the sky, lighting the way and highlighting an old castle tower just up ahead. Armin sighed. It was calm, the night reassuring. They had left Ragako just in time, slipping past other titans that could be seen at a distance heading for the village in hope of finding a late meal. Since then, they had encountered no other enemies. He glanced up from his horse's mane to look upon the rest of his squad members. No one had said a single word since leaving the massacre, not even to Connie in fear that they would send the teen into a state of pure misery. Armin's gaze lowered again. Deep down, Connie was most likely going through hell. Armin sighed. He was also fighting hunger pains and fatigue. He was just physically and emotionally tired.

"Alright, we're here." Nanaba began. "It may not look like much, but this is Castle Utgaard."

Armin, blinked, not realizing that they had arrived. Just as Nanaba had informed earlier, the castle wasn't much to look at. In fact, it could have been classified as nothing but ruins. It wasn't impressive by any means whatsoever. The castle only had two lone towers, one wider than the other. Each were connected to various flat roofed stone structures, overall – the place looked to have been more like a fortress at one point than a castle for a noble family. Armin dismounted his horse along with the others as they entered a messy and debilitated courtyard of sorts. Stones were cracked and overgrown with ivy. To his right there was an old and dated stable with an empty water troth and hay that had already served its purpose. Armin spotted and old insignia upon a torn flag – the old wings of freedom crest, one that wasn't a simple graphic but rather resembled an actual pair of wings. A few old and rusty cannons lay in pieces and the remains of what was a well lay buried by leaves in the courtyard's center. It was very clear that Castle Utgaard hadn't seen a single visitor in years.

The blonde sighed as he guided his equine to stand with the others, tying it against a nearly rotten wood post. Gelgar then approached a pump with the intention of gifting the horses with much needed water. Pushing down on the handle, the pump groaned and gurgled before reddish water messily spilled out, everyone watching the russet color turn to more drinkable clear water that the horses immediately began to drink – exhausted from the day's chaos.

"Damn, I'm surprised that even worked." Gelgar wiped his hands on an old cloth that he had taken from his saddle. "It's amazing the pipes aren't rusted. I was getting worried for a second. All of the hay is obviously gone, so I'll try to look around for some feed here in a minute. If I don't come across any, the horses may have to wait until tomorrow unfortunately. They will just have to feed on the grass." The man spoke as he entered a small shed neighboring the stables.

"It would be a miracle if you did. This place has, like I said before, been empty for decades. As far as we know, a family of nobles built this place over a hundred years ago before it was ceased by the bank and then sold to the Scouts to use as headquarters. That was over seventy years ago. After this place was used for almost ten years, the Scouts moved to where headquarters is now. It's still owned by us, but there's been no need to use it in the last sixty years." Nanaba explained. "Of course, I don't know if there is much as far as food stored here, even though the place has been locked, thieves could have gotten in." The woman stretched. "There should be supplies like gas here or at least the more primitive version that's ice burst stone." She continued to explain, Armin recalling his classes in the Cadets where there was a brief discussion of ice burst stone which was a raw mineral that emitted an abundance of cold natural gasses that had been previously used to power their gear. "I'm not sure if any pairing blades we find will be compatible with our current gear either. Well, we best be –

However, Nanaba was interrupted by two more sets of hooves. Alarmed by the sudden visitors, the squad turned to see a worn looking Lynn and Henning approaching.

Sasha however was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Sasha?" Connie blurted out before he himself or the others had a chance to ask. Armin felt his nerves fire off again. Could something have happened when she was visiting her hometown?

"Relax." Henning sighed, wearing an easy smile. "We spotted her riding with her father and the surviving citizens of Dauper to Ehrmich district. She's fine and giving them an escort and likely reporting our actions." The man said as the pair dismounted and brought their tired steeds to the water troth to join the others.

"I take it you guys don't have much supplies either." Lynn observed with Mikasa nodding to confirm.

"Yes, when we were in Ragako there were some abnormals that were attracted by the scent of blood there."

Henning's face dropped into a more solemn expression. "I take it that things weren't good. Were there any survivors?"

At the man's innocent query, Armin glanced over at Connie to see the teen looking at nothing in particular with a troubled and sad gaze, the male not saying a single word. "No, it wasn't good." Armin replied quietly. "We don't know how many people were able to evacuate." He was too fearful to include the fates of his friend's family. It was probably something that Connie should disclose to them anyway.

"That's a shame." Henning lowered his head, saying nothing more as Gelgar managed to find a single bag of old horse feed and give it to the tired equines. Nanaba then sighed yet again.

"Alright let's go inside and see if we can get something to eat and rest up. It's going to be quite the day tomorrow."

* * *

Armin stirred his spoon, listening to the sound the metal fork made against the aluminum can full of beans. It wasn't his favorite food, but since he was starving he had nearly devoured the entire contents of the can within minutes. Even still, his stomach begged for more. He was just as hungry as any titan.

Their squad had settled within the largest tower on the second floor. Inside, the castle was just as bland as the outside with no ornate finishes or anything of the sort. Around them were circular walls of nothing but stone with the exemption of spiraling stairs leading up to higher levels of the tower and two doors off to Armin's left – one being a small kitchen having nothing but cans of beans, olives, and outdated military rations. The other room was an old wine cellar that had been raided long ago with wine barrels too rusty to give whatever bounty they had. They had made themselves a small fire in the center of the room, the smoke exiting out several high windows. Everyone was seated around the fire all except for Lynn and Henning who had volunteered to go to the tower's top to keep watch along with Gelgar who was rummaging around the wine cellar in a desperate search of anything he could drink. Armin sighed, lifting another spoonful to his mouth, his blue eyes drifting onto the others. Nanaba was leaning against the wall, her eyes shut in what appeared to be a light sleep. Krista was stirring up her olives and trying to remove any pits while Jean ate his beans just as fast as he himself did. Connie ate his beans slowly, eyes simply looking at the small black pods. The teen would sigh heavily every once in a while, shoulders sinking. It was clear that what had occurred at Ragako was weighing heavily upon his mind now that they had settled. Armin was actually surprised that Connie hadn't retreated to be alone for some time to mourn. From knowing loss himself as well as observing others like Rogue, some people preferred to be alone while the rare few wanted to be with friends or family. Armin bit his lip, he didn't know how exactly to address Connie without upsetting him. No one had brought up the question as to why he was so down either – likely do to knowing that it was probably the worst case scenario. Shifting his gaze again, the blonde teen looked to Mikasa next to him to see that she was pushing a single uneaten olive around the bottom of her can. Her gaze looked as stoic as ever but even more so blank. After the many years that he had known her, Armin knew that Mikasa only hung her head and slouched her shoulders forward when she thought of Rogue in a troubling way. He didn't blame her. He really wanted to know how Rogue fit into the big picture. There was little chance that the newest breach was for the sake of extermination. The Armored and Colossal had to be after Rogue for something or for something that they believe he knew or maybe even committed.

There was always the theory about Rogue's alpha status. But he had a hunch about such an idea. Why wouldn't titans, like many species on the planet just select a new alpha? He had a horrible hunch that things were not that simple.

"Ah! Look what I found!" Gelgar celebrated with a cunning grin as he walked out of the dark cellar with a deep green bottle in hand. "It's not even half full, but it's a ninety-year-old wine. I can't read the letters since they are faded out but a date is all I need to know that my searching was worth it!" The man hummed to himself as he removed the lid and began to drink, looking absolutely pleased. Nanaba groaned.

"You shouldn't even be drinking right now, Gelgar. You don't need to be hungover tomorrow when we encounter titans."

The man only grumbled and ignored the woman, taking a few more sips before setting the bottle next to his makeshift sleeping area. "I'll save it for later then. You don't just come across wine as old as that any day – let alone one for free."

"You're an idiot." Nanaba sighed, managing to get a small smile from Armin. He observed as Nanaba poured herself a small bit of water from her canteen and take a bite of peas. She placed her eyes onto Connie who was slowly eating his food. For several long minutes, the Section Commander watched the reserved teen eat, Connie looking as if he was struggling to swallow. It grew tense in the bare room, all eyes upon the woman who was obviously preparing to ask the inevitable. Nanaba finally exhaled, her broad shoulders sinking and a sympathizing and apologetic look grew upon her face. "Connie, I hate to ask, but something happened in Ragako didn't it?"

Connie's gaze sank to the licking flames and he let his spoon rest on the lip of the can. Several agonizing seconds passed before the teen cleared his throat. "My parents are dead." He muttered, still looking at the fire and watching it dance. "A titan ate them. We found them in a titan pellet." Connie informed with those who witnessed the scene lowering their chins to stare at the flames as well.

Nanaba's brows lifted in astonishment before she too looked sadly into the flames. "I'm so sorry. Perhaps I shouldn't have asked."

"It's fine." Connie answered with a deep breath. "I'm just hoping that my sister Sunny and my brother Martin made it to Ehrmich district. The family horse was gone, so I'm hoping that's what happened."

"If so, what will happen to them?"

Connie lifted his can and put another spoonful into his mouth. "I have an aunt and uncle that live Wall Sina so they'll probably take them in. They live on a farm close to the city so that's good." The teen paused, unexpectedly unveiling a soft smile. "The Scouts have been pretty much like a second family to me. Even though The Corporal sometimes scares the hell out of me, I still feel quite at home." Connie suddenly looked away from the flames to view them, his smile a little bigger. "I mean, I have all of you in this room including Hange and even Rogue." The teen chuckled in the slightest. "I mean – I couldn't ask for better friends. It's amazing knowing you all and I'm glad to call the Scouts a family. My father – when my grandpa died, always said to look upon the brighter side of death. You remember the good times you had and spend time with people that care about you. I don't think he or mom would like to see me depressed for the rest of my life. So – I'm not going to be. Thanks you guys." Connie concluded, putting on a smile and looking a little more normal.

"Remember, we are always here if you need someone to talk to, Connie." Krista smiled broadly, her cheerfulness contagious.

The teen smiled. "Don't worry I will."

Armin just let himself follow the natural reaction to nod in agreement. However, he couldn't help but think. Connie had surprised him with his outlook for he always thought the teen would react much differently than he had. He swallowed, finding Connie's mentioning of Rogue a bit upsetting. Their titanic friend was likely what attracted the other deviants to make their advancement, bringing many mindless titans along with them with one making a meal out of his own parents. It was things like this, where he hoped it was just a bunch of hungry titans rather than those sporting an agenda.

Twenty minutes had quickly gone by and their two superiors had rapidly fallen asleep in their worn sleeping bags. Armin made note at how different their positions were with Nanaba swaddling herself while Gunter had his face buried in his pillow with his feet hanging out of his mess of blankets. The others were either sitting bored out of their minds or were finishing up their morsels. Armin continued to nervously stir his fork in his now empty can, only chatting with the others every once in a while, before retreating into the confounds of his mind. The more he thought, the more he didn't believe that the titan's natural hunger was the cause of the breach. Everything was much too timed and when he factored The Female Titan's appearance and intentions into the equation – it was incredibly clear that Rogue was being hunted.

There had to be something more that the titans wanted with Rogue. There had to be.

"It's probably a good thing that Sasha isn't here to eat with us – she doesn't hold her beans very well." Connie began, having given in to some quiet merriment.

"Tell me about it." Krista snickered, trying to hold in a laugh. "At night in the girl's cabin during our cadet years, Sasha sure was musical when she went to bed to say the least."

Armin laughed at her statement with Mikasa smiling.

"I guess her inability to control her gut supplied the perfect excused to Shadis as to why we were sometime too loud." His friend spoke almost casually with the others breaking out in giggles. "Speaking of flatulence, Connie I still regret the day you taught Rogue how to make arm farts."

Jean then lost it. "I'll never forget the day when Rogue did it in front of Levi during training – and before The Commander. I've never seen The Corporal's face so red at that very moment." The teen cackled with Connie nearly snorting as he drank from his canteen. "He got in so much trouble that day."

"And he didn't even care, either." Krista tittered. "Even as Levi just got madder and madder, Rogue just kept doing it."

"He sure makes things more interesting." Armin joined in, his stomach unexpectedly letting out a loud growl that didn't go unheard. The teen's face reddened in slight embarrassment. Even after the can of black beans he was still starving. "I guess I'm still hungry." He snickered, face growing redder.

"I don't blame you Armin, I could still eat a horse." Jean grunted as he lifted himself from the floor and got to his feet. "I'm going to go back into the kitchen and see if I can find something else to eat, do you want to come?"

"I'll go with you!" Krista stood quickly. "I'm still hungry too actually."

"I'll go as well," Mikasa stood. "I could use another bite myself."

"I wouldn't mind more."

With the others standing, Armin quickly followed. "Yeah, hopefully we can find something." He agreed as he followed the others into the dark kitchen. Lit by the torch, it was clearly illustrated that the kitchen was primitive. There was a small sink with a pump and a rusty kettle over a heath – neither having been used for ages and too small to serve an entire regiment. There was a wood burning stove that had clearly seen use high on the right wall. On both sides of the sink was a narrow counter where a butcher block sat covered in at least an inch of dust. There were several shelves to the left that had quickly gathered their attention for each were lined with boxes. Feeling his stomach rumble again, Armin motioned for one of the shelves and began to rummage through the crates with the others following his action. Armin frowned as he dug through the contents of the box, only finding very old canned peaches that had expired years ago and spiders at the bottom of the crate. He sighed as he moved onto another only to find similar contents.

"Damn, all that's in here is fruit that went bad decades ago." Jean grumbled.

"Yeah, these apples expired in year 805 – which was forty-five years ago." Mikasa examined a rusty can. "It looks like we're are going to have to settle for beans, olives, and peas."

"Maybe there's something in the cabinets beneath the sink." Krista suggested, the young blonde strolling over to open the creaky wooden doors with the others – pulling out old pots and pans in search for any other morsel.

Armin sighed, knowing that their luck didn't look to be on their side. However, his keen blues caught a glimpse of something that he had missed before. Behind the adjacent shelf was what looked to be the edge of a wooden door with a dull handle. Armin blinked in thought. The shelf in front of the door was covered in dust – indicating that it hadn't moved in years. He continued to think. _'Why was this door concealed?'_ Armin got to his feet and gave the shelf a push, only managing to move the heavy wooden piece an inch from where it stood – the loud creak it produced grabbing his friends' attention.

"Armin? What are you –

"There's a door behind this shelf." Armin quickly informed, easily peeking the others' interest with Mikasa and Jean hurrying to his aid.

"Do you think it could be a pantry?" Krista questioned.

"It could be some sort of pantry." Armin answered as he, Jean, and Mikasa managed to scoot the shelf off to the side, revealing a door that had once been painted a royal blue but was nothing but peeling and chipping paint. "Pantries are always in kitchens so perhaps there's some pretty good food on the other side of it." Armin smiled. "They had to have had a good reason for hiding the door from wandering eyes."

"Let's hope you're right Armin." Jean began as he examined the door knob. "Hopefully it's a pantry and not a restroom." The teen tried to turn the knob, finding that it wouldn't budge. "Shit it's locked."

Armin stood straighter at the news. Yes, there definitely was a reason that this door had been hidden. The blonde male looked closer, seeing a detail that got his hopes up. "The door – it's practically rotten. We could easily push it off the hinges with little to no effort."

"Good idea Armin." Connie spoke as he placed his shoulder onto the door, Jean following his actions. He watched as the two boys began to push, the door surprisingly holding out against them. Mikasa sighed.

"Step aside." She said with the two boys complying fretfully.

"What are you going to –

Before Jean could finish his query, Mikasa hit the door with a brutal kick, instantly knocking the door off its hinges, leaving part of it hanging but giving them entrance. The teen's blue eyes looked upon the kitchen's exit – surprised that the noise didn't rouse their superiors before looking upon Jean and Connie who's faces looked so dumbfounded that it was comical. He couldn't help but snicker. If it was one thing they could always rely on, it was Mikasa's strength.

"You have to put more force into it." Mikasa explained. "The door may be old, but it's made of cedar." She concluded as she maneuvered herself inside the room with Armin and the others trailing her, hearing Jean and Connie curse their incompetence.

Armin blinked, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the change of light in the incredibly dark room. He could barely see a few inches in front of him. "Hey Krista? Could you go get the torch on the wall?" He asked with the girl quickly complying. Krista quickly returned with the small torch, the light revealing a room that was no bigger than most common closets – barely large enough for them to move about comfortably in. The room's contents however proved that he had been right about the possibility of something valuable. Stacked around the edges of the room were shipping crates filled with more canned food. Armin bent down and pulled out one of the short cans from the crate. Like the other cans found in the castle, they were indeed old – but had contents that never truly expired. Herring – a type of fish that if prepared properly could be stored for years – something that he had found out when reading books Rogue had retrieved from the Scout's depots.

"Thank god we found something that we can actually eat that's filling." Jean exclaimed as he began to pull out several cans. "If I'm not mistaken, herring is really hard to come by these days."

"It is." Armin replied as he turned to retrieved all that he wanted. "I think I've only ever had it once or twice in my lifetime. It was so expensive that my grandpa never bought it."

"I guess that explains why it was hidden back here then."

Armin nodded in agreement and turned to go through the contents of a box in the corner, only to spot something else out of the ordinary. Beneath a crate, was an old and worn trunk like the kind that were used when moving or traveling. Quickly, the teenager braced himself and lifted the wooden crate away to reveal the trunk in full. It was covered in a leather that looked to have been made of cow hide that had been distressed over the many years. The latches, corners, and any piece of hardware were made of iron and beat to nearly hell – showing that the trunk had seen many things and moved many miles. The most peculiar thing about the chest was that on its face were two letters pressed into the leather. Although barely readable in the dim light, Armin could clearly make out a 'J.P' which could only be initials that perhaps belonged to the previous owner. Armin swallowed. Why was this locked away in a pantry? "Hey Guys, look at this." He announced quietly but gathering their attention nonetheless.

"Is that – a suitcase?" Mikasa queried, seating herself next to him with Krista and Connie placing themselves on his other side with Jean hanging overhead.

"Why is it here?"

Armin tilted his head, looking at the straps of the chest. "Maybe – this was what someone didn't want someone else to find."

"Do you suppose that the letters are someone's initials?" Krista turned to him, her eyes wide in interest.

"What else could they be?" Mikasa speculated. "Maybe this J.P was someone that was in the Scouts – or maybe the previous owner of Utgaard."

"Can you open it? Is it locked?" Connie questioned.

Armin scrutinized the chest, looking for any sort of locking mechanism but only seeing the leather belt like straps over the opening. "Yeah. There's no lock on it." The teen continued as his fingers fiddled with the latches, flipping the metal parts upwards with a satisfying click. Carefully, as if he was handling a thin piece of parchment, Armin pried open the lid – the chest revealing not a single item inside.

"Well, it's empty." Jean sighed, preparing to return to his task of retrieving herring. "I guess there was no –

"Hold on." Armin intervened, his eyes catching another crucial detail. "It has a false bottom." He informed, reaching his hand into the silk lined crate and pulling out the thin wooden piece wrapped in fabric. Armin's eyes widened at what lay beneath it. There was only one item, an old book with a leather cover that was even more worn than the case. The leather was the color of wine, a stained red with the pages yellowed from time. The book itself was about two inches thick and on the front of the cover was the phrase 'field journal' which immediately peaked the occupants' of the room's interest.

"Looks like it's a journal from a previous Scout." Mikasa perceived. "Maybe it's this J.P's field journal about their expeditions."

"Let's see." Armin began as he, with a feather light touch, opened the cover of the journal, the spine creaking in protest. There, on the first page was indeed a name. "Jorge Pikale." He spoke, his mind processing the title – where had he heard the name before? The Cadets. He had heard it in one of his very first classes when Alois was telling them about the history of the regiments. Armin thought harder, the man's identity on the tip of his tongue.

"Jorge Pikale." Jean pondered. "Wait. Jorge Pikale was a captain of the Scouts – which is the equivalent of Commander back then, over seventy years ago."

It then clicked in his head, making Armin feel utterly foolish that he had forgotten. "Jorge Pikale was known as Jorge the Hero. He was the first man to ever defeat a titan." He beamed, suddenly growing excited. They had just found a piece of history. Yes, this was what was truly hidden in the secret pantry.

"Woah, you mean THE Jorge the Hero?" Connie beamed, giving in to curiosity. "The first man to ever slay a titan?"

"Yes." Armin flipped through another page, seeing that it was dated and the text was written in elaborate cursive, a sketch nestled next to it of a titan that the man had encountered. "Looks like he documented each and every one of his expeditions he went on." Armin turned the page, seeing another dated entry describing the birth of the man's son, Carlo Pikale as the text read. "Of course it looks like he documented some important events in his life as well."

"How about we read some of it before turning in for the night? It might get our mind off things before we sleep." Mikasa suggested with the blonde teen knowing the reason she had made the recommendation.

"If you don't mind Armin," Krista smiled brightly. "I'd love to hear some of it."

"I could use the pick me up."

Armin shifted to get comfortable. "Sure." He smiled warmly. "I need an escape as well before hitting the sack. He then began to flip through the many entries and sketches. "How about I just read the interesting looking ones for now?"

"That's good." Jean lowered himself to sit upon his knees. "There's no way we can go through it all this evening anyway."

"Alright then. I'll flip through it and you guys let me know when to stop." Armin initiated as he began to thumb through the pages of the journal. Each and every page, to him at least, looked absolutely intriguing. Hange would have flipped to see the many titan illustrations that decorated the pages, most of the monsters being three to eight meters tall. Armin then came upon another titan sketch – one of a muscular ten meter with short hair, a wide mouth fixed in a cunning sneer, and a discoloration over the thing's left eye. The sketch of the titan had the creature eating other soldiers in great detail, each of the men not having the maneuver gear that was standard issue. "How about this one?"

"Looks interesting enough." Jean agreed.

"Alright." Armin spoke, beginning to read:

_**Year 780** _

_**Today we encountered the largest titan we as humans have seen to date. A ten meter that we have nicknamed 'Ogre.' The creature practically decimated half of our ranks. The thing is absolutely massive, powerful, and eats like mad – more than I've seen any other titan eat. Our current tactics are ineffective. It's fast and too difficult to wrangle or topple over. Our damn swords, even though they are made of iron bamboo, can barely scratch the thing even if we use as much force as we can. Humanity needs a new weapon to defeat these things – one that will give us the advantage over their height. I need to contact Xenophon and his assistant Angel to see if they can think of anything or have any new ideas.** _

"That must have been the titan that lead to the creation of our maneuver gear." He smiled, incredibly thankful for the insight. This was stuff he could have never learned in a classroom.

"How about reading the entries having to do with maneuver gear?" Mikasa asked. Armin nodded.

"Shure." He thumbed through more pages until he found another drawing of what looked to be some sort of metal backpack composed of gears and pipes. Another grin grew onto his face when he recognized what exactly he was looking at. "That must be the predecessor of our gear."

"Looks heavy and bulky compared to what we have today."

"Indeed." Armin chuckled as he cleared his throat:

_**Year 786** _

_**After my suggestion a few years ago, Xenophon and Angel have invented something that they say can be used to help soldiers kill titans. They call it 'The Device' and it's the most bizarre thing I've seen. It allows us to fly I think, using a cable and trigger to launch and pull us up to the nape of a titan so we can kill it with our sword. I watched Angel test it today, it was quite funny to see him fly face first into a roof. This tool needs work. But I have a feeling about it.** _

Armin concluded reading the entry and proceeded to search for another one related to their maneuver gear. The teen passed by several more entries about titan encounters until he came upon another small entry with another drawing of the primitive gear – this time the weapon resembled the modern one with the exemption of its size and several more exhaust pipes. For the third time, he began to read:

_**Year 790** _

_**Tomorrow, I'm testing The Device in the company of my son, a Mr. Cardina, and The Titan's son Kuklo. It's a prototype that's smaller and lighter that the first version by Angel and Xenophon. We are doing this in secret. The Military Police, for some god-forsaken reason, are not wanting this device to be approved to be produced and utilized by the military. I have no idea why. We have spoken to a Garrison squadron stationed near Shiganshina and they have agreed to help us out with this task. They are supplying us with a few men and gifting us a few much needed horses. Thankfully, the Military Police won't be around the area tomorrow afternoon so we can do what we want without intervention. We'll see how this thing works.** _

The blonde male then turned the page to the next entry with the others' eager encouragement. However, the entry upon the page wasn't like those that they had seen previously. The handwriting wasn't neat and tidy, the cursive was rushed and some letters were almost smeared. The man's hand was probably shaking immensely when he was penning the entry, Armin concluded. Looking at the date, it had been the day that Jorge and the others had tested The Device for the first time. Could something have occurred?

"Wonder what happened." Jean began. "His hands must have been trembling or something. It almost looks like he was drunk when he wrote this one.

"Can you read it Armin?" Mikasa queried. Armin rubbed his chin.

"It's messy, but I can make it out." Swallowing to salivate his throat, Armin began reading the journal entry:

_**Year 790** _

_**My hands are shaking as I write this entry. To whomever finds this journal, it is absolutely dire that it does NOT FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE CHURCH OR THE LIKES OF THE MILITARY POLICE. If you find my writings, please turn them over to the current head of the Scouting Regiment. During our mission, we encountered something unlike anything anyone has ever seen. I believe it is the greatest discovery of the current era. At the time, I tried to tell the Captain of the Military Police what we encountered. For some reason unknown, they were quick to silence us along with the Church. We all were met with severe punishment and strapped with a gag order. I'm not sure why they are trying to cover this up. I feel that their reactions are not without reason. Please, if you are reading this, get this to the right person. I beg of you.** _

Armin sat up at what he had just read. A discovery? What discovery was the man talking about? Was it that the device worked or something? The MP's seemed to be against it at the time. Then again, why did Jorge use the word 'encounter' in his entry? Could they have found something? It was painfully clear to Armin that when the man was writing, he was desperate.

Very desperate.

"Alright." Connie began. "This is getting a little creepy. What did they find?"

"I don't know." Armin speculated. "It had to have been important though, sounds like it could have been terrifying too. It's a long entry, but I can read it."

"If Jorge wanted it delivered to the current Commander, it's probably best that you do, Armin." Mikasa encouraged with Armin nodding.

The teen then began to read the messy text aloud to the five of them, each and every word painting them a picture as to what happened on the very day mentioned sixty years ago:

_**Year 790, Just Outside of Shiganshina District** _

_Thunder cracked overhead like a whip_ , _rain threatening to pour down from the nearly black ominous sky. The wind was blowing harder, causing his hair to fly around his face in every direction. Jorge cursed the weather for the tenth time in the past hour. It seemed that no matter how much they planned, luck had not been on their side. A mere few hours before, when he and his small party of people involved in the secret mission to test The Device, the afternoon was sunny. To their surprise, right before they lowered themselves down the wall, clouds began to cover the orange sky. Foolishly, they had ignored this warning, desperate to test the new weapon on the only day that they could without the watchful eye of the Military Police closing in on their company._

_Jorge commanded his horse to move, swallowing nervously at the arrival of two titans, one a five meter and the other a six meter – each devoid of any other emotion other than a dead-eyed stare and a wicked grin. This mission was already going badly. They hadn't expected the creatures to be as active as they were during the close of the day. He didn't expect for two of them to show up either, and from experience, when there was two there was likely going to be more. Kind of like cockroaches._

_The man bit his lip as thunder echoed overhead, watching as one of the titans snatched an unfortunate Garrison soldier from the saddle of their horse and bite them in half – the beast's hands greedily reaching for more. Jorge swore again beneath his breath. Their plan had been so well thought out. He, his son Carlo, Kuklo, and Cardina each wore The Device. Cardina, a young man that was a good friend to Kuklo was given the task to act as bait to draw in a nearby titan. The decision was made due to the man having little experience in terms of combat and wasn't truly that extemporary when it came to using the new weapon. Cardina was brave however, not to mention supportive and was someone they could trust wholeheartedly. Kuklo, who excelled at using The Device, was in the same position as he and Carlo – the position to launch themselves up at a titan's nape and strike. The Garrison soldiers worked in pairs equipped with heavyweight rope so they could restrain the beasts' ankles or trip them to give those in charge slaying the monsters the opportunity. This was due to the fact that The Device could only be used to launch one in one direction – straight upwards. It was the biggest drawback that he hoped that Xenophon would be able to improve upon. To best a titan, they needed the mobility. In addition to the plan, each of those in possession of a Device, had two pairs of Garrison soldiers upon their sides – ready for any orders. But of course, no matter how much they had planned, they could never expect for things to go in their favor when going up against titans._

_Nothing was perfect. Ever._

_Thunder rumbled overhead, the belly of the sky splitting open and rain beginning to pour down. They could not quit though. This was their only chance. Rain had never stopped them before. Then, another series of quakes occurred that rivaled the thunder's frustrated grumbles. Alert as prey should be, Jorge spun his head to see another titan approach them, a seven meter that only looked angry at the world with its deep scowl. "Shit!" The man hissed between his teeth. "As if we needed more of them!" Jorge growled, knowing that he and his crew needed to eliminate the fairly large titan before it killed more men and destroyed their chances of succeeding further. He looked to the two experienced Garrison soldiers, seeing that they knew what must be done as well. Jorge then made the order. "Carlo! You go for the six-meter! Kuklo, you go for the five, and I'll handle this big boy!" The Captain ordered over another protest from the heavens._

_"Yes, Sir!"_

_Jorge then turned to the two men and drew his heavy iron bamboo blade from its holster, waving it before him to signal to commence their attack. In less than perfect sync, the two Garrison solders held the rope between them and rode forward as he began to circle the creature at a safe distance on his horse, blade ready and prepared. The titan's attention was thrown to the two solders at its feet, the creature screeching practically in glee as it bent over and attempted to swipe one of the men from their mounts. Quickly, to provide cover, Jorge steered his horse toward the Garrison solders and with a strong swipe – sliced a large gash all across the creatures knuckles with gore decorating his silver blade. The titan reared back, roaring in agony and giving a window to his team. In unison, the solders proceeded to steer their steeds around the beast's ankles. Unfortunately, they didn't possess the needed skills to do it efficiently unlike those trained in the Scouts. The titan sidestepped, nearly pulling one of the men from his horse, but when the monster backpedaled again – the titan managed to do the very act. One of the soldiers was pulled violently from their saddle and into the muddy earth beneath the titan's legs, the giant's foot coming down on top of the poor soul before he young man could even scream. Jorge growled at the sight of blood bubbling up between the beast's toes, the monster paying no regard to its sin whatsoever. Clearly, they were going to have to resort to their second tactic – one that he didn't like executing for it was incredibly risky without one knowing a particular titan's top speed._

_"Switch to tactic B! We are going to have to play a game of cat and mouse with this one!"_

_"Yes, Capitan!" A soldier confirmed over the roar of thunder, lightening painting the landscape white for several seconds before the area darkened._

_Jorge prepared himself yet again as a solder fired off an acoustic round, a new tool in their arsenal that produced a high pitched tune that either stunned titans or attracted them. This time, the noise only captured the beast's full and focused attention to the ready and waiting soldiers. The seven-meter titan emitted a low roar and started after the team of Garrison recruits that dared the beast to a chase, giving him an open window to the monster's nape – just as long as his team didn't change direction. With a deep breath, Jorge grabbed the trigger hanging from his waste, aiming the gun shaped piece up at the base of the creature's skull. He watched for a moment, not even blinking at another clap of thunder and at the drops of rain that had settled on his lashes. He needed to finish the thing off quickly. It was always uncertain if a titan would react to a being on its nape or not. There were far too many times where he had seen soldiers grabbed and squeezed to pulp doing just that. With a final breath, he focused and pulled the trigger to The Device. As it had done in demonstration, the grapple and cable fired from the gun's barrel and planted itself into the layers of skin right below the titan's neck. Jorge then pulled the second trigger, suddenly sailing through the air. The force was tremendous, his arm pulling and his stomach dropping into his pelvis – a sensation he had never gotten used to when he began training with The Device. He gritted his teeth as he braced for the rough impact, trying desperately to not let the trigger slip from his grasp. Roughly, the man landed at the base of the titan's skull, its oily hair cascading over Jorge's shoulders. With the beast still running after his team, he began to move quickly. He drew his blade and dug his boots as deep into the ridges of the creature's muscles as he could to brace himself. Then, with as much force as he could, he lunged the iron bamboo blade deep into the nape. At this, the titan screamed, stopping in its tracks and bucking awkwardly, nearly throwing the man off. No! He would not let this monster prevail over him! With the creature's rage fuming, it roared again as Jorge pulled the sword across the titan's nape to create a deep gash that sent the beast howling. Still, he couldn't stop there. They had learned the hard way many years ago that the entire nape had to be cut clean otherwise the titan would just regenerate and keep on killing. Avoiding another thrash from the creature, Jorge withdrew his sword and plunged it into the creature's steaming flesh again at an angle. His ears throbbed at the creature's cry of agony, the sound leaving the world around him ringing. Deafness was another product that a titan could provide, far too many soldiers had gone deaf when the creatures would scream or roar in their ears. It was another thing he always added on the long list of things to avoid. The titan twisted around again and the horrifying sight of its hand hung over him, ready to grab and squeeze his insides from his body like he was a grape. Without another second to spare, Jorge pulled the sword across the titan's nape for the second time, carving out a chunk of red flesh that slid down the creature's back leaving a bloody trail behind – killing it._

_The seven-meter's body went as limp as a ragdoll and the monster began its decent back to earth, the man timing his jump off the creature just before the several ton titan plowed into the mud. Getting back to his feet, the Captain couldn't help but wear a confident grin. The Device had made the job easier and much faster with minimum losses – just as it was designed to do. But still, it needed refining. They needed to be able to perhaps move in different directions and actually fly rather than launch themselves upward. They had something though, something big that could be great with time._

_Hearing another cry of a felled titan, Jorge looked to see Carlo pulling his sword from his assigned titan's flesh, the young man wearing a confident grin as he looked to his father. "This thing works!" He laughed over the sound of pouring rain. "We may finally be gaining the upper hand with the titans, father!"_

_"Good work! But we are not done, Kuklo is still handling the five meter –_

_However, The Captain couldn't finish his sentence as the ground beneath his feet vibrated greatly and in a familiar pattern. Nearby boulders and trees quivered like a man in the winter wind. His heart pounded in his breast and skin paled white. There was only one titan that he knew of that could shake the earth so violently._

_"Ogre."_

_The familiar ten-meter titan tore its way through the line of trees, the entire world seemingly quiet as it made its way to Cardina hanging from the wall. Ogre was certainly a foul beast and no stranger to any soldier. It was the largest titan they had seen to date and often it served as a source of bragging rights that young soldiers often used to impress others or pick up women at bars saying that they survived the beast's wrath. Ogre was just grotesque no matter what angle one would look at the titan. The towering beast was very muscular but had a slight hunch to its back. The titan's face only looked imposing, a wide cunning grin, high cheekbones, and beady eyes. The ears of the creature fanned out in the slightest and the short hair upon its head was silver like that of an aged man. Over its left eye was a discoloration that reminded him of a scar. The titan was an abnormal. Always unpredictable. The very titan was responsible for the most deaths and injuries that the Scouts suffered. It was tradition to give their largest and fiercest titans names. Needless to say, Ogre sure suited this one._

_Jorge quickly scaled his horse and rode towards the beast. Normally, he would have preferred a titan going to the base of the wall where Cardina hung, but Ogre was a ten-meter titan and could easily reach Cardina – the young man would never be able to reel himself up the wall in time. He would have to use the only strategy he could think of to possibly kill the beast. Reaching into the pouch on his saddle, Jorge pulled a flare gun out and aimed a shot into the creature's eye, successfully hitting his target. The titan stopped in its pursuit and screamed, instinctively clawing at its face. "GET READY!" Jorge called over his shoulder, the sky lighting up a blinding white. "PREPARE YOURSELVES! MANUVER R!" He shouted over the rage of the building storm. The earth shook, drawing his attention back onto the monster to see that it had set its eyes upon him. The titan roared and lunged – a greedy hand outstretched and ready to enwrap his body in its fingers. Reacting quickly, Jorge commanded his horse to swerve, the titan's hand narrowly missing him but managing to snatch an unfortunate soldier. The creature immediately feasted, thankfully losing interest in The Captain as he rode behind the beast. Readying his blade yet again, Jorge brought it across the monster's ankles – only managing a scrape through the beast's thick hide. "Shit!" He cursed again, watching as his son attempted the same maneuver and getting the same result._

_"Looks like we're going to have to try harder!" Carlo growled. "Damn it!"_

_"Yeah, this one is thick skinned. I'll handle the hard stuff; you go for the nape when you get the chance!"_

_"Yes, Father!"_

_Ogre waved his massive arm, painting blood across the soaked earth. Again, he rode his horse between the titan's legs and sliced at the beast's ankle – the hit doing next to nothing. The titan held a solder in hand, cramming it into his mouth before roaring and going after another poor Garrison. The Captain rode towards his target again, his attempts continuing to be futile as the blood of his men continued to be spilt. Ogre roared again, cramming a handful of men and forcing them past his teeth. The titan spun its massive body, eyes suddenly locked onto him again. His heart began to beat faster as the creature rose a hand and swung, barely missing him with the earth crumbling beneath his horse's hooves. Quickly, he went after the beast's ankle yet again to deliver the cut. As expected, he didn't reach the tendon and only managed to paint his blade red yet again. The titan screeched angrily, and turned to try and follow him – the creature completely ignoring any damage he had made. He whipped the reins of his horse, pushing the animal to its limits, but the equine wasn't quick enough as the titan's looming figure was soon over him._

_He was done for._

_"GET BACK!"_

_Jorge's face twisted in confusion as he heard the beast screech in agony yet again. Looking over his shoulder, he caught sight of Kuklo – the teenager having abandoned the task of taking out the five meter that he was assigned to in order to distract Ogre from delivering the final blow. The boy was hooked onto the titan's muscular arm, his sword down in the creature's flesh as he hung by the cable of The Device. Even from where he was, Jorge could see the fire in the teen's single eye – a ferocity that some of the bravest soldiers possessed. The Captain was thankful, but not at all happy with the boy. Kuklo had went above his orders, pulling a foolish move that put their lives in grave danger._

_Ogre had stopped his assault to simply stare at the young teen, its gaze absolutely haunting. On edge, Jorge watched as the titan lifted its palm and brought it towards the young man like one would do to kill a mosquito, Carlo firing a cable towards the nape of the beast's neck as it was distracted. At the last possible second, Kuklo dropped – but mistakenly letting go of the trigger on The Device, the young man falling back to earth. Jorge let out a gasp, pulling his horse in the direction of the teen's fall. He had to catch him! He couldn't afford to lose the boy! Quickly, he sheaved his blade and held out his arms, Kuklo falling right into his grasp._

_However, before he could even blink, his horse suddenly flew out from beneath him and his body was airborne, Ogre having swiped at the equine. Wind wrapped itself around him until he landed roughly against the ground. The stormy sky and bloody earth traded places over and over again before Jorge came to a stop. The man blinked, watching a bolt of lightning run across the darkness overhead. His head throbbed, a wetness on his brow that indicated a nasty gash. Suddenly remembering his cargo and the danger at hand. Jorge sat up, only to feel an incredible pain in his side. Instinctively, his hand flew to his ribcage, feeling an obvious break – thanking the goddesses that the bone didn't puncture his lung. Recalling the teenager that was in his arms he looked around only to find the boy rushing over to him in alarm. He was then reminded that he was now in a serious dilemma. With his rib horribly broken, he was down for the count. The only two able men that could possibly kill Ogre were an unexperienced recruit and his son that was currently struggling to get high enough to the monster's nape – the cables of The Device not long enough. Every one of the Garrison soldiers that they had brought with them had all but been eaten._

_"Captain Pikale! Are you hurt?"_

_He grunted. "My rib's broken. Damn it. There's no way we can kill this thing." Jorge struggled to get to his feet. "We are going to have to retr-_

_An earth-shattering roar quieted the man mid-sentence, and causing a hushed silence to fall over the landscape. All life around them seemed to still as the bellow carried on – loud and clear. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise and his skin prickle. Every muscle in his body grew tense as his wide eyes looked around for a source, only seeing that Ogre and the five meter were absolutely still, heads turning about to look in what he could label as sheer confusion. Jorge swallowed. In his many years he had devoted to titan slaying, he had never heard a roar quite like the one that just met his ears. It was different. It didn't sound as high in pitch, the bellow was deep and powerful – similar to a warrior's battle cry but sounding like roar of a silverback. The bellow was absolutely beastly. One thing was absolutely certain though._

_Whatever it was, it was BIG._

_It was coming straight for them._

_And it was VERY angry._

_The ground beneath them began to shake, thundering footfalls rattling it to the extent that he was knocked back down into the mud. The incoming creature roared again, the sound forcing him to cover his ears as trees were torn from their roots and birds seeking refuge from the storm retreated. Suddenly, a massive humanoid charged out of the tree line with another bellow. Lightning ran across the sky yet again to shade everything in a bright light, but the thunder overhead could barely be heard above the beast's howl. Jorge's eyes focused again just in time to see a vast hand encase Ogre's face and the ten-meter titan being slammed straight down into the earth with the soil feeling the abuse from the weight. He was still, eyes hooked onto what was before him._

_Ogre, the most vicious titan that the Scouts had come across had just been attacked – by another titan._

_A BIGGER titan._

_Absolutely spellbound, he watched as Ogre struggled like a helpless dog beneath the new titan, swiping uselessly at the thing's face. The new behemoth roared again, raising a clutched fist and bringing it down upon the ten-meter's skull. Through the clamor of the storm, Jorge and the remaining few could hear the sickening crack of bone and watched blood shoot skyward like a fountain. Ogre whimpered at the blow, reduced to a pathetic animal as the larger titan opened its jaws and sunk its teeth into the ten-meter's throat, quickly ripping it out and swallowing the large amount of meat. Jorge and the others grew white. A titan was eating another one – something that humanity had never witnessed before._

_"My… my god." His son came to his side, moving slowly so not to attract the beast. "What… what the hell is that thing?"_

_Jorge swallowed. He had never seen another titan quite like the one before him. Even in the dark, he could clearly make out some of the titan's features. "It's got to be at least fifteen-meters." He muttered as he watched the titan eat Ogre alive, tearing out the creature's organs and filling its gullet all the while the new titan's victim choked on its own blood. The creature's body was muscular, built like that of god's from old mythology books. Absolutely perfect with no limb too long or too short. The titan had dark, shaggy, and shoulder length hair that descended over its angular face. It had no lips, displaying a serrated jaw full of blunt teeth – resembling the smile of a skull. Its nose was hooked, the cartilage pointed at the tip. The titan's eyes glowed a bright and furious green as it continued to tear flesh from bone – barely even bothering to chew as it swallowed._

_"What – what are those things on its head?" Kuklo muttered. "Are… are they horns?"_

_Jorge shook his head, squinting to study the creature closer. "No, they're – ears. It has pointed ears." Indeed, the titan had elven ears, the shape molded into a point – the appendages swiveling and moving in a way that reminded him of a cat's. Watching the titan dig its hand into its meal, he noticed that the beast's nails were pointed as well. By looks and temperament, this titan was absolutely unique._

_"Captain? What should we do?" Kuklo began. "Should we try and kill it?"_

_He snorted. "Are you kidding? With what we have, there's no way we could take this guy on." Jorge spoke as he continued to watch the creature feed. "Besides, so far, it hasn't taken any interest in us. It's only eating the –_

_Unexpectedly, the new titan's ear twitched, the creature lifting its head to glare daggers at the five meter who had just noticed them sitting in the grass. A low growl that rattled his own chest resonated from the beast's throat with the titan narrowing its brows and nose wrinkling further, showing that it had the ability to change expression. What stunned him more however, was the fact that the five meter had stopped in its tracks to look upon the large titan – appearing like a child having been caught doing something wrong. Suddenly, the fifteen-meter roared again and reached over to effortlessly but roughly snatch the five meter off the ground. Much to the awe of everyone, the titan raised the other to its mouth and quickly tore out the nape of the monster before tossing it away carelessly like a piece of trash before returning to its feast, the beast grunting in pleasure as it devoured the body of Ogre._

_"Holy crap, it knows where the weak spots on a titan are." Carlo speculated softly. "It went right for the nape of the five meter and right now it's practically torturing Ogre. It's not killing him because he knows what happens when the nape is removed. He's hungry by the looks of it and he's getting his fill. This titan – it could be a deviant class or it's an entirely different species we haven't seen yet."_

_"I'm betting on both." Jorge speculated, the stench of titan blood wavering through his nostrils. "It defeated Ogre easily – like it was chicken feed. This one – it's incredible."_

_"Yeah, it's –_

_However, Carlo stopped mid-sentence as the titan suddenly paused in its act of engorging itself. It sniffed, its deep breaths running across the moor. His heart bounded as the beast slowly lifted it head out of its prey's flesh – making his blood run cold at the fact that the titan had caught their scent. With his body rigged and he and the others too stunned and fearful to move, they watched as the behemoth placed its attention on them. It's eyes – it's eyes were astounding. They were no longer glowing a solid green, but were now like that of a human except for the creature's pupil that was slit like a snake's. They were unlike any that he had ever witnessed on a titan. They held the intellect of a man yet the feral wildness of an animal, green as emeralds and bright as a forest canopy in summertime. The titan's pupils dilated, rounding out as it continued to simply stare at them, the beast's nostrils flaring as it continued to inhale their scent._

_"Oh my god – should we run?"_

_The words fell deaf on Jorge's ears as the creature suddenly rumbled deep in its throat, the sound almost subsonic. It wasn't a growl by any means, but the way it changed in pitch made it almost sound – inquisitive. Suddenly, the titan's pupils returned to vicious looking slits and the beast turned its attention to the defeated. The titan grunted, snarling at its unconscious prey before it got to its feet and planted its foot on Ogre's half eaten chest. The titan then tossed its head back and roared even louder than ever before, announcing a cry of dominance that seemingly silenced the thunder overhead. Lightning flashed, illuminating the creature's frame to highlight every muscle in the titan's body. No doubt, the monster was absolutely raw power._

_"My god."_

_The beast's roar died down to a deep grumble within its chest, its great head lowering to place its green eyes onto its kill. In awe, the four men and the others atop the wall watched as the megalith grabbed the ten-meter's leg and with a strong tug, hoisted the monster over its shoulder like as sack of flower with almost no effort. The creature then bolted for the tree-line with its prize in tow, disappearing in the foliage. With the storm quieting, a hushed silence fell over the landscape. All he could hear was his heart pounding in his chest and the drizzling rain. Minutes passed by, the world remaining quiet until his only son found the courage to speak._

_"What – what should we call it?" He queried, bringing Jorge back to earth. The man already knew the answer._

_"It has no interest in us and it cannibalizes its own kind. I can only think of one fitting title."_

_"What?"_

_"The Berserker. To the other titans, he – is an absolute nightmare."_

Armin's face flushed, the thumping in his chest only growing louder and louder. His hands shook, the journal trembling. He couldn't believe it. He simply couldn't believe it. Mikasa beside him had paled to where she was almost white while the others looked on in a dumbfounded expression. Armin swallowed a wad of saliva. The Berserker that Jorge had named, was it really his dear friend? Was it really Rogue?

"Don't tell me," Connie stuttered, the first of the group to speak. "Is Rogue the titan he's talking about? Who they called The Berserker?"

"It sure sounds like it." Jean muttered.

"Are we sure it couldn't be –

Hearing Mikasa's words, instinctively, Armin turned a page in the journal – his heart skipping a beat as the confirmation was clearly laid out on the page. There, sketched in pencil, were more detailed drawings with more effort used than any other displayed in the journal. It was a very clear series of studies depicting none other than Rogue himself. There was a heavily shaded portrait with the titan's strong and determined gaze that he had seen far too many times. The creature's nose was slightly wrinkled, the very same that Rogue displayed when he was disgusted or angry. Everything was identical, each detail from the pointed ears to the serrated row of teeth. It was Rogue, a very different looking Rogue that looked absolutely fearsome.

"It's him." He spoke softly, mind abuzz with the news. "It's Rogue before he came to Wall Maria, maybe even before he lost his memory."

"He seemed different then." Mikasa started, a hint of shakiness laden in her tone. "Then again, we've seen him like that before. What – what on earth happened to him?"

Armin hung his head at his friend's fear. The thread was starting to ever so slowly unravel, creating even more questions.

"I wonder what happened to him too Mikasa." Krista frowned. "With the way Jorge drew him, he almost looks like he lost something dear to him. He just looks so hurt."

His frown deepened, seeing what Krista meant the longer he looked at the drawing. Suddenly, a thought struck him, one that made a shiver run up the base of his spine.

"The Berserker – I wonder if he attacked Ogre in a fit of rage like he did to that titan that ate Grisha and Carla in Shiganshina." Mikasa speculated, overlooking his growing panic.

"Why?" Armin began, gaining the others' attention at his trembling voice. "Why would the church and the MP's try to cover up Rogue's existence? Why were they so quick to punish Jorge and the others and slap them with a gag order? Even now, why are they so keen on the idea to kill Rogue off?" Armin contemplated, his thoughts running a mile per minute. "They – they must know something. They have to know something about Rogue that we are unaware of. If that's true – then they have known of Rogue's existence the whole time."

His friends' eyes grew wider. "Armin," Mikasa began. "If that's true, why would they be so inclined to hide the fact that Rogue existed to the general public? Do you think that Rogue could have known something or maybe was in possession of –

Armin sat up suddenly, connecting a piece to the puzzle. "I think, the reason that the church and MP's kept him secret perhaps for the same reason that the other deviant titans are after him for. Maybe… maybe it has something to do with what The Female Titan –

A crash and a great amount of scuffling interrupted him. Alarmed, the group of teens turned and headed into the small kitchen with the blonde stowing the journal safely under his arm. Before they could enter the room that they had took refuge in, Gelgar appeared in the doorway.

"Prepare yourselves! Titans have surrounded the castle!"

* * *

 

Here's some art!

  

 

More on my DA (same user name)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: Yeah, please don't kill me about Mike and Connie's parents XD
> 
> If you're wondering about The Beast and Armored titans names. Ansgar is of Celtic origin meaning "Warrior" and for The Beast Titan - the guy's real name is cannon is an abbreviation. I decided to use the full name :)
> 
> As far as an update schedule, the chapters should come every one or two months (if I'm late it's usually do to life reasons) Chapter 23 shouldn't take me as long to write and upload this time XD
> 
> I always post updates about this fic as well as illustrations from it on my tumblr account of the same user name. If you'd like to read something else of mine as you wait for the next chapter, feel free to check out my book Twisted by Miranda Leek that you can get on Amazon. It's an old work I wrote when I was still a teen but you may enjoy it.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter! It's going to be an intense one!


	23. Part 2: Chapter 23: King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bow to the King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Ah! I wanted to get this done by August and I did! This is the longest chapter of this fic. This is also one of the chapters I've been wanting to write for quite some time. It introduces the other titans and drops loads of clues about Rogue's past. There is a slight Manga spoiler, but it's probably common knowledge by now. This chapter is also pretty full of gore.
> 
> This was a monster of a chapter to write and edit, so if I missed anything or if there are any typos, please PM them to me!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter! Also, if you are reading this on Ao3, there is a special illustration that goes along with this chapter!
> 
> Also, please read the notes at the end of the chapter as well. There is important info about future chapters.

**Chapter 23**

**King**

His mind was swarming with confusion like bees in a hive, head almost pounding. Panic was all he felt flowing through his veins. His hands gripped the journal that he held even tighter, praying that his sweating palms didn't damage the pages. The first direction that his mind was pulling him in was the matter of his titanic friend. Rogue. What on earth had Rogue gone through? Why was his existence covered up when he was first discovered many decades ago? Armin felt his body tense up even further at this. It was incredibly clear now that the other deviant titans were after Rogue. It was likely that it was due to his status, but Armin was now having second thoughts about such being true. With the MP's and the church sweeping Rogue's existence under a rug, it was possible that there was something much more to his talent – the thing that The Female called the Coordinate. Was the ability of ordering titans something that only Rogue could do? Then again, maybe his Berserk Mode was part of the equation as well. After all, he had never seen a titan so relentless and powerful such as Rogue in the very state. Another query that had come out of the shadows and into the light was how Rogue had come to the walls and came into contact with Jorge. How on earth had he gotten there and inside Wall Maria? As he recalled, Hange discovered that he had come from a different region in the world – one that Armin couldn't even begin to guess where it was located. With Rogue's recent resurfacing memories, there was also evidence that Rogue's breed was social and not solitary – suggesting that they lived in groups. The other Jaeger Titan that Rogue described in his memories was possibly close to Rogue at one point in the titan's lifetime and could even be related by blood – a possible family member. If his friend even had a family – why were they not seeking him out? What on earth happened to the gentle titan? He wanted to know desperately. Everyone did.

Of course, the second direction his mind was going in was onto a more urgent matter that currently put the mystery of Rogue on the shelf. What he and the others were witnessing now made them tremble to the bone and chill all the way into their boots. The state of being petrified infected every male and female upon the tower. The full moon hung high overhead, illuminating the landscape before Utgaard and highlighting every needle on the pines. It also revealed a sight that both filled their hearts with dread and forced them into a state of shock. Below them, walking without an ounce of exhaustion, were at least a dozen titans.

Monsters that were still marching even after the sun had long since sat.

Armin swallowed, panic settling in even further. In his several years of being a cadet and going through countless lessons as well as reading Hange's research in addition to old surviving texts of titan biology – he had never heard of both normal and abnormal titans moving without the aid of sunlight. Sure, Rogue could operate and move until he would finally give into exhaustion around midnight at the latest. However, any of the common run of the mill variety always collapsed when the moon traded places with the sun. The titans below them looked just as hungry and agile as they would be beneath the sun's rays. Sweat traced down his brow. How! How could these titans move at night! What the hell was going on!

His eyes watched two small titans that were barely two meters tackle one another to the ground and seemingly squealing before one ripped the ear off the other in a sick form of what he could label as play. It was then that he realized that they had very little supplies – a fact that made his heart falter several times. He as well as most of the new recruits had exhausted all of their materials. Blades were dull, broken, or just plain gone while nearly all of them only have a few drops of gas within their canisters. Even the veterans didn't fare much better. Sure, they had found old and dated versions of their weapons, but there was no time to adapt and learn how to use them. They were in a very, very bad situation. With the rest of the regiment still in Ehrmich district, their chances of survival were alarmingly low.

As the newer recruits stood back in sheer silence with jaws slightly slacked and eyes wide, the veterans stood at the edge of the tower overlooking their enemy. Armin could easily tell that they were just as confused and fearful as they were. The same thoughts about a slim survival rate were likely passing through their heads as well.

"What… what the hell? How are they moving at night!" Henning stuttered. "They are supposed to be sleeping like infants!"

Armin watched Lynn's eyes practically grow to the size of grapefruits. "In the history of titans and mankind, I've never seen or heard that common titans could move at night!"

Gelgar growled, sounding almost animal like. "You stupid bastards!" The man yelled at the creatures as if they could comprehend his words. "I'd be drinking a decades old bottle of fine wine right now if it weren't for you!" Armin practically heard the man's teeth grind.

Connie swallowed. "How – how are we supposed to ward them off and kill them? None of us have hardly any fuel left and any pairing blades we have are dull!" The fearful teen questioned, receiving Nanaba's attention away from the advancing horde.

"Yes, we are aware of the shortage, you kids have the lowest amount of supplies of any of us. You have very little or none at all. We ourselves don't fare much better." Their superior spoke strongly. Indeed, our chances of leaving here period, are next to none with the others likely unable to show up in time. For now, you leave these titans to us. We will hold them off as long as possible. You stick to high ground and wait for further orders. If we manage to pick a decent amount off, the first opening you get, get to the bottom of the tower and take the horses and run. If you really found something of valuable that The Commander needs to see – you need to be the ones to survive out our squad."

Armin's brows lifted, eyes glancing down at the old journal in recognition before nodding in understanding. His superiors were mentally and physically prepared to sacrifice themselves.

"Yes, Sir."

Nanaba nodded with the others cresting over the tower's edge and descending down into the chaos. The blonde Section Commander looked back at their party, somehow still retaining her serious expression to mask any fear that she had. "If we don't make it, good luck to all of you." The woman concluded as she leaped from the tower and into the fray.

Naturally, the team of new recruits ran for the edge of the large structure to peer over the aged wall knowing it was all they could do at the very moment – keep an eye on both their squad mates and the currently advancing abnormals for both their superior's safety and for any opening to escape to come to them. Armin watched Gelgar swoop in a vicious dive, almost like a bird of prey as a titan with a very large and very rounded stomach reached for the man as it held its girth much like a pregnant woman would hold her swell. He had seen Gelgar on occasion in training and it was apparent his fighting style was of the aggressive type. It reminded him a bit of Oluo's full on assaults – straight and brutal. He knew of course that such a technique wasn't always a good one to have. Some titans, especially deviants and abnormals, required a soldier to be careful and calculative. Gelgar definitely wasn't.

"Oh no you don't!" The disgruntled man shouted, Armin swearing that he heard the man utter profanity about not being able to drink his wine before his superior swung his swords at the last possible second. Iron bamboo cut through thick flesh and bone like a knife to butter, the strings of tendons and blood from vessels decorated the wall of the tower and the man that separated them – the digits themselves falling to the earth below. The beast itself groaned in agony, seemingly holding itself further as another cable buried itself into the base of its skull. Powered by momentum alone, Nanaba cut through the air gracefully – true to her own style as she sliced through the monster's nape completely undetected. As the two Scouts attached themselves to the tower like bats to cave walls, the titan stumbled and fell just a few feet before the entrance to the tower – crushing several small two and three meter titans beneath its bulk. Armin gulped, the titan had come to rest so close to the tower, revealing another thing they would have to worry about – the slain titans' bodies toppling over their only fortress.

"Ha! Idiots!" Gelgar chuckled, making many of their party cringe at his cocky words. He didn't even need to second guess or squint to see that Nanaba rolled her eyes at the man's commentary.

"You need to watch your tongue and focus on your duty at hand. You never know which words will be your last."

Gelgar merely grumbled, eyes suddenly widening in alarm. Concerned, fretful blues and the other teens' eyes followed the man's gaze to see an unsettling sight that instantly got his superiors' attention. Below the large deceased titan, a small two meter was attempting to crawl its way out from beneath the fatty layer of flesh – its nails digging into and struggling to get a grip on the debilitated pathway.

"Oh shit!" Jean muttered. "There's little ones as well. Unlike the big ones – they can actually force their way in."

Upon hearing his friend's words, Armin's blood chilled. The smaller titans could most definitely get inside the tower if they really wanted to. If they did, the ones without supplies would be in for huge trouble. It was possible that they could get overwhelmed as well. If that happened – their chances of survival would rapidly decrease to almost nothing.

Seeing the struggling beast, Lynn quickly swooped and landed harshly upon the small titan's back. Almost pitifully, the creature tried to turn and snap at the young woman. Quick to eliminate, Lynn brought her blades to the beast's nape – cutting it away with the titan going limp like a rag doll.

Then, even on top of the tower, Armin watched as Lynn's body suddenly went rigged and the color drained from her skin. He knew. With the young woman's reaction, the blonde teen realized that the unfortunate had transpired.

Skin white as snow, Lynn turned to look upon Nanaba and Gelgar – face lit up in nothing but panic. "The door! It's smashed in! They've gotten inside!" She announced, several gasps running through the teens and he himself feeling a wave of wooziness run through him at the news. Both Nanaba and Gelgar's brows rose in shock. Seconds seemed to pass before the blonde Section Commander dawned a look of both anger and determination.

"Keep working! The four of us must keep the titans at bay! We can't let anymore inside! If too many get in, we are done!" Nanaba ordered as she suddenly launched herself up to the ledge of the tower to meet eyes with the group of teenagers. "Change of plans." She began sternly. "We need all of you to go down to the lower levels and create any sort of barricade that you can. If anything, you need to stall them long enough so we can take care of most of the others. Only retreat if there are too many for you to handle. Now hurry! You don't have much time!"

"Yes, Sir!"

Armin swallowed as he turned to follow the others back down into the interior of the tower. His heart pounded harder, he prayed that the smaller titans hadn't reached the upper levels. If they had, it would be impossible to form a barricade as they had been ordered. Armin glanced over at Mikasa who wore just as much of a worried expression as he did as they made their way down into the third level of the tower. He could tell that she was masking a bit of inward panic as well as frustration. It didn't take an expert to tell that all Mikasa wished to do was get back to Rogue. He couldn't imagine how worried about the titan she was – the dark haired teen had always been sensitive about him. Especially now, with the new information that had come to light, Mikasa was more concerned than ever before. And so was he.

What in the absolute hell was going on?

The group of teens then set foot on the third floor that was lit by several torches that Lynn and Henning lit up some hours before for visibility. With the room illuminated by dull flames, it was clear that the room was an old armory with weapons that looked absolutely archaic. Several old and absolutely rusted out cannons sat against the wall, looking unquestionably useless by their dated design compared to those he was used to seeing atop the walls. There were swords that were dull from wear that were far from modern standards as well as several old gas canisters that looked far too big and heavy to fit their current gear – any bit of gas that was in them rusting holes in the bottom. On old workbenches there were a few sets of the old maneuver gear models similar to what the journal pictured. Overall, it was a room of useless scrap metal that couldn't begin to compete with their modern and standard issued equipment. Nearly stumbling on his own feet, Armin observed as Jean quickly hoisted one of the torches from its holster upon the wall – looking absolutely urgent and serious. The teen then flung open the door that led down to the previous area that they had been taking refuge in shortly before. Looking down to the floor, Armin nearly let out a sigh in relief. Any intruding titan had not made its way up to the second floor yet.

"Looks like the bastards haven't figured out how to get to this floor yet." Jean pondered aloud as he continued to motion quickly down the stairs. "They're either on the first floor or they somehow got turned around and ventured into the basement." The teen jogged, heading right for the door that sealed the first floor from the second. Armin could practically feel the hairs raise upon his neck in realization. The titans, there was no way that they could have gone into the basement. The only entrance was a wooden trapdoor on the center of the floor that required that it be pulled to open. With its location, the wood of the door had to be thick enough to withstand the weight of both people and equipment that had once stood upon it. It was likely that it was strong enough to withstand a small two-meter titan as well. Returning from his thoughts, Armin looked up just in time to see Jean lay his hand onto the handle.

"Jean!" Armin paused in the middle of the stairs, watching as the taller teen halted at his words. "Hold on! If a titan got in, it would be on the first floor! The basement is too well sealed for them to get in!" He announced with Mikasa blinking in consideration.

"Yeah, that's right. Even though the trapdoor to the basement showed age, the heavy iron hardware would prevent a small titan from falling through. Not to mention, the whole door is connected to a complex pulley system."

Jean dipped his head at the truth. "Yeah, you're right. There's no way they can get into the basement. Should – we formulate a plan as to how we're going to do this?" The male looked to him, obviously directing his query to him knowing that he was usually the one possessing an idea.

Armin found himself gulping yet again. His mind easily going to a solution just as Jean would expect, but an issue had to be addressed first. "I've got a plan. However, we need to know how much time we have. As scary as it sounds, we need to take a peek on the other side of the door to see both what we are dealing with and determine how much time we need to seal the door. Just a piece of wood isn't going to hold for long if we need to hold off a titan until we can firmly barricade the entrance." He answered nervously but sternly, trying to keep his voice from shaking as best as he could. Jean only nodded and turned back to face the knob.

"Alright. I'll take a quick look to see what's going on below us. Just be prepared to take action." Jean exhaled, his throat bobbing before he twisted his wrist, gradually turning the knob.

It became silent between all of them as the door slowly opened with a loud creak that made his skin crawl, revealing a black void that was eerily quiet. He, and several of his comrades held their breaths as they looked into the darkness – unable to see but mere inches past the doorway. With the teen gulping hard yet again, Jean lifted the torch and positioned it as needed – its light revealing winding stairs and a sight that made his pounding heart nearly leap from his chest and his hands nearly drop the journal.

There, just a few feet away on the stairs, was a small titan. Even from the dim light, it was unnerving. It was like most, built awkward with a rib cage too wide with the curved bones nearly poking through the flesh. Its face however, was the thing that made his skin prickle the most. Its eyes were a cold blue and its mouth was fixed in what he could classify as a gleeful grin – the thing's teeth stained yellow from blood. The creature was absolutely unsettling. For what seemed like seconds, time appeared frozen with no soul moving until the titan let out what sounded like a vague chuckle and opened its wide jaws, beaming even bigger as hunger flashed across its eyes. With not a second more to waste, the beast lunged forward, bringing Jean back from his state of bewilderment – the teen's adrenaline igniting through his veins and provoking him to slam the door shut and secure it with a piece of wood. "Shit!" He yelped, the door jolting as the titan made impact on the other side, nearly pushing the door from its hinges and making Jean abandon any idea of retreat as he motioned to brace himself against the heavy door. "They're in here!" He announced, the door bouncing and vibrating from the creature's attempts to break through on the other side.

The titan continued to grunt and snarl as it proceeded to pelt the door with serious aggressive advances. Armin could practically hear every scape the beast's nails made as it clawed at the door like a rabid dog. It reminded him of a hunter's hound going after a kill, the titan grunting repetitively, its breaths sweeping from underneath the door as it constantly switched from throwing itself forward and trying to dig its way through to them. The creature droned cavernously, stalling in its approach. It then became quiet again, allowing Jean to relax and wipe away beads of nervous sweat.

"Could it have given…

The teen however, was unable to finish his sentence as the titan threw itself against the door once again with a defiant shriek, hitting the wooden surface so hard that the door bounced and nearly threw Jean forward. His heart practically leapt from his chest in sheer alarm.

"Damn it! I can't hold –

Jean paused mid-sentence yet again as a splintering crack echoed throughout the room, the arm of the titan forcing its way through the sturdy wood to attempt in snatching any close body – the creature's nails digging deep into the hard surface in search of flesh. With the display snapping most from their state of bafflement, Connie charged forward to brace himself against the door with a panicked Jean. The titan shrieked again as it continued to relentlessly pound against the aged wood and swiped – its fingers barely touching strands of the taller teen's hair.

"Shit! Shit! It's strong!" Connie announced, voice like a terrified child's. "There's no way we can hold this forever!"

Suddenly, the beast began to push, pulling its arm in and poking its head through to make another attempt of getting them between its teeth. Saliva flew in all directions as the titan snapped its jaws like a ravenous wolf. Mikasa then left his side, practically leaping down several curved steps and hurriedly making her way across the room. Armin watched as she grasped one of their used blades in hand and made her way in a sprint towards the other two teens struggling to hold the creature back. The girl's face twisted into a snarl of both anger and determination as Mikasa held the weapon high with eyes burning with intent. With as much force as she could exert, his friend plunged the dull sword into the mucus membrane of the titan's eye – the creature screaming as the metal plunged deep into the beast's cornea and cut through the bridge of its nose. For a moment, the titan paused in its needs to satisfy its hunger to pitifully reach for its face, giving him both a window of opportunity and a plan. It was too late to effectively barricade the door before them so only one option remained.

"Mikasa! Krista! Come with me! I need your help!" Armin ordered as he started back up the stairs. "Connie! Jean! Hold the door as long as you can! Move out of the way when I tell you to!"

"What!" The shorter male struggled. "Armin!"

"Just keep doing what you're doing! I have an idea!" He retorted, leaving Connie and Jean perplexed and both Krista and Mikasa even more so as they joined him in scaling the steps back to the third floor.

"Armin?" Krista began, her breath ragged and tone urgent. "What are we doing? We need to barricade the –

"That door is done for!" He interrupted as he continued to carry himself up the steps.

"What –

"The titan has already broken it to the point where if another were to put its weight against it, the door would surely give way. We'll have to retreat to the third floor, but we need to take out that titan first. There is a slight chance that it could be the only one that was small enough to get in. If we leave it be it's going to be trouble. So we're going to need to take care of it as well as buy us some time to build a proper blockade on the third floor." Armin paused to catch his breath. "Those old cannons gathering dust up there should do the trick. If we can push it into position, we can roll it down the stairs and hopefully run over that titan. The older cannons, from what I've read, are quite heavier than the newer versions standing on top of the walls. It might be hard to move, but I'm sure its size and the momentum it gains when rolling will serve us well!"

"Alright." Mikasa began. "I hope this works."

The trio then crested the top of the stairs into the old armory. Thinking quickly, Armin reluctantly pulled the journal from underneath his arm and placed it safely on a neighboring crate before turning to a cannon that was positioned correctly. "There! We'll use that one! It's heavy by the looks of it, but these were designed to be mobile and moved around quickly. All we need to do is push it!" He projected as he hurriedly weaved around the other rusty weapons to the cannon's rear with Mikasa and Krista quickly joining him. "Push!" He ordered, putting as much force as he could against the old iron – feeling the rubber soles on his boots strain against the dusty floor. "Push!" He cried again, praying that Jean and Connie were still holding their own. With both teen girls aiding him, he finally felt the cannon roll forward, its old wooden wheels creaking in protest with each turn. With the cannon giving in to movement, the three threw themselves into high gear and pushed harder. After a decent amount of sweat, the cannon came to rest at the edge of the stairs. "Jean! Connie!" Armin called, watching the two look away from the still struggling titan to their position – faces falling with shock.

"A cannon! You can't be serious!" The taller male doubted, Armin's brows only narrowed in determination – remarkably not feeling an ounce of fear running through his body but rather focusing on a solution to the current situation. He was high on adrenaline.

"It's our only option! Move!" Armin projected desperately as he and the others braced their hands against the defunct weapon and pushed, the level floor suddenly dipping beneath the cannon and sloping into stairs with the heavy piece of artillery leaving their reach and beginning its wild and rapid decent. Seeing the cannon gain momentum down the flight, Connie and Jean bolted to leave the small titan to proceed in trying to pull the sword from its face. The large weapon rolled faster, iron banging against wood and stone seemingly rattling beneath it as it neared its destination. Armin held his breath as the canon practically flew forward from the stairs into its target, the sound of splintering wood and the titan screeching meeting their ears as it made impact – the creature's blood decorating the floor and doorway as its torso was smashed in. Armin held his breath along with the others as the dust gradually began to settle, revealing the devastation. The door was absolutely no more, simply laying in a mixture of debris and splintered wood. Beneath what was left of the heavy cannon and door, was the small titan. The sword was still sticking out from its face but the creature was no longer struggling and appeared to be knocked into a state of unconsciousness – the monster still breathing steadily.

"I don't think it's getting up from that. It's small so I don't think it will be able to get the cannon off of it when it wakes up." Jean sighed. "Damn thing."

Mikasa exhaled in relief, walking over to what was Gelgar's sleeping area to pick up a small knife the man had used to open the bottle of wine that he snuck sips from. "I should probably cut its nape."

Armin shook his head. "As much as that's needed Mikasa, that's too dangerous to try. If it suddenly wakes up, it can still turn its head and could tear a chunk right out of you. It's best if we just leave it for now and focus on barricading the third floor door."

For a moment they seemed to weigh their options before Krista nodded in agreement. "Yeah that's a good idea. It would give us time to gather the supplies needed." She turned to ascend up the steps. "After all, we don't know if another got in –

With Krista's unfinished sentence, Armin followed her drifting gaze to see a sight that made his blood run cold yet again. There, silently climbing over the rubble was another small titan.

The creature towering just an arms-length behind Connie.

Armin opened his mouth to yell a warning, but quickly found that his voice was caught in his throat – the others in the room paralyzed as well. The titan's breath grew rapid, the beast's nostrils flaring – the noise making Connie stall, face freezing in realization. With the world seemingly in slow motion yet again, Armin watched as Connie turned to face the beast with the teen's throat characteristically bobbing in fear. The titan's eyes opened to reveal clouded blues before the beast peeled open its maw and hungrily lunged for the unarmed recruit. He found himself unable to move again, every bit of fear returning at the realization that there was no way he could get to Connie in time. The boy would be unfortunately joining his parents. There was nothing he could do.

However, before Connie fell to the same fate, Jean's hand roughly impacted the titan's cheek – the tall teen pushing the titan's jaws away with every bit of force he had, Jean's face in an animalistic snarl as his other hand shoved a stunned Connie from harm's way. To everyone's horror, the titan pulled its head back and turned, clamping its teeth down onto Jean's forearm with the teen letting out a cry of sheer agony. Armin's stomach nearly turned over as the sickening crack of bone met his ears and terrified blues observed crimson seep out of flesh. Jean's teeth grinded together, but before he could open his mouth to request for aid, Mikasa rushed forth and slammed the old military knife into the beast's cheek with the titan's blood splashing against her own.

"M…Mikasa? He – ah!" Jean stammered. "What are –

"Hold still! I'm cutting the muscles in this thing's jaw!" The girl spoke fiercely as she carved the knife deeper into flesh, the titan seemingly not caring at all. Blood began to puddle upon the floor as the small blade separated skin. Finally, the titan let out a short screech as it's jaw fell open to release the teen. "Run!" Mikasa ordered, with Jean scrambling up the steps in a desperate bid to get to safety. "R –

The exotic teen paused, taking a step in retreat with eyes open wide. The titan had turned its attention to both her and Connie, the monster completely ignoring its wound. Armin swallowed. This wasn't good! The small giant was between his friends and their way of escape – and without their gear to defend themselves or to aid them in mobility, there was little chance that Mikasa and Connie could escape unharmed – or even at all. In horror, he viewed the titan start forward to the two Scouts, moving as a predator would do to stalk its prey. The creature growled, saliva falling from its maw as it held the two in its hungry gaze. Armin swallowed, they had to do something. He had to do something. If he could just distract the titan for a minute, Mikasa could still attack it with the knife. Still, with the small abnormal's unpredictable behavior, there was no telling what was to happen. He didn't have any other choice. At the moment, such an idea was the only available option.

Armin swallowed. "Hey! HEY!" He called, making himself as loud as possible. "Over here!"

To his luck, the beast slowly turned its head to look upon he and his two other companions, the titan's bloody mug absolutely unnerving. For a moment, it stood there before letting out a gurgling roar and rushing toward them. Armin braced himself, the creature surprisingly not running for the base of the stairs but rather for the wall the spiraling stairs rested upon, the move showing the creature's lack of intelligence. He didn't bother to watch Mikasa and Connie scuffle among their scattered belongings. His only focus was the titan directly below him and on what his next move could be. ' _A sword! I could get one from up in the ar –_

He couldn't finish the thought however as the titan suddenly shrieked again and jumped upward, making the blonde's heart jolt as its hands peeked over the edge of the step.

"Shit!"

The titan landed back onto the floor, its weight rattling them, Armin practically feeling his kneecaps shake. The beast then leaped again in an attempt to satisfy its hunger. This time, luck was on the creature's side as its hand managed to reach far enough to grasp Krista's ankle and roughly pull her off her feet with the small blonde letting out a scream. Impulsively, Armin bent down to grab her hands, the male feeling Jean attempt to grasp his shirt.

"Armin! Jean!" Krista struggled. "Help me!"

"We're trying!" He yelled over the titan's sounds of aggression.

"Fuck!"

His heart practically threatened escape as he felt his friend slipping from his grip, the look on Krista's face only making him panic even further. He couldn't let her go! He couldn't! He didn't want anyone to die! They had to survive! They had to survive the night! They had to get back! To the Scouts! To Rogue!

Then, as if his prayers had been answered by some sort of god, a can of uneaten olives smacked the titan behind the head, catching the beast off guard and forcing it to release Krista. Pulling the girl back to safety, Armin looked to see both Mikasa and Connie holding opposite ends of a cable belonging to a set of maneuver gear. He felt his heart lift hopefully in his chest – knowing just what the two were setting out to accomplish.

"Why don't you come here and pick a fight with us!" Connie yelled bravely, knuckles turning white as he gripped the cable even tighter.

The titan growled at the challenge, all of its focus on the two Scouts that interrupted it, its jaw finally beginning to heal.

"Get ready, Connie." Mikasa prepared as she slid the knife behind one of her belts. "We are going to have to be quick."

The beast suddenly snarled through its bloody maw and surged forward with its arms outstretched and ready to snag its meal. With the move, Armin watched as Mikasa yelled a command and the two teens ran forward, parallel to one another with the cable stretched tight between them. The titan had no time to react as the strong threaded steel cut across its shins so forcefully that the beast fell forward – smashing its face against the stone floor. As quickly as she moved with her gear, Mikasa pulled the knife from her belt again and threw herself onto the titan's back – plunging the knife deep into its nape. Before the creature could cry out in anguish, Mikasa swiped the blade in a fluent motion, killing the creature instantly, he titan's body falling absolutely limp. Armin nearly fell to his knees in relief. For a moment, the group of teens reveled in their success until the reality of the situation returned to them.

"Let's hurry and barricade the third floor door before any more of them get in. We can't afford to deal with another one."

* * *

Armin let out a sigh as he shoved the journal in an old military messenger bag before proceeding in finding something that would serve as a suitable splint. His heart wavered as another vibration pulsed beneath his feet, telling him that another titan had been cut down by the veteran Scouts outside. Their party was now sealed inside the armory, their barricade of old weapons that they had made shortly before holding strong and providing much needed reassurance. Currently, the others were doing whatever they could to aid Jean who sat in the center of the room with Connie trying to hold the teen's wounded arm in a stable position. Krista was rummaging around in crates and chests trying to locate anything to sterilize the injury while Mikasa simply oversaw the scene. Opening another chest, his hand instantly selected a metal rod that was once used as a gun barrel – the remaining piece from a shortened weapon. It wasn't ideal, but it would work.

"I'm not a doctor by any means." Mikasa began quietly as she examined Jean's arm. "But I picked up a few tidbits from Dr. Jaeger. Jean's arm is definitely fractured, he's lucky the bone didn't break completely in two though. If an artery was punctured, he would have bled to death."

Jean grunted, still pitifully holding pressure on the gaping wound. "I hope this doesn't get infected."

Armin swallowed nervously at the male's statement. It was true, if it was one thing to be the most concerned about, it was the infectious bacteria from the titan's saliva doing some serious damage to Jean's health. He knew good and well from Hange's notes on various samples common mindless titan saliva, that the creatures' spit was full of harmful germs and who knew what else. Not to mention, with a diet consisting of humans, there was also the risk of contaminants from leftover carrion that sometimes resided between a titan's teeth as well. It wasn't often that solders walked away from a titan's bite, but when they did there was usually an infection that would settle into the wound due to the fact that most of the time it couldn't get sterilized straight away. Some poor soldiers often became very sick afterwards and had to undergo intense treatment. Sometimes an infected bite would actually kill a victim. For the very reason, a titan's bite was often considered more lethal than even a venomous snake's. Armin swallowed fretfully, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. They needed to treat Jean's wound quickly, not to mention sew it up as best as possible to control the bleeding. Armin let out a sigh as he approached the group, he really hoped things wouldn't get even worse. There were far too many concerns and far too much to deal with.

"Alright, I think I found something we could use for a temporary splint." He began with Krista giving slight celebration just behind them, pulling out an old and rusty metal chest and coming excitedly to them.

"I can't believe it! I found an old first aid kit! Finally, we got some luck on our side!" The small teen knelt down and opened the small box, revealing supplies that were old but definitely usable. Armin gave into another sigh in relief as he spied an unopened bottle of alcohol and other sterilizing astringents.

"Thank god." Jean muttered, his face showing his agony that was clearly distinguishable in the soft torchlight.

"Lucky indeed." Mikasa spoke as she pulled an aged brown bottle from the set. "This is hydrogen peroxide. It's even more effective than alcohol when it comes to getting germs out of an open wound. We need to pour this on first before we stitch it up and cast it. We can use the alcohol to sterilize the needles in the kit. The gauze can go on first before we attach the splint and wrap it with cloth to stabilize it. We can use one of the old flags over here in the corner to make a sling." She informed, sharing a bit of knowledge that she and him had learned from a text that Rogue had found in one of the Scout's depots back in Maria. Thankfully, they never had to use the knowledge when they lived in the titan's cove, but now it was being put to good use. Not to mention, their lessons on field dressing a wound they learned as trainees only aided them even more.

"Alright." Krista began. "Sounds good. Um – I actually sewed a lot before I became a soldier so I think I can stitch up the bite." She swallowed nervously, clearly trying to put her own fears behind her.

"Okay. I'll do the disinfecting." Mikasa opened the bottle. "We'll have to work quickly here. We can't miss an opening given to us to escape. Krista, go ahead and sterilize the needles." She spoke seriously, grey yes suddenly turning to Jean. "Brace yourself. When I pour this on, it's going to sting for a while."

Jean tilted his head and groaned, his opposite hand wiping away sweat that had accumulated upon his brow. "Just do it quickly. Get it over with." He mumbled, visibly clinching his jaw as he braced himself for the coming pain.

Mikasa only nodded and hovered the bottle over the male's arm before tilting the open container. As the translucent liquid met the open wound, Jean let lout a constrained scream, hissing and gritting his teeth even harder as the peroxide began to foam like the top of a beer – killing a lot of bacteria and washing away much of the smeared blood. For a moment, Mikasa watched the liquid do its work before tilting he bottle again to cleanse the bite.

"S…shit! Fuck that hurts!"

"It's killing off the bacteria. Hey Krista? Do you have everything ready?" Mikasa turned to the small blonde who nodded and held up a curved needle dangling from nylon thread.

"Yeah. I'm good."

"Alright. You can start sewing it up." Mikasa examined. "It honestly needs stapled, but stitches are the best we can do now. Are you ready Jean? We don't have anything to numb you, so this is going to hurt… a lot." His longtime friend winced with Jean pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Do it then. It can't be any worse than that fucker's actual bite."

Armin bit his lip, feeling a knot grow in his throat as Krista exhaled before lowering the thin piece of steel. As the metal pierced the skin, Armin quickly looked away knowing that seeing a needle sewing up flesh was going to make him ill. Connie did the same, forcing himself to look to the wall. Mikasa of course continued to supervise as Jean yelped and projected his discomfort, the girl completely used to viewing such a practice. Knowing that there wasn't much to do, Armin walked over to a lone window that was sealed by weathered shutters. After some slight difficulty, the teen opened the window to allow the moonlight to grace the armory. Ignoring Jean's cries of discomfort, Armin peered outside to see a reassuring sight. The steaming carcasses of several dead titans lay at the foot of the castle with few remaining – five to be exact. It was absolute proof that the veterans knew good and well what they were doing. Still, not a signal was given to them to make their escape. After all, the five titans were of the large variety and were still dangerous. If they rode out at the very moment, one would certainly spot them and they could be killed easily.

"Looks like the Scouts might have things under control."

Upon hearing Mikasa, Armin turned to see that she stood at his side peering out into the courtyard of Utgaard as well. "I don't think I've ever seen titans move around at night like that – it's almost dawn too." She paused, examining as a small titan tried to climb over the corpse of a larger titan in a pitiful attempt to get to them. "Do you think – that something is allowing them to stay awake?"

Armin bit his lip. "I'm sure there is a reason – I wonder if it's affecting Rogue as well. He does stay up late for a titan, some nights more than others." He trailed off, suddenly remembering a bit of text that he had read at a library. "Actually, if I had to guess – I'd say that it has something to do with the full moon."

Mikasa blinked, astonished. "The full moon?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Moonlight is reflected sunlight and the moon is full tonight so more light is reflected. Normally, there isn't enough light from the moon on a regular night – an amount that could be so small that it doesn't energize a titan so they just fall asleep. Even if I'm right about the full moon – it's not intense light so perhaps it's just enough to keep them going. The Scouts haven't really done much as far as night missions. Even Hange didn't do as many night experiments – simply because her subjects just fell into a state of repose. As for Rogue, I'm not so sure if he's ever stayed up during a full moon."

Mikasa bit her lip in consideration. "Maybe it is because Rogue is usually in his nest with us. Even when he was alone in the cove, he probably just retreated inside his tree where the moonlight couldn't get him. If what you saying is true Armin – it's terrifying."

Armin swallowed at her reply. Yes, indeed. If the full moon really allowed titans to move at night, it was an absolutely alarming discovery that would change how the Scouts went about things. Another alarming thought then came to mind, one that made the lump in his throat return. "I hope there are no titans near Ehrmich district. Even more so, I hope the Armored Titan hasn't gone there in search of Rogue."

Mikasa nearly froze at the revelation, his skin visibly paling. "I hope not." She uttered, her voice soft and restrained as she pulled her scarf over her mouth. Armin remained silent, not quite sure if it was possible to reassure her when he couldn't even reassure himself.

Oh how he hoped that he was wrong.

"Hey Armin and Mikasa? I think we're ready to put the cast on." Krista's voice returned them to the situation.

Walking back to the others, Armin kept quiet and to himself. He could only hope that The Armored was preoccupied with something other than breaking into Ehrmich district. That was the last thing that the Scouts needed to happen. Currently, there was no way of knowing if such a thing was occurring, and it bothered him greatly. At the moment however, he couldn't let fear of such keep him from functioning. He and the others had to focus on surviving so they could actually return to Rogue.

The two teens then stopped to crouch next to Jean with the supplies they had gathered to form the cast. Armin swallowed roughly as he spied the titan's bite. It was better than before, but it was still difficult to look at. The flesh was stitched in a way that a tailor would sew leather together. It wasn't perfect by any means or pretty whatsoever. The flesh was a sickly black and blue and the sutures were amateurish compared to Dr. Jaeger's past work. To Jean's misfortune, it would certainly have to be redone later by one of the Scout's medics, but their attempt at playing doctor forbid the wound from bleeding which would keep Jean stable until they met up with the rest of the Scouts for him to receive treatment.

"Alright." Mikasa gestured to the roll of gauze. "Wrap his arm in that first." The teen ordered with Krista quickly complying. "Make sure it's tight."

"Okay." Krista replied as she worked delicately, making sure to not wrap the tall male's wrist and elbow to still allow movement. Mikasa nodded at the girl's work.

"Alright. Armin? Put the old gun barrel beneath his arm and hold it there. Connie keep his limb steady." Mikasa ordered with Jean grunting in pain yet again – the teen somehow holding himself together without the help of pain medicine to ease his suffering.

"Okay, Mikasa." Armin complied with his friend's directions, keeping the makeshift splint in place as the dark-haired teen wrapped the male's arm with one of the two old flags before tying it up securely. Quickly, Mikasa, fashioned a splint with Connie helping Jean place his arm into the old cloth.

"Thanks." Jean muttered as Armin and Mikasa helped him to his feet. "It still hurts like hell, but it's better at least."

"No problem, but you're most likely not out of the woods yet. There's still a risk for infection and your arm is probably going to be stitched up again along with the application of a better cast." Mikasa sighed. "It works for now though."

Jean gave into a nod. "True. I would be bleeding out if we didn't find anything to sew this up."

"Yeah. Now perhaps we should check –

Armin however couldn't finish his sentence as a loud and bizarre sound silenced all around them. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand in alarm and his heart starting to pound once more at the piercing whistling sound that grew louder and louder.

"The hell is –

The question went unfinished as a loud crash met their ears and vibrated the floor beneath them. A commotion could be heard from their superiors just outside, provoking them to run to the window yet again.

The sight before them, made almost every shred of hope vanish. Below, a large boulder now sat upon what was once the debilitated stables. The horses, or what remained of them, lay strung out in their own blood across the courtyard with innards decorating the overgrown weeds like haphazardly thrown confetti. His jaw slackened. How! How were they going to get away now! How did a boulder get on top of the stables!

"What –

Suddenly, the whistling began again, but before their small party could brace themselves the tower rattled violently. The teens fell from their feet with weapons shaking and stone groaning from the impact. Dust clouded the room and swept into their lungs – leaving them in a coughing fit and in a state of pure confusion and terror. Armin blinked, trying to regain his visibility when he heard a series of screams up above. They said nothing, only getting to their feet in unison and racing up the stairs. He held his breath as he climbed each step, fearing what he was about to see. Moonlight met their skin as the group of teens exited onto the top of the tower.

Or rather the portion that was left of it.

The southern side of the tower had been obliterated, revealing the floor just below them. Armin's jaw fell again, the others gasping as both Nanaba and Gelgar carried both Lynn and Henning to place them down. Their bodies were broken and mangled, part of them crushed to the point where one wouldn't recognize them. Armin stiffened while Gelgar nearly gagged. What could have caused such a thing?

"What happened!"

"A rock." Nanaba retorted, tone almost venomous. "We think one of them threw a rock." The woman growled. "Shit. The horses are gone and Gelgar and I are almost out of supplies. We're going to have to wait here for the rest of the night." His superior growled. "Damn it! It's clear who they're after. Shit, it's like we're just being played with –

The chaos around them was suddenly silenced by a great roar, but not of Rogue. Armin's heart stilled as the night suddenly seemed so much darker. He could feel a chill run up his spine as the bellow prolonged. Like his titanic friend's cry of dominance, the roar was deep and powerful, but the roar didn't have the same tone. It reminded him of water draining down a chute – a grumbling of a bull. It barely sounded like a common titan's cry. It was absolutely exotic. Armin blinked, his heart starting to thud against his rib cage again. He had heard The Armored Titan roar quite some time ago. This howl most certainly didn't belong to it. Thinking all the way back to the first breach, The Colossal Titan sounded nothing like the bellow either.

In both confusion and fear, Armin looked for the source. Blue pools instantly flashed with terror as he and the rest of the squad spotted a bizarre figure sitting atop the wall. Even at the several mile distance, Armin could make out some of the figure's faint features in the moonlight. He could see that it was almost fully covered in dark hair and its proportions were odd. Like an ape, its arms looked long an absolutely lanky. The torso of the strange looking beast was extended and weighty. The teen blinked in astonishment, feeling his body quake with a tremor as the creature roared again. Something about the beast make the blood run cold in his veins.

"What – what kind of titan is that?" Nanaba stuttered. "How did it get –

The tower suddenly vibrated again, putting them on full alert as they knew the only cause. Trees snapped and loose stones fell as at least two dozen titans emerged from the nearby thicket – all heading straight for them.

"The hell!"

"Shit! We barely have any gas or blades and the horses are dead!"

Armin only remained petrified as he looked at what could possibly be their impending doom. How? Where had they come from? How on earth were they to survive until the morning! His eyes shifted to the where the mysterious creature sat atop the wall only to see the beast beginning its decent down to other side to retreat back into Maria.

If he was full of questions before, he was certainly overflowing with them now.

**(POV SWAP)**

His hands held the wood in place, keeping things steady for the working men and women around him. Rogue exhaled a cloud of steam between his teeth, looking up to watch the Garrison soldiers perform their tasks. As they had scheduled, they began repairing the breach just before dawn. It was a risky procedure, but he found it to be fascinating all the same. Around the hole, the humans had stretched large tarps from the base of either side of the wall, to nearly the top of the gap – keeping the space clear for a long pipe to descend from the top of the wall and into the breach, making it so that the thing he heard the Garrison call 'concrete' could flow right in and fill the large gap. His job was one of the most important ones he had been told. So the concrete didn't push out the tarp from its weight and keep its shape as it did something called 'solidifying' he had uprooted several trees and shaped them as needed before replacing them vertically into the ground against the tarp. Rogue had done his job on both sides of the breach, scaling over the wall more than once to place the so called barricades. The outside patch was reinforced with extra trees while he stood on the other side for added support. It was quite the process, but it worked for the hole that was filling quickly.

Rogue winced as the sound of yet another cannon met his ears, his eyes watching the top of the wall yet again. The second task that both the Garrison and some of the Scouts shared was the responsibility of taking out incoming titans aiming to enter Wall Rose. The titan swallowed nervously. He was incredibly on edge and every loud noise and fast movement seemed to shake him from his stupor. In the previous evening, he never fell into a state of repose. His body never felt tired like it usually did during the late hours of the night that led into morning. In fact, he felt so active that he could have took a jog around the district. The fact worried Hange in the slightest when she had gotten up in the middle of the night to do her business, but the woman brushed it off as both his tolerance to move without the sun and any worries he had. And as worries went – he was absolutely full of them. What on earth had he done in his past? As hard as he thought, he didn't remember the Armored Titan at all but the beast seemed to know him like an old foe. He had no recollection of the monster whatsoever. Then there was Krista. Was she really part of what they called a royal family? Did she really know something about him and knew more than what she was letting on? More so, how could she help him remember what happened to him? It seemed so preposterous! She was just a child! A teenager! How on earth could she do such a thing if she could? It made little sense to him.

Of course, there was the matter of himself. Could Hange and Levi be right? Was he really some powerful entity – a king? A force that could dominate the titans? A _titan_ king? How? It troubled him even more so. It seemed more ludicrous than anything, but it frightened him. Was it truly the reason why The Armored and the other titans were after him? Rogue shivered in the slightest. Was he really the reason why so many people were dying? He closed his eyes tightly, trying to rid the very thought from his mind – realizing how ineffective it was. He really hoped that Hange had come to the wrong conclusion. Perhaps the royal family just meant that they knew a titan with his description that had knowledge of a weapon that could be used to defeat the titans. However, the more he thought about it, the more that Hange seemed right. He could practically order titans around! The Female called him The Coordinate which his family said that it indeed meant to command. From all the descriptions in fairy tales both his mother and his little ones read to him, he knew kings ruled over their kingdoms and gave orders to their loyal subjects. Rogue nearly huffed. A king? Really? Him? He didn't want to believe it like he didn't want to believe all of what was currently transpiring.

The thing that haunted him most however, was what The Armored called him. Traitor. The word let him to wonder as to just what he had done to deserve such a title. Surely – surely in his past life he wasn't evil. The very idea made him queasy. As his mother had always said and everyone that was close to him knew that he had no mean bone in his body. All he wanted to do was interact, show his affection, and play. Rogue shook his head yet again. No. There was no way he could have been evil. After all, he had never eaten a single human or slayed one for the hell of it. Maybe The Armored Titan gifted him with the title for that very reason. He prayed that it was _that_ reason.

The titan begged for none of the news and facts to be true, but deep down he knew that they likely could be.

"Rogue?" He heard Hange begin and felt a weight landing upon his shoulder. "Sweetheart? What's wrong? Are – are you thinking about what happened last night?"

Rogue winced yet again with the scientist likely feeling his twinge. Knowing that he needed to give her an answer as well as share his fears, the titan rotated his head to look at the woman that was perched upon him. " **HANNGEE… EII DONNT ANNT TOO BEEE AHH KINNNG. EII – DUNNT… AHHNNT ANNY OFFF DISS."**

At his statement, she bore a sympathetic look. "I know you don't my lovely titan, but – look at it this way." The woman hesitated. "The possibility of all of the news being true gives us more clues about what could have happened to you before you lost your memory. My hypothesis from last night about you being a king of sorts was just an educated guess. However, Rogue the more I think about it the more –

"Hange please. Don't tell him things to worry him further. He's already scared shitless. You're just going to make him even more on edge."

Rogue swallowed, glancing down at a grumpy looking Levi perched upon a supply wagon. " **EVVI –**

**"** Oh! But Levi, he's really shaken up and a little bit of comfort through conversation could really help Rogue!" Hange interrupted. The Corporal only shook his head in denial.

"Shitty Glasses, now is not the time. We need him to focus on the job at hand. Besides, you talking to him about all this is probably making him even more skittish." Levi turned to him. "We are almost done here Rogue, so the more you focus the faster we can finish up here and we can go find your little ones at one of the safe areas."

The titan gulped but nodded in understanding as he returned to his act of stabilizing. Yes, if he had to pick a thing that he was the most worried about – it was his babies' well-being. They did not return in Ehrmich district the previous evening or during the early morning hours. It could only mean that they were either stranded at one of the safe places without supplies or they had been killed in the line of duty. The thought made his bones quake yet again. He desperately wanted the repairs to be finished so he could go find them. Rogue found himself letting out a small whine between his teeth. The titan really wanted his little ones to be sitting on his shoulders the very minute – especially with his emotions and mind in a flurry. He really wanted to feel their touch upon his skin and listen to their soft reassuring words. Rogue's ears sank, god how he hoped that they were safe and at least out of harm's way. He didn't want them to die. He didn't want any member of his family to die.

He didn't want anyone to die because of him.

"Easy now big guy." Hange whispered into his ear. "We're almost done so we'll find your babies soon." The woman spoke tenderly. "I bet they're just fine! Armin and Mikasa are tough. They have learned how to survive thanks to you!"

The titan lifted his brows in consideration. Hange did have a point. His little ones had learned how to live and adapt in difficult times. Rogue was certain. They were somewhere waiting on him. To thank the messy-haired woman, he purred softly and blessed her with a small lick upon her hand; Hange giggling at his way of thanks before stroking his muscular neck. The titan's keen greens however, could tell that the scientist's eyes disguised her great worry as well. Looking around at every Scout including The Corporal and Commander, it was like each of them were wearing masks to hide their panic. He could do no such thing.

"HOW IS IT LOOKING DOWN THERE!" The titan heard one of the men atop the wall project, signaling Hange to scale upon his scalp to peer at their work.

"IT LOOKS EXCELLENT! ANOTHER HOUR AND WE'LL BE DONE!"

Rogue heaved another heavy breath, steam coming out in a large cloud. Another hour. To him it might as well been another year. The wait for him to reunite with his babies was absolutely agonizing. Oh how he hoped that they were alright. He hoped the Armored or any titan for that matter hadn't found them yet.

The titan sighed yet again, deciding to just focus on his surroundings. The weather itself was poised for another decent feeling day with no hint of rain for several hours which was good for the patch as he had been told. The birds were not singing however and it was not hard to figure out why. Several hours ago, he had heard a faint roar in the distance. It was an odd bellow but it ceased quickly. On occasion, sometimes his mindless kin roared for no reason whatsoever. Any titan's howl, including his own, would make all small life around silent for several hours afterward. It was truly a haunting experience and it was no wonder why soldiers spoke of titan roars this way during times when they shared happenings of their expeditions with soldiers of other regiments. He could only imagine how they described his own roar back in the days when his existence in Wall Maria after the breach was spoken as a rumor. Rogue blinked, pushing against the large tree to test the solidity of the concrete – finding that it had already hardened considerably.

Then, an alarming thought crossed his mind. The roar that he had heard – it was at night! Could it be that ALL of the titans never slept? Feeling alarm course through his frame. Rogue began to look around for Hange who had left her perch upon his head. But as he did, the direction of the wind shifted, blowing from the north.

Rogue froze.

His nostrils flared as he dissected the scent of the breeze. It was small, but he could smell it. It was the unmistakable scent of his babies and their fear. Rogue's irises shrank, turning his head away from his work to sniff aggressively in the direction in which the scent originated – ignoring the fact that his breaths had gathered quite a bit of attention. His eyes widened even further as he picked up a second scent that terrified him to the core. Titans. Lots of titans. His little ones! His babies were in serious trouble!

"Oi! Brat! What are doing?"

"Rogue?"

Without thinking of any consequence whatsoever, Rogue stepped away from his job and turned toward the source of the turmoil. Instinctively, the titan let out a desperate whine and grunted repetitively – plunging the surrounding Scouts and Garrison into confusion.

"Rogue!" Levi yelled furiously. "The hell are you doing! You're not done! Now is not the time to give into whatever animal instincts you have!"

The titan simply ignored the man and continued his whining, sounding a bit like a terrified dog as Hange quickly launched up to his shoulder. "Rogue! Rogue what is it!"

Instead of answering his superior, Rogue took several quick steps forward, preparing to break off in a sprint before he felt a rough tug on his collar.

"Rogue! What on earth!" Hange chided. "What are you doing!"

Rogue dithered, green eyes filled with sheer terror as he panted. " **GOTT TOO…DEYY INN TODDLE! EIINEED TOOOGO."** The titan rushed, his words running together for he was so panicked that he couldn't form a proper sentence. Hange's brows lifted, but he ignored her and started to step in advance yet again. His move however was met with resistance that came in the form of an angry Corporal that had lifted off the earth in the blink of an eye and wrapped his cables around his frame, slowing his movement. With his fear suddenly turning to anger, Rogue rotated his head to hiss loudly at the man and glare heatedly at him. He had to go rescue his little ones!

"What in the absolute fuck are you doing Rogue! Get your naked ass back there and hold the barricade! You can hunt titans later! The Scouts will take care of them!"

Rogue snarled at the man's lack of understanding, shaking his head strongly with his locks flying back and forth. " **NOO! WEE NEEED… GO!"**

**"** ROGUE! Obey your orders!"

"What's he doing!"

"Commander Erwin!"

Hange roughly tugged his hair. "Rogue! What are you saying!"

Rogue heaved a breath, turning to look at the woman once again with a whine resonating through his vocal chords once more. " **AIIBEES! ARNNINN! NIKKASA!"** He spoke urgently – sounding like a startled child. " **SASA! ONNIEE! JAAAN! NANA! KRISSA! GERRGAR! SQWWADD INN TODDLE! TITTANS! LOTTS OFFF ITTANS!"** Rogue projected loudly as he took another step forward, pulling the wrapped cables and upsetting the surrounding soldiers even further.

"Rogue!"

" **EII MAKINNNG JUGGENENT CALL –**

**"** ROGUE!"

Hearing the amount of venom in Levi's voice, Rogue stalled and turned to the man, ears lowered and looking like a desperate animal. The man's reddened face indicated that he was clearly furious at the fact that he was disobeying him and his other superiors. This however, was important. His babies were in serious peril! He needed them to listen! He had to go help them! They couldn't waste time!

Levi exhaled harshly. "Rogue. You cannot make a judgement call in this kind –

"Levi! This must be bad! The others might be stranded! Plus, something tells me this could be the very reason why we haven't encountered titans on this side of the wall yet!"

"Hange! It's too risky!"

"The concrete had almost completely solidified! Our job here is practically done!" Hange argued. "It was our next priority to aid in the search and rescue for those that couldn't make it to the district! Erwin!" Hange directed at the Commander who what watching and listening to the chaos. "Commander we must move out!"

"Hange! For fuck's -

Rogue's skin prickled, his nostrils flaring even more as he suddenly caught the scent of blood - human blood carried by the breeze. Every instinct he had was then thrown into overdrive. His mind snapped. Consequences be damned, he lunged forward into an all-out sprint much to the dismay of his superiors.

"ROGUE! ROGUE! _ROGUE!_ "

"SCOUTS! FOLLOW JAEGER! PREPARE TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY!"

The titan paid no heed to any voice around him along with the sound of scrambling Scouts as they struggled to get to their mounts and follow. He was going to get to his little ones no matter what even if he would land himself into a heap of trouble. He just prayed that they were still alive.

**(POV SWAP)**

Gradually, the beasts fell in their own steaming blood – cut down by ever dulling blades that were barely holding their own. Armin and the others watched as Nanaba and Gelgar struggled. A few hours had passed since the titan horde had come at them and it was clear that they were hanging by a thread. Out of the many titans that invaded Utgaard with a second wave, their superiors managed to take down eight. Just eight out of at least two dozen. Armin could tell that the two seasoned Scouts were relying mostly on elements of physics to move around and get their work done. It was very apparent to the fresh recruits that the veterans were practically running on fumes for every one kill they would return to the maimed tower – only selecting the titans they felt were a greater threat than the others. Armin gulped, eyes glancing up to the sky yet again, seeing that the sun was beginning to crest over the wall with its light bathing parts of the debilitated castle. He prayed that the breach was almost filled or successfully completed. The squad was desperate for aid and needed the second stage of their plan finished – the rest of the Scouts searching for any stranded soldiers.

They wouldn't last much longer. The very fact was agonizing.

The surviving spectators watched as the pair returned to rest upon the side of the tower, both their chests heaving as they observed their slain titans fall. Their superiors looked absolutely disheveled, just like their situation. Nanaba then looked back to them, her partner expertly watching the advancing titans for any sudden moves. "It's past dawn!" She called to them. "The main squad should be done repairing the wall by now so you need to fire off an emergency flair! That way they can check Utgaard first. If they don't respond to that one, do another!"

"But – what about The Armored Titan? Do you think he would recognize the flair or be drawn to it?" Armin pointed out, making Nanaba freeze, eyes widening.

"Even though we don't have any confirmation that he's left the walls or not," She paused, deep in thought. "He may not know what each signal means. It's likely that any surviving squads are firing them off at this time as well. It must be done for we can't wait much longer. We need them to come get us." Nanaba paused again, dipping her head to clench her teeth. "And you better pray that Rogue is with them. If the Armored is still here, then run as far as you can. However, considering he was reported to vanish back outside of Maria shortly after the first and second breach, it's possible that he could have left. Now, find a flair and fire it!" The woman ordered as she turned to choose her next target.

Armin and Mikasa observed as Connie dug around in one of their superior's bags that miraculously survived the assault on the tower. The teen quickly selected an emergency flair and pointed it skyward, pulling the trigger to release a yellow trail into the heavens. He gulped, trying to keep himself from trembling like a dog out in a cold rain. The very idea just didn't seem to be a smart one. They knew next to nothing about the monster. Hell, The Armored could have even been watching the Scouts with The Female. He gulped, begging for the likelihood that the beast had already snuck out of Wall Rose.

He prayed for Rogue to get to them quickly.

The teens then turned to watch Nanaba leap from the tower yet again, shooting her cable into the tough hide on a tall titan's chest. Letting gravity take her, Nanaba swooped downward in an almost graceful arc. The talented woman hovered just an arm's length above the ground before pulling her triggers just once to give her enough momentum to send her skyward. Nanaba then angled herself and plunged her blades into the beast's nape with the titan screaming before beginning its decent downward. Quickly, she cut another titan down before returning to perch on the side of the tower to watch her partner. Savagely, Gelgar dived and planted his own blades into the nape of a twelve-meter, riding the beast down as it crashed into the earth. In what Armin could say was careless, Gelgar fired a cable into a neighboring titan's hip and launched himself into a curve with the intent to throw himself upward. However, the man's sloppiness cost him as one titan stepped forward, catching the man's cable and sending Gelgar onto an out of control spin into a giant's shin.

"GELGAR!"

Armin swallowed, not able to look away from the scene. In the time that had passed, Gelgar had grown practically dangerous and hadn't bothered to calculate a single move. Now, it looked as if the man's foolishness had finally bit him in the backside. The aura grew tense as the teens watched their superior tumble, but miraculously Gelgar steadied himself and managed to fire another cable into the side of the tower and propel himself upwards. The man swiped his blades across the nape of a ten-meter, shattering the specialty steel before landing next to Nanaba. The teens watched the two try to gather their breaths for a moment before Nanaba turned to the man – looking both exhausted and cross.

"You're getting reckless! You could have been killed!" The woman scolded, like the man was her spouse and the two were about to participate in a domestic argument. Surprisingly, Gelgar said nothing, the veteran's face looking completely exhausted. Armin then noticed a slick of red decorating the man's hair and running down the side of Gelgar's face. Looking at the man however, it was as if Gelgar was too fatigued or too oblivious to care.

"Nanaba?" The man questioned quietly, his voice barely audible from where the recruits stood upon the tower. "Please don't tell me that those are your only blades that you have left."

At his words, Nanaba dropped her transgressions and turned her attention to her blades, looking upon the chipped and dull metal that didn't even look as if it could cut a stick of butter. She swallowed. "I'm afraid so. I'm – nearly out of gas as well." She sighed. "How about you?"

Gelgar looked away, placing his eyes onto the bladeless swords. "I just used the last I had. I'm – fresh out of gas too." The man hesitated, Armin catching the male's muscles loosening. "I wish – I could have had one last drink before I go. I kind of wish I would have been a better soldier as well."

Armin's jaw slowly lowered as he realized just what was transpiring. Nanaba as well turned to look upon him in shock. Her face almost white with horror. "Gelgar!"

The man lowered his head. "I'm sorry Nanaba. It seems that I've hit my head." Blood flowed down the man's face. "I think I've got a serious concussion." The man swallowed, fighting unconsciousness. "But what does it matter? I can't fight any longer."

"GELGAR!"

"I'm sorry – Nanaba. I… can't go on… anymore. Good… luck."

" _GELGAR!"_

Armin and the others watched in horror as the man suddenly reeled in the cable that was keeping himself on the tower. The veteran soldier's body went limp and the male fell downwards, completely unconscious as he seemingly fell into a deep void – a titan's fingers snagging his flaccid form. The blonde and the others watched as things began to fall into chaos like dominoes. They continued to watch as Nanaba seemingly had no second thoughts as she dived down from the tower and circled around the hungry beast that was lifting their other superior to its mouth. The woman then landed upon the monster's nape and plunged her blades into the creature's spine – both blood and metal flying in all directions as Nanaba's pairing blades finally snapped. The titan began to fall forward with Gelgar's unconscious form still in hand. The teen's braced themselves as the titan's head hit the stone tower, making the structure tremble once again. Gelgar's body flew from the titan's grasp and by sheer luck, went through a hole in the tower. Concerned, Armin looked to see that his other superior had landed upon the side of the tower yet again, Nanaba's eyes glued to the hole.

"Shit!" He heard the veteran mutter, her fingers shakily ejecting the broken blades from their hilts. The woman then set her eyes onto her obvious destination – making it clear to the recruits that she was to try to rescue the unconscious man that had likely fallen into the tower's castle floor – which would be a hopeless endeavor if other small titans had gotten into the tower after they had completed their barricade. The recruits were silent as they watched Nanaba position herself and pull the trigger of her gear.

However, there was nothing. All that her gear was able to manage was a small puff of exhaust.

Mikasa, Armin, and the others watched as Nanaba's eyes widened at the startling realization. She was completely out of gas, a thought that made the woman's skin pale white. Armin swallowed as he viewed the woman continue to attempt to squeeze any amount of gas from her canisters, but as she continued her fruitless endeavors, the teens spotted something that made their hearts skip a beat and their still conscious superior freeze. Many of the titans had now directed their undivided attention towards Nanaba who was hanging far too low and lacked the essential supplies to reel herself back up to the tower's top.

It was then that all hell broke loose.

One of the towering beasts screeched, running forward and shoving its hand into the gaping hole in the tower, rummaging around like a child looking through a toy box in search of the fallen soldier. Nanaba was practically petrified as several dozen sets of eyes lay upon her. The woman's terrified gaze looked back to her partner to see that the fishing titan had successfully pulled the unconscious man's body from the interior of the fortress. Armin's stomach nearly turned completely over as Gelgar was practically shoved into the beast's gaping maw. The nauseating sound and sight of spurting blood and crushing bone as Gelgar was practically bit in two left the spectating recruits in a state of sheer horror.

"GEL –

The woman couldn't finish her plea as one of the beasts suddenly sprang forward and encased its fingers around the woman's frail form. Nothing else in the world seemed to move or exist as Armin watched the titan pull the well-respected Section Commander from the tower. The woman's haunting scream soon attracted the other titans who looked at the woman with eyes devoid of nothing but hunger. Much like ravenous wolves, the towering beasts began to fight over their victim – showing just how cruel nature was and the fact that there was now no way that the recruits could counterattack. Nanaba screamed again as teeth sunk into her frail leg. Blood poured onto the earth and a titan's chin as flesh and bone was torn away to depart onto a journey into the creature's gullet.

"NO! Please!"

Another set of teeth sunk into the muscle of the woman's arm while one of the shorter titans attempted to tear away the Section Commander's coat. Bile rose in the teen's throat as he watched the woman's arm being torn from her shoulder with bits of sinew decorating the monster's face.

"Please! DADDY NO!" Nanaba screamed, her words beginning to paint a grim picture on a canvas that was all but hidden to the recruits. "DADDY PLEASE! I'LL BE GOOD! I WON'T DOW IT AGAIN!" She shouted, making several hearts fall down to the pits of the teenagers' stomach, knowing fully well that Nanaba was speaking of abuse that must have fallen upon her when she was a child. Armin grew sicker at the fact. Nanaba had probably joined the military to escape such torture – only to currently suffer an even worse fate. A fifteen-meter titan then plunged its hand into the starving horde, roughly pulling the woman out of another beast's grasp to take for itself. "NO! DADDY! STOP! DADDY!" Menacingly, the creature's maw opened, saliva coating the inside of its mouth as its teeth crested over Nanaba's trashing body. "STOP! DAD –

Words were cut short as their superior was severed, leaving the recruits speechless as they watched the large titan devour the rest of the female in what they could classify as an almost gleeful manner. Armin's breath hitched. They were now defenseless, stuck on top of an unstable tower with help that was most likely far from them. Looking at the voracious monsters below and watching as they fought over scraps, his mind struggled to think up a single plan.

"Shit!" Connie fell to his knees, doubling over into a fetal position, fists pounding against the dusty stone. "Shit!" The teen continued, the others too stunned to say a single word. "How! How are we going to get out of here now?"

Several minutes seemed to pass, before Krista exhaled shakily. "Well, Nanaba – she said we should fire off another flare. That way we could call for help again… lead them to us."

"Right." Jean dipped his head. "We should fire another flare." The teen spoke glumly as he searched Lynn and Henning's bags, pulling out both emergency flares and acoustic rounds. "If they start getting too close for comfort, I guess we could fires one of these to startle them for a bit." Jean waved the round over his head for the others to view before looking long and hard at the mangled bodies of his deceased superiors. "We – I hate to say this, but we need to do something with them. I don't like this idea, but perhaps we should use them. They're attracted to the scent of blood –

Armin tensed as he realized what Jean was trying to suggest. It was a horrifying move, but one that was probably in their best interest if they were to survive. Leaving their bodies where they were was asking for trouble.

"Wait – are you saying we should just dump them over the edge of the tower as food!" Connie muttered, Jean regretfully nodded.

"Yeah."

"But –

"It would be the best for us." Armin began, trying not to bite through his tongue. "Titans are attracted to the scent of blood like moths to light. If we get rid of the bodies," The blonde swallowed, finding it hard to speak. "It could occupy them for a little more time – which is what we desperately need right now. If we leave them up here, it's just going to provoke them."

"Armin's right." Mikasa spoke up. "It's horrible, but it gives us a chance to survive long enough for a rescue squad to come. And right now, we need to stay alive – especially so we can tell the others about what we found in the journal."

For a moment, it was silent among the squad again before Connie regretfully nodded. "Yes. Let's get it over with."

In unison, the teens dipped their heads in shame as they collectively grabbed the older Scout's corpses and hoisted them over the ruined ledge of the tower and dropped them below, not wishing to watch as some of the titan immediately took interest at their irresistible scent. Resisting the urge to gag, Jean then readied the flare gun and fired off another emergency round.

"Well, all we can do is wait now, but we need to stay away from the ledge and be aware of our surroundings. We need to keep our voices down as well. It sounds silly, but we need to make the titans think we are no longer here." Armin addressed the shaken squad who quickly nodded and sat at the far side of the tower, each baring sweat upon their brows. For what seemed like an eternity, the group kept quiet – most likely only thinking to themselves. Connie then sighed yet again.

"I'm still wondering why all this is happening. How on earth could those things move when it was still dark out? It doesn't make sense."

"Mikasa and I were discussing that earlier." Armin began with the others directing their attention to the two of them.

"Why do you think – what's your opinion?" Krista asked softly, Armin rubbing his chin.

"I remember reading it in a book but moonlight is reflected sunlight. Just a few hours ago, there was a full moon. We believe that just enough ultraviolet light was radiated off of it to keep the titans awake and moving. Normally, I don't think enough light is given off to keep the titans moving on a regular night. It's a stretch, but I'm sure it's the reason why."

"So you're saying the full moon is what kept those things awake? But what about Rogue? I can't say much in the matter, but I've never seen him awake for the entire evening –

"It's because Rogue usually retires to his nest for the evening." Mikasa quickly intervened. "He sleeps out of the way of the skylight in the barn as well. I'm positive this affected Rogue last night too."

Armin dipped his head in agreement, preparing to bring up another subject that was alarming him even more and creating even more questions that he needed to get off his chest. "The think that's bugging me the most is the titan that roared on top of the wall earlier. It was clearly different."

"Yeah," Connie trailed off. "It kind of looked like a giant monkey – like a big gorilla."

"Gorilla? Monkey?" Krista questioned, clearly not knowing what Connie was referring to.

"They're animals." Jean answered. "Back when zoos were a thing, they were some of the exotic animals that they had on display. They kind of looked human, but they had hair all over them and walked on four legs most of the time. They were intelligent animals too from what I remember." The male finished with the blonde girl's eyes wide and unblinking. Armin then began to question, was it possible that Krista never heard or seen such things? He knew that she had grown up on a farm, but how much did she leave home? If it was one thing that was clear, Krista had really never revealed too much about her life before she enlisted. In reality, no one knew much at all about the girl. For some reason, the teen never revealed much when she was asked either.

"Oh. I see. Yeah – it didn't look like a normal titan." Krista speculated.

It was then that Krista's words made something click in his mind and a particular thought to form – one that was scary. "Not a normal titan –

"Armin?" Mikasa questioned, but not asking any further query, her eyes simply staring at him.

"The – Beast Titan," He paused, his mind thinking faster. "I wonder if it could be a deviant titan." The blonde alliterated, gaining the others' undivided attention.

"What are you saying Armin? You think this 'Beast Titan' could be intelligent like Rogue and The Female?" Jean spoke in alarm. "What makes you say that?"

"Well – it's clear that it's different. I think, when it roared, it did just what The Female Titan did to us before. I believe it herded all of these titans toward us with the goal to eliminate just like she did in order to have less of us to deal with to get to Rogue."

"So Armin? You're saying –

"I – think that there is more than just The Armored and Colossal that's after Rogue. I'm positive that there are other titans with intelligence that are looking for Rogue. I feel like they are playing some elaborate game with us."

It was then quiet amongst the teens yet again, most of their eyes wide in alarm as they followed the lines upon the stones beneath them.

"This is so messed up." Connie muttered. "We just lost Nanaba and Gelgar and we have no idea if Mike was able to get to Ehrmich district. If there are indeed more intelligent titans that aren't on our side, I bet there are more around here than just The Armored. Like Armin said, it's like they had every bit of this planned and this is all a game to them." The teen continued, his voice starting to fill with panic. "This – this is bad!"

"Connie! We don't need you to freak out right now!" Jean hastily whispered. "We can't alert the other titans! The last thing we need for them is to figure out we are still up here and for them to –

Vibrations that rocked the tower violently ceased all words and ignited the party into a state of full alert and panic. Armin's body stiffened – the tower was practically moving beneath their feet. His heart pounded harder, lifting into his chest as he recognized what was coming. A titan was obviously climbing the tower.

And it was climbing _fast_.

Out of sheer reflex, each of the recruits dropped to their knees and covered their heads as a looming figure crested the top of the tower roughly. Dust flew into the air and surrounded them in an intense fog that sent them coughing from the particles getting into their lungs, the entire tower quaking and threatening to fall out from beneath them. Armin gulped, blood rushing to his ears and the color drained from his flesh. Coarse and deep breaths that were completely inhuman met his eardrums. He went rigid.

This was it. A titan had somehow managed to scale the tower and they were all going to die – fall victim to the above beast's jaws. He would never see Mikasa or Rogue ever again. They were done for. All they could do was await their painful death – one that he hoped would be quick.

However, the sensation of his bones being grinded into dust never came. He wasn't knocking on death's door nor were his allies screaming and pleading for mercy. With confusion settling in, Armin gradually, shakily, and bravely lifted his head along with the others to peer upward. The sight that met his questioning blues left him absolutely dumbfounded.

Blinking again in attempts to see through the cloud of dust, Armin made out the muscular underbelly of a five-meter titan. Looking the way that it was positioned, he could tell it was the stocky type that moved about on all fours as opposed to on two limbs. With the dust settling, the blonde could see that the titan's head was large in ratio and covered in messy brown hair that went just past the length of its shoulders. The teens held their breaths as the creature above them suddenly growled, a threatening and irritated sound that sounded much higher in pitch in comparison to Rogue deep snarls. Then, slowly, the five-meter titan turned its head to per upon their squad. The beast's face reminded Armin of witches that were illustrated in fairy tales. The titan's hairline was rather far back on its head and its nose was nearly pointed and large for its face. The titan's mouth was fixed in a frown, lips peeled away to reveal the creature's gums and nothing but sharp canine teeth that lined the monster's mouth – a trait that Armin had not seen before. The most apparent thing about the small titan though were the monster's eyes. They were almost like a dog's – deep brown with a barely visible black pupil in the center with the whites of the titan's eyes unseen. They were nothing short of unsettling. As the titan continued to stare at them, Armin's heart nearly flat lined. _'This is it. It's going to kill us. It's going to kill us! I'm not going to see Rogue and Mikasa ever again!'_

The blonde shut his eyes tightly, thinking about the life he had and just how good it actually was as he awaited his fate. However, the pain of death never came, sending he and the others into a state of even more confusion. Startled but questionable, Armin gradually lifted his head to look upon the titan yet again – only to see something he wasn't anticipating.

The titan's face was no longer fixed in a frown, but rather in a soft look – the creature's mouth in what looked to be a faint but easy smile with a touch of cunning. Granted – the creature's mug was less than beautiful, but the titan was trying to look as reassuring as possible. It was the kind of face a mother would give to reassure their child. Then, before he could think further, the titan turned its attention back to the hoard below with its expression changing to one of cunning – the beast wearing a devilish smirk. Armin's eyes widened as the realization came to him.

' _It – changed expression! My god – it's… it's a deviant!'_

Then, before he could even anticipate it, the new deviant leaned over the tower and released a piercing shriek of a roar – a sound like the descriptions of banshees from folk tales. Armin winced, holding his ears as he watched the titan suddenly leap off the tower – the structure swaying in the slightest at the force. For a split second, he remained utterly bewildered before scrambling upright to make his way close to the tower's edge to get a better look at what was transpiring with the others of his squad quickly coming to stand at his side.

"What the hell?" Jean stammered. "Is it – is it what I think it is?"

Armin nodded, the dip of his head slow. "Yes, it's a deviant titan. It has intelligence! It changed expression and it," The male paused, the thought finally settling into place. "And I think it could be on our side!"

As if to confirm the blonde's statement, the small titan then landed upon the back of a twelve-meter and aggressively sunk its teeth into the monster's nape, ripping it out with one fluid movement of its large head – indicating that the titan had an incredible bite force despite its small size. Before the others could blink in surprise, the titan shrieked again and leaped onto the head of another towering behemoth. In awe, Armin spectated as the titan sunk its fingers into the creature's skull and swung itself forward on its unusually long arms – planting its feet into a pair of eye sockets. Blood splattered and a cry of agony sounded as the small titan expertly twisted itself to rake its feet across the faces of other titans, leaving large open gashes across their faces that left them helplessly blind. The little beast then flipped over and dug its hands into the nape of the titan it had used for support, the sound of ripping meat sweeping across the courtyard before the small titan flipped backwards and landed upon the tower – the creature's dark eyes examining its work before beginning its selection for its next victim. It was then that Armin discovered that the new arrival had a feature similar to Rogue, being claws on both its hands and feet yet they were longer and practically crafted to dig into flesh.

"Whoa! That one has claws!" Connie began, sounding almost thrilled. "And it's fast!"

"No doubt about that, plus it's very agile." Mikasa examined with Armin nodding.

"Yes, and its actions tell me that this deviant is aiming to help us. We might actually have a chance."

The small titan then howled another threatening shriek and leaped from the tower to sink its needle sharp teeth into tough hide yet again. More crimson splattered and fell in a red rain as another beast was quickly slain – the small titan then leaping onto the head of another to dig its claws into another oily scalp. Just before the creature could bite into another naked nape, another abnormal closed in on the deviant who was forced to abandon its current work at the last possible second – the taller titan crashing straight into the tower in as it tripped over its own feet.

"Shit!" Jean hissed, hands gripping the stone as their party rode out the tremor. "Hopefully it can take out a number of them before this damn thing falls!"

Armin swallowed, knowing that Jean was right. The tower was highly unstable and they couldn't afford any more impacts. He prayed that the deviant could take care of such a matter before anything else happened.

The little titan roared once again as it leaped to the ground, sitting like a frog for a moment before launching itself up to swipe at another titan's face, blinding the beast as it reached around and remove the nape. With hands covered with steaming blood, the deviant lunged into a seven meter, digging its claws into its skin as it viciously bit into the monster's smiling face. Armin's stomach nearly turned over for the umpteenth time as the five-meter practically tore the thing's face off, uncovering a slew of muscle structure beneath and successfully spilling even more blood. With the now faceless abnormal screaming, the deviant rotated around to tear out the creature's nape – sharp teeth pulling the spine into view and ripping away chunks of bone. Growling, the little titan then turned to continue its assault on another giant, flipping with what one could call grace before sinking its teeth into its victim. Armin and the rest of the others just watched completely and utterly spellbound.

"So," Krista began. "Should we call it something?" Connie nodded.

"Hell yeah. This one's got bite!"

"It moves so quickly and flips like an acrobat." Krista continued to speculate, watching as another nape was torn away. "How about – The Dancing Titan?" Connie however nearly broke out in laughter.

"Dancing Titan? Come on! That's too girly! It clearly doesn't have boobs like The Female Titan did. How about –

"The Jaw Titan." Mikasa spoke, not even turning to the others as she still watched the brawl beneath them.

"That's fitting." Jean replied.

"Jaw Titan it is then."

Armin continued to watch the newly named titan as it spun and dug its nails into another titan's face. Sure, it was agile and quick, but the teen could easily see a downfall with the titan – mostly due to its size. Unlike Rogue, it couldn't exactly use brute force like the fifteen-meter behemoth could. At only five-meters, The Jaw Titan could easily get overwhelmed. Not to mention, its body wasn't capable of hand to hand combat. Its technique consisted of blinding its victims before going for the nape – which wouldn't be an effective battle strategy on a horde such as the one below for long. Armin swallowed, beginning to worry for the little beast.

The new deviant landed upon the blood splotched earth yet again before charging forth at full speed on all fours – reminding the recruits yet again of a dog before it leaped onto a thirteen-meter's mug. With its face painted with both cunning and determination, The Jaw Titan dug its hands forcefully into the other titan's eye sockets. As blood began to trickle down its hands like melting wax on a candle, the deviant shrieked in sheer pleasure, getting caught up in the thrill of the kill – reminding Armin a bit of Rogue himself when the titan was high off the same kind of adrenaline.

However, it was then that Armin's worries about the small deviant's well-being came to light.

Before The Jaw Titan could make a move to tear out the behemoth's nape, a greedy hand reached out and grasped a fistful of the five-meter's messy hair and pulled forcefully. At this, The Jaw Titan screeched and abandoned its task of ripping out the other's eyes to grip its own head as it was yanked to the ground. The watching party held their breaths as several titans turned their aggression upon the small but nimble giant. A pair of teeth sunk into The Jaw Titan's shoulder, but the deviant was clearly defiant as it quickly twisted around to sink its claws into the creature's face. Desperate to get out of harm's way, the minuscule titan forced its way through several legs and leaped to latch back onto the tower's surface. However, before it could attempt to climb higher, another set of fingers wrapped themselves around The Jaw Titan's ankle. The deviant yelped in surprise as the titan below began to pull, forcing the five-meter to dig its nails into the stone tower. Much to their horror, another megalith took ahold of The Jaw Titan's other ankle. The small titan snarled, shrieking yet again as it pulled its foot free to kick the beast in its face, but ultimately the defensive attempt was futile as another titan pushed its way through the other towering bodies to retake the deviant's foot. Armin swallowed, watching as the creatures tried to pull The Jaw Titan from the wall of the tower. The squad observed as the deviant turned to look up at them, a sliver of dread present in its dark eyes. Suddenly, with another tug by the beasts below, one of the large blocks of stone holding the tower up that The Jaw Titan was currently clinging to, began to dislodge. Seeing this, the deviant let out the equivalent of a gasp and turned to peer upwards at the new recruits yet again – face now baring an expression of fear.

"Shit. This isn't good."

Both Armin and Mikasa watched in stunned silence as their unexpected savior began to panic, turning to look at the horde before focusing its attention back to them. Suddenly, The Jaw Titan let out an exasperated hiss as it released its grip on the tower to fall back into the fray – planting its claws into another monster's scalp and shrieked angrily to invite the others to a further challenge. It was then that the realization hit Armin. It was clear to him.

"It didn't want to take the tower down." He began, gathering the others' attention. "It knows that this is the only safe place for us, so it's trying to avoid that catastrophe. It's clearly set on keeping us safe, but at this point I honestly don't know how long The Jaw Titan can keep this up."

The others said nothing, but clearly showing that they recognized his point. The group of teens then turned their attention back toward the five-meter deviant to continue to view its onslaught. Just as the small titan leaped again with its chops open wide to sink into flesh, its locks were grabbed once more. As it happened before, The Jaw Titan was pulled roughly to the earth. The small creature shrieked furiously as the others began to grab any limb they could get to with the deviant struggling to resist them. It was now crystal clear that The Jaw Titan would be ripped to shreds unless the other titans were dealt with.

A crazy idea then popped into his head. One that was absolutely stupid, but it would give them all a chance if The Jaw Titan could understand them.

"Hey guys." He initiated, the other teens looking upon him in alarm. "Just go with me on this alright? I have an idea. It's very risky though."

Jean gritted his teeth. "Any idea is better than no idea at this point. The Jaw Titan isn't going to last much longer!"

Armin dipped his head, inhaling and exhaling to get his nerves under control before placing his foot on the ledge of the tower and clearing his throat. "HEY! YOU!" He called loudly, watching as his voice instantly grabbed the five-meter's attention, the fact that it understood spoken word clear. "IF WE ARE TO GET OUT OF THIS TOGETHER ALIVE YOU NEED TO TEAR THE TOWER DOWN!" Armin yelled, the blonde hearing a collection of startled gasps behind him.

"Armin! What are you –

"IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HELP US, DESTROY THIS TOWER! LET IT FALL ON THESE TITANS! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LAST MUCH LONGER!"

At the end of his statement, the deviant wasted no time in twisting out of the other titans' tight grasps and launching itself back onto the tower. Quickly, and with a fluent tug, The Jaw Titan pulled a block from the many making up the tower and flung it behind it with as much force as possible to snap the nose of another titan. With another defiant cry, the deviant grabbed another stone block and flung it at the enemy, followed by another and another until a good gash was torn into the tower's side. The floor beneath the teens jolted, causing many of them to topple off their feet as the tower began to dangerously tilt toward the chaos. A massive vibration radiated throughout his bones and the sound of crumbling rock met their ears – signaling that the tower had finally given way.

"It's falling!"

"Are we supposed to just –

Jean didn't finish his sentence as the wall of the crumbling tower rattled again and The Jaw Titan crested over the ledge to come face to face with them. For a moment, it took the opportunity to take a breather before peering at them with an expression that was nothing but serious.

" **WANNA LIVE? THEN… YOU BETTER HOLD ON TIGHT!"** It spoke, voice sounding exactly like the tone of a wicked witch, but giving away the fact the masculine titan was actually female. Even at the titan's order and what was transpiring around them, the squad found themselves spellbound at just how well the creature spoke, but their hesitation only made the female deviant impatient. " **HURRY UP! I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"**

"Er – right!" Armin snapped from his stupor, climbing into the small titan's hand with the creature quickly lifting the teens onto its head – telling them without a word to grab on its hair and hold tight. Used to riding upon Rogue, Armin wrapped the female beast's tangled hair around his arms several times before bracing himself with the others of their party following suit. Wind ripped by them as gravity began to take the falling tower. Carefully, the five-meter deviant rotated around to the opposite side of the turret, allowing it to see and ride the crumbling structure forward. Armin held his breath as the ground rushed towards them, a looming shadow casting over the titan horde below that stopped in their advance – not bothering to move as the tower began to crush them. With his knuckles turning white as he held the old bag containing the journal, Armin gripped his teeth as the earth rumbled violently and a dusty cloud flew up behind them with the tower's demise. Then, right before the ground could meet them, The Jaw Titan leaped, leaving the structure to crash in an echoing boom. Dust flew into his eyes, bringing fourth tears and provoking the teen to shut them. Suddenly, the titan's entire body jolted, throwing himself and several of the other teens off. For a second, he felt nothing until his frame met the tough surface of stone. The earth and sky flipped several times before he came to a stop – obviously having landed.

With a moan, Armin slowly sat up to quickly check for any broken extremities and if the journal was still in his possession. Seeing that he was still in one piece and had the messenger bag beneath his arm, the boy let out a sigh in relief.

"Looks like your crazy plan worked."

Returning to reality, Armin looked to see Jean holding out a hand to help him up with the others safely standing by. "Thanks." The blonde replied simply. "I'm surprised it did. You guys all right?"

"The landing was rough, we have a few bumps and bruises but we're fine." Mikasa replied, turning to peer in the direction they had come. "Utgaard Castle is in ruins, but at least the tower took out the other titans."

Following her gaze, Armin and the rest of his squad turned to look upon landscape, seeing that it was practically covered in large broken blocks and building materials – the area looking like the aftermath of a war zone which the very description wasn't far from the truth. He sighed yet again, seeing blood evidence that the hungry beasts had likely been buried beneath the rubble.

Of course, deep panting stole their attention away from the scene. Standing adjacent to them was The Jaw Titan, her dark eyes looking out at the devastation before directing her attention to them – the creature looking absolutely exhausted with breaths ragged. Suddenly, it became absolutely surreal to Armin. Despite the odds, they had come across another intelligent titan like Rogue – one that seemed to be on the side of humanity. However, with the encounter he then began to wonder. Where on earth had this deviant come from? How did it end up where they were now? What was its motive? Armin let out a breath, both the creature and the teens observing one another before Krista took a step forward.

"Um – thanks for –

The girl had no time to finish as the rubble suddenly shifted, rocks and wood tumbled as a steaming titan pushed it way to the surface – the monster quickly following their scent.

"Oh no! One of them –

Then, much to the teens' horror, several more titans forced their way out of the debris and making it very clear that his plan of total elimination didn't work. The beasts sniffed, nostrils flaring like famished wolves before turning their focus to them and beginning their advance. Armin felt his blood run cold again. They were in a deep hole now. The Jaw Titan was too worn and they had no way of running away quickly enough with no horses. They were practically done for. They needed a miracle to happen.

"Hey Ugly! Now might be a good time to –

The deviant didn't waste time to bother with Connie's crude commentary as it charged forward again, leaping into the air and towards its nearest target. With another screech, The Jaw Titan bit down into its victim's neck. Unexpectedly, as she swallowed the nape, another titan grasped her scalp. The female deviant let out a wail in protest as the abnormal horrifyingly swung the helpless creature in a high arch and slammed her down head first upon the edge of a stone block – the impact instantly cracking The Jaw Titan's skull.

"No!"

Like a wounded creature caught in a hunter's trap, the five-meter whined and trembled – blood spilling out from a gash right at the beast's hairline. The Jaw Titan's head was horribly misshapen, revealing just how extensive the injury was and one that practically decided the female deviant's grizzly fate on the spot. The small titan droned again, trying to move its limbs to get up but ultimately only succeeding in shuttering – steam pouring out of the wound as it began to heal. However, The Jaw Titan had no time to focus mending itself as the other towering behemoths took notice of the weak individual. As if they were guided by an instinct, the larger titans rushed forward and began to make the deviant their next meal. Crimson misted and splattered against the rubble as teeth tore into flesh, the deviant titan's desperate and agonizing cries so haunting that another shiver traveled up Armin's spine. A pair of jowls began to rip through muscle and bone, blood splattering the beast's face as it tore the small titan's leg from its pelvis. A hand grabbed the deviant's jaw, pulling it out of its socket as another small titan began to snack into the female creature's arm – tearing off a chunk of meat and going in again to make its way to the bone. The group of teens watched, practically petrified like wood as the abnormal titans continued to brutalize their victim.

"They're eating her." Krista muttered.

"It's defense, they knew she was the only thing standing in the way so they dealt with her." Armin trailed off, more fear settling in him as he registered that The Jaw Titan was as good as dead, there was no way it could save them and there was no way that they could learn from it.

A fourteen-meter with a wicked smile lifted its head to sniff the air, sampling the available scents before turning its attention to their squad, completely forgetting about the deviant that had been nothing but a burden to it and its kin as it slowly and menacingly motioned towards them. The monster rumbled, saliva straying from its maw as it prowled like a prehistoric predator. The titan let out a low roar, the vocal making their hearts pound.

This was it. There was no one to help them now. They were truly done for this time. There was no escape.

The beast let out another growl, but suddenly some sort of god seemed to be smiling down upon the helpless group of recruits as a tremendous, earth-shattering, and incredibly angry roar sliced through the remains of the castle and practically stilled all life around them. Armin's heart skipped in rhythm before lifting up into his chest. That roar – oh how he knew that roar and the thundering beneath his feet.

The titan slowly turned to face the source of the bellow but was quickly met with a large fist, the vicious hit instantly smashing the giant's face in and making its dead eyes loose from their sockets. Blood sprayed the earth as the force of the powerful blow sent the massive creature several meters back to crash into the rubble. The ever familiar fifteen-meter titan then came to a halt before them, heat radiating from his body as he released another tremendous rage filled howl.

"Rogue!" Mikasa began, the girl sounding utterly relieved as both Hange and Levi swooped into the fray and began to cut several of the mindless beasts down.

"The Scouts are here!"

Armin nearly fell to his knees as he continued to watch his titanic friend before him. To say that Rogue was utterly pissed was an understatement. The titan snarled, the sound rattling his rib cage. The beast's elvish ears were folded over against his skull with his hair ruffling and his spine arching in the slightest – a completely dangerous pose that Rogue only displayed when he was enraged. The behemoth roared again and lunged forward, green eyes looking absolutely feral as he crushed the nape of the maimed fourteen-meter to end it. But of course, Rogue wasn't finished. With the normally gentle titan's face corroded and twisted up unto a ferocious snarl, the creature thrust himself into the horde of titans – looking for nothing but blood. Rogue swung at his nearest target, skin of his victim's face tearing off like frayed ribbons as his knuckles met the beast. The titan teetered, knocked even more senseless. Rogue however wasn't going to let the monster fall. Before gravity could even wrap the abnormal in its embrace, the fifteen-meter behemoth roughly grabbed his prey and plunged his teeth into its nape – quickly tearing the massive hunk of flesh as well as part of the beast's spine from its body. The entire wreckage then began to smell of rusty iron – the unmistakable scent of blood.

"Holy shit –

"He's pissed."

Rogue roared again, his threatening call seemingly challenging the very heavens as he wrapped his fingers around another titan's throat. The Scouts watched, completely silent as Rogue yanked, ripping out the monster's throat before pushing his face past flesh to sink his incisors into the nape. With every muscle in the creature's neck bulging – Rogue tore out the creature's weak spot before setting his wild greens upon another still standing titan. The behemoth roared, blood of his prey spraying from his maw before he leaped forward to encase his hand around the abnormal's face, smashing the giant into the ground – reminding Armin very much of the journal entry that he had read shortly before. With overwhelming strength, Rogue gripped beneath the creature's chin and tore the abnormal's head from its body. With a final punch, his large ally obliterated the nape completely.

Rogue's tapered ears flickered, rotating behind himself to catch the presence of an abnormal that was running straight for him. With a piercing snarl, the behemoth turned just in time to knee the other titan in the gut – the monster's teeth going through its wide and oversize lips. With another roar, Rogue hit the creature with a well-placed right hook – the abnormal staggering backwards and struggling to stay upright. Then, as he had been taught, Rogue leaned and planted his foot into the center of the titan's chest, the mean kick sending the beast roughly to the ground with its caved in chest on clear display. Rogue quickly finished his target off and immediately searched for his next – steaming blood decorating his frame.

"It's no wonder as to why he ran here." Armin heard a Scout mutter behind him, the blonde immediately growing concerned while Rogue removed another nape with a bellow. The words played out in the teen's head again, his mind trying to make sense of the soldier's statement. The man's tone made him question the words further, but before he could turn around and ask, Rogue's roar commanded him to keep his attention forward. The towering behemoth continued his slaughter, elbowing an abnormal in the face with the aim to disorient before grasping his current victim and hoisting it over his shoulder and into the air – throwing the creature into the tower's debris. Dust swarmed around the area once again as Rogue planted his foot upon the titan's skull, crushing it into an unrecognizable pulp before dealing the card of death. His furious friend then navigated his way over the rubble to throw his fist into another behemoth's facade, making Armin's eyes widen at the fact that Rogue was just feet away from the still healing Jaw Titan. The blonde gasped in alarm. Rogue didn't know about the deviant!

"Rogue!"

The titan could not hear the warning as he bellowed yet again, turning to what should be his final opponent. In full view of the Scouts, Rogue snarled and forced his hand into a fourteen-meter's maw and gripped the monster's tongue. With another defiant roar, the titan tore the muscle from gaping jaws, leaving the other choking on its own crimson juices as Rogue flung the tongue away like a discarded piece of trash. To finish, Rogue then forcefully pulled the creature to him and ripped the nape away with one smooth bite. It was then that the only two titans left in the circumference was the deviant and Rogue himself. The green-eyed beast then turned his attention to the five meter, nothing but malice laden in bright emeralds as Rogue's face pulled into a snarl yet again. The behemoth hissed, steam billowing from his jowls as he positioned to stand over The Jaw Titan – slowly as if to taunt his innocent prey. To the recruits' horror, Rogue slowly pulled back his fist – the nearly recovered five meter at his feet throwing her hands up before her face in both surrender and defense.

"Oh shit! He's going to kill her!"

"Her?"

Rogue then prepared to swing.

"ROGUE! STOP!"

At Mikasa's desperate words, Rogue halted his assault – his look of sheer rage quickly replaced by serious confusion as his chest heaved. The titan continued to stare at the girl, his fist uncoiling and hand slowly lowering to be at his side. Rogue's gaze returned to the female beast before looking at Mikasa once again, appearing more perplexed than ever with a brow raised and a sharp but questioning grunt leaving him.

"Rogue!" Mikasa continued. "Don't kill the titan below you! She's a deviant like you! She's intelligent!"

With the news, Rogue's eyes comically widened in absolute surprise. The titan's gaze drifted downward once more, the giant looking nothing short of bewildered. Like a deer in torchlight, the beast watched the five-meter struggle to sit up – the little titan looking to the other in an almost mirrored expression.

" **COORDINATE**?" The Jaw Titan spoke, making several of the Scouts' faces drop in awe.

What the small titan did next however, left every soul speechless.

It keeled over and bowed.

" **MY KING."**

**(POV SWAP)**

All he could do was stare, finding himself in a state of complete perplexity. Though his superiors had protested as he charged forward across the landscape, he had ignored them for the better. He had expected titans which he met with sheer ferocity and saved his little ones from further harm just in the nick of time, but he wasn't expecting what was now before him. A small deviant titan – one that apparently shared his compassion for humans. Nonetheless, one that was female despite its looks. Any thoughts and along with his own doubts had completely drifted away with the wind just seconds before. The truth that he feared was now certainly a fact that he couldn't deny any longer. The female deviant's words were resolute and her presentation only supported facts further.

He was indeed, a king – or at least considered as such.

Rogue's breath shuttered, as he continued to look upon the small titan that was still showing its respects, appearing absolutely startled to the Scouts that only looked on at the scene with slacked jaws and blank faces. He swallowed, noticing the deviant's dark eyes glance up at him for a split second before traveling back to the dusty ground, obviously waiting on any reaction. A low and short whine sounded at the back of his throat, ears pinning to his skull in fear. He didn't want this. He just didn't want to believe it, but he couldn't deny anything any longer. Everything was real. The titan finally exhaled, the weight of things falling onto his shoulders. Everything was just happening too fast.

His mind was an absolute mixture of confusion, fear, and even inquisitiveness. It all just seemed like some sort of illusion. Slowly, Rogue sank down to his knees, the five-meter flinching in the slightest but otherwise remaining bowed. For a moment, a seeded instinct began to drive him. As if to ensure that he wasn't seeing things, Rogue carefully leaned towards the smaller titan and began to examine her scent – nostrils flaring and his breaths cavernous. The deviant indeed smelled foreign, exotic and clearly not from around the wall. Rogue leaned in further, bending awkwardly with the tip of his nose nearly touching the five-meter's scalp – the female's hair rustling and her dark eyes opening in annoyance but otherwise the beast remained as she was. Onlookers continued to look puzzled, but Rogue paid no heed to them as he continued his examination, his fretful greens catching the deviant's nose twitch as she attempted to secretly sample his scent as well. Rogue pulled back, sitting awkwardly and hunched over upon his hands and feet as he continued to scrutinize his babies' unexpected savior. Then, to take his odd form of questioning further, Rogue tentatively held a hand to the little beast and lightly pushed upon her brow before pulling his appendage back as if he had burned himself.

She was real after all. He wasn't dreaming.

Rogue tilted his head, green eyes watching as the small deviant steadied herself again, returning to her firm bow after his light push that nearly knocked the small titan off her feet. This titan before him saved his little ones and the other members of the new Levi squad. This titan also proved his superiors' suspicions true. Rogue faltered, sinking to his knees. Too much was coming at him at once. A muscle twitched in his face, his hand slowly reaching up to his chest as his brain began to pull in many different directions. He had no idea what emotion to latch onto.

Suddenly, the small titan shifted, catching Rogue's full attention again as she let out an aggravated grunt and rolled her dark eyes. The deviant then removed herself from her bowed position and quickly grasped his wrist, sending the Scouts into a state of high alert assuming that the titan had changed her tune. For the moment, he flinched at her grip, but every fiber in his body loosening when the deviant applied no force.

" **LOOK. COORDINATE!"** The five meter began to usher urgently, her tone still sounding like that of the grumpy Corporal and her voice almost raspy. " **I… DO NOT HAVE TIME."** The deviant continued, proceeding to push against him with her free hand – startling him even further and causing him to clumsily fall back onto his rump. The deviant blinked, obviously stunned by his actions before looking about and then focusing onto his again – the female looking frantic. " **LISTEN! YOU NEED TO GET THE HUMANS AND RUN! GET… AWAY FROM HERE! GO!"** The titan concluded as she quickly maneuvered around his bulk and bolted across the field to vanish into the trees – leaving both Rogue and the Scouts completely spooked.

"Did that – well I damn sure wasn't seeing things." Levi broke the silence between he and the Scouts, the man quickly reverting to his usual demeanor.

"That titan – it spoke perfectly!" Hange began, a grin coming to light, but then fading. "Her words, she called him a king, she showed respect – Nick's accounts are true. My guess was correct."

"Wait – what?"

Rogue pressed a hand to his brow, suddenly feeling dizzy with the facts hitting him. Beginning to feel the fatigue of his several hour sprint and realizing how hot and almost feverish he was, Rogue let out a low groan and made his way to a portion of a fallen tower and roughly seated himself upon the stone, snaking his fingers through his chocolate locks. He felt almost queasy, why was everything happening to him! He didn't want any of this!

"Rogue?"

Hearing Mikasa's familiar and always therapeutic voice, Rogue snapped himself from his inner turmoil and looked to the shaken teen, taking note of the slight bags beneath her eyes and her frazzled hair – suggesting that she and the others had likely gotten no sleep. He simply grunted in recognition, unable to form words at the moment. Mikasa bit her lip, lifting a hand to place upon his warm skin, giving it a soft pat.

"Are you alright? You look almost pale." His little one queried, the titan giving a barely detectable nod at her tone. He could easily tell that Mikasa was trying to ease into difficult questions, but her speech was still shaking to indicate that she was bewildered and scared. "Thank you for saving us." The girl paused, choosing her words carefully. "You got here just in time. Another second later and we would have been killed." Mikasa hesitated. "How did you find us so quickly? Was it the flares?"

" **EII… SNELL YOU ANND ARRNIN."** He quickly gestured to his nose before letting his hand fall into his lap. " **EII… SNELLT URR FEEER. BLOOOOD TOOO."** Rogue muttered, his shoulders hunching a bit as he recalled what he had done.

"And you followed our scent?" The beast looked up to see Armin approach he and Mikasa. "I guess our flares really just confirmed your suspicions, huh?" The teen continued – making the titan realize that he was easing into the more serious matters first.

Rogue only nodded, his green eyes catching Erwin approaching him with a face devoid of any emotion besides his usual stern glare. The titan's ears sank as he mentally prepared himself for a serious scolding. "Rogue Jaeger," The man began, his tone holding no hint of whimsy. "I never gave you the order to depart or abandon your current mission, that is an offense that must never happen again. However, seeing what was here to discover and the fact that work was practically complete, I'm willing to overlook your decision to bolt and disobey orders."

Rogue found himself blinking in surprise at the man's statement. The creature then exhaled. What he had done was something that was normally met with heavy punishment which would have been amplified due to the fact that he was a titan. Seeing that Erwin was intrigued enough to pull the strings and overlook his error, the beast expressed his thanks with a firm nod. " **EII ANN SORRR –**

**"** Rogue!"

With his apology interrupted by another familiar plea, Rogue turned to see someone that made his green pools widen in recognition. It was Krista, or rather the child of royal blood that had not shared her true name. The small teen looked just as fatigued as his babies, garments dirty and golden hair in the same state as Mikasa's. Rogue found himself straightening up as she struggled to climb over the debris. Knowing what she really was and what has just transpired – the teen had to be intending on telling him something gravely important. What else was 'Krista' hiding?

"Rogue!" The small blonde motioned to stand before him, the teen doubling over to catch her breath before slowly advancing again. With wide eyes, the titan looked on as Krista stood at his hip, her head lowered in what he could call shame with her sunshine locks draping around her face. Finally, after several brief moments of silence, Krista looked up to him with an expression that he read as a tender but sad smile. The teen inhaled and exhaled in preparation, raising a hand to place upon his thigh, indicating she was aiming to speak about a touchy subject that she hoped he would understand. "Rogue, this is hard to say, but I need to tell you the truth before anything else happens." Krista began, smiling sympathetically at the creature – the titan noting his little ones' wellbeing and confusion at the girl's sudden actions. Krista's cerulean blues drifted to his emerald greens, giving him her full and undivided attention. "Rogue, I want to tell you my real name. It's Historia Reiss."

His ears rotated forward in sheer interest. Historia Reiss. This was Krista's true identity – a name that meant royalty. " **HII…HIISSORIA?"** Rogue repeated, almost expecting something magical to happen after the teen had spoken it, a flood of memories from his past that he couldn't recall. To his misfortune, nothing of the sort happened. Was it still possible there was a different way Historia was supposed to make his past life resurface?

"So your real name is Historia Reiss?" The group turned to see both Hange and Levi approaching – the woman looking absolutely serious. Historia nodded.

"Yes." She spoke quietly with the scientist nodding in confirmation. His little ones turned their attention to the woman, faces appearing even more befuddled than before.

"Wait, what's going on?" Armin questioned, looking back at both the titan and the other blonde before placing his attention back onto Hange. "What does Krista – er Historia have to do with Rogue?"

The woman sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "We learned about some incredibly valuable information that the church kept for years about our lovely titan. I can say it's quite complex and could be considered troubling, but it explains a good portion as to why our enemy has their eyes on Rogue."

The titan watched Armin's jaw slacken and Mikasa's brows lift with astonishment. The blonde teen suddenly tore into an old worn bag that hung around his shoulder and took out what he recognized as a book – a book that looked absolutely archaic and showed it to their superiors who looked on at it in surprise. Rogue sat up further. Was it possible that his little ones had come across information about him as well?

"What is that?" Levi asked, his expression almost growing darker.

Armin hesitated, taking a deep breath as he handed the book to Hange who looked upon the embossed leather cover with intrigue. "We came across the old journal in Utgaard that belonged to Jorge Pikale – an old Survey Corps Commander. It's – proof that Rogue was originally from outside the walls. Also, it – supports the claim that the church and the Military Police kept Rogue's existence a secret from the general public." The boy concluded, making an awkward silence grow between the listeners. Rogue could only stare at his little one as he once again retreated into his mind – recalling the day that he had first awoken beneath the trees and beneath the wall in Maria.

"This is significant information." Hange turned to face the titan. "This entire situation is more than what first meets the eye. Historia, Armin, Mikasa, and Rogue – there is quite a bit we need to talk about. And quickly."

"Well," Levi turned toward the rest of the awaiting regiment, peering over his shoulder with his frown still engraved on his face. "Let's do the talking on the way back to Ehrmich. As that deviant brat said, we need to get the fuck out of here before anything else goes to shit."

* * *

The sun beamed down upon his flesh, disappearing for a moment as a large cloud drifted over it, casting the landscape in shadow – the same reoccurring over and over in a pattern as they neared the wall bordering Ehrmich district. It was noon and their convoy had thankfully not run into any stray titans nor did he smell any around the area. The trek had been quiet, Erwin lead the others with horses and wagons along the lonely road while his babies, Historia, and Hange rode on his right shoulder with Levi sitting by himself on his left. Each had dawned new sets of invisible wings with their supplies replenished – the titan knowing very well that such was done by Erwin's orders. They were prepared for anything.

But of course, he, nor his little ones and the others were going to be fully prepared for the information they were about to ingest and make sense of. In particular, he himself was fearing what Historia had to share. He just had a feeling that it wasn't good. The royal child had a connected to the church – the very people that wanted him dead. With the haunting feeling making him uncomfortable, Rogue shut his eyes tightly before reopening them to focus on Hange with Mikasa's hand still softly stroking his flesh. The brunette had the old journal open in her lap, her eyes scanning each word and images with utmost interest – nodding to herself and folding pages back on the corners when needed. Hange flipped another page, at the end of the journal's contents. Rogue watched as her brows lifted at a sketch, her hand running along it in awe. For a long moment, the woman continued to examine the final pages before silently nodding to herself, brows narrowed in determination.

"Yes, Jorge Pikale was Commander of the Scouts many decades ago. I remember learning about him back in the Cadets. He was one of the best, and at the time when he was suddenly demoted everyone wondered why. This explains it. He was stripped of his position because he came across the one being that a higher power didn't want him to find." Hange lifted her head, her mouth in a slight frown as she rotated the journal for the beast to see. Rogue's breath hitched as he beheld what was on the parchment. On the page were various sketches of none other than himself, but his face was less than friendly. He was drawn positively vicious – a look that said he was determined to kill – the very same that he wore when defending humanity from his kin. Honest with himself, the image did scare him. "Looks like you were quite ferocious back then."

Rogue only swallowed, his ears sinking. Could he have been absolutely primal?

"Right." Hange began again, turning her attention back to his little ones. "I suppose it would be best to fill the two of you in on what we learned first before we get to what Krista has to share. Hours after our arrival in Ehrmich, Pastor Nick arrived at the Garrison headquarters where as you know, we were stationed. Turns out, after the events in Stohess, the priests relocated there. Naturally, we demanded why he was present at such a place and he told us some rather… interesting but damning news. Apparently, Fritz isn't the real royal family that rules the walls. They are just puppets to the real royal family. Reiss. They keep themselves hidden away and off grid for a very good reason. They have knowledge of a powerful weapon, an entity that could rule over both mankind and the titans themselves as the fact states. They have kept this secret from the public – only telling the church what I assume to be just the basics." Hange paused, looking at his little ones strongly – their faces revealing just how startled they were. "It is also certain now that it is indeed Rogue that is this entity who's spoken of." The woman paused to rub her chin before looking at them even more seriously than before. "The church obviously kept this from the public as well – which explains why the MP's were told to keep Jorge's mouth shut. As for the MPs' knowledge of this, I'd say they are aware of the fact as well due to the church using them as enforcement – not to mention the current puppets of the Reiss know this as well. The reason for all of this secrecy I believe is that they are aware that our titan enemy is after Rogue and will do anything to get him. They tried to keep Rogue's existence under wraps, but since his appearance – they just want to remove Rogue from the equation."

"So." Mikasa began, her voice almost trembling and making his heart drop down to his stomach. "The reason why every bit of this is happening from the first breach to this one is really because of Rogue?"

Hange hesitated. "Unfortunately, yes." She replied, the others going into a brief state of silence.

"There is one thing I don't get though." Levi suddenly grumbled. "If this giant brat could potentially be the most powerful titan – why is the royal family going through with their actions? Rogue is the most effective soldier the military has. He can dispatch titans like they are made of paper. Why take your best shot of defeating your enemy and just throw it away?"

The titan only grunted softly in agreement. That was one thing he didn't get at all.

"Very true."

"Will any of this be revealed to the public?" Armin suddenly asked. "We've tried so hard just for Rogue's relationship to reach where it is now with the people of the walls. If this is revealed to them, I'm sure we will lose everything we worked for."

Hange nodded in clear understanding. "Erwin and I discussed this as soon as we learned it the previous evening. We are aware of the uproar it could cause and how much it could put Rogue's life in danger. Pixis was aware of the very same. We decided together to keep this all classified. Every bit of this information – even from the government, MPs. They probably have figured that the deviants are just here for a meal and we have decided to keep it that way. Of course, Zackley is probably aware of the real situation, but for whatever reason he's kept quiet. But yes. This information is now classified and no one will be able to discuss it outside of Scouts or Garrison headquarters." Hange informed sternly with his little ones nodding in understanding.

Rogue simply breathed, eyes adverting to his feet again as he silently thought. The truth about what was really transpiring was being kept classified. However, he wasn't so sure how long it would take the public to connect the dots and put two and two together.

"Pastor Nick also informed us that there was a child born of both royal blood as well as from a servant to the Reiss family. The child was raised in secret until she was discovered and hidden by the church. Five years ago, from what I assume was an attempt to further conceal, the church enlisted the child into the Trainees. This child, as Nick indicated, is actually Krista, or as she is really named, Historia. He stated that she may have a very important connection to Rogue and from what I heard she might be able to discover his true power." Hange paused, with his little ones' eyes growing larger again. "Now. Before we dwell on this further and I express more on my theories – Historia," Hange turned to the quiet teen. "I would like for you to fill us in how much you know about this. Remember, now is not the time to withhold information. You could be charged with treason for withholding important material from the military if you don't tell us everything that we need to know right now."

Rogue swallowed nervously, his green pools traveling to the small female who looked absolutely fretful – the titan taking notice of her white knuckles. Historia bit her lip, rubbing her hands over one another as she struggled to conjure up the courage to reveal what she had most likely kept hidden all of her life.

"Well," The teen stuttered, her hand brushing a strand of her golden hair behind her ear out of habit. "I – I don't actually know a lot about this, but I'll say everything that I know. It's true though, my mom was a housemaid for the Reiss family. I never knew my father, but apparently he was a brother to the real king. I've never met him though, but he was married at the time I was conceived. Just to spare him the embarrassment, he sent me away to live at the church with several other orphans when I was five. Not long after that, I found out that my mother was murdered. Back then of course, I really didn't understand what was happening or why. When I was twelve, the priests at the time suddenly pulled me into a secluded room and began to tell me all they knew. I was a child born of royal blood – one that wasn't meat to happen from the family that truly ruled the walls, the Reiss. They told me that my family knew a secret about a very powerful entity that could dominate the titans and humanity itself. They told me that the weapon was a titan – one that looked like a demon. They told me about a titan that matched the description of the prophesized entity – one that surfaced decades before the first breach occurred that was dubbed "The Berserker" and then proceeded to tell me that "The Rogue Titan" that appeared shortly after The Colossal was likely the very same beast. They then proceeded to tell me that they received orders from the top that my name be changed and that I was to join the Trainees and enlist in the Scouts – in order to train to kill the titan." Historia paused, the others looking on in a stunned silence and he himself nearly faltering.

Historia, the sweet little girl that loved braiding his hair and weaving flowers into his locks – was trained to kill him. However, before he could succumb to any emotion, the small blonde suddenly broke into tears.

"But I couldn't do it! At first, I just wanted to prove myself worthy of being a Reiss – but then when I met Rogue and saw how good hearted he was… I knew that I couldn't go through with it. I just wanted to be Krista Lenz and aid in protecting Rogue!"

The titan swallowed roughly at Historia's tears, he could tell that she was certainly being sincere. A soft whine escaped his throat as he naturally nudged his nose into the teen who instantly tried to gather herself, sniffling and raising a hand to stroke the bridge of his nose. Rogue purred softly, successfully getting Historia to calm considerably.

"I see." Hange muttered, scratching her chin before looking at her kindly. "I believe all of us here are thankful that you have changed your mind, but there is something else I hope that you can elaborate on." Hange continued with the blonde girl nodding, ready for the incoming query. "Pastor Nick informed us that you may be the key in helping discover aspects about Rogue that we've been unable to retrieve. We believe it has something to do with you being able to dig deep into Rogue's lost memories. Is this true?"

She hesitated. "The priests said something about it, but they didn't really know much either. They just told me that I had the ability to connect and get in sync with Rogue's memories. But, I don't know how or even if such a thing is really possible. I've been around Rogue for months now and I've never been able to do such a thing – so I really don't believe what the priests told me was true."

Hange only nodded. "You do have a point. You've made physical contact with Rogue and yet you haven't been able to produce any results. Thank you for sharing what you know. I'll see to it that Erwin order to keep this under wraps as well." The scientist then sighed, folding her arms before looking at the group seriously once again. "Now, here is some theories I have. As the small deviant spoke earlier, Rogue is considered a king and I believe that our enemy aims to overthrow him. I believe that these titans could be working under a higher power – which leads me to believe that it must be The Colossal. In many social animal species, it is the biggest and strongest that leads over the others. I think that there also could be more to Rogue's ability to command titans. It's certain now that he's the only being able to do this. I think this could be something much more than an alpha like ability. Our enemy definitely knows more about this than we do – and we need to quickly try and figure out what. Even though we've survived this – who's to say that they won't try the very same again? There are so many loose ends here."

The titan only stiffened, watching as his little ones fell into a similar state. Rogue only swallowed nervously out of habit again. The information was just getting more damming by the minute. Suddenly, Armin's brows rose.

"Section Commander, when we were trapped on top of Utgaard castle – the titans surprised us by advancing at night." He spoke with Hange's brows lifting and her mouth opening in shock.

"Moving at night? My god – Rogue, he couldn't sleep all evening either. He was moving around just like it was daytime all night!"

Armin nodded. "Mikasa and I discussed it and I think I know why. It was a full moon last night and moonlight is reflected sunlight. I believe it was supplying the titans with just enough UV rays to keep them going." His little one expressed with Hange nodding vigorously.

"Of course! It explains Rogue's uneasiness and his lack of sleep. Interesting piece of information that is – I've never done much studying on titans at night nor has humanity done so in the past. It was mostly a grey area and we only relied on past facts that some of the first titan researches discovered and published. This is quite the game changer. I'm certain of it – The Armored and The Colossal were probably aware of the fact and chose the day before to make their move for that reason. They must have figured out that we were unaware of that fact."

Rogue's eyes widened at this. So during a full moon, titans could still walk the earth. Admittedly, he always wondered why he was sometimes a light sleeper on some of those nights back when he was in Maria – but he never truly took notice of it when he slept in the Scout's barn. The previous evening, he was fully exposed to the moonlight which forbid him from entering a state of repose. It wasn't just his nerves and overactive senses. Rogue's sharp eyes then noticed a bead of sweat drifting down Armin's brow, making his skin prickle again. Was it possible that his little one had discovered something else?

"Hange," The blonde male continued, his tone sterner than before. "Right before the horde of titans came at us, we heard a strange roar. We followed the source of it to see a titan unlike Rogue or any other deviant we came across sitting on top of the wall. I'm pretty sure this titan was a deviant as well and caused the horde to come straight at us."

"You mean," Levi groaned. "We've got another one of those bastard after us?"

Armin nodded with Rogue gradually feeling the strands of his hair ruffle in alarm. "I think so. I think it did what The Female accomplished back on the expedition. I think this one could have corralled the others before hand and provoked them to attack – like a dog with sheep."

"What did this titan look like?"

Armin bit his lip. "It sounds absurd, but this one looked a lot like a giant ape."

"So," Levi continued to grumble. "It looked like a beast?"

Mikasa nodded. "Yes. This titan looked to be almost seventeen meters and it was almost completely covered in hair. Its arms were unnaturally long too. It was absolutely bizarre."

Hange's gaze darkened. "Then I think we can assume that this 'Beast Titan' is another deviant – one of the ones part of the party that is aiming to overthrow the king. Rogue," Her eyes drifted to him. "Think hard, but do you remember any titan like this? Anything at all?"

The titan's spine stiffened at the query, a natural reflex he always had when he was asked to remember. Emerald greens pulled away from the woman to watch his stride again, each foot going in front of the other. His brow creased and his tapered ears pressed against his head. Black lids fell over his eyes for a brief moment as he attempted to concentrate. There was the bearded titan in his dreams and the horror inducing face of The Female, but beyond that was nothing but a black void. Not a single image was surfacing. Rogue peeled open his darkened lids to watch his feet yet again, letting out a gentle wisp of steam between his teeth. " **EIII… DUNNOO. EII CANNT RENNENBRR."** Rogue winced, starting to pity himself, Mikasa obviously feeling his stress and stroking his shoulder.

"Well," The Corporal exhaled. "Even if he can't remember, it's clear that we have another asshole to deal with."

The group said nothing at the statement, the awkward silence surrounding them as they continued to move. Rogue only stared at his feet and the convoy below him. He hated this. Now his little ones and his family was even further in harm's way. He didn't get it, why was he chosen to carry such a burden? Why! After several more agonizing minutes, Hange cleared her throat to speak with his little ones once again, her face still not showing any enthusiasm.

"Another thing I feel would be best to address is something that you two may find troubling as well." Hange gestured to his babies, their eyes filling with fear yet again. "Sasha arrived with a small party of survivors during the evening hours in Ehrmich. She informed us that The Armored was indeed looking for Rogue as we suspected. However, what she was told us that the titan said has us worried and admittedly on edge."

Mikasa lifted her head with the giant able to easily sense her growing concerns. "What did The Armored Titan say? What did he say about Rogue?" The teen stuttered, making him realize that Mikasa was almost on the verge of tears. Hange sighed.

"This is going to be tough to swallow for the both of you. The Armored called Rogue a traitor."

"A – traitor?"

The Section Commander nodded. "Yes. This statement itself brought up many questions as to why our enemy would use such a word to describe Rogue. After reading the journal, it certainly makes one wonder if Rogue had any sort of relationship with the other deviant titans. It's just a theory, but it could be possible that Rogue was on the very same side of our enemy in the past, but due to his nature or an occurrence that befell – he could have split from the others in order to forge his own path, losing his memories somewhere along the line."

"Wait – are you saying that Rogue… Rogue could have once been evil?" His little one stuttered, her eyes igniting with panic even more.

The woman sighed yet again, sounding both physically and mentally exhausted. "It's possible – yet our assumption could be wrong. The Armored could simply be referring to the fact that Rogue sympathizes with humanity, thus making him a traitor among titans. This seems likely because Rogue's breed doesn't consume humans. Still, it is something we should not just slide beneath the rug, if you understand what I mean."

If he was able the shed a bead of sweat, the titan certainly would be soaking. No, there was no way he could have been evil! He wasn't bad! He was good! He loved almost everyone and almost everything. There was no way he could have been with those monsters! No way! He couldn't have slaughtered humans or eaten them for pleasure! He couldn't have! The beast felt himself tremble, the slight shutter in his frame alerting the others to his inward struggle as he stopped in his path.

"Rogue?"

" **NOO. NOO EII ANNN… IEE AHH GOODD TIITANN."** The beast uttered, starting to feel himself slipping, the touch of his Mikasa halting him from descending into a complete panic attack.

"Settle down Rogue." She spoke softly, his wide greens capturing her reassuring smile. "It's alright. You're a good titan. Everyone knows you are a good titan. Carla and Grisha knew you were a good titan. Armin and I know you are a good titan. The Scouts know you're a good titan and the citizens of the walls know you're a good titan too." Mikasa encouraged – rubbing his jawline with his heart rate slowing at her words. "You are good. You are not a monster. You are not evil."

His breath leveled, becoming less erratic as his pupils returned to their normal size. Rogue blinked, letting out a soft whine as he nudged his chin into his baby with her hands continuing to coax him. Several more seconds passed before the titan felt his body calm completely. Yes. He was good. He wasn't bad at all. To express his thanks, Rogue gifted his little one with a lick. " **TAANNK YUU."**

**"** No problem. Just remember. You've never done one evil thing in your life. You do whatever you need to protect us all which is out of love." Armin chuckled. "You've haven't got a bad bone in your body!"

Rogue couldn't help but smile at the words, easily persuaded. Finally, he let out a sigh and dipped his head, rubbing his nose into the blonde before starting forwards again to trail the Scouts. He couldn't succumb to any of his own struggles. Right now they needed to return to the district and make sure that Wall Rose was secure and determine the state of the patch as well as the whereabouts of The Armored Titan. He swallowed, trying to hide his nerves from his riders. Truly, he did hope that his enemy had given up on trying to pursue him, but with no reports passed to the Scouts from the Garrison – it was likely the roach was still hiding out and perhaps tracking their every move. Rogue's brow wrinkled, going unnoticed by his company. If they were to kill the Armored, he wondered what strategy the Commander would use. His enemy was plated with hardened skin similar if not harder than The Female's. For a split second, he felt weak in his hips as he recalled the moment when The Female Titan broke his pelvis. He was practically powerless against her hardening ability. No doubt, if he had to face The Armored Titan, he would have a massive disadvantage. Not to mention – the Scouts would practically be useless. Most likely he would have to intervene. Perhaps the Scouts could trap the beast the same way that they did during their exercises? As Rogue continued to ponder, he had no idea that his little ones and the others were looking up at him once again.

"Rogue? Are you alright?"

The titan nearly let out a gasp in surprise at the sudden query, realizing that he nearly had stopped in his tracks again. " **EII ANN GOOOD."** He quickly reassured and motioned forward once again. **"UUST TIINKKIN."**

"What are you thinking about?" Armin asked, making the titan wish he would have not said anything further. Rogue dithered, feeling his ears heat up.

" **ADOOUT GOOINN HONNE."** He lied through his teeth, praying that the others wouldn't notice his ears as he discreetly pinned them against his head. Thankfully, his little ones seemed to overlook his little fib.

"Yeah, I think we could be back home this evening, Rogue. I'm – looking forward to a good sleep." Armin tittered, but otherwise not saying anything else.

The titan could certainly tell that his little one was lying too.

More minutes of silence passed and the vast wall grew larger as they neared it, stretching over them and nearly casting their entire brigade in shadow. Also it signaled that the district was just up ahead, he was just so uneasy to the point he was making himself sick to his stomach. Damn how he just wanted to get back to his nest – back to his territory where he and his family would be safe.

"By the way, Section Commander," Armin began again. "Did Mike return last night? He broke off from our Squad and left Nanaba and Gelgar in charge."

At the innocent enough question, the two higher ups went rigid, eyes looking to one another – showing alarm but their faces otherwise remaining blank. Rogue felt his heart skip a beat. Nanaba and Gelgar – they were not with his little ones when he and the Scouts arrived at the ruins to rescue them. Neither was Lynn nor Henning. The blood that he had smelled – could that have been… Mike. Mike wasn't with them? Erwin had said – Mike was the strongest. Was it possible? Rogue's heart started to beat faster. Nanaba, Mike – had they fallen victim to the jaws of his kin?

"No." Hange spoke, her tone low. "Mike didn't show up in Ehrmich last night or this morning. I think we can only assume the worst." She frowned. "I guess only the new recruits survived your ordeal?"

Rogue could only hold his breath as the teen nodded.

"I started to suspect the very thing happened to Mike when the Scouts Arrived at Utgaard. It could have been the horde of abnormals that attacked us early on. They were moving really erratically and he decided to ward them away from us. Nanaba, Gelgar as well as Lynn and Henning – they fought the titans with what little supplies they had at Utgaard before they ran out of gas and blades in battle. They died protecting us." Armin responded, his voice barely audible.

At the news, Rogue felt his heart plummet. Nanaba. He had lost her. Although he had just started to get to know her, she had quickly become someone he was extremely fond of. She was gone. She was –

Then he froze, all thoughts and brewing emotions ceasing. His pupils shrank and a crisp and cold chill shot up his spine. His hair bristled, rising like the fur on the back of a cat. His heart began to thunder and he stalled, ears rotating to catch the cryptic sound that he unfortunately knew all too well.

"That's unfortunate to hear."

The titan however, paid no attention to their words – their voices simply seeping into the background. His brows lifted as the wind changed its course, carrying his locks in different directions. His nose wrinkled with his nostrils flaring as the stench it him. Rogue, lifted his head in the slightest, sniffing like a mad dog to witness the revolting and exotic scent that was sweeping before his face and into his lungs. He had smelt the very odor once before and it was throwing his senses into pandemonium. His enemy – was right behind him.

"Rogue? Rogue what's wrong?"

He simply stood, feeling petrified and looking like he had just witnessed his mother's death all over again. He swallowed, lungs heaving. This wasn't good! He didn't want this to happen!

" **LONGG TIME… NO SEEE – GREENN EYESS."**

The titan completely ignored his rider's expressions and words of shock as he swallowed, trying to get rid of the burdensome lump in his throat without success. The brigade stopped in their tracks and the aura around all of them grew incredibly tense. Ever so slowly, Rogue rotated his head, his body following him as he beheld his adversary. There, standing just over thirty meters away, was The Armored Titan.

"Shit!"

"No. No!"

"He can speak as well!"

Still, Rogue only focused afore him, his eyes tracing every detail of The Armored's face and branding it into his mind. The titan was more horrifying than he remembered him. Now able to see him clearly without any obstruction keeping him hidden, Rogue made out every feature available to him. The Armored was exotic in appearance just as The Female was and like her he wasn't covered in smooth and thick tan flesh. Almost every exposed muscle was protected or framed by plates of gold. The Armored's face was bizarre to him. It was true, the way the plates were shaped reminded him of the thing that his Armin called a snapping turtle – the plates parting away to reveal the creature's jaws lined with yellowed teeth – likely stained from gallons upon gallons of blood from his prey. The titan's eyes were purely unsettling – practically glowing a solid gold with irises and pupils faint and difficult to see. The creature's hair was silver like that of precious metal and blades. Rogue felt his chest tighten, finding it harder to breathe. His enemy had found him. He had found all of them.

"Scouts! Ready your weapons! Prepare to –

" **LET'SS MAKE THISS QUICKK – GREENN EYESS. YOU HAVEE… BEEN HIDINGG LONGG ENOUGHH."** The Armored cut off the Commander, the man sitting in a stunned silence as The Armored contorted its plated jaw oddly – forming a smile that Rogue only found to be sinister. " **YOUU WON'T… PUTT UPP MUCHH… OF A FIGHTT. YOUU WERE ALWAYSS… DUMBB AND WEAKK."** The titan continued, voice low and gruff – reminding him of a swindling or untrustworthy man.

Even so – Rogue remained still, stunned like a spooked feline as he tried to tackle his fear and understand what The Armored was conveying. His ears twitched at the sounds of his little ones' distress.

"Oh god. There's no way – how are we going to make it out of this?"

"How are we going to be able to defeat him? We'll be lucky if anyone makes it out alive!"

"What are we going to do!"

"Mikasa – I don't know if Rogue can…

With his ears filling with worried words and the sounds of the Scouts scrambling to prepare to fight, Rogue watched as The Armored huffed a cloud of hot steam and took a single step forward – clearly ready to slaughter. It was apparent that not a single soul was going to get in his way. He was ready to paint the ground red to obtain his prize.

It was then, with his enemy's single step, that something fired off within Rogue. The blood in his veins began to boil, heat pooling in his stomach as fear was overcome with rage. This – this _monster_ was the reason why he had lost so many people so dear to him. The Armored and Colossal laid waste to Shiganshina – destroying it and leaving it decorated in nothing but mutilated bodies. They had let his kin inside human territory to feast. The Armored and Colossal let that smiling demon in - the very creature ate his loving parents. This titan was the reason why he had lost those that were so dear to him and why humanity was suffering!

He then felt the familiar touch of his little ones, pressing their hands against his neck and gripping the locks dangling from his head. At this, Rogue felt his anger only intensify, his eyes taking on a dangerous and feral glint. His babies. The Armored wished to kill them! He wouldn't let that happen! For the monster's desire, he would slaughter the beast where he stood. Unbridled rage sparked instinct; Rogue's ears folded over, his nose wrinkled as his skin drew up in a snarl. With his eyes wild, the beast let loose a rippling growl that had been trapped in his chest for far too long. For a moment, he felt sheer satisfaction as The Armored halted in his tracks, seemingly surprised by his act of ferocity – his own fists coiling and his back arching with his breaths becoming savage. He would make his foe witness what hell was really like! He would make him his prey! He would sink his teeth into his meat and drink his blood!

His frame trembled, jolting his riders while another deep and furious growl resonated up from his breast. Upon him, his family grew incredibly alarmed.

"Rogue!" Armin tugged a strand of his ruffling hair. "Rogue! You need to wait for orders! He's bigger and stronger than you are! Listen to Commander Erwin's –

His baby's voice only fell deaf on his ears as he was consumed by the need to protect and the primal desire to kill – and eat. Rogue snarled again, the bone chilling sound cutting across the vast glade and making every soldier freeze in their boots. The Armored's eyes widened.

" **SO… YOUU DO HAVEE… FIGHTT IN YOUU."**

His foe's commentary only fanned the fire, dousing the blaze with gasoline. He parted his jaws and released a challenging roar that made the limbs of the nearby trees tremble like fall leaves in a thunderstorm. Every bone in his little ones' bodies rattled and The Armored stopped in his tracks – the monstrosity's face nearly blank. Rogue nearly grinned as a sense of fear swam in his prey's eyes, but kept his snarl as his opponent dawned what he could make out as a smirk.

" **WELLL… THISS MAY BE INTERESTINGG."**

The crude annotation of his foe only provoked Rogue to take one step forward and roar yet again, the howl dying down into a low hiss – his irises illuminating a dangerous green with pupils nothing but thin serpentine slits. Amped up on rage and adrenaline, he could barely feel his little ones and his superiors tugging both his collar and hair.

"Rogue! Rogue Please! You need to listen!"

"Rogue!"

"Oi! You stupid brat! Your ass needs to back up so we can work on weakening the bastard!"

"Rogue! Please! Stop this!"

The titan's muscles tightened and steam billowed out of his nose like a fearsome dragon in old stories. Like a wild animal, his chest heaved noticeably and he panted. He would make the bastard pay! He was going to bathe in his prey's blood! He was going punish the monster for his sins!

Then, The Armored let out another huff and took a step forward in advance, disregarding all of his warnings and of course any human life. The very move pushed him to the breaking point. Rogue inhaled deeply and bellowed loud enough for any saint in the heavens to hear.

He then charged forward, sprinting as fast as he possibly could with a fist raised, his riders quickly evacuating his shoulders while he aimed to rid the arrogant look off his prey's face. The Armored Titan had no time to retreat or move in any other direction as he met the beast's position. With another ear-splitting cry, Rogue swung – his fist hitting the titan in the cheek, but as his knuckles made impact, a searing pain shot up his fingers and to his elbow. Rogue's breath hitched and his teeth nearly bit through his tongue as he felt bone crack and shift unnaturally. He growled as he sidestepped, taking the moment to look down at his hand that was now horridly deformed. A sheet of skin hung grotesquely, exposing shreds of muscles. However, the sight of his own crimson leaking out and decorating the earth below only made him grow more stubborn and willful.

"Rogue! Please! You need to pull back! He's hardened from head to toe!"

Still, he only saw red and only lusted for more of it. Rogue roared yet again and swung his already shattered hand into his foe's face once more, his blow hitting its mark but his appendage flying off – leaving him with a useless stump. Rogue snarled, saliva dripping down his chin as he raised his other first. How dare he! He would make this monster pay! He would make him pay for everything! Every life he had ever cut short!

Before he could make his attempt however, The Armored Titan kicked, planting his foot into his gut and forcing him to tumble upon the earth. His massive frame slid across the grass and the dirt, flipping over until he came to an abrupt stop. Rogue growled as he scrambled to stand, faltering and embarrassingly landing back into the dirt as he tried to prop himself up on his steaming stump.

" **WELLL… YOU AREE JUSTT AS… PITIFULLL AS YOU ALWAYSS WERE."**

The comment sent another rippling growl through his chest. Like a mad dog, he launched himself to his feet with another roar and bolted forward with the intent to tear his foe apart. Though he was missing a hand, he would still give the beast hell. Pumping his legs, his feet carried him across the wide glade. With another howl, he curled his remaining fist and poised it to strike. If it was the last thing he would do, he would smash in the bastard's skull. Aiming to savagely hit his opponent from a low level, Rogue prepared to attack. To his dismay, as he rose up, The Armored Titan wrapped his hand around his head and pushed – forcefully slamming him down face first into the unforgiving ground. However, before he could get upright to continue his assault, the titan roared, his cry rough and deep with his foot meeting his side yet again. Rogue yelped like a frightened pup as he felt a rib snap, his body sent several meters away for the second time. His error didn't register with him as he peeled open his jaws to roar. He needed blood! He needed his blood all over his flesh! ' _ **I'M GOING TO KILL… YOU!'**_ His mind furiously thought as he forced himself to stand yet again, the discomfort in his side making him grip the area in a stronghold. Even so, he lay his burning greens onto The Armored Titan with nothing but resentment flowing through them. His enemy moved from his stance, walking slowly and in an almost casual manner – the sight itself making Rogue give another snarl, ears pinned against his head and teeth parted as they were ready to tear flesh from bone.

Suddenly, The Armored Titan's eyes drifted away from him, just in time to see Levi soar through the air and cut behind his opponent's ankle. Unfortunately, the attempt to divert ended in failure as The Corporal's blades shattered into fragments. "Shit! The guy is like the bitch! His armor renders our blades useless! This bastard's so strong that he's throwing the brat around like a rag doll!" Levi curved around the beast, purposely maneuvering in and out of the creature's limbs to distract. "Erwin! We need a -

Rogue however, wasn't willing to let the man finish his sentence as he charged forth again, his hand and rib now fully mended. Nothing was going to stop him from killing the very monster that had a hand in slaying his parents. The beast wasn't going to slaughter another soul!

"Shit!"

Raising his hand yet again, he prepared to unleash a savage hit, but before he could do so, The Armored managed to grip his head and force him downward – exposing his nape to his enemy. Naturally he snarled, plenty of fight still left in him as he managed to reach up and pull his prey's head down. His adversary resisted, growling as he was taken off guard, but he would not let him free of his grasp. The Armored's hands gripped his shoulders in a stronghold, the feeling of his creaking bones beneath the force bringing him to act. Savagely, Rogue screeched and dug his nails into the scalp of his prey like a hawk, slashing several deep gashes into his opponent's head and taking pride of the feeling of blood clotting beneath his nails. The Armored Titan wailed and bit into his shoulder, but he was far too gone in the thrill of the hunt to take notice. Rogue snarled, determined to free himself so he could continue his art of killing, he slammed a fist into the back of the titan's impossibly hard head and brought his knee to the creature's chest so violently that his knee cap groaned in protest but nonetheless succeeding in making The Armored let go. Taking advantage of his opponent's disorientation, Rogue then slapped the opposite side of his prey's face like a powerful grizzly with as much force as he could exert – knocking the Armored onto his knees with the beast struggling to get up like a stumbling drunk. Rogue took a step back to regain himself and take a small bit of pride at his foe's folly, but as he moved, a crippling pain seared through his leg. He hissed in agony – unable to put his full weight upon his foot, Rogue looked down to see that his kneecap had practically been crushed. Damn! His foe's skin was so hard that he was taking most of the damage with each hit he delivered. Still, he wasn't going to let such a thing slow him down!

Rogue rumbled a threat, sidestepping with a limp and preparing to go in again to strike his enemy. He would get the bastard before he could get to his feet! To his misfortune, The Armored Titan turned and swiped, catching his legs and causing him to topple over onto his rear. Normally, he could have easily avoided the advance, but unable to obtain much mobility due to his injury, Rogue fell victim. Before he could even attempt to get upright and get his revenge, The Armored wrapped a hand around his ankle and pulled, hoisting him off the earth violently. Rogue naturally screeched in protest as he was swung helplessly before the beast threw him as far as he possibly could. His stomach rolled unsettlingly as he flipped once before his back met the unforgiving ground yet again, sending the sensation of pain through his spine and muscles. The snapping of trees echoed across the moor as he continued to roll, the sky and earth switching places over and over until his momentum could carry him no longer.

Discomfort was the first thing Rogue felt when he lifted his head, looking like a dog that had just been hit by a cart. The beast growled, turning his attention back to his opponent who was currently being bombarded by many Scouts – the flying humans desperately trying to trap the creature's arms and hands. The Armored struggled against them, his family skilled in dodging his swipes for their repeated lessons he had gifted them. Still, his opponent was incredibly strong – even their strongest cables weren't able to trap the beast for long. Then, his livid greens caught sight of his little one, _his Mikasa_ , swooping like a bird to wrap her cables around The Armored Titan's limbs. His eyes narrowed further in distain. She should not be fighting! She needed to stay away from that monster! Let him kill it!

Rogue roared, but his cry was cut short as pain ran through his leg, making the creature stumble and fall back onto his chest like a rabbit with its foot caught in a trap. Furious emeralds turned to see that his limb was worse than he thought, thanks to landing roughly from the fall, the extremity was twisted. The titan snarled, trying to drag himself forward as he was overcome with the need to kill. No! Nothing would stand in his way of destroying his enemy!

"Rogue!"

He snarled, digging his nails into the earth as he tried to get to his feet.

"ROGUE!"

His ears flickered, catching the sound of his Armin's voice. Irritated at the interruption, Rogue turned his head, growling lowly for his baby to retreat before attempting to get up once again.

"ROGUE! LISTEN!" His little one called, the titan feeling the touch upon him. Rogue quickly pushed the boy in the slightest, moving him out of his way as well as trying to deliver a message. Armin however, didn't wish to listen to his warnings. "Rogue! You need to hold on! You can't win in a slugfest! You need to let us restrain The Armored before you can try to kill him!" His little one paused, looking back at the chaos before them. "Rogue, I know you want to protect everyone, but you need to listen! The Armored –

At the sound of snapping cables, Rogue's attention was thrown back into the mists of battle, seeing that The Armored Titan had broken another set of cables yet again. A snarl tore through his lungs, his mind instantly straying from reason and back to bloodshed. Feeling that his leg was healed, Rogue released a cloud of steam and roared – quickly springing back onto his feet and going fourth in a charge. There was no time for stalling! He had to kill his adversary before any more of his family got slaughtered.

Rogue reached both hands forward in his approach, aiming to grip the beast's head and snap its neck – just the thought of listening to the breaking bones felt like absolute ecstasy. Upon hearing his thunderous footsteps and another one of his tremendous bellows, the flying humans scattered, desperate to get out of his wake. The Armored looked to him, but just as he was about to grip the monster's neck, his enemy reached and caught his hands – his fingers intertwining in a vice grip. Rogue snarled at the flailed attempt, with his mind clouded with nothing but the instinctual need to eliminate, he pushed forward with the intent to knock the beast off his feet. However, his prey was heavy and practically didn't budge – feeling as if he was just pushing against a massive wall. His feral greens faced forward – peering into The Armored's soulless golds. The vile creature before him wore an almost cocky look, a look of sheer arrogance. Rage boiled in his gut as he scrutinized his enemy's face further. All it reminded him of was that one horrible day that forever haunted him. It only made him recall his desire even more.

**"EIII… ANN GOIINGG... TO KILLL YUUU!"**

At his furious declaration, The Armored's expression changed – looking almost stunned. He however, took no time to enjoy such a delicacy. More determined to spill blood than ever, Rogue roared and slammed his foot into The Armored Titan's knee, offsetting the creature but not hearing his kneecap sliding out of place or the bone completely breaking like what occurred with his mindless kin. His prey then growled lowly, the sound rattling his own ribcage. For a moment, he felt fear once again – the will of the hunter fading away like melting ice. But then, when his eyes caught a twitch in the beast's calf – recalling the move that The Female pulled against him, he felt the need to obliterate once again – anger coursing through his veins. With another howl cutting through his esophagus, Rogue pulled his arm free and slammed his elbow as hard as he possibly could down on top of his prey's head. He could practically feel his elbow shatter upon impact, making another yelp leak from his lipless maw. It was as if this creature's plates and even his skeleton were made of impenetrable steel. Were any of his attacks even going to work?

Upon seeing his own discomfort, The Armored Titan shoved him violently into the ground once again, knocking the wind out of him. Glowing emeralds then watched the plated giant lift his foot, ready to bring it down upon his spine with the intent to totally cripple. With no time to plot his next move, Rogue rolled just in time to avoid the blow and abruptly got to his feet. He snarled, his back arching and hair standing on end. He would get the bastard! He had tried to break his spine! With his mind unable to process any logical thoughts, Rogue charged forward to plant his fist into The Armored's face yet again – only for his hand to be torn free with the force – his own blood and ribbon like tendons decorating his prey's face. Suddenly, he felt his stomach cave beneath his enemy's foot and the earth sweeping beneath his feet yet again and the back of his head hit roughly. The beast stood menacingly over him, simply watching in amusement as he tried to get back to his feet – his injured arm practically useless. The Armored Titan huffed.

" **WORTHLESSS. HOWW DIDD YOUU… GETT SUCH POWERRR? HOWW ARRE… YOUU KINGG? HOWW… DIDD YOUU KILL… HER? YOUU… ARE A MISTAKKEE!"** The vast beast roared, poising a fist and bringing it down upon him, he himself barely managing to miss the attack. The Armored Titan snarled.

" **YOUU… AREEE WEAKK!"**

Rogue roared at the insult, kicking upwards into his prey's chin. Too high on adrenaline to feel the newly shattered bones in his foot – he stood and raised his only viable fist. He would make his enemy eat his words! He would give him hell! He would make him pay! Make him sorry for ever breaching the wall and starting a war!

He would sink his teeth into his prey and swallow every bit of his flesh.

However, with his inability to think rationally through his white hot rage, he had made a crucial error.

His enemy had grown tired of him and his repeated attempts.

The world seemed to slow down to a crawl as The Armored Titan raised his fist just as his own planted into his opponent's cheek, his knuckles crumbling. Rogue had no time to react as his adversary brought his arm forward and planted his fist straight into his mouth and cheek. He could feel his skull crack and his skin tear off in sheets. Several of his teeth fell to the ground below like hail and his eye was practically ripped out of its socket. Blood sprayed in all directions while his remaining teeth bit clean through his tongue. His neck sapped back violently as his entire weight was lifted across the ground. The world then sped up again as his body was practically launched right into the air and across the glade. Rogue's vision blurred and black dots scattered. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his body met the ground. Trees snapped and uprooted, several timbers piercing him like harpoons as he rolled. Unconsciousness began to pull him into the void as he slid across the glade, tilling the soil as his body finally came to rest in a crumpled heap in a shallow ravine.

He couldn't move. He couldn't lift his head or any other part of his broken and steaming body. Rogue exhaled, his breath shuttering as a quiet whine sounded through his throat. The titan gagged, his blood staining the dry soil. With the entire world tilting and darkening, the intense concussion he suffered forced him to vomit out another stream of crimson and acids. Laying in his own filth, he shivered. Rogue blinked tiredly, his eye searching for his babies as well as the whereabouts of his enemy. A faint scream met his ears, but he was far too weak to comprehend it and follow it to its source.

The world around him then went black.

**(POV SWAP)**

He simply hung next to the wall in a daze. His face was fixed in a state of shock, paled a sickly white with his jaw half hanging open. Armin couldn't believe what had just passed his vision. As they thought, they met The Armored face to face, and at the worst time when most of the soldiers lacked their gear. More importantly, he had not expected Rogue to completely lose it. The titan had been taught time and time again to follow orders no matter the situation, thus seeing Rogue immediately turn savage without the Commander's orders was mind numbing. Much to their horror, the titan fought recklessly and didn't utilize any of his training – consumed by his own lust for revenge if Armin had to guess why. What Rogue had done proved to be foolish. The Armored Titan was stronger than what Armin could have ever imagined. The beast practically threw a several ton titan with absolute ease. Rogue's attacks as well did basically nothing, The Armored's thick plates preventing Rogue to inflict any serious damage. Finally, what Armin and the others greatly feared had happened. The giant had been knocked unconscious from an absolutely brutal blow that left Rogue seriously maimed. He could barely get a breath as he continued to look upon the titan's limp and battered body.

Below, Commander Erwin gave another order to execute a different maneuver. Since Rogue had fallen, the man had commanded the veterans of both the Scouts and Garrison to engage The Armored – the immense creature giving even the most elite trouble. Most of the 104th had been quickly escorted atop the wall to help aid any of the wounded. Mikasa, Levi, Hange, and himself clung to the side of the wall in wait for further instructions. Swallowing, Armin looked over at his childhood friend, witnessing her absolutely horrified face. Like him, Mikasa was almost white but her expression was much more framed by horror. Her lower lip quivered and her brows were raised drastically. Upon Rogue's defeat, he had heard her scream – something that Armin had only heard a few times in his life. The cry that escaped her was alarmingly similar to when the Jaegers were slaughtered and when her parents had been killed like worthless animals. He could clearly see what she was thinking – having determined that the worst had happed and she lost her adoptive brother.

"Rogue?" Mikasa choked out, voice small and restrained. "Rogue?" Mikasa spoke louder, suddenly preparing to leave her position. "Rogue –

Mikasa quieted as Hange abruptly grabbed her wrist, stopping the distraught teen from moving and descending further into a state of panic. "Don't do anything rash." Hange began strongly, peering down at the unconscious Rogue. "He's not dead. Rogue just suffered a chronic concussion and he's unconscious. Only his wounds are steaming and his body is starting to regenerate. Nonetheless, it could be a while before he's recuperated." Hange sighed. Levi growled.

"Still, I can't believe the brat fucking went for the bastard. The Armored Titan tossed him around like a damned toy." The Corporal paused, biting his lip. "Rogue completely disregarded orders and fought like a wild animal that had never been trained. Damn it. I just wonder if he succumbed to these new instincts of his."

Armin's eyes widened at the man's statement before looking back to the injured titan. "I – don't think Rogue's new instincts played a role here. He – was like this when he fought with the titan that ate Carla and Grisha. Rogue was just primal." The blonde muttered, his mind traveling back to the horrifying scene from five years prior.

For a moment, Levi nor the others said nothing. The Corporal lowered his head and blinked a few times, obviously deep in thought before lifting his gaze to look at nothing in particular. "Now that you mention it Arlert, I'm willing to bet that Rogue was the very same when that titanic bitch killed my squad. He was especially close to Petra so I wouldn't be surprised if that were the truth. The more I think about it, the more I think he let his anger cloud him and his judgement – especially by the way we found him." Levi paused, the teen watching his normally tough façade soften. "In a way, I sympathize. There was a moment in my life that I was put in the same position as him. I didn't use anything I learned in my brief training. I just did what felt natural."

Armin said nothing knowing that the man was speaking of something that had happened in his past that not many knew for he kept it under wraps. He remembered Petra only telling him parts of it, but even she knew next to nothing. Even though he himself wished to know, he would never ask the man. Levi then cleared his throat once again.

"Ackerman and Arlert, when I give you a signal, I want you to go down there and see if you can wake Rogue." He began. "If we lose him this situation will go from bad to worse."

Mikasa blinked, looking almost confused. "How is Rogue supposed to kill that thing? He's clearly the underdog here and The Armored Titan is so much stronger."

"Well," Hange began again, her eyes staring intensely at the fallen titan. "As you know, our original plan was to restrain The Armored Titan using barrel shots and give Rogue as well as ourselves the chance to expose and destroy the nape. However, with the situation like this, we can only hope for Rogue to be able to gain the upper hand somehow. If he wakes, we can only hope that Rogue is right in mind. He's not a heavyweight like the Armored so he's going to have to use some wits and his speed. Either that or," Hange paused, swallowing an apparent wad in her throat. "The other option."

"Other option?" Mikasa questioned with the Section Commander nodding.

"The other option would be for Rogue to trigger his Berserk Mode. However, with him having no such luck triggering it, it's unlikely Rogue could even accomplish such a feat. Now, if he did manage to – it's certain that he won't be in control of himself. But he could have the brute force needed to take The Armored Titan down. Still though. It's not guaranteed to happen and if it did – Rogue could do more harm than good."

Armin swallowed, looking down at his beaten friend. Yes, if Rogue triggered his ability there was no telling what would happen. The gentle titan could very well turn on them if possible. More blood could be shed than ever. Armin swallowed. He only hoped that Rogue would pull off a miracle without any sacrifice.

**(POV SWAP)**

_The air was crisp, fresh and clean. It was nothing short of calm and peaceful. Ever so slowly, he peeled open his eyes to see something perplexing. The scenery was a vast change from before. There was no wall and no human in sight. The landscape was beautiful. The heavens above were a soft and vibrant blue with not a single cloud in sight. Uninterrupted sunlight shone down onto a large and spacious glade – a field surrounded by luscious trees and green mountains rose in the distance. As far as his eyes beheld, the plain was covered in brilliant yellow flowers that he didn't recognize._

_Rogue sat in the glade's center, peering at the buttery blooms in wonder. Where was he now? He clearly wasn't within the walls. A gentle breeze blew across the area, making the flowers dance and ripple like small but bright waves. He blinked, his chest tightening a bit as a thought crossed his mind. Wasn't he fighting the Armored Titan only moments ago before everything turned black as ink? Everything around him was so clear –_

_Was it possible that this was heaven? Had he expired and gone to the place that his parents talked about and gone to themselves after their death? No. It couldn't be could it?_

_Inwardly, he began to panic. No! His babies! His family! They needed him! He couldn't be dead! He had to find them! Deciding that he needed to search for a way back, Rogue attempted to get up, but he couldn't move an inch. None of his limbs seemed to listen. His ears pressed themselves against his skull in fear. Why –_

_However, before he could descend into a state of hysteria, a sent drifted across his nose and brought him to a pause. Rogue inhaled and unexpectedly felt his brewing nerves calm. The odor was a familiar one, exotic but comforting. His brows lifted as he sampled the scent even more. It had a musk like his own and it was becoming stronger. Tapered ears flickered, catching the sound of crunching grass beneath footsteps. Finally, Rogue lifted his head, alarmed emeralds looking into the gold irises of the bearded titan – the very same one that he had been seeing time and time again in his memories._

_At the titan's presence, Rogue calmed knowing that he hadn't been slain but was rather experiencing something that had laid within the furthest reaches of his mind. The titan blinked in thought as the bearded titan approached him, his eyes scanning every detail of the creature's face. Unlike before, the beast didn't have his strong and serious look of determination but rather a calm and relaxed expression that made him appear friendly. Even the creature's ears were lowered in the slightest, telling him that the creature was at ease. However, one thing that was for certain was that the bearded titan was much clearer than before. In his recent resurfacing memories, the titan usually had a light but fuzzy outline, but this time Rogue could see the creature in extreme detail from every fold of skin to every hair upon his head. In fact, the entire memory was just as crystal as reality was. This was the purest that any of his 'dreams' had ever been._

_Rogue remained stunned as the bearded titan closed in on his position – his puzzled emeralds watching as the beast smiled, mustache rising up in the slightest and eyes squinting. He felt himself blink in confusion yet again just as his body stood up to be on his feet. As if he were looking out a window, he simply watched as the bearded titan stopped right before him and chuffed. Unable to move, Rogue observed as the titan lifted his hand and sat it upon the top of his hairy head. His body seemed willing to submit as it leaned inward to pause in his stance, the bearded titan coming up to place his brow onto his own for several brief seconds – golden eyes staring into his green pools before the beast grunted and lowered himself to sit down neatly with his legs folded. He himself then lowered and sat in the same fashion that he had before. For a moment, it was quiet between them until the bearded titan cleared his throat._

_**"GOOD… MORNING. IT IS A NICE… DAY TO TRAIN… ISN'T IT?"** _

_Rogue remained stunned even after he witnessed the titan's casual address. Naturally, he felt the need to reply, but his mouth only let out a warbled grunt in return – strangely finding that he couldn't formulate words again just like in his previous experiences in his memories. However, the bearded titan seemed to accept his response and understand it perfectly._

_"_ _**TODAY… I AM TEACHING YOU… SOMETHING DIFFERENT."** _ _The bearded titan continued, his voice deep and gruff with the titan pausing every few words to gather himself._

_Rogue felt his head tilt at this, giving away the fact that he was befuddled by the creature's information. The other titan nodded._

_"_ _**NOT EVERY TITAN… IS THE SAME THAT YOU FIGHT. YOU… ARE NOT… THE BIGGEST. NOT… THE STRONGEST."** _ _The titan stared heavily at him, his determined demeanor suddenly returning. "_ _**SO… YOU MUST KNOW… HOW TO FACE… AN ENEMY THAT IS LARGER THAN YOU."** _

_He felt his ears naturally prick forward at the news. Why was this memory coming to him now? Desperately, he wanted to open his mouth and ask, but his maw only released several grunts that didn't even sound like he was pleading. The bearded titan nodded in understanding nonetheless._

_"_ _**WHEN… YOU TAKE PART… IN THE DUELS – YOU WILL NEED TO KNOW… THESE SKILLS."** _

_Rogue found himself only growing more confused. Duels? What was this titan talking about? Could it be possible that he was referring to his fights with The Female and The Armored Titan?_

_"_ _**YOU… WILL NOT WIN IF YOU LACK… THE ABILITY."** _ _The titan continued, pausing and narrowing his eyes in deep thought – making it obvious that he was milling over what words to say and how to pronounce them. "_ _**NOW,"** _ _The creature suddenly stood, taking a step back before stopping and placing himself into a fighting stance that was nearly identical as his own. "_ _**STAND. TRY TO… TAKE ME OUT."** _ _The beast dared, abruptly looking more serious than he recalled ever seeing in his visions._

_Suddenly, Rogue felt himself obeying the other titan's orders, and his body rose to be upright yet again. He only remained a spectator to his memory as his body took the same offensive position. For a moment, the two titan's stood in the sunlight, the wind still blowing gently and the flowers dancing despite the tense standoff. Then, his nose furrowed and a snarl tore through his throat. Like lightning, he swung his leg, clearly intending to topple the beast over. For a moment, he thought the move would have been successful, but when his shin met the other titan's – the creature barely flinched. He felt himself quiver in frustration at the lack of victory, throwing his arm forward in a hellish punch._

_To his amazement, the bearded titan caught his incoming fist, golden eyes staring dead into his own as if his intent was to drill his errors into his very soul. The bearded titan's hand clenched harder, making his own knuckles pop. Rogue winced, a whine escaping his chest until the beast released his grip and returned to his fighting stance._

_"_ _**YOU CANNOT… ATTACK HEAD ON. WITH LARGE ENEMY… YOU MUST OVERWHELM. YOU MUST… USE WEIGHT… TO YOUR ATVANTAGE. THE BIGGER…THEY ARE – THE HARDER… THEY FALL. WATCH."** _ _He titan explained, but before Rogue could comprehend what was bound to happen, the bearded titan lunged forward with a fist raised. On reflex, he rose his own arm to block, but before he could even let his translucent lids slide over his eyes, the other titan wrapped an arm beneath his left and reached over his shoulder. He then felt his entire body being hoisted back, practically thrown roughly into the earth and leaving Rogue completely winded. The bearded titan still held him in his grip, muscular arms around his own neck as the creature squeezed. His throat compressed, instinctively making him reach to try and pull his opponent from him. He could feel every bone creak in his body, every straining muscle, and his lungs were barely able to expand. The force the bearded titan was exerting was incredible – making him almost rethink about the beast's intentions. As the seconds passed by, Rogue found it nearly impossible to get a single breath. His body then began to struggle – his nails reaching up to dig desperately into the titan's shoulders and several pained grunts seeping from his maw. Finally, the bearded titan released his hold and gradually stood up, observing with his arms folded over his chest as he was left gasping for air. The creature grunted._

_"_ _**THAT… IS… A MOVE YOU SHOULD DO. IT… WORKS WELL."** _ _Rogue looked to the titan who got into the same position again._ _**"TRY… ON ME."** _

_The smaller titan felt his body gather itself and stagger back to his feet. His lungs heaved, stabilizing himself once again before he rushed forward. His fist poised itself, aiming straight for the creature's face before swooping down to curve under the titan's armpit. Rogue's other hand snaked just over the creature's shoulder before he gripped his opposite wrist. Recalling just where the bearded titan placed his limbs and just how he executed the move, the smaller titan lunged forward with all his strength and miraculously lifting the other of their feet. To lift the beast higher, Rogue curved his leg around the other's and lifted it in an arch – gaining the momentum to send the two crashing into the buttery flowers. Rogue felt his mouth pull into a smile. He had actually THROWN a seventeen-meter behemoth into the ground. However, he had no time to celebrate as he felt the sensation of jaws closing in lightly around his throat. Rogue felt himself grow startled and his frame immediately lifted away from the other titan. The bearded giant got to its feet again, pausing to examine a healing scrape upon his arm. For a moment, the creature took the time to lick at the stream of crimson before placing his attention on his pupil once again._

_"_ _**A… GOOD TRY."** _ _The titan smiled, the expression almost tender. "_ _**BUT… WATCH THROAT."** _ _He gestured to his trachea, with he himself giving a grunt in understanding. "_ _**NOW… TRY AGAIN."** _

_Again, his body prepared himself before he struck. This time, his body curved and arched smoothly and beautifully – able to easily throw his teacher into the earth once again. Just as the beast done to him, he squeezed as he had been shown. His heart practically bounced as he felt the titan quiver from the pressure before requesting that he release his hold. Rogue returned upright with a satisfied trill, his lively and exuberant greens watching the large titan get back to his feet and dawn a smirk. The bearded behemoth then approached him, huffing as he lightly touched his knuckles to the center of Rogue's chest – the smaller titan assuming that this was the way this titan expressed congratulations._

_"_ _**GOOD. VERY… GOOD!"** _ _The beast huffed, golden eyes sparkling almost like a child's. Rogue felt himself give a lopsided grin in return at the titan's elation, even as the other's hand lifted to ruffle his locks atop his head. He could only beam at the beast's enthusiasm at his accomplishment. It seemed like so much gratification considering that he had only performed one task. He gave in to a purr, pulling his arms up a bit like a submissive pup. Truthfully, he wondered why the bearded titan was giving him so much praise for something that didn't seem too complex._

_As quickly as the beast showed his softer side, the titan returned to his imposing demeanor. "_ _**THAT… IS ONE MOVE. BUT MORE… ARE NEEDED. DO WHAT… I DO. WHEN... IT IS YOUR… TURN – DON'T GO EASY. BREAK… MY BONES… IF YOU MUST. IT… IS BEST WAY TO LEARN."** _

_His eyes continued to behold the scene playing out before him. Continuing to watch out the metaphorical window, Rogue observed the bearded titan instruct the next move – his inquisitive greens taking note of every curving limb and every flex of a muscle. Mentally, he jotted down everywhere the titan targeted upon him and he witnessed every discomfort the beast brought. When it came time for him to reenact what the titan had taught, Rogue executed the moves with force and sheer determination. At times, he performed perfectly, nearly getting things right on the first try much to his amazement. Other times, he had to redo his process over and over, feeling frustration swimming in his gut but nonetheless such failures motivated. For what seemed like hours, it was a constant exchange of blows, victories, and defeats. Bones were broken over and over and limbs were even torn only to regrow again and again. Meanwhile, as a spectator to his own memory, Rogue was receiving quality education._

_Every joint in his body had likely been splintered, but he felt absolutely triumphant._

_He unwrapped his legs from around the bearded titan's head at the larger titan's decree and sign of satisfaction. "_ _**GOOD! GOOD… WORK TODAY."** _ _The beast congratulated as he returned to his feet, breathing heavily in exertion. Like before, the beast pressed his knuckles into Rogue's heaving chest, patting his breast before ruffling his locks once again. "_ _**YOU… ARE ON YOUR… WAY TO BECOME AN… ADVANCING TITAN."** _

_Rogue felt the corners of his lipless maw draw up into another dopey grin, ears fluttering. This must have been an accomplishment of some sort. The other titan grunted, letting out a satisfied grumble. The bearded behemoth then placed his hand onto his shoulder, letting his own smile show on his face. Rogue purred, ears fluttering once again as the titan huffed._

_"_ _**DESPITE… ODDS AND FLAW – YOU ARE… A FEARSOME TITAN. YOU… WILL… DO WELL."** _

_He chirruped, his body leaning in to present his head to the other, the bearded titan proudly returning the gesture as he placed his brow onto his own, Rogue's form only smiled – feeling upmost pride. Then, he noticed that the crisp forms of the landscape began to dull and the bright sunlight began to fade into a soft but comforting glow. He blinked in alarm, looking back to the bearded titan to discover that the creature hadn't noticed the obvious change in atmosphere. The other giant's form began to fade – growing indistinct, but still looking tender nonetheless. The creature then opened his mouth to make another address._

_"_ _**WAKE UP ROGUE."** _

_The beating of his own heart pounded in his ears as the world began to fade even further._

_"_ _**YOU NEED TO WAKE UP ROGUE."** _

_The titan's voice seemed to slow as everything around them became nothing but a blur._

_"_ _**WAKE UP. COME ON ROGUE. WAKE UP."** _

"Wake up!"

The titan's nose twitched, one of his tapered ears flickering at the familiar voice. Rogue snorted, groaning as his body began to reanimate.

"Get up Rogue!"

He sniffed, nostrils flaring as he caught the scents of his surroundings and those near him. The fallen beast shifted, his muscles feeling stiff and his mind becoming less foggy. Gradually, Rogue peeled open his shadowed lids, blinking several times as he tried to get his vision to focus. It was clear that he was no longer beneath a sunny sky and laying in a field of golden flowers as he made out his little ones standing before his face and a grey sky overhead. Rogue blinked yet again, gradually coming back to the reality afore him. He was no longer watching an old memory.

"Thank god!" Mikasa expressed, pushing a lock of his hair from his face. "You're alright!"

"Rogue you need to get up!"

The titan gurgled in response, getting over what was left of his dizziness as he slowly and reluctantly lifted his head to look upon his babies. Their faces bore proof of their frantic but relieved state with their pupils dilated and brows raised in urgency. Rogue watched as his Armin quickly directed his attention in another direction before returning his gaze back onto him.

"Rogue, we have a plan and you need to listen –

A furious bellow rang loud and clear, carrying through the area and meeting his ears. Reminded of what was currently transpiring, the titan rotated his head to view the wide open expanse. In the nearly barren glade, The Armored Titan was displaying his aggressions against his swooping and diving family. Blood was sprinkled across the grassy earth and stained across his enemy's teeth. That was right, he had been fighting his Armored kin right before a vicious blow cost him his defeat. His ears folded back in distain, brows lowering to reflect his displeasure. The creature was still standing and he needed to knock him from his pedestal.

"The Garrison and The Scouts are currently attempting to –

Armin's speech however was drowned out by an all-consuming need to fight his opponent. Rogue's vibrant greens narrowed further and his teeth clenched. Even as his little ones noticed his lack of focus on their own speech, he continued to ignore them and access his well-being. He shifted, feeling that his body had mended its wounds with the exception of a tree trunk sticking out from his side. He possessed both of his eyes and his maw was ready to dig through meat once again. He was suitable for partaking in battle. Finally, after his thorough examination, Rogue gave in to a low growl and lifted his hand to remove the oversize thorn in his side. His little ones watched the trailing of his own blood and his nose wrinkling into a snarl, the titan missing their bodies freeze up and their stunned expressions.

"R…Rogue?" Mikasa stuttered. "Rogue – please you need to listen. The Armored is –

He let a low growl resonate from within his chest as he braced himself.

"Rogue! Listen to us!"

The titan continued to ignore the two teens as he sluggishly flipped himself over, awkwardly swinging his arm in a wide arch before he bared his back to the sky and placed his palms firmly into the soft earth. With a deep breath, Rogue pushed himself up, staggering with his knee nearly giving way and almost toppling over once before he was successfully sound. Rogue took a second to ensure his bearings before turning to face in the direction of his target – watching as his prey struck down another poor Garrison soldier. Suddenly, his ears flickered at the sounds of whirling gears and felt two small weights land upon his shoulder.

"Shit! What are you doing Rogue!" Mikasa scolded, reminding him of an angry Carla when she had disciplined him on several occasions.

The titan didn't respond to his little one, his eyes completely fixed upon The Armored Titan. Rogue's muscles compressed and flexed, another growl sounding through his incisors – the vocal making The Armored stop his rampage and direct his own attention onto him. For a moment, Rogue reveled at the monster's bewilderment before he snarled another invite.

"Crap! Mikasa he isn't right in the head! He's still hell bent on The Armored! He's acting on instinct! I don't think Rogue has any idea what he's doing!"

Oh but he did. His memory had been enlightening and gave him the education that he needed that no one had the capability to teach him. He was ready.

Slowly, the Armored Titan advanced toward him, stepping on barrel shots as if they were crumbs of dried bread scattered about the clearing. Though his plated face restricted expression, he could see that the beast was displeased. Rogue snarled, clenching his fists and taking a step forward with his little ones protesting in his nearly folded over ears.

"Rogue! Rogue Please!"

"Snap out of it Rogue! He'll kill you!"

Rogue snorted before he growled louder, his teeth nearly clacking as anger filled his gut and his mind formulated the best course of attack. As he wanted, The Armored kept on with his slow and steady advance.

" **SURPRISEDD TO SEEE… YOUU STANDD."**

Rogue said nothing, his pupils morphing into slits and his nictating membranes discreetly sliding over his eyes. He would punish the creature before him. The titan felt himself wanting to smile gleefully, knowing that the monster was about to walk into his trap as he took another step. ' _ **I… WILL BREAK… EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY.'**_ Rogue thought heatedly, the words coming clearly and quickly to him. His shifting weight shook the earth as he planted another foot forward – the sound rivaling the distant thunder. ' _ **I… WILL… MAKE THEM DUST.'**_ Rogue's ribs vibrated from another growl, his hair bristling and every fiber of muscle bulging with each breath he took and every forward motion from his legs. " _ **I… WISH YOU WOULDN'T… DISAPEAR… WHEN YOU ARE… KILLED. THAT WAY… I CAN SCOOP YOU… UP AND DUMP YOU… LIKE… THE PIECE OF SHIT THAT YOU ARE.'**_ Rogue inwardly recited, the words dark and maddening. The earth shook again and again as the two towering behemoths drew closer, his eyes illuminating with rage and steam pushing through his teeth like a dragon lying in wait. ' _ **YOU… ARE…A – PEST!'**_ Rogue thought violently, halting his advance and inhaling The Armored's sickening scent. Another snarl rumbled in his breast, the tension building and his little ones pleading for his attention – unaware of what he had planned. He would kill the bastard. He would end him for good. The world was cruel enough and it would be a little brighter without The Armored in it. His tapered ears filled with another threat from his prey, the creature still stalking toward him – ready to carry out his mission. Again, Rogue snarled ferociously as he prepared to carry out his duty and fulfill his bloodlust. ' _ **AND PESTS… NEED TO… BE… EXTERMINATED!'**_

Finally, he roared, the bellow piercing and promising his foe's slaughter. As he raised a fist and motioned forward yet again, a hushed silence fell over the men in uniform and his babies quickly abandoned his shoulder in a panic. His opponent raised his own hand – ready to finish him as he did before. The world became slow, steady, and rich to him. Emeralds fixed themselves on his prey's attack, judging the timing and every slight movement every tendon made. The Armored Titan's fist came closer, sending spectators of the impending duel screaming in warning and terror. But he knew what he was doing. His prey had fallen for his trick.

Just before The Armored could grin at any success and savor the sight of plated knuckles grazing through leathery hide, Rogue ducked just before the fist could smash in his skull. As he had been taught, he curved and snaked one arm beneath The Armored's shoulder and the other around the back of the beast's neck before his kin knew what had happened. The glade fell almost silent as Rogue pushed forward, kicking his leg up to heave the heavy monster from his feet and into the air. He howled triumphantly, feeling The Armored's throat press roughly into the crook of his elbow and the creature stifling a yelp of surprise. He wished he could see the titan's face at the very moment – no doubt his prey wore a look of mortification. Then, the two titans slid into the earth, the hard impact vibrating his frame. Trees uprooted and abandoned equipment was crushed beneath the two beasts. With his foe obviously winded beneath him, Rogue lifted in the slightest and dug his knee roughly into The Armored's hip and tightly wrapped his fingers around the creature's wrist. Green eyes beheld the creature's face, Rogue finding the monster's dazed expression absolutely priceless. Above the two creatures, he could hear his family's stunned vocals.

"He – threw the Armored Titan?"

"How on earth did he do that? I've never seen him do such a thing."

"Indeed… I never taught him that." Levi alliterated, nearly making him gleam. "In fact, we don't even teach that to recruits and they don't in The Cadets either."

"Maybe… could it be possible that Rogue remembered something?"

The titan grumbled at the truth in those words as he rose a fist with the intention to stun the recovering behemoth before proceeded to injure further. Just as he was about to act on his plan, The Armored gathered himself and pushed his free hand into his belly – knocking him off the creature and back onto the earth. The plated titan quickly stood and prepared to deliver another blow, the image upsetting the many eyes watching. But of course, Rogue wasn't finished. Recalling the bearded giant's teachings, he threw his legs around The Armored Titan's neck – trapping the beast's head between his thighs as he gripped the creature's wrist. Rogue then threw back his head into the soft soil, arching his spine and pulling his prey's elbow out of socket. With his hold secure, Rogue squeezed his legs, his thick thighs bulging against the head of his trapped victim. He roared, veins bulging in his neck as his eyes beheld his opponent's suffering. He had the beast right where he wanted him!

Then, much to Rogue's pleasure, the plates on the monster's face and shoulder began to crack, pieces chipping away like a frail eggshell. His heart pounded at the discovery. Physical attacks did practically nothing to The Armored, but under immense pressure - the very principle that applied to crushing rocks between his fingers, the protective plating buckled and cracked beneath the force. Rogue couldn't help his odd maw shaping into a grin at his discovery. If he was quick and thorough, he could actually win! Rogue snarled, saliva coating his teeth as he felt the creature's ribs strain. ' _ **I… HAVE YOU...NOW!'**_ The words echoed in his head, gleefully watching golden eyes bulge from the force.

However, before he could experience the thrill of crushing the skull of his prey and revel in the sight of brain matter decorating flesh, The Armored managed to reach up and attempt to pull away one of his legs. The plated beast struggled to get to his feet, but was successfully able to plow Rogue into the ground. He snarled as the earth was tilled beneath him, he would not let the beast gain any advantage. ' _ **I… DON'T – THINK SO!'**_ Rogue roared in defiance as he tightened his grip on his opponent's hand. With a quick twist, the monster's wrist shattered. Not even giving the beast time to moan in agony, Rogue quickly released and twisted his hips – swinging his legs around to grip The Armored's neck behind his knee along with his midsection. With another bellow, he heaved – rolling his body and forcing The Armored Titan face first into the ground. The impact itself was so powerful that the earth beneath them split and rippled – boulders were thrown like pebbles and trees were snapped like minuscule twigs. The ground tremored so greatly that he was certain that if any soul was in a nearby village they would have felt the earth quake. The aftermath looked as if two gods from both the heavens and hell itself were entangled in a heated quarrel.

With his foe subdued, Rogue growled and lifted himself to sit upon The Armored's cracked shoulder. He expertly placed his legs around the beast again to restrain as he made a grab for his prey's arm. ' _ **YOU… AREN'T… GOING ANYWHERE!'**_ The words furiously pounded in his head. With his anger fuming, Rogue threw back his head to release a tremendous screech – yanking The Armored's arm into an impossible position. His cry carried on, the vocal laced with rage and sprinkled with agony. He wanted every living organism to hear him and feel the pain that he had been forced to endure – every bit of his suffering. He wanted his parents to hear him above, receive his message that he was seeking justice for their deaths. He pulled the appendage harder, fragments of muscle snapping and ligaments tearing. He wanted his prey to know that he would show no mercy.

With a final tug, The Armored's arm was torn free at the elbow. Blood rained upon the earth and splattered across his face – the scent delectable and the thud of the appendage hitting the mutilated ground was music to his ears. His tongue slithered from his maw, licking his chops. The taste of his prey's blood made his spine quiver. He had almost forgotten what the crimson of titans tasted like. Heavenly as it was however, he needed to focus. Feeling the need to gather himself yet again, Rogue roughly slammed the beast's face into the earth to further disorient before he got to his feet and into another fighting stance.

"Did he just – rip the fucker's arm off?"

"Holy hell – he could actually win!"

"Rogue – he's aware of himself! He's knows what he's doing!"

His ears flickered at the voices of his little ones and his current spectators, but he kept his focus onto The Armored before him – the monster attempting to regain awareness and get back to his feet. Rogue's gaze narrowed as he scrutinized his foe. Like the rest of his body, the bastard's nape was plated as well. He couldn't repeatedly punch the area for it would be absolutely foolish. His hands would just be grounded into pulp. From where the titan lay, he couldn't get another grip on the beast that wouldn't allow him to effectively execute a move to aid him in a victory.

His planning was halted as his eyes caught movement at his feet. Looking down he saw a stunned Armin and Mikasa approach him warily, the two teens looking out of breath but absolutely astounded.

"Rogue! What you're doing is working! You're breaking The Armored Titan's plating!" His little one congratulated, nearly making him smirk triumphantly. "Listen, Hange came up with a plan of how you can defeat The Armored Titan!"

The behemoth blinked, opening his maw to question his little one but was cut off as Hange landed upon his broad shoulder. Knowing that he needed to be at least a safe distance from his adversary, Rogue backpedaled towards the wall until he decided that he was at a good enough range. He didn't need for The Armored to suddenly get to his feet and trample his babies. He then turned to the woman, studying her features that were now drawn up in a look of pure determination.

"Rogue," Hange began as the four of them glanced back at his enemy's position, seeing that the other behemoth had finally gotten to his feet and began to slowly stalk toward them once again – wearing a look akin to dissatisfaction. "Did you figure something out?"

He grunted. " **NENOREE."** He explained with a single meaningful word. Hange nodded.

"I thought so. Listen closely. If you look at where you tore away his arm – it's clear that he doesn't regenerate as quickly as you or any other titan does." The scientist informed with his green pools widening and looking back at his foe. Sure enough, the beast's arm had barely started to regrow – if at all. "I believe it a genetic adaptation. His armor protects every part of his body, it's incredibly thick and renders nearly every weapon or any punch practically useless. Thus, his regeneration speed has no need to be quick. This is his weakness. His ultimate downfall. I'm not sure what all you remembered, but do you think you can use whatever you learned to break one of his legs or put him into a good joint hold? I'm sure you've realized that you'll need to break off the plates surrounding his nape." She continued with Rogue dipping his head in understanding. "Of course, it would probably be wise if you wore him out first. He moves slowly, meaning he hasn't spent much of his energy. He's still got plenty of stamina to fight you off if you manage to get him into a tough position. Wear him thin – then take him down. If you need help we will offer support. Hopefully you won't have to resort to extreme measures." Hange concluded.

Rogue raised his head at Hange's last statement. Was she talking about sacrificing his humanity? He stilled at this, knowing that he was probably correct. But knowing that he was in the heat of battle, he couldn't dwell on the fact. He had to focus on the plan and his opponent. Rogue then turned to Hange and replied with a quick dip of his head and a deep chuff with the woman letting her determined grin return to her face before she vacated his shoulder. The titan then faced his temporarily crippled opponent again and raised his fists in preparation once more as his foe continued to motion for him. Rogue growled lowly, the sound vibrating his little ones' chests below – warning them to move as well as telling the other titan that he wasn't backing down just yet. His eyes grew even more calculating and feral as he watched his prey brave to come near him. Rogue's pupils then captured the sight of The Armored Titan's plating on the back of his calves breaking away like crumbling stone. He hummed a bit in satisfaction. The Armored had been more affected by his blows than he originally thought.

However, within the next second he was proven to be completely wrong.

Before he could even comprehend what was happening, the armor on the behemoth's calves complexly broke away and the giant rocketed forward in a dead sprint right at him. Rogue's eyes widened in terror, his determined demeanor vanishing as the titan came right for him. The creature's crumbling plates on his calves were not damaged by him. The Armored had shed them himself to allow him to move at a fast pace. He barely had the time to blink before the beast rammed into him like an angry bull being tormented by a human in a corral, his back hitting the unforgiving concrete that made up the wall. Pain swept across his spine as he slid down to be at The Armored's feet, but high on adrenaline Rogue ignored the agony. The Armored roared, rattling his own eardrums as he raised a fist to strike. Rogue nearly succumbed to a bit of panic knowing that he was not in a good position, but he remained stubborn. As the titan brought down his fist, Rogue shifted his head away just in time to avoid the devastating blow. The Armored hissed at this and brought his fist down yet again, but Rogue was quick. He shifted his head to avoid being kissed by plated knuckles and planted his foot into the creature's stomach and the other against his knee. With a quick and rough push, Rogue sent The Armored toppling back into the ground and abruptly scrambled to his feet.

"Shit! The son of a bitch shed his armor! Rogue's in for it now!"

The titan sidestepped away from his prey that was trying to pick himself up and back into the wide clearing. Hange had been right about The Armored Titan's stamina. Now that the beast wasn't restrained, it was going to run wild. He would have to work quickly and more efficiently. He couldn't make a single mistake. The monster finally stood back onto his feet and pivoted in his direction to run right for him. Rogue's brows narrowed as his muscles tensed. With the titan's arms outstretched, he knew exactly what the beast was to do. Just as his foe came near him, ready to tackle, Rogue leaped as high as possible into the air – leaving his adversary stunned as he landed upon the beast's shoulders, his legs wrapping around his prey's head. Before the other titan could struggle, Rogue expertly spun – rotating his body to hang off The Armored's back. He crossed his legs just above his opponent's chest and pulled the two of them back to the unforgiving earth. Rogue ignored the pain in his back once again as he tightened his hold – the best struggling on top of him. For a moment, he thought he had heard the monster curse before he took his move one step further and reached to grip just beneath The Armored Titan's jaw. Rogue roared as he pulled, teeth grinding together as he concentrated on pulling the fucker's head off. The move wouldn't destroy the nape – but it would give him a chance to.

To Rogue's misfortune, the odds of him having an advantage began to not weigh in his favor.

The Armored Titan suddenly jerked, his arm reaching to grip his leg in a stronghold. Rogue nearly yelped as he felt the strain against his shin – praying that it wouldn't snap as he kept his hold. He squeezed harder, but his efforts were for not as the trapped beast managed to pry his legs away from his head. The Armored then rolled, still keeping his grip onto him as the creature managed to flip his body. Rogue's heart pounded as the beast stood, digging his own nails into the earth on instinct as a sad attempt to flee away from the imminent torture that awaited him. He didn't have the chance to even gain traction as The Armored yanked with all his might, swinging Rogue over his head before the larger titan threw him to the ground. He felt his teeth go through his tongue again as he made impact, iron tasting crimson instantly pooling into his mouth. The world seemed to spin, Rogue finding himself completely disoriented before he attempted to lift his head. The Armored Titan was heavy and coated with muscle. His mass was different once the armor was factored in. Compared to the plated beast, he was a much lighter weight. There was no way he could restrain him for long. The Armored would just easily pry him off. The bearded titan's method perhaps only worked on some titans and not all of them. The only way that he saw himself succeeding was to do as Hange said: wear the monster out and then take him down.

However, he wasn't in the position to have that chance.

Fingers grabbed his leg again and wrapped around his arm. Once again, Rogue felt the ground leave him and the wind rush past his ears as The Armored spun – swinging his massive body around in a wide circle before the beast released. The world seemed to slow down again as his frame flew through the air. Everything spun and his stomach twisted as his body flipped. Pain then met his back as earth caught him again but seemingly without welcoming arms. His spine rattled and discomfort soared up his leg. Dirt flew, buildings were crushed, and trees folded beneath his weight as Rogue plowed through the glade. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, his body fell limp in the uprooted grass. For a moment, everything seemed still as he lay dazed until a rapid pounding met his ears, the sound snapping him away from welcoming any state of unconsciousness. Rogue groaned as he willed himself to sit up, eyes capturing the horrifying sight of The Armored Titan sprinting straight for him with the team of Scouts leaving their positions to trail after the beast. He gritted his bloodied teeth and began to stand, but a shooting pain that was so intense that it made him cry in agony shot up through his leg and all the way into his hip. Alarmed, Rogue hurriedly peered down to witness a nauseating sight. His left leg was bent completely the wrong way up to his kneecap with the bone nearly protruding through his flesh – a damaging injury that was nonetheless hair raising. Rogue whimpered, this wasn't good!

The Armored Titan bellowed, provoking Rogue to look away from his injury – but he was too late to react as the behemoth's foot came crashing down onto his wounded leg, tearing the limb completely off and sending sinew and bone in all directions. Rogue only screamed, anger filling his body. No! He couldn't lose! He had to live! He had to fight! Rogue rose a fist, doing the only thing he could do to defend himself, but his attack was quickly averted when The Armored plunged his fist into his shoulder. Rogue screeched like a deer caught in the jaws of a wolf as his shoulder blade was cracked and removed from his socket along with his collar bone that was now broken. Black dots littered across his field of vision yet again as he began to feel faint once more. The Armored Titan growled, golden eyes narrowed and gleaming with animosity.

" **I…AMMM GROWINGG… TIRED OF YOUU!"** The behemoth bellowed as he rose his fist and punched the now defenseless Rogue square in his abdomen. A torrent of blood instantly erupted from his esophagus, coating his chest as his stomach ruptured beneath the force.

To his and his spectator's horror, The Armored Titan wasn't done yet.

The beast raised his fist again and brought it upon his belly once more. Rogue screeched, choking on his own crimson as the other titan continued his assault. The Armored Titan's fist came down upon his ribs, the sound of snapping bone echoing across the glade – Rogue could feel his flesh rip open to give way to the sharp pieces of bone. The fist hit him again and again, blood soaked the earth and stained the landscape red. He couldn't scream, and he almost felt like begging for the monster to stop if he wasn't so willful. The skinned titan could barely breathe, his lungs collapsed and filling with red. Finally, he couldn't stand to hold himself no more and simply fell limp into the lake of crimson beneath him. Dull greens watched as his enemy roared yet again and raised his fist to hit him. Rogue cringed, preparing himself for the brutal blow.

However, before he could fall into unconsciousness, the sound of invisible wings met his ears – the gears having a melody like swarming bees. With his heart leaping in worry, Rogue forced himself to focus on the scene before him.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU MONSTER!"

Rogue's eyes widened as much as they could as Mikasa and the rest of the Scouts began to unleash their own fury. The dark haired teen quickly wrapped her cables around The Armored's fist and dived, forcefully pulling the creature's appendage to his chest. His little one's face was pulled in a vicious snarl that rivaled even his own as she circled around the beast. The large titan roared, staggering backwards from where he lay as his family continued to wreak havoc. Levi spun, weaving his cable around one of the beast's legs as Hange plunged her swords into the creature's eye. The monster screamed, raising his nearly healed arm to swat wildly at the advancing soldiers. Below, the Garrison quickly wheeled a barrel shot into place and fired, sinking iron bamboo barbs into a gap in the creature's plates.

"Keep on him! Don't let him get to Rogue!" The Commander's voice shouted over the chaos.

Rogue whimpered as his eyes remained on the scene. His Armin cut across The Armored's flank to pin the monster's nearly healed arm to his chest while Levi continued to wrap the beast's legs. Mikasa was now on the behemoth's shoulder – fruitlessly jabbing her blade against the creature's iron like plating, only intending on serving as a distraction. Soldiers swooped and dove, cocooning the creature in steel. The Armored Titan howled in rage, the beast struggling not to tip over with both his legs now entwined. He could feel a slight bit of relief. All he needed to do was heal and he could take the creature out with no struggle whatsoever.

Unfortunately, as luck would have it, The Armored Titan wasn't through.

Without warning, the beast snarled. Much to Rogue's horror, The Armored's now completely healed arm pulled against his restraints. Woven steel began to unravel and fray like rope as the creature yanked. A sickening snap met his ears as the cables broke away, allowing the behemoth to move his arm in a wide arc. His heart pounded, the world seemed to freeze as plated fingers gripped the cables of several solders – the beast pulling them from their controlled flight and violently swinging them into the earth. A choked whine forced itself up his bloodied throat as he watched the men and women fall, becoming a bloody smear across the grass. His heart faltered, chest clenching as The Armored Titan turned and gripped the barbs that had managed to sink into his leg and yanked them free. The horror continued as the titan pulled the barrel shot free from the clutches of the Garrison soldiers and swung the barrel in a high arc over his head. The weapon hit bodies with so much force that some were knocked completely unconscious and fell helplessly to the earth below. The behemoth swung the barrel shot downwards, the weapon crashing into the ground and splintering into pieces. The monster bellowed, flexing his legs and with a single step forward – the cables that Levi had woven snapped to grant him mobility. Finally, The Armored Titan pulled at the remaining cables upon his chest, breaking them with ease and giving him his appendages back. Rogue only moaned in terror.

It was then that things only got worse. The creature swung his arm outwards, catching several more of his family members by surprise, the blow reducing them to forms akin to splattered insects.

"Fire!"

More barbs from another barrel shot sliced through the air, but before cold steel could seek out flesh, The Armored turned with surprising speed and caught the metal grapples. Rogue watched as the beast let out a rumble of pleasure, plates parting to grin as the beast swung the wood and iron weapon around as if it were a toy. Blood, severed limbs, and bodies rained upon the earth like hail from a storm. Rogue only panicked further, his breath growing labored and shallow – the world tilting and blackness threatening to take over his vision.

" **ALLL… THE… KINGSS… HORSESS. ALL THE KINGGS MENN HUH?"** The titan teased, managing to snag a soldier from the air and place the poor soul between his teeth, tearing the body in half with little effort, organs like intestines dangling from the monster's chin that the creature seemed to wear proudly. " **PATHETICC."**

Rogue whimpered again, attempting to stand with no avail for his body had barely healed. He was growing weaker by the second and all he could do was watch The Armored Titan slaughter the devoted men and women. Lush green was painted red as the giant proceeded to swing the weapon. His family dipped and swooped, but many were not lucky. Wood splintered into another soldier's back and another was crushed beneath the beast's foot. Teeth caught humans flying through the air and greedy hands squashed soldiers like fruit.

There was nothing but blood and more blood. Everything was turning red.

Instinctively, with the carnage in progress, Rogue's eyes franticly searched for his little ones. Desperate emeralds caught sight of sunny hair flying through the chaos. His Armin. The teen was flying alone, but the determined look upon the boy's face told him that Armin was likely carrying out orders. Rogue's head spun, the beast fighting another wave of dizziness, but worried for his little one's well-being, he forced his eyes to remain upon him. Judging by his movements, he could see Armin preparing to dive in and attempt to restrain one of The Armored's legs for the second time no matter how useless it would be. Incapacitated, Rogue knew that the Scouts were now just trying to distract the creature long enough just so he could heal – which his body was in no hurry to finish. Rogue's eyes remained locked onto the small teen, but a flash of movement caught his eye. The world around him seemed to slow for the third time as the titan's golden eyes shifted to behold the blonde going in to make his move. Immediately, Rogue's heart pounded, green eyes growing in alarm as he attempted to roar out a warning – the only sound to emerge was a garbled mess of whining and a prolonged squeak. No! His baby!

Unable to budge, Rogue simply watched as the shadow of The Armored's hand fell over the teen's back. The blonde instantly noticed the creature's advancement and pulled the triggers desperately upon the hilts of his blades.

But he wasn't fast enough.

The Armored Titan made a single fluid swipe, catching the boy's cables in his hand. Armin let out a scream that his foe seemed to love and certainty wanted to hear more of as the beast abandoned any idea of eating his little one to throw the teen straight up into the air. The tug on the teen's cables was so powerful that they snapped instantly. Armin was rendered helpless and for the moment the teen's body continued to rise higher into the sky – and then he began to fall.

Upon seeing his baby's decent, Rogue screamed, the sound drowning in his own blood as he struggled to get up. He didn't care how much precious crimson he lost as he attempted to even drag himself forward to make the catch, having no success. Rogue's nails bent backwards as he continued to try and get to his feet, his little one falling closer and closer to the ruddy earth by the second. Then, as if his prayers had been answered, a red blur intercepted the blonde, catching his body and carrying him away from what would have been the teen's death. Rogue nearly let out a sigh in relief at his Mikasa's arrival, but whatever god that existed in the world didn't seem to be smiling upon him.

Their escape didn't go unnoticed by The Armored behemoth as the creature swung his arm, backhanding Mikasa and knocking her completely unconscious – the two teens now falling in a downward spiral to the hell below. Rogue's body froze, blood running cold before he reanimated and forced himself to squirm and scream, sounding like a beaten dog crying desperately for their pups. They were going to die! He couldn't get to them! They were done for!

Another blur intercepted the two teens, stopping their decent but only carrying them for a short distance before their savior's cables were pulled beyond use and the weight proved to be too much. The three members of his family began to topple and roll violently upon the dusty and crimson soaked earth like rag dolls before they came to a stop several meters away. Rogue couldn't breathe as he scrutinized the scene. Almost like dead cattle, his little ones lay in a heap. Their rescuer, who he identified as Levi, quickly rose to his feet, holding his head as he immediately checked upon his babies. Rogue whimpered again, beside himself as he desperately tried to crawl forward, but with his vision worsening and his limbs barely able to hold him, Rogue could only whine and watch. The Corporal's nudge was able to rouse his Armin, the teen lifting his head for the titan to make out a sliver of blood trailing down his cheek from a gash. The male looked dazed, but quickly snapped back to awareness as his frightened blues met Mikasa's limp body.

Rogue stiffened.

The girl was simply laying there lifeless. She wasn't moving. Levi and Armin quickly came to her side and completely ignored the battle transpiring close by. The teen desperately tried to wake her, rolling her over and pulling at her shoulders, but still Mikasa showed no sign of life. For the first time ever, Rogue saw panic swimming in the older man's eyes as he moved the blonde out of the way and began to do something that he had seen Grisha do only once in his lifetime to a carriage driver that had gotten caught in an accident. It was a process that involved giving the victim air and pushing on their chest – something Rogue only knew as something to be done to bring a human back to life. Rogue forced himself to raise his head, attempting to get his vision to focus as he kept watching. Levi continued with his attempts, but still his little one didn't move. Again and again The Corporal tried with no success and Armin looked almost white with his face only showing a startling realization.

She was dead.

It was the only thought that was swimming within Rogue's mind. His little one, his precious Mikasa – she was gone. Like his parents, she was taken from him. It felt like a rock had settled in his stomach as he continued to watch Levi's failed attempts to bring Mikasa back. Rogue felt a lump form in his throat, ears sinking as the truth settled deeper. She was dead. She was dead. SHE WAS DEAD! Rogue finally gave into a scream, blood coming up his throat but he didn't care an inkling. He had just lost his baby! She wasn't coming back! Rogue let his head fall into the red and muddy earth, screaming louder and tears rolling down his face. Why? Why was the world so cruel to him? He didn't deserve this. Mikasa deserved to live. Why was he so incompetent? He was even given the tools that he needed to defeat his foe and he still couldn't do it! He was useless! Fucking useless!

His nails gripped his scalp, points digging into his skin. If only he had been stronger! If only he had been faster! Rogue screamed again, more blood spilling from his wounds. For a long moment, he seemed like the only one in the world, The Armored Titan and the others seemed to not exist. It was then that he came to a realization.

He had lost another family member, his own baby, thanks to the very same titans that seemed set on destroying humanity.

Slowly, Rogue rose his head to look upon the Armored who now stood several meters away with the Scouts still struggling to bring the beast to a halt. The overwhelming sorrow that he felt suddenly turned into white hot rage. Heat pooled in his gut and his tear, mud, and blood soaked face twisted from a look of absolute despondency to a totally maddening gaze. His eyes turned wild, flaming green with his brows rose in a sharp arch. Rogue's nose was wrinkled and his lipless mouth was opened in the slightest and contorted into a bizarre frown. The titan's ears folded over and pressed themselves against his head as he continued to watch The Armored Titan strike the Scouts down from their domain, completely missing his little one beginning to stir.

_**'YOU… YOU… FUCKING PIECE… OF SHIT!'**_ Rogue thought furiously, his blood beginning to boil. ' _ **YOU… ARE… TAKING EVERYONE… FROM ME! YOU – YOU MAKE ME SICK!'**_ His remaining limbs quivered in anger, the pores in his flesh billowing steam. ' _ **YOU… MAKE ME WANT… TO PUKE!'**_ Rogue growled, his chest shaking and his head starting to pound. ' _ **YOU… KILLED MY SISTER! YOU… YOU KILLED… MY BABY! YOU KILLED MY… MOM AND DAD!'**_ The words grew more disgusting, steam turning to smoke. ' _ **I'M… GOING TO… KILL YOU! RIP… YOUR FLESH FROM YOUR BONES!'**_ His mind drifted, his eyes starting to see everything in a shade of red and his breath growing heavy as he began to lose himself. ' _ **I'M GOING… TO EAT YOU!'**_

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his abdomen and his mind turned primal.

_**'IF… I AM A KING… I AM GOING… TO MAKE YOU BOW. I AM… GOING TO PUNISH YOU… FOR YOUR… SINS!'** _

As the last coherent thought went through his head, the agony spread from his torso into the rest of his body. Fire flowed through his blood and bones snapped and resituated. Rogue inhaled sharply, feeling his nerves scorch as his body rapidly began to repair itself. His arm mended, organs regrew, and his leg was replaced. But the agony didn't stop there. As if he was possessed by some inner demon within him, Rogue unnaturally and quickly sat up with a jagged inhale before collapsing onto his back. Pain ran through him in spasms, forcing his spine to bend backward and the tremoring titan to throw his head back into the earth. Rogue opened his mouth in a silent scream as every vein seemed to bulge in his body – decorating his face as they began to run red hot while his skin tone turned darker and rougher. His stomach rolled, abdomen rippling like water with his chest rising in a grotesque manner. Finally, Rogue managed to let out a howl of agony as every muscle in his body expanded – his cry finally gathering attention from those nearest to him, faces immediately going pale.

"Oh my god… he's –

The words fell deaf upon Rogue's ears as the transition continued. Rogue growled in defiance, his fingers and toes trembling as his nails grew into lethal and solid talons – the titan slamming his clawed hand into stone and cracking it with ease as another wave of pain coursed through him. His tongue flopped out of his maw, a deep ache infecting his jaws as his blunt teeth began to sharpen into fangs that put any beast to shame. Rogue's back arched again, the creature snarling as his temperature sharply rose. Smoke billowed from his skin before it turned into dancing flames, burning the leather collar around his neck into a crisp.

Finally, the pain subsided. Everything was still. Only those that witnessed the change, began their retreat.

His belly fluttered and groaned, a sense of discomfort settling within the organ – the familiar feeling of sheer _hunger_. Rogue's eyes flew open, his gentle summertime greens replaced by burning blues. Animosity radiated from deep in his core. Oh how he _HATED_ being hungry. His nostrils flared precipitously, glowing like fire peeking through the iron door of a stove with his chest expanding considerably with every inhale. His spine quivered with pleasure as soon as the scent swept into his lungs. The aroma of exotic meat. Saliva coated his mouth and dripped from his jaws. Meat. Meat of a titan. _Prey._ His heart pounded. His prey was near. He was _famished_.

He was ready to hunt.

Rogue moaned in ecstasy, head rolling with bliss as his stomach complained.

BLOOD.

FLESH.

BONE.

_FLESH._

SNIEW.

_FLESH._

_**FLESH!** _

_He would eat it all!_

Like a marionette, Rogue slowly lifted himself off the earth, arms hanging to his sides as if he was preaching to a god while every abdominal muscle was put on display for all those viewing his arise. Every man and woman remained stunned, eyes the size of grapefruits as they witnessed what appeared to be the devil walking the earth. His battered and bruised little ones that were evacuating to safer positions looked absolutely petrified. Rogue then rose to his full height and let his head fall forward, hair dangling around his horrifying features – the entire world silent as they watched without moving a single muscle. Then, Rogue tossed his head back and roared – the howl of rage unworldly and making even the earth tremble beneath his feet at his might. The bellow made The Scouts immediacy abandon what they were doing to head higher up the wall in desperation – abandoning bodies of fallen loved ones and friends as well as weapons with some pissing themselves as they made the raring retreat.

For the first time ever, The Armored Titan wore a look of absolute fear.

His roar continued to dominate, echoing far across Rose, but then to his audiences' shock his howl slowly transformed into something else. Something that scared them even more. Something that was absolutely haunting.

Laughter.

Indeed, the powerful rumble turned into the titan equivalent of joyful mirth. With his head still tilted backwards, Rogue huffed loudly and deeply. Spellbound, they watched as his deep chuckles morphed into hysterical laughter – projecting his insanity to all who was viewing him. It had been so, so long! An eternity since he had eaten! And here his prey was, food right in front of him on a silver platter!

A meal fit for a king.

"Holy shit – Rogue… he's gone crazy."

"My god –

Rogue continued to chortle at both the ignorance of his prey and the fact that luck was smiling upon him. With another roll from his empty gut, Rogue abruptly lifted his head to greet his food with a maddening look – his jaw contorted into a manic and crooked grin with a brow sharply raised in an expression of cunning. His breath was heavy, predatory with smoke and flame wavering from his jaws while his midsection expanded and compressed steadily – the sound bringing chills to dozens of spines. Rogue's ears pined themselves back and his face pulled into a threatening snarl, looking like a starved wolf. The power that was coursing through his veins was absolutely incredible.

Rogue's eyes narrowed, his shoulders raising and a stream of saliva leaked from the gaps of his fangs. His stomach rumbled again, feeling as if a beast was trying to claw its way out of it. However, as ravenous as he was, Rogue wished to relish in the hunt. He watched The Armored tense, getting into a defensive stance, but he wouldn't go straight for the beast. He would toy with his food first. Slowly, Rogue sidestepped, watching in amusement as his prey flinched – golden eyes studying him as he began to circle the plated beast. Like the predator that he was, he rounded The Armored, blazing eyes watching the creature's chest expand with each breath and every shift of his prey's eyes following him. Rogue growled, walking with a slight hunch as he continued his act of intimidation. How lucky was he! His chosen victim was a good size. Its caves were broad and there was plenty of muscle on bone – flesh right for the taking. Rogue snarled, dropping on all fours in an odd manner to continue his sulking. His chest heaved, inhaling the sweet perfume his prey provided – the smell absolutely intoxicating and nearly making a rumbling purr rise in his throat. His mouth salivated at the mere thought of sinking his teeth into the bounty of his prey. The predator continued his rotation, scrutinizing his victim. The beast was stiff and he could sense the amount of distress laden within its eyes of gold. Rogue clacked his teeth, watching as the creature nearly jumped. He had the beast right where he wanted him – his state of mind had surrendered to irrational fear.

With another roll in his gut he decided to make his move. Before The Armored could react, Rogue turned and charged forward, carrying himself on all fours as he bellowed. He lunged, succeeding in knocking the beast over onto the unforgiving earth. His fangs went for the creature's most venerable area on the plated titan – the throat. However, he was unable to rip apart muscle and let blood fountain as his prey threw up his arm in protection, his teeth only managing to encase around the forearm of his victim. A rippling snarl tore through his throat as he madly snapped like vicious hound, saliva spraying from his maw and teeth creating small punctures and messy groves in his prey's armor as he continued to bite. How dare his prey do such a thing! The ugly bastard should have just surrendered!

Thus, he would make the beast quit resisting. He would make him give up.

Determined to rip away his current obstacle, Rogue planted his feet and heels deeply into the ravaged earth and latched onto The Armored's arm. With his back arching, he pulled with his prey squirming beneath him. His eyes eagerly watched as threads of muscle began to fray and blood seeped out and puddled below, the color red absolutely stimulating. It was absolutely beautiful. He wanted more! He wanted to taste it! He wanted it to gush from his prey and he wanted to bathe in it! He wanted his skin painted crimson! He would fill himself with it! He would eat muscle, gnaw on bone, and feast on tissues! He would eat until his belly was bloated and then he would keep eating! He would leave not a scrap behind!

It had been far too long since he had gotten to experience such pleasures!

The Armored screeched in agony as his limb began to tear further. The plated beast suddenly found his will to defend and swung his free arm to plant his fist into the side of Rogue's face, breaking the predator's jaw before The Armored pushed himself from beneath the feral titan's body. Rogue growled in sheer annoyance, his nerves quickly mending and his wound righting itself to be functional once again. How dare his prey even touch him! Rogue quickly stood upright and howled his response, his meal preparing himself with another defensive stance. Of course, he would not give his prey time to think about executing any move in defense. Another roar rattled his frame as he sprang forward in advance. With his uninjured arm, The Armored rose his hand with the intent to shove him away – a completely foolish move. Rogue lunged again, his hand encasing around his prey's head. With a forceful push, he slammed the creature face first into the ground with the earth quaking in protest. A wicked grin spread across his facade as he picked The Armored's head up again to repeat his action once more. A hiss wavered between his teeth, his chest fluttering in glee as he pushed the beast's mug into the broken earth again – and again. With each slam he could hear the creature's plating groan and crackle at the stress. Rogue's eyes widened as sprays of blood misted from the creature's face. He purred in pleasure. He would bash his prey's skull in, let it become the source of a bloody stream that he would drink from. Pink brain matter would decorate the glade and he would feed on it all. Rogue huffed again, wheezing laughter making his audience more uncomfortable by the minute as he continued his assault.

Flesh, blood, and bone would all be his!

"Lord – he's a monster."

Rogue forced the Armored into the earth again, holding his head down into the rubble as he roared at the top of his lungs into his ears – a wordless declaration for the beast to surrender, his hot breath burning the creature's silver hair with the tips looking like fresh ashes. He had his prey!

Then, The Armored lifted his head abruptly, hitting Rogue in the mouth so hard that his neck snapped backwards. The hunter shook his head, remaining slightly stunned as his victim managed to elbow him in the side of his skull. His molten metal like saliva sprayed as he fell roughly to his flank. The plated beast stood and quickly gripped his arm and thigh, lifting his body up and throwing his frame as far as he could. Rogue snarled at his carelessness, but unwilling to let his prey gain any advantage, he began to right himself – turning his body midair like a cat. His hands and feet planted into the ground, his body sliding across the grass for a short distance before he found the traction to charge forward at his prey yet again. His foe's will to live sickened him! He would kill the bastard and savor his meat! FLESH! BLOOD! BONE!

EVERYTHING!

Rogue sprung himself at the plated titan, knocking the beast back into the earth again. The two then rolled, going at one another like two feral canines. His teeth snapped wildly as he sunk his claws into the creature's scalp. The scent of liquid crimson was absolutely stimulating, it sprayed his face and decorated his heated skin. Oh how he loved it! He wanted more! He wanted to lap it up, he wanted to feast! Rogue roared as the two titans finally came to a stop. His teeth clamped against The Armored's skull, ripping out chunks of silver and skin – blood continuing to paint his face and chest. His enemy however was clearly not on board with his scalping and quickly spun around to grip his arm, the plated beast quickly twisting it and ripping it away before planting his foot into the hunter's stomach. Rogue snarled, the hostile vocal transforming into a screech as his appendage regenerated within seconds, his torso repairing itself with a rib mending. Rogue huffed madly at his prey's surprise at his gift. How incompetent his prey was! How stupid!

With a bloodcurdling bellow leaving his chest he leaped forward once again. His prey sidestepped, but accidentally exposed another part of him that was more venerable than the last. Rogue smiled, nearly purring at the sight of The Armored Titan's exposed calves. Saliva fell once again from his jaws and his tongue fell out to lick his chops. Wide blazing blues gazed at the red meat before him. It was thick, juicy, raw, and pulsing with blood. With another flutter and roll from his gut, Rogue lunged forward and wrapped his lethal incisors around The Armored's leg. His prey screamed as he pulled, ripping the creature off of his feet to hit the ground. He bit down harder, blood pouring into his mouth and coating his throat. A comforting warmth settled into his belly, making him rumble and his spine quiver. The blood of his prey was delicious! He wanted more! _MUCH MORE! HE NEEDED FLESH!_ Rogue then gave in to his overwhelming hunger and sank his teeth completely into The Armored's calf – the beast wailing in agony as he ripped the large chunk completely free. Without even stopping to chew, he swallowed, gurgling in delight as he felt the piece of meat glide down his esophagus, journey into his chest, and then finish its trek into his belly. Rogue hummed gleefully, drunk on pleasure. He had to have more. HE HAD TO HAVE MORE!

But as he enjoyed the splendors of the hunt, his prey managed to think past his pain and raise a foot to kick him in jaw, bone cracking and prevent him from further allowing him to enjoy his meal. The Armored then managed to regain himself and grip Rogue's wrists – hoisting him into the air and slamming his body yet again into the earth. On his back, he watched as his prey lifted his legs and prepared to cave in his chest. But as the beast brought his foot down, Rogue threw up his hands to catch The Armored's foot and twist the beast's ankle – making the creature return to the earth yet again. The titan scrambled away as Rogue stood again to glare daggers at his prey. He nearly smiled as The Armored Titan stood back up, unable to put all of his weight upon his injured foot. Rogue couldn't help but release a black chuckle at his prey's state and stubbornness. As interesting as it was for him to have to work for his food, his hungry gut was convincing. He wanted to eat. He wanted to feed! He wanted the sweet tastes of his prey to grace his tongue! He wanted to stick his head past plating and devour every organ and gnaw on every bone! And he wished to do so now!

It was time for him to go in for the kill.

With his desire overpowering any reason, Rogue lunged straight at his target – maw open wide to tear his prey apart.

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin simply stared at the scene before him, goosebumps littering his skin as he witnessed what he could call hell on earth. Rogue had taken on his Berserk Form, and like the last time he had seen it, he was absolutely terrified along with the others around him. He practically couldn't recognize his best friend. It was as if Rogue was no longer present and some devil had replaced his kind-hearted soul with something much more monstrous that anyone could fathom. If had caught him off guard when the titan had started to laugh – just like a madman in an asylum. The vocal alone was surely to give him and the others nightmares. There was no shred of humanity currently in the creature at all. At the very moment, he was absolutely terrified of Rogue.

The titan was an absolute monster.

"So this is what he looks and acts like when he is like this."

Upon hearing the Commander, the blonde shifted his gaze toward the man who was perched next to a battered looking Levi. The normally determined looking Erwin looked absolutely stunned.

"Yes. Yes it is." The Corporal muttered. "I told you it was unbelievable and something you should be careful about wishing to see." Levi spoke quietly with Erwin only nodding – still spellbound by it all.

Next to him, he heard another quivering breath that was all too familiar. Armin discreetly turned to face Mikasa. The teen was more battered and bruised than even he was. The hit to her spine had knocked the girl out cold instantly and Mikasa's pale skin was covered in bruises and scratches from the rough fall. She had scared him greatly shortly before when she failed to awake. Admittedly, he and Levi were far too panicked during the time when the accident happened to take the time to listen to her obvious sign of life. No doubt however, upon seeing Mikasa's lifeless body was the very thing that caused Rogue to transform. The titan had to have thought that The Armored Titan had killed Mikasa – thus every bit of rage the titan had was placed onto their enemy in the most magnified way possible. It was clear, by Mikasa's petrified look – that she was terrified of the fifteen-meter behemoth as well.

"Rogue." Mikasa uttered beneath her breath as she watched the flaming titan go after the plated one again. "Oh… Rogue. Please –

Armin kept quiet as he listened to the teen's mutterings before Hange lowered herself to join the four of them, the Section Commander staring intently at the bloody brawl below, watching as Rogue was thrown away yet again only to charge back into the fray.

"Although he's at his peak performance right now, Rogue isn't making any headway." Hange spoke, her tone utterly serious. Levi nodded in agreement.

"That's true. The bastard's armor is something that seems to be a lot more resilient than The Female's was. Fuck. The brat's just doing straightforward attacks that won't work on this guy again."

"Yes. Right now Rogue is just being fueled by nothing but primordial desire. He's unable to think clearly or logically. If he keeps this up – all The Armored would have to do is pull one hit and destroy Rogue's nape and we'll lose him."

A bead of sweat dripped from his brow at Hange's statement. "We," He stuttered, watching as Rogue attempted to slam The Armored's face into the earth again. "We need to get Rogue out of Berserk Mode." He began with Hange quickly turning to him.

"Unfortunately, as strong as he is in this state, you're probably right. We were foolish to wish Rogue to resort to such measures. Indeed, we could bring Rogue back to his normal but considerable weaker state. However, there could be a chance that he is far too gone to even revert. He could be like this forever until he is killed." Hange paused, the words feeling like a rock in Armin's stomach. "I think we'll have to go with the only true choice we have which is to snap Rogue out of it. Armin, you and Mikasa are the ones he knows best. He considers you his own and the two of you were successful of bringing him back in Stohess. As safely as you can, see if you can get his attention. But keep in mind – your attempts could be futile."

**(POV SWAP)**

He picked himself up off the earth yet again from another rough landing, inhaling and exhaling heavily. Rogue watched his prey stand, growling from deep within his chest. He was furious! He couldn't sink his teeth into his victim's insides because of the bothersome plating surrounding The Armored. His fangs did nothing! His claws barely left a scratch! Rogue snarled, almost pacing back and forth. He wanted to kill the creature now! He was hungry! He was famished! He wanted the beast's nape in his jaws!

Blazing eyes looked upon The Armored Titan's golden plating that was unfortunately covering the very spot that he lusted after. Rogue's brows lowered, another growl tearing from his breast. If he couldn't chew through the plates – then he would rip them off.

The Armored then charged, intending to tackle but unfortunately exposing what he needed. Flexing his legs, Rogue leaped from the wake of his prey to land upon the other titan's back. With a roar, he dug his nails into the muscle bordering the plate protecting The Armored's nape and then pulled with every bit of strength he had. His shoulders hunched and his back arched. Every muscle in his body pulled and bulged grotesquely – his skin shifting to contain them. Rogue roared as he continued to pull, bending his knees as he tugged harder. Yet, with as much force as he exerted, The Armored Titan's plating remained right where it was. Not budging. He howled in anger, pushing himself to the limit. He was starving! He needed the nape! HE NEEDED IT! HE NEEDED IT NOW!

Then, too hooked on his current goal and wrapped in tremendous rage, Rogue failed to notice his body straining. The skin around his elbow and knee tore, the threads of muscle snapping, and bones popped out of place before the two limbs severed in a rain of his own blood. Rogue then tumbled back onto the earth, but before he could repair himself, The Armored tossed his broken body into the wall, jolting several of the humans hanging above. With his back against the concrete, Rogue slumped against the wall, blue eyes hooked on his prey as his arm and legs returned. Slowly he stood, nose wrinkled in a snarl as he sidestepped and contemplated. Damn! He couldn't get the nape! He hated his prey! He despised him! HE WANTED TO FEAST! Yet he could not! Why! Why was his prey gifted with such! He wanted to eat! HE WANTED TO EAT! HE WANTED TO EAT!

FLESH!

BLOOD!

BONE!

FLESH, BONE, BLOOD, FLESH! FLESH! FLESH! **FLESH!**

"Rogue!"

He froze, his mind instantly pulled away from his hellish thoughts. His eyes narrowed. What was that noise? It certainly wasn't from his prey.

"Rogue! Rogue please!"

His ear flickered at the vocal. There was something odd about it. Somehow, he knew it to be a voice. Not only that, but it was familiar. But who was calling to him at a time like this? He was busy.

"Rogue! Please snap out of it! Rogue please!"

He tilted his head in consideration. Yes, those voices – they were familiar. He had heard them from somewhere before. Many times. Rogue's nose and brow wrinkled as he tried to think past the need to eat. He had known those noises before. Known them so well. Rogue blinked as he thought desperately.

And then something came to him.

Two smiling faces. Locks like rays of sunshine and a nighttime sky. A boy and a girl. Who were they? Images then began to flash through his head. The two children running and making sounds of merriment through the forest and flying through the air on invisible wings. Then – then there was himself cuddled around the two in a hallowed out tree while rain poured from the heavens. He knew the two. He knew them!

"Rogue!"

Their names – they were his little ones. Armin. Mikasa. Rogue then lifted his head, gradually becoming aware of his situation. Yes. That was right – he had been in a duel with his foe, The Armored Titan. They were fighting when his Mikasa –

Mikasa.

Rogue lifted his head in alarm. His little one. She – she had been killed hadn't she? She was gone wasn't she? Then – why could he hear her voice? It wasn't real was it? Unless –

"Rogue!"

His head swiveled to look up at the wall, seeing the two very children that he loved so dearly. She was there – Mikasa was alive! The Armored didn't kill her –

Rogue's brows narrowed as he turned to face his foe once again. The Armored Titan. The creature had nearly killed both of his little ones. He had hurt so many of his family. And he wanted him. Rogue growled, anger coursing through his body yet again. He then finally noticed - he was different. There was an overwhelming sense of power coursing through his veins and he felt as if he was going to snap at any given moment. Not to mention, he was overwhelmingly hot. Rogue blinked, every bit of him felt as if he was burning alive from his eyes all the way down to the tips of his toes. As The Armored prepared, Rogue glanced at himself – eyes widening as he saw the change. Fire practically danced from his skin and his boiling veins glowed from beneath his flesh. His fingers and toes almost reminded him of the talons on birds and his teeth felt much different. He gulped, was this his ability that he had displayed before? Was this what the Scouts called his Berserk Mode?

The growl of The Armored met his ears, the sound instantly provoking him to snarl. He was stronger and with the teachings of the bearded titan returning to him, Rogue knew what he was to do. He could still feel the pains of hunger in his gut, something he wasn't fond of. If he wanted to dig into The Armored Titan, he would have to kill him first. The most effective way would be to remove the head of his prey and crush the plates on the beast's neck.

And he knew just how to do it.

With a roar, The Armored charged, ready to tackle him to the earth. Rogue nearly smiled at his opponent's foolishness. He would let himself fall victim for once and then strike. In the next second, his adversary's arms wrapped around his midsection – giving him the signal to act. Quickly, he leaned forward and wrapped his own arms around the titan's back and chest while he bound his legs around The Armored's lower half – leaving the beast's head beneath the pit of his shoulder. The two titans then smashed into the earth and he began to pull backwards, locking his prey in place and leaving the creature at his mercy. ' _ **YOU… ARE… MINE!'**_

"Holy shit! He's got The Armored in a tough spot!"

"Is he – in control now?"

"Humph! See how far you can get without a head asshole!"

"Rogue, my god –

A bellow reverberated through him as he arched his spine to pull back further. The Armored Titan attempted to squirm out from beneath him, but his attempts were for naught. The creature on top of him couldn't budge an inch. He snarled, his muscles bulging as he pulled harder, saliva dripping from his clenched teeth. Suddenly, he felt the jolt of cracking plates with The Armored whining at the agony. Rogue nearly beamed at his success. Hyped at his accomplishment, he squeezed even further like a serpent, feeling the sides of the beast compress. He exerted himself more, blood sprayed into the air as the hardened plates began to compress. At the smell of crimson his body quivered in pleasure, his mind almost becoming lost in his primal instincts. Rogue concentrated, trying to get over the intoxicating scent and the blood splattered beneath his chin. He needed to win! He needed to take out The Armored Titan! He had caused everything! He had taken nearly everything from him and wanted to take even more! He was the bearer of chaos! He would make him pay!

Rogue pulled sharply, the force making several of the plates shattering into crumbs. At this, The Armored Titan screamed for the first time in their heated combat. The sound was deep but echoing. Rogue could only describe it as the wail of an animal that had nothing to lose – a creature moments away from death – one that he would gladly deliver to the gates of hell.

Feeling another plate crack, Rogue attempted to squeeze harder, but he suddenly found his body cooling and unfortunately weaker. Black dots began to scatter across his vision and his muscles began to falter. Gradually, he began to feel faint and his arm threatened to fall away from his prey. No! He needed to hang on! He had to win! He had to win!

He wasn't going to let his parents die for nothing!

However, any chance he had in winning was quickly diminished by not only a wave of faintness that made his body go limp, but a massive vibration that swept the area and rattled everything around. He fell into a daze, riding along unconsciousness as his vision began to blur into nothing but muted colors. Dozens of screams then came to his ears and he could feel The Armored hold him down. A nearly unbearable heat invaded the atmosphere as the sound of crumbling rock carried across the area. Rogue only let his head fall back as debris fell all around him. His dulling eyes barely made out the giant red hand that reached for them, it was the very thing he last saw before everything went black.

**(POV SWAP)**

"Medic! We need another medic here!"

"How badly was this one burnt?"

"This one is bad. They probably won't make it."

Armin stirred, his entire body feeling unbearably sore. The blonde inhaled, but as he did his lungs stung terribly – feeling as if someone had lit them ablaze like a wood burning stove. His eyes shot open, his lids feeling heavy as he began to cough intensely. The boy covered his mouth, trying to get ahold of his coughing fit, but each time he inhaled – his gags were only triggered further.

"Armin! Here! Drink this!"

The teen opened his eyes to see a tin cup filled with water that Hange offered him. With not a second to waste, the blonde grabbed it from the Section Commander's hands and immediately began to drink. The unbearable stinging of his throat cooled as he downed the cup in one go. Armin then sat the cup in his lap and attempted to breathe again, finding that the incredibly uncomfortable heat was replaced with just a sore throat that he could manage. Armin then looked to Hange to see that she was covered in patches, scrapes, and had a solemn look on her face. Now able to freely examine his surroundings, Armin noticed that he was in similar shape as Hange, covered in minor burns and bruises. Looking around, he discovered that they were surrounded in a light fog and there were many other Scouts that were in the same physical condition. However, there were some soldiers that were not so lucky. To his right were several soldiers from both the Scouts and the Garrison laid out in organized rows. Some were unconscious and covered with similar burns while there were few that were covered in a white sheet – obviously gone. There were several of the Garrison's medics tending to the wounded while Erwin, Levi, and many of the other higher ups talked amongst themselves on the left. His mind instantly flashed to his two best friends, making Armin release a choked gasp and twist to see Mikasa still lying unconscious next to him. The girl was like himself, her arms wrapped in bandages and covered in scrapes and bruises. Rogue however was nowhere to be seen. At his friend's absence, Armin turned back to Hange who held up a hand for him to calm.

"Easy, she's alright. Just out at the moment. She had it slightly worse than you did."

Before he could proceed to quiz the Section Commander, a series of coughs brought his attention back to Mikasa who suddenly sat up to choke and gag just as he did. Hurriedly, Hange handed the teen another cup filled with water that the girl drank instantly. The two observed as Mikasa took several breaths to steady herself before she quickly turned to scrutinize her surroundings. Armin watched as her eyes widened in panic, obviously focused on who was clearly missing.

"Hange! What happened! Where is," Mikasa paused, coughing again. "Where is Rogue?"

"Hange," he began. "What happened to us? Where is Rogue?"

The woman's face fell even further, allowing her chin to dip into her chest. Blue eyes watched as Hange bit her lip fretfully, the woman sighing before turning her attention to the two teens again. "Well. This is hard news to give, but The Colossal appeared and emitted an overwhelming amount of hot steam – which explains everyone's burns and the great amount of injuries. I'm sorry to tell the two of you this, but The Colossal leaned over the wall, greatly damaging the top of it as it reached down to grab both The Armored Titan and Rogue before heading off into Wall Maria. That – was five hours ago."

Armin's heart skipped a beat at the news. Rogue – he had been kidnapped? As a lump grew in his throat, Mikasa next to him inhaled sharply and her panic suddenly turned to anger.

"You mean, Rogue was kidnapped! We need to go after him! Why are we just sitting here!" Mikasa protested with Hange quickly laying a hand upon her shoulder with the intent to calm.

"I know. I want to go after him too but right now, neither the Scouts nor the Garrison are in any condition to start a rescue mission. Besides," Hange stalled to look at the horizon. "The fog is still thick so any signal flares wouldn't be of any use. Not to mention – there are other factors." Hange sighed, glancing back to the Commander and Corporal. "Right now, the commanding officers are going over plans of what to do."

For a moment it was silent between the three until Mikasa characteristically pulled her scarf over her mouth. From where Armin sat, he could see the teen's eyes watering, clearly shaken and distraught. He didn't blame her. The absolute worst scenario had happened.

"You two shouldn't worry too much."

The two teens looked up to see The Corporal approach them, the man's face looking fatigued but still remaining in his signature scowl. Armin beheld Mikasa's brows narrow at the comment, but Levi quickly shut her down with clearing his throat.

"What I mean is that the damn brat, as silly and childish as he can be, is stubborn as they come. Rogue is tough as nails I'll give you that. Those two as well as The Female were clearly aiming to capture him. Not kill him. Otherwise he would be long dead right now. If anyone knows how difficult the brat can be, it's me. I bet you anything that Rogue is giving them hell right now."

Armin's eyes widened at the man's statement. Levi did have a point.

"Anyways, before the two of you ask," Hange continued, interrupting the short male. "Your friends aside from Jean's bite earlier are all alive and well. They are battered, but otherwise alright as with us. We were hanging off the wall in an area that didn't feel the direct blast of heat nor had any of the falling debris. The wall itself was damaged pretty severely, but no mindless titans should be able to get in. Luckily, it can be efficiently repaired." Hange sighed yet anew until Levi rubbed his chin, turning to the scientist with a query obviously on his mind.

"By the way, was I just seeing things back then, or did Rogue manage to stop and actually think for a moment shortly before The Colossal took him?"

Armin's head lifted at the man's question. Rogue – the titan had stopped for a moment to look at them before managing to grapple The Armored into submission – all the while being in his hellish form. His cerulean blues lit up in realization. Had Rogue managed to regain consciousness?

His train of thought was cut off by a chuckle from Hange. "You're not crazy. I believe we all saw the same thing. For a short time, at the very end of their brawl, Rogue was actually able to control himself. He was able to recognize voices and faces as well as execute a move that he had learned rather than just pouncing and trying to rip The Armored Titan to pieces. However, with this occurrence – I was able to figure out almost to the furthest extent as to how Rogue's ability works."

"Really?"

Hange nodded. "Yes. Like Stohess, Rogue went Berserk when he witnessed the supposed passing of one of you. Now, during our testing to bring about this ability – Rogue was unable to produce a single spark of flame or take on the cosmetic changes we see in his Berserk Form. Both here and in Stohess, Rogue was weak at the time. I think I can safely determine that Rogue's ability is triggered by drastic injury and great emotional distress. When its triggered it is fueled by dopamine and adrenaline. These factors make Rogue's mindset return to its most primitive state. Not to mention, this form clearly makes him overwhelmingly hungry." Hange hesitated, tilting her head back in thought. "The second part of this requires more thinking and clearly more evidence. I have two theories. Both today and in Stohess, upon regaining his self-awareness, Rogue seemed to lose his energy to maintain his form and collapsed shortly after. My first idea is that upon regaining his sense of self, Rogue loses all of his energy and is unable to maintain his form. The second theory I have is that perhaps Rogue can only maintain his ability for a short while before passing out. But – I suppose his short time using his ability with his head on straight is progress nonetheless."

Armin and Mikasa simply nodded at the news, far too worried about the whereabouts and the wellbeing of their gigantic guardian. Levi sighed.

"Well, anyways, I came over here to call the three of you to a meeting. Erwin has a plan and something that he needs to share."

"Right."

Carefully, the two teens got to their feet and began to follow Hange and Levi over to where the Commander stood. Armin and Mikasa took their places before the man, observing as many other soldiers from both regiments gathered around with Pixis's order. He swallowed, The Commander had regained his look of seriousness, but he could easily tell that Erwin was hiding some sort of painful truth with the slight wrinkle on his brow and the corners of his moth turned down in a barely detectable frown. Whatever the Commander had in mind – it was clearly risky.

Erwin took the brief moment to peer upon the two of them before looking at the crowd, making sure he had all of their undivided attention before characteristically placing his hands behind his back to speak. "Everyone. As you know, five hours ago, Rogue was taken by our enemy and into Wall Maria. Unlike us, he isn't expendable. Thus, the moment all of our horses are lowered on the other side of the wall, he will embark on a rescue mission in Maria. We will do this no matter the density of the fog at the time around us, making this mission even more of a dangerous one. But of course, this is a trek we must take or humanity will have lost its sword and shield. Speaking with Section Commander Hange, we have a rough idea as to where to look for Rogue. Night will fall in just a few hours and The Armored and The Colossal will need to rest in a safe spot – which we have determined as somewhere in a forest with giant trees. Sasha Blouse will aid us in tracking the monsters." Erwin paused, his eyes practically feeling as if they were burning into their souls. "However, I need to disclose some vital information to all of you. Previously, this fact was only known by myself, Corporal Levi, Hange Zoe, and Mike Zacharius. In light of what has happened, it's essential that I share it. During Levi and I's meeting with Zackley, he informed us that the government ruled that no more missions were to be taken into Wall Maria until Rogue gained control over his ability to an extent that he could do such with confidence."

Armin's eyes widened at the fact and a barrage of whispers ran through the crowd. Before he could question, Erwin cleared his throat yet again.

"Due to our circumstances, I have decided to break this rule for we cannot lose our greatest asset entirely. Which means that I as well as all of you could possibly be tried for committing treason. The Scouts as well could possibly be disbanded. Personally, I'll take any form of judgement as long as we succeed in retrieving the hope of humanity. Along with what occurred in Rogue and The Armored's exchange in heated combat, I'd say we have a good case if things were to go against us. Knowing this, will you still fight alongside of me and your fellow soldiers in order to retrieve our comrade?"

The answer that was given was completely unanimous. Despite the risks at hand, they were going after Rogue. They could not fail.

( **POV SWAP)**

_Everything was red, a deep shade of pink. He was so tired, everything felt hazy but it was serine and quiet. The world around him was small and he was coddled in a gentle pulsing heat. Rogue curled his body tighter, feeling just as miniscule as his surroundings. Gradually, he opened his eyes, his sight blurry and feeling as if there was some sort of translucent covering over him. Still, he was able to see a faint outline of his knees and fingers. Rogue blinked, looking beyond to see that he was seemingly floating. His ears lowered and his head sank. It was so warm. So quiet. So peaceful._

_Suddenly, his surroundings were bright, dappled light shone down from a canopy that towered high above his head. The forest smelled of pines and maples and animals prowled in the shelter of the trees and foliage. Rogue's head swiveled around to take the wondrous sight in. Everything was just vast. Everything was beautiful._

_Then, the forest vanished and Rogue found himself walking in the shadow of another titan, making it apparent that he wasn't his usual fifteen meters but rather stood at only three and a half. His head tilted backwards to scrutinize his company, seeing that it was the back of the mysterious bearded titan. He felt his heart lift with obvious excitement and his shorter legs propelled him to weave in and out of the other titan's legs, huffing to express his joy. A rumble met his ears, the larger titan chuffing at his antics. Rogue squealed, but just as he looked up to the bearded titan again, the landscape and setting changed._

_His lungs heaved, legs pumping, his vision was focused. The woods flew by him as his feet carried him through the foliage. His nostrils flared and a roar slipped from his throat. Ahead of him, a ten-meter titan ran oddly away – its arms held above its head like a dancer. He was no longer three meters, but rather nine. There was no doubt that he was hunting and Rogue found himself relishing in the feeling. Again he roared, his legs moving faster and bringing him closer to his prey. Steam seeped from his lipless maw as he continued to gain ground. Finally, he lunged, mouth open wide and his bellow echoing through the thicket._

_Suddenly, the landscape faded and everything seemed quiet and serine yet again. His body was reclined and his head was against a rotund surface – something warm and round. There was a gentle pulsing and a series of flutters. Rogue found himself smiling, a purr resonating in his chest. Something combed through his locks, the sensation making his body loosen further. His hands and feet kneaded – his own heart wavering in elation. It was so quiet and so peaceful._

_Then everything drifted away into a haze._

_Everything became red._

Tapered ears flickered and his nose twitched. The cloudy atmosphere had left him, the feeling replaced by a sense of clarity. His ears caught the pitter patter of light raindrops, the sound of scurrying mammals, and muffled voices. Darkened lids quivered and he suddenly became aware that he felt incredibly unwell. His stomach churned and contracted in the slightest. Feeling his muscles compress, Rogue gritted his teeth and rode the strong squeeze. Why was he ill? Naturally, he began to move his hands in order to rub and pacify his stomach, but as he did he felt that something was wrapped around his wrists – binding them and forbidding him to move them freely.

Although he was still riding a wave of nausea, Rogue forced his eyes to open, the lids feeling heavy with fatigue and dull from sickness. He blinked several times to get into focus before looking down. His eyes instantly widened and his heart stammered. Panic settled over malady, his chest rising and falling rapidly; the beast finding it difficult to breathe. Wrapped around his entire frame were cables. The very same that the Scouts used. The woven metal was tied tightly around him, knotted in various spots and binding both his hands and feet together. His breath hitched, hair bristling in fear with quiet sounds of distress leaving his maw. Where on earth was he! Where was his family! Where were his little ones! His babies! He needed to get back to them! He needed to escape! He needed to find them! Frightened, Rogue began to pull at his restraints as much as he could, jerking his limbs and tightening his muscles. However, the cables remained taught and didn't fray or sag. Rogue swallowed, the lump rising in his chest as he made a startling discovery upon further examination. The cables, they were the very same that the Scouts indeed used but they were those made to capture large and stronger titans like himself. There was no way out of them no matter how much he pulled. He was trapped.

A shiver ran through his spine, ears lowering and folding as he curled tighter for a sense of security. Rogue gulped, eyes looking around at his surroundings to find that he was in a somewhat familiar setting. His body was leaning against one of the many towering trees on the edge of the massive forest with oversize fauna. Outstretched before him was a fairly gloomy landscape. Everything seemed gray and rain fell from a clouded sky. On the horizon were ruined structures and the occasional titan roaming around. Rogue swallowed, knowing very well that he was back in Maria in prime titan territory.

His stomach twisted, forcing himself to tilt his head back against the bark of the tree and clench his teeth. The muscles in his body clenching again to deal with the discomfort. What on earth had happened to him? His memory was foggy at most. He could only recall his little ones and his family yelling at him and the fact that he had The Armored in a headlock. His brows knitted together as he tried to concentrate. There was crumbling stone and –

" **SO – DIID HE SHHOW SIIGNS… OF BEEING ABLE TO USSE IT?"**

Rogue froze, his eyes enlarging and his ears standing up and swiveling to listen. The voice was probably the deepest he had ever heard and it rattled the leaves above. He could practically feel his skin crawl. The voices that he faintly heard shortly before. This was one of them.

" **NOO. HE DIDD NEARLY KILLL ME THOUGHH. HEE USEDD HIS ABILITYY. TOOKK A BITEE OUTT OF MY LEGG."**

Rogue eyes widened even further as he recognized the voice, his nostrils flaring. Two startling scents met his nose, one clearly belonging to The Armored Titan and the other –

" **MMM… WAAS HE – STTILL AN IDDIOT?"**

**"YESS."**

He found himself barely able to breathe as he slowly rotated his head to see the two titans that had caused him so much trouble and grief. Seated beneath the protective canopy against the bases of trees was none other than The Armored and The Colossal Titans – the taller of the two's heads neatly touching the top of the forest trees. Rogue's heart nearly stopped as he quickly turned around before he could be seen prying. Normally, he would have fought tooth and nail against them, but being tied, he was helpless. Not to mention, he was still weak from before. Frightened greens traveled down at his bindings again, studying the woven strands of cable. Finally, it occurred to him. Many months prior on the 57th expedition, he and the Scouts were examining a fallen supply depot to find that the majority of the cables were missing. Now, they were completely wrapped around his body. The three titans that hated humanity so much had taken them clearly for the purpose of trapping him. They had planned his capture for quite some time. And now they had succeeded. They were in the middle of titan territory and much of his family had likely been injured. It was raining and a light fog was coating the landscape. They had no idea where he was and there was no sign of them coming.

With his heightened sense of panic doubled with feeling ill, Rogue's stomach flip flopped. Bile rushed up his throat so quickly that he didn't have the time to react. Mucus and reddish stomach acids leaked from his teeth and fell upon his chest, the titan accidentally vomiting upon himself. Feeling a mass dislodge from his stomach, Rogue turned his head as best as he could and began to gag. More fluids leaked from his mouth as the mass continued to move up his esophagus. Rogue gargled, producing several strange grunts before the mass peeked from his throat and fell out of his mouth unceremoniously in the grass. He whined, shivering as he tried to roll to his right to get away from the less than pleasant smell of his pellet. Wet with sick and his stomach uneasy, he just wanted to go home.

" **HE IS AWAKEE."** The Armored growled in annoyance, Rogue's heart skipping a beat at the fact that he had been noticed. " **YOUU. GO WATCHH HIMM. KEEPP HIMM… QUIETT. I DON'TT CARE HOWW."**

His heart began to pound in his chest even harder, the sound ringing through his ears. Another familiar scent met his nose and a series of footsteps approached him, but not those of The Colossal. Forcing himself to lift his head, Rogue looked up to see who he had not expected.

It was the small five-meter deviant from before.

His eyes widened as the titan paused before him. Her face was impassive, blank almost. Rogue's heart plummeted. The titan that had helped his little ones and the very same that he had spared was with his two greatest enemies. She had fooled him. Fooled everyone. His chest tightened in anguish at the truth, a low whine leaving his throat. His luck was so rotten.

The deviant let out a loud hiss, nose wrinkled in a snarl and lips pulled down in a frown. Rogue stiffened at the threat. Both absolutely mortified and terrified, he curled tighter and hung his head. He honestly wished that he could just melt into the tree. However, as he waited for the titan to yell at him or worse, get the attention of the other two behemoths – nothing happened. It was quiet. Confused, Rogue slowly lifted his head with a bit of courage to see that the deviant was still sitting before him. Her expression had changed, her face reflecting unease. Rogue watched as the five meter carefully turned to look in the forest where The Armored and Colossal sat before focusing back onto him. The small beast then prowled around him, moving about on all fours as she did before. With a forceful slap, she flung his pellet away into the rainy clearing before rounding his bulk yet again. Rogue remained stunned as the small titan planed her hands onto his arms and raised herself to be closer to him. He reeled backwards, but the tiny titan was persistent.

" **YOU CAN… TRUST ME. I… MEAN NO HARM."** The beast whispered, her tone making his body relax. Rogue blinked. By the way the deviant acted, was it possible that all was not as he thought it was? He remained still and unspoken as the little titan sat next to him, legs folded neatly beneath her as she leaned against the very tree he was against. For a long moment, she said nothing until she turned to look upon him, her shoulders slack as she relaxed. " **SO, IS… ROGUE YOUR NAME? THAT'S… WHAT THE HUMANS… CALLED YOU."**

Rogue finally exhaled at her question, his frame loosening even further. Realizing that the deviant wanted him to answer, he let out a soft chuff and uncurled himself in the slightest. **"ESS. DAT ISS NYY NANNE."** He answered, trying to keep his volume relatively low so not to arouse the other two titans that rested nearby, watching as the five meter's brows rose upward, seemingly stunned. Her lips parted in the slightest, but she didn't speak. Rogue swallowed, hesitating for the moment until he recalled something when he was being educated about manners. " **WHAAT… URRR NANNE?"** He asked politely, knowing it was the best thing he could do at the moment.

However, the tiny female didn't reply but instead reacted in a way that he thought she wouldn't. The deviant tilted her head, a single brow raised higher than the other. Her mouth contorted into an odd shape, her lower lip raised on one side – her façade reflecting what he could call confusion. Rogue watched as she shook her head in disbelief. He swallowed. Could he have said something wrong?

" **ARE… YOU STUPID OR SOMETHING?"**

Rogue sat back at her words, slightly offended. Did he really sound that much like an idiot? He knew he wasn't the smartest and he was aware that he had trouble in various areas, but he hated being reminded of the fact. Still, he found himself speechless at her observation. The deviant nodded to herself.

**"I THOUGHT SO. BACK… AT THAT TOWER… WHEN I SPOKE TO YOU – YOU ACTED WEIRD. LIKE… LIKE A PUP."** The deviant elaborated. " **YOU TALK SLOW TOO."**

Rogue's ears wilted at the small titan's crude commentary. He supposed that his incompetence was apparent after all. The deviant then let out a long sigh, leaning back against the tree and looking up at the falling rain. " **WELL… MY NAME IS MEHR. THAT IS… WHAT I CALL MYSELF AT LEAST."** The small female raised a hand pointing behind her. " **THOSE… ASSHOLES,"** Mehr began, obviously referring to The Armored and Colossal and nearly making him snort at the insult. " **THEY… ARE ANSGAR AND GOLIATH. ANSGAR IS… THE PLATED ONE. GOLIATH IS THE… THE BIG ONE."** Mehr sighed, suddenly unfolding her legs and bringing them to her chest in a way that mirrored his. " **I THINK YOU… HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS. BUT… I CAN'T ANSWER… FOR THEY WILL KILL ME."**

His eyes widened at her words. He had been wrong. Mehr was working for his enemy, but it was against her will. Rogue whined softly, expressing a bit of sympathy. Her situation wasn't good and he wondered how she had fallen into it. Curious, Rogue opened his maw to question, but before he could say his query, Mehr spoke up again.

" **I… DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT YOU. YOU… CAME AND LEFT… BEFORE I DID. THEY… WOULD NOT SAY MUCH... EITHER. YOU… ARE A KING. VERY POWERFUL. HE WANTS… SOMETHING FROM YOU – AND THEY CALLED… YOU A TRAITOR. I – THINK THEY LIED ABOUT SOME OF IT."** Mehr paused, eyes shifting back to him. " **TELL ME… ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU… WHO ARE THE HUMANS… YOU WERE WITH?"**

Rogue lifted his head in surprise at her curiosity. " **ERR… EII DONTT NOWW NUCCH. EII,"** Rogue dithered, probably making himself sound even stupider. " **EII… DONTT RENENBER CONNING HEREE."** He paused, trying to figure out where to start with his story and how to explain it. " **EII JUST WOKKE UPP INN DAA ORREST. EII HID DEERE… DENN EII FOUNDD NYY NUNN AND DADD. CUURLA UND GRISSA."** He beamed, the faces of his smiling parents making his spirits lift in the slightest. Mehr nodded.

" **THEY… WERE YOUR PARENTS?"** He nodded.

" **ESS. DEY… WEERE HUUNNANN."** Rogue confessed, Mehr's brows lifting at the news. For a moment, he thought she would question him about such, but to his surprise Mehr just waited for him to continue. **"DEYY ADDOPT NEE."** He spoke almost proudly through his fear of where he was. **"DEYY RAISSED NEE. EII… LERRNN TOOO TALLK… ANDD THEEN EII METT NYY ITTLE ONEES**. **ARRNIN ANND NIIKASA."**

Mehr nodded. " **ARNIN AND NIKASA? ARE THEY… HUMAN? ARE THEY… WHO YOU CALL YOUR LITTLE ONES?"**

Rogue lightly sighed at Mehr's mistake of his babies' names. She couldn't help the error however; he couldn't say his Armin or Mikasa's names any other way. Thus, Mehr determined the pronunciations to be as such. He didn't feel like correcting her either – deciding it was best for him just to continue. " **ESS."** Rogue nodded. " **EII – ADOTTED DEMM AFTER,"** he trailed off, remembering the tragic day and the fact that the two culprits that were the cause were sitting right behind them. Rogue swallowed the lump in his throat but decided to just continue. " **DEYY ATTACC WALLL. ARNINN UNDD NIKKASA AREE NYY BAIBIES."** He smiled, Mehr dipping her head with understanding.

" **THEY ARE YOUR… BABIES? YOU… MADE THEM YOUR OWN?"** She questioned thoughtfully. He grunted, catching an emotion that he had not seen from the titan before. Was it a hint of – sadness?

" **ESS. EII RAISSED DEM INN NYY HONNE."**

" **WERE… ARNIN AND NIKASA… ONE OF THE YOUNG HUMANS ON THE TOWER?"**

**"ESS. ARNINN HASS BLONND AIRR."** Rogue pulled on his own locks for emphasis. " **NIKKASA HASS BLACCC AIRR. SSHEE ISS… A GIRRRL."** He educated with Mehr simply nodding, wrapping her hands around her knees. " **SOOO… ANNWAYY. EII ASS AFFRAIDD FORR NYY AIIBIES SOO… I GAVVE THEMM TOOO THE SCOUTTS – THEE HUNNANS THATT FLIII AROUNDD ANDD… KILL TITTANS."** Rogue explained with various movements, watching as Mehr's dark eyes grew larger upon his description.

" **THOSE… WERE THE HUMANS THAT FLEW AROUND? THE… SCOUTS? YOU… GAVE THEM YOUR BABIES?"**

Rogue nodded. " **SO… DEYY COULDD BEE SAFEE. WHENN… ANSGARRR."** He paused, the titans name leaving a bad taste in his mouth. " **WHENN ANSSGARR… BROKKE WALLL – EII FOUNDD NY AIIBIES AGAIIN. EII SEALLED THE WALL WITTH A BIGG ROCCK. THEE SCOUTTS WANTTED NEE TO ELLP DENN SO EII JOINED THENN** **ANDD EII ANN WITTH NYY AIBBIES ANND ANNILLEEE TGGHT TITTANS TOGETHERR."** Rogue concluded, keeping out the mass majority of the details that he didn't feel like going into at the moment. Mehr nodded yet again, rubbing her chin in thought as she turned back to stare at the rain.

" **SO YOU… JUST WOKE UP ONE DAY IN A FOREST AND… HUMANS RAISED YOU."** Mehr began, her tone solid – the titan sounding almost bored. " **YOU ALSO… ADOPTED TWO YOUNG HUMANS TO BE YOUR OWN BABIES."** She dithered, whips of steam leaving her mouth, obviously covering up emotions that she was keeping at bay for some reason. " **YOU… CALL THESE SCOUTS YOUR FAMILY AND YOU LOVE YOUR BABIES."** The small deviant continued with Rogue nodding in agreement, a rumble resonating in his chest. " **AND THEY… NAMED YOU ROGUE?"** Mehr pressed on with the trapped titan grunting in confirmation. Mehr then hummed, looking away from the rain and letting her eyes drift up into the dark canopy. " **HMPH… WELL, I EXPECTED NOTHING MORE… FROM A HUNTER. YOUR KIND… LOVES TO BE WITH HUMANS. WE LEAPERS… ARE SIMILAR IN WAYS. WE – DON'T EAT THEM… WE JUST WATCH FROM UP IN THE TREES AND JUDGE. WE CARE… FOR PUPS BUT CARRY THEM ON OUR BACKS. WE… LEARN… HUMAN TONGUE FROM WATCHING THEM."** The small titan continued, letting her mind drift. Rogue blinked, not truly understanding her statement, but deciding to take the opportunity to get to know his new ally.

" **ERR… AHHT ABOUUT YUU? WEERRE YUUU CONNE FRONNN? WHYYY… ARREE YOUU HERRE? WITTH DEMM?"**

Mehr instantly rotated her head to look upon him, eyes narrowed in the slightest. Rogue gulped, fearing that he offended her but when the small deviant let out a sigh he calmed. " **SO BE IT."** She grumbled, wrapping her arms around her knees and watching the light drizzle again. " **I… JUST HAVE HORRIBLE LUCK. OUR KIND… LIVED JUST SOUTH OF YOURS… IN A FOREST WHERE IT RAINS A LOT. I… WAS EXILED FROM MY GROUP. SO… WE LIVED APART FROM THE OTHERS. ONE DAY… I WAS IN THE WRONG… PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME. THEY,"** Mehr gestured behind her. **"FOUND ME. ALONG WITH A FEMALE… AND EZEKIEL. THEY… WANTED TO USE ME – BUT MY PUP WAS USELESS. SO… THEY KILLED HIM."** Mehr suddenly paused, burring her face into her knees. Rogue leaned over further, looking like a child examining a picture book as he assessed the deviant. He frowned. The tough little titan almost looked to be holding back tears. Rogue blinked, secretly going over what Mehr had just shared with him. Pup? What could she have meant by that word? He knew 'Puppy' was a word referring to a young dog. What did pup mean to a titan? Whatever it was, Mehr seemed to be deeply troubled by it. Then there was the mentioning of The Female and what he could conclude to be another titan – Ezekiel. Rogue wanted to asked her what those things were or meant, but seeing the five meter's distress, he decided it was best to comfort. He let out a soft whine. Bending over to bump his head into hers, a notion that felt natural for him. At the touch, Mehr looked at him before letting out a shaky sigh and turning to watch the light rain again. Rogue waited, the little titan not saying a word until she raised her hand and roughly bumped her knuckles against his side. " **EHH… YOU DON'T NEED TO FEEL… SORRY FOR ME. I… HAVE A FEELING THAT THE STORY… ABOUT YOU THAT YOU DON'T KNOW… IS MORE MESSED UP THAN MINE."** Mehr lightly huffed, making Rogue sit back with a frown. " **WELL… SINCE THAT TIME… I'VE BEEN WITH THESE ASSES. THEY MADE ME LOOK FOR YOU… WHEN WE CAME TO THE WALL… YESTERDAY."** The small titan sighed. " **ANYWAY… YOU CAN TRUST ME. I WILL TRY… TO FIND A WAY TO –**

" **MEHR!"**

The two titans froze as they heard Ansgar's voice and creaking plates as he stood. Rogue held his breath as he heard the Colossal shift and get to his feet as well, an ominous shadow creeping across the landscape as he positioned himself upright. Rogue's eyes grew in panic as Mehr quickly stood and pretended as if nothing occurred between them. The ground shuttered, making him nearly lift off of it as both The Armored and Colossal crept from the trees to be before him. Paralyzed in terror, Rogue watched as Ansgar shoved Mehr roughly with his foot out of his wake before he knelt uncomfortably close before him. Goliath bent over as well, his movement looking sluggish and slow in comparison to the plated titan. Rogue swallowed as Ansgar continued to stare at him, watching as the creature's plated mouth parted and contorted into a sick grin. He just wanted to run. Run home.

The Armored Titan snorted in an arrogant manner, steam billowing from his nostrils before he let out a huff of amusement. " **HARDD TO BELIEVEEE… AN IDIOTT LIKEE YOUU… NEARLYY KILLEDD ME… AND ATEE LUANA."** Ansgar alliterated as he rose his hand and gripped the bottom of his jaw tightly, nails nearly digging into his skin. The titan's unwelcome touch, caused a spark of resilience to go off in Rogue, a primitive instinct pushing fully forward within him. He snarled, any ounce of fear gone as he quickly parted his jaws and snapped at The Armored's hand like an animal. Rogue managed to snag muscle, causing Ansgar to yelp in agony and jump back from his seated position. Rogue nearly purred at his foe's suffering, but soon found that his act was an error when The Armored roared and slammed his foot upon his ankle – the bone snapping with the impact and sending a wave of pain up his leg. Rogue wailed, the sound dying down into a moan. He looked back to the plated behemoth to see the creature lift his arm and slam it into his shoulder before smacking him across the face, causing Rogue to nearly bite off a piece of his tongue and send blood splattering onto the grass below. He felt The Armored grip his messy locks and pull, pressing his head into the tree and staring at him heatedly. " **I… WOULDD LIKEE TO… SEE YOUU TRYY… THATT AGAINN."**

Rogue heaved a breath, his chest shuttering as he struggled to get over the discomfort, feeling his nerve endings and bones resituate. As much as he wanted to challenge Ansgar's words, he decided that being in the current situation that doing such wasn't an intelligent move. Instead, he settled for just staring at the beast heatedly, ears pinned back to show his irritation. Still, The Armored seemed pleased with his reaction. Unexpectedly, the Armored slammed his foot into his still upset stomach, the blow causing him to gag yet again and bile spraying onto his own chest. Rogue heaved a breath, feeling utterly humiliated.

" **WE STTILL… NEED HIIM IN ONNE PIIECE."** Goliath uttered, tone low and unamused. The Armored snorted.

" **I'MM JUSTT –**

Ansgar was suddenly interrupted by a familiar pop that he knew so well. A shot from a Scout's signal flare. Quickly, Rogue turned his head to see a long tendril of green smoke in the distance – a sign to advance. His green eyes widened. The Scouts were coming to get him. He couldn't help but grin. Hange or his little one must have figured a likely place where he would be!

" **THEE HUMANSS!"** Ansgar grumbled. " **THEYY FOUND… USS?"**

**"APPARENTLY SO."** Mehr played along, sneaking him a sideways glance.

The earth rumbled and shifted as The Colossal got to his feet. " **WEE ARE LEEAVING. I WIILL GO… AHEAD AND MAAKE COVVER."**

Seeing that his enemy had no intention of killing him yet, Rogue seized the opportunity to turn and screech, not caring if he received more abuse. If he could lead his little ones to him, it would be worth it. As he expected, The Armored Titan roared at his misdeed and roughly gripped his head.

" **GOTT TO MAKEE THISS… EASIERR."**

The monster then raised his fist and swung.

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin tugged his hood over his head, keeping the drizzling rain from his eyes as he rode upon his horse. The landscape was as gloomy as one could imagine. Everything seemed to be in a shade of grey. There was no patch of blue heavens in sight and there was a low fog that seemed to only get thicker up ahead. As soon as the horses were ready, the Scouts and many members of the Garrison had embarked on the emergency mission. Armin's gut swarmed with worry. It wasn't the fact that most Garrison soldiers were not as experienced with direct combat with titans, but it was rather Rogue's well-being. Just minutes before, a familiar screech alerted them all – a cry that was none other than Rogue's. The titan's call was absolutely pleading and there was no telling what Rogue had gone through. He could only hope that Rogue was unconscious so he didn't have to be aware to torture or whatever the enemy had planned for him. However, he also wished that Levi's words were true – that if Rogue was awake that the fifteen-meter behemoth would give them hell and be nothing but piss and vinegar.

"Shit. This is the worst weather for this. They could be hiding anywhere." The teen heard the Corporal grumble beneath his breath, the blonde noticing that the man wasn't taking his hand from the hilt of his blade. He could only guess Levi's heightened sense of awareness was from past experience.

"You've got that right." Hange replied. "Be on your toes. They are out here, and I'm not talking about The Armored or Colossal."

Armin swallowed, gripping the reins of his equine even tighter. Around him were the current members of the Levi squad with the exception of Jean who had to stay behind to be escorted to a local hospital for aggressive treatment upon his bite. He rode adjacent to the Corporal and Section Commander with Sasha and Connie near him. The Commander as well rode just ahead of him, hand holding a signal flare gun and eyes scanning the horizon for further signals or incoming trouble. Armin stared on to see that Mikasa was beginning to pull further and further away from their party. Ever since the teen had heard Rogue's cry it was like a cannon had gone off within Mikasa. The girl had become absolutely unstable and the closer they got to where Rogue was supposed to be, the more panicked that Mikasa became. He himself could understand her terror, but in a situation like the one that was currently transpiring, one had to keep a level head no matter what emotional battle they were struggling with. Of course, seeing Mikasa's careless advance did not please Levi.

"Ackerman!" He yelled with Armin watching as Mikasa's shoulders bunched together at the man's sharp words. "You are too far ahead. Fall back into our formation!"

He continued to observe as Mikasa seemingly continued to hesitate until her hands tugged slightly upon her horse's reins and a quiet curse slipped past her lips. The teen was still as her equine slowed to be with the rest of them. Upon seeing her face, Armin could instantly tell that the girl wasn't at all happy with the order.

"Sir! We need to move f-

"Ackerman." Levi interrupted Mikasa who looked almost shaken by the man's tone. "You stay here with us. Moving quickly in this kind of weather is incredibly dangerous. Trust me when I say I've seen titans ambush from within the fog and tear apart your closest friends and comrades. You know that Rogue is alive. He cannot lose you or Arlert because heaven knows he'll hate himself for not being able to save you. So stick with us and don't stray away. I don't want to have to put a leash upon you." The man spoke bluntly. At his statement, Mikasa's face faltered, but nonetheless the teen saw his reasoning and didn't retort – only positioning her horse next to him.

"Yes, Sir. I understand." Mikasa muttered solemnly.

"Good. Remember, keep your emotions in check. The conditions around us are bringing some bad memories back, but I'm keeping my shit together." Levi finished, not saying anything further but making his point very clear. As badly as he wanted to question the man about what had happened, he kept his focus ahead, spotting a looming shape run from the trees and into the old farmlands.

"There!" He announced, the others looking on at the odd shape. Scrutinizing further, Armin's heart fell into his stomach as he made out what exactly he was looking at. Just above was The Armored Titan fleeing the scene with a massive figure bound tightly to his back – one that was clearly Rogue. His friend was unconscious and tied into an uncomfortable fetal like position with both his hands and feet bound together. Half of Rogue's face was steaming, suggesting that he had been purposely knocked out for an easy transport. The Colossal was nowhere in sight, but Armin could clearly make out the presence of The Jaw Titan upon The Armored's shoulder. Immediately, the others around him grew alarmed at this – the fact that the small titan wasn't bound like Rogue meant that there was a terrifying truth.

"Rogue!" Sasha announced. "Wait, that's The Jaw Titan with The Armored!"

"Shit! She was working with them!" Hange came to the same conclusion. "Her arrival at the tower was to scout for Rogue and her respect was probably to gain trust!"

"Yeah," Armin trailed off, things falling into place. "Otherwise, how would The Armored know exactly where to head in search of us? Sure, he's got his nose, but how else would you explain how he found us so easily and quickly?"

"Damn it!"

"The brat's still out too, probably still worm from his transformation I bet."

The Commander then raised his sword. "Scouts! Prepare to –

Erwin's words were cut short as a vast hand suddenly burst from the dense fog, swinging just over Armin's head to snag an unlucky Garrison from his saddle. Startled, Armin kicked his horse to move faster. Much to their horror, the fog lifted in the slightest for their group to make out at least two dozen titans emerging from the nearby tree line and heading right for them. He gulped. This wasn't good! The trees were too far away for their grapples to latch on, leaving them in an even more difficult situation.

"Shit!"

The Commander nor any of the higher ranking officials had the time to formulate any plan as one of the faster titans quickly motioned to them and slammed its hand down, barely missing Sasha and Connie with the two teens swerving around the titan's appendage just seconds before to avoid the catastrophic blow. Armin watched as Levi quickly stood on the back of his horse and propelled himself to the nape of the eight meter and quickly killed the beast, leaping from the collapsing titan and back onto the saddle of his stallion.

"They are slower, not moving erratically, or have a delay in reaction. These are normals!" The man quickly informed as he turned to Erwin. "Your orders?"

The Commander dithered, Armin noticing that man's teeth slightly bit at his lip before he turned to face the retreating deviants upon the horizon. "Levi, leave your squad with Hange. I'll leave them to free Rogue. The rest of us are going to slow down The Armored. Those normals won't eat him since he doesn't currently pose a threat, but they will be tough to avoid."

Levi's brows rose. "Are you saying we are going to play a damned game of cat and mouse?"

Erwin didn't reply, only responding by holding his blade forward again. "SOLDIERS! LET THE TITANS CHASE YOU! WE'LL USE THEM AS BARRICADES! FOLLOW MY LEAD!" The Commander demanded as he steered his horse in the direction that The Armored was heading. Armin watched as many of the soldiers branched off to trail him – most wearing skeptical looks while the majority of the titans from the horde began to hungrily follow.

"What the hell is Erwin doing! This is suicide!"

Armin swallowed at the words. Truth was laced all throughout them. Once the so called barricade of titans intercepted the Armored, there was no doubt that they would go after any nearby human. Sure, it would cause chaos, but it only gave them a limited time to free Rogue. Not to mention, if they got stranded upon him it would be catastrophic. As much as he hated the very plan, it was their only one and they would have to go with it. Besides, how were they supposed to slow down a massive titan that rendered their blades useless?

He certainly didn't have an idea as to how else they could go about it.

Upon hearing crashing footsteps and the earth vibrating beneath his horse, Armin turned just in time to see a seven meter charging right for him. His heart skipped a beat as he realized that he had but one option, one that he preferred not doing for it wasted precious seconds and they ran the risk of losing sight of Rogue. As he had done in countless exercises, Armin shot a cable into the titan's pelvis and propelled him to the side and off his horse. The titan's movements were delayed, the creature's hand seemingly swinging in slow motion compared to what he was used to. The blonde then shot another cable into the beast's shoulder and hoisted himself up onto the creature's nape. With as powerful of a swing as he could produce, Armin cut away the beast's nape. For a moment, he found himself proud of his accomplishment until the titan began to fall all too quickly. The teen turned and aimed his cable into the leg of another titan and jumped, only to react too late and only managing to get himself a few feet off the ground until the titan moved its leg – the jerk causing him to roll in the wet grass.

Beneath his breath, he cursed at his foolishness, but before he could find his equine or another moving target to latch onto, an ominous shadow cast over him. Armin nearly froze, the teen rotated his head to see a ten meter with a look that almost resembled the Corporal's sneer standing over him. As the monster's hand descended down, Armin reverted from a state of terror to basic survival skill that was taught to every single soldier. The teen drew his blades and gripped his hilts, however, before he could perform a single act, the titan's body went limp – blood falling like rain as the beast fell to the earth, slain by Mikasa's blades. There was no time to thank her however, so he just gave a simple nod that Mikasa hastily returned.

"ARMIN! MIKASA!" Hange's voice carried over the chaos. "THE TWO OF YOU STOP AND GO AFTER ROGUE! WE CAN'T FOOL AROUND AND LOSE SIGHT OF HIM! WE WILL TAKE THESE FIVE OUT AND THEN MEET UP WITH YOU!"

Hearing the words, the two teens responded with another quick nod and scrambled to retrieve their horses. After adjusting himself in his saddle, the teen quickly followed Mikasa who had returned to the desire to push her horse to its limits to catch up to Rogue and the other deviants. Fearing that he would lag behind, Armin dug his heels of his boots into the horse's hips – the equine giving a neigh in surprise but otherwise charged forward. Armin gritted his teeth, wiping his face to rid the bothersome rain. Looking to his side, Erwin and the others were nowhere to be seen, obviously keeping themselves hidden in the thicker parts of the fog not to alert the Armored. The fog was clearly the product of The Colossal who must have gone on ahead. With a creature that big, the beast had to move at a slow pace. It was no wonder why it didn't cause the second breach. The Armored had to obviously carry Rogue and the smaller deviant for most likely safety reasons, being blasted with hot steam didn't sound too favorable by any species.

Finally, his horse was able to catch up with Mikasa's. For a long moment, his friend continued to stare heatedly at the enemy before her until she turned to him, her face looking positively determined.

"He's tied with cables. They fucking planned this." Mikasa nearly hissed between her teeth. Armin nodded, deciding not to warn her to keep her cool again for the fact that the teen seemed willing to listen.

"And not just any cables either. Those are the thicker gage cables – likely the ones that were taken from the depot months ago when we were on the 57th expedition. You're right. They've been planning this for a while."

"So how should we get him free then? We can't let them get away with him!"

Again, he nodded. "Well, we don't have many options, not only that but The Jaw Titan is clearly against us so no doubt she'll defend The Armored Titan and fling us away. I'm not even sure if our blades can even cut that gage of cable. But – I think that's where we should start. Mikasa – see if you can deal with The Jaw Titan. I'll try to saw through the cables. If I'm unable to, I'll try to wake Rogue up. If we need help, I hope that Hange and the rest can get to us quickly." Armin swallowed nervously. "You ready for this?" He asked with the girl giving a quick dip of her head. He swallowed. This was not going to be easy. At all.

With not a second more to spare, Mikasa guided her horse even further with a whip of the reins. As her equine galloped closer, the small deviant turned to peer down at the two of them with her dark eyes. The titan's face was emotionless, nearly blank as it continued to watch Mikasa pull out her blades and prepare to execute her task. Armin watched, finding himself paralyzed as The Armored glanced over his shoulder but surprisingly didn't turn to squash him into pulp. The beast kept going in the very same direction that he had been. " **MEHRR – DEALL… WITHH THEMM."**

Armin's chin lifted at the titan's speech. The deviant's name was Mehr? He didn't care to know however, the beast's words just proved the tiny titan's association with their enemy even further. Mikasa then seized the opportunity and aimed a cable into the plated titan's scalp. However, as she left the saddle of her horse, Mehr's fingers wrapped around her cable and the titan pulled. In horror, Armin watched as Mikasa was helplessly swung into the air and then tossed back towards the earth. Thankfully, the teen was quickly able to regain herself and hurriedly planted another cable into her target to propel herself toward the small deviant with frightening speed. For a moment, he found himself slightly confused. The amount of force Mehr used wasn't as much as the titan was clearly capable of. Why had Mehr just tossed Mikasa rather than throw the girl as hard as she could into the earth to kill her instantly?

He shook his head, deciding not to waste any further time deliberating on details. He needed to free Rogue as soon as possible. There was no telling when Erwin was going to intercept with the horde. Watching as Mikasa adverted the deviant's attention away from him, Armin aimed his grapple for Rogue's shoulder and leaped from his horse, pushing his gear as fast as he was able to avoid detection. Quickly, he landed upon his titanic friend's right shoulder and swiftly hid himself away behind Rogue's neck and in the dip of the creature's collarbone. He watched as Mikasa swooped and sliced her swords across the deviant's eye, blood spurting with Mehr letting out a painful screech. Despite the injury, the little deviant hissed and swiped at Mikasa again only to miss. His brows bunched together as he lowered his blade to the thick cable that crested over Rogue's shoulder. Even as Mikasa inflicted damage, The Jaw Titan was still not performing as she had been before. Armin pushed his blade into the cable, moving the metal back and forth in a sawing motion. He didn't want to think about it anymore. He just needed to focus on freeing Rogue.

Armin pushed his blade forward yet again, sparks dancing from the piece of steel. Gritting his teeth, the teen lifted his sword to see that his work had been for naught. The cable practically looked untouched. His blade however looked like it had seen countless hours of battle with chipped, jagged, and dull edges. His skin prickled at the sight. He certainly wasn't going to be able to free Rogue this way and neither was Mikasa. Their incoming party of Hange and the others didn't have the gear to take care of the cable either. This was not good. The only thing that Armin knew that could cut cable of such a thick grade was a giant machine powered by a large amount of pressurized gas. Rogue himself had never been able to snap them in half. However, Rogue's strength was all that they had to go on. The titan would have to use everything he had to break through and in order for the beast to do such a thing, Rogue would have to be woken up.

He swallowed, eyes adverting to Rogue's face, part of it still steaming from previous injury, the titan's features loose and not wrinkled in any way from pain. Armin then pulled another blade from his holster. There was only one way to wake Rogue up quickly. As much as he hated it. It had to be done.

**(POV SWAP)**

He felt at peace almost, the constant swaying motion was almost relaxing. The world just seemed to be moving in a rhythmic pattern. It only brought him deeper into repose, feeling almost like the small red place that he had seen in his dreams. He didn't like it though, it felt so empty. So lonely. He wanted to go back, back to where his family was – where his babies were.

Suddenly, a sharp pain dug into his shoulder, breaking the deeper layers of skin and burrowing into muscle. Rogue's eyes flew open instantly, the titan blinking in both confusion and to regain focus. The blurry world around him became clearer and his chest immediately tightened in alarm. He was still tied like he had been before and his feet were completely off the ground. Feeling the heat against his back and the hard plating, he could only register that The Armored Titan had somehow tied him to him. Hearing a shriek, Rogue turned to see that Mehr was riding next to him and Mikasa had just sliced off one of her fingers. The titan shuttered, recalling that he had been knocked out and now Ansgar was taking he and Mehr to wherever the deviants' destination was.

"Rogue!"

Quickly and regretfully, he took his eyes away from Mikasa and the small titan and turned to see Armin sitting upon his shoulder, the teen looking both relieved and terrified.

"Rogue! The Scouts are attempting a rescue! I can't cut your binds! You need to –

The teen's words were drowned out by another cry from Mehr, Rogue observing as his little one viciously cut out her eye. His heart pounded. His little ones didn't know!

"Rogue!"

"I'm going to make you pay for what you've done you bitch!" Mikasa cursed with Mehr lifting her hand to strike at her once again.

"Rogue! Listen! We don't have much time –

" **STTOOP!"** He yelled desperately. " **PLLEESSE!"** Rogue continued, his eyes watching as the three of them paused, the two teens and Mehr giving him a questioning look. " **MMEERRR ISS NOOT BADD! SHEE ISS AHH FRIEENND! ANNSGARR… AND GOLIAHH… MAKKING MEERR WORRK WITTH DEMM! DEYY… WILLL… KILLL HERR!"** He quickly informed, practically feeling the tension radiate between the four of them. It seemed like several minutes had passed before Mehr turned her attention to Mikasa, her back hunching in shame.

" **HE IS RIGHT. I HAVE TO DO WHAT THEY SAY."** Mehr spoke meekly, blinking in realization as her eyes looked from the blonde upon his shoulder and the dark haired teen that was still poised to attack anything that came at them. " **YOU TWO… YOU ARE ARNIN AND NIKASA?"**

Although they were still stunned, his babies nodded. "That's right. I'm Armin and she's Mikasa. We – need to free Rogue." His little one turned to him, gesturing at the cables. "Rogue, I know these are the higher grade ones, but Mikasa and I can't cut them. You're going to have to break free of them Rogue. You are going to have to try as hard as you can! Mikasa! You and Mehr continue to fight to make it so Ansgar doesn't suspect –

"ARMIN! MIKASA! ROGUE! LOOK OUT!"

His heart stalled at Hange's words, the hairs on his neck standing as The Armored's body hesitated. Rogue's nostrils flared, inhaling the powerful odor of his kin, his eyes widening in alarm. Quickly, he rotated his head to peer over Ansgar's shoulder. He gasped, the situation had just gotten worse. Emerging from the fog, were Erwin and the rest of the corps along with more titans than he could possibly count at the moment.

"PART!" The Commander ordered quickly, the fleet of Scouts splitting into two groups and curving around The Armored Titan at close proximity. The towering beasts however, lacked the reflexes or the logic to move. Seeing that Ansgar still hadn't slowed, Rogue only reverted to instinct. Rapidly, he turned to see that Mehr was obviously seeing what had to be done. Carefully but abruptly, the female deviant wrapped her hand around Mikasa and placed her with Armin on his shoulder. Needing to protect them, Rogue turned his head to guide them behind his neck – the only area that would be remotely safe. Sure, it left him exposed, but he would rather have that than any titan snatching his babies out in the open and putting them into their awaiting maws. Rogue braced himself as Ansgar suddenly sped up, shoulders lowered and an arm bent forward – the beast intending to tackle the incoming obstacles head on. The impact rattled his body and threw his little ones into his flesh. Opening his eyes, he watched as massive bodies toppled to the earth as Ansgar pushed the smaller monsters out of his wake with ease. Rogue tilted his head, covering his little ones even further as more of the beasts began to swarm The Armored.

It was then that things began to get worse.

The titans that swamped the plated titan then caught whiff of his babies' scent. In horror, Rogue watched as many of the creatures began to cling to Ansgar and greedily search for his precious cargo. Unable to move further, The Armored Titan slowed to a stop as the creatures began to climb him like hungry ants after a crumb of bread. Ansgar roared in defiance as he continued to try and advance. A set of hands wrapped around his ankle, forcing Rogue to peer down and view a seven meter attempting to climb up his knees – dead eyes locked onto his little ones. Immediately, he felt his instincts take over yet again. He needed to tear the monster apart! He needed to protect! He needed to be free! Determined to get away to get his little ones to safety, Rogue snarled and began to pull at his restraints. His muscles bulged as the titan below began to climb higher. He gritted his teeth, bone grinding against bone as Rogue proceeded to try and pry his arms apart. The smell of his blood hit his nose as the wire began to cut into his flesh, steam dancing up from his skin. Rogue's heart faltered. The wires weren't budging! Pain shot up his arm as he felt a set of teeth sink into the meat of his shoulder. He roared in agony, green eyes flashing angrily at his kin that now saw him as a threat forbidding their chance at a meal. Rogue growled, intimidating the advancing titans to go away until he stopped himself. He couldn't do such a thing. If he warded the beasts away, the lack of titans would only allow Ansgar to continue onward - taking both he and his little ones. If he tried to ward them off, he still couldn't free himself to continue to protect everyone. He was regretfully at a loss of what to do.

Too adrift in thought, he failed to notice that the titan latched onto his arm had inched closer to his sheltered little ones. Rogue spun his head at the realization only to see the ugly frowning mug of a titan right in his face. His nose wrinkled into a snarl yet again, preparing to snap. However, the titan suddenly collapsed into his chest and slid off his frame back to the earth – its nape cut free by a Mikasa who had come out of the cover that he provided and was now standing upon his forearm with her blades drawn and ready. No! His little one didn't need to be out in the open! She had to wait until he was able to find a way free! There were too many titans for her to go against!

His horrors were realized as the titan that had been busy climbing up his knees suddenly reached to swipe at Mikasa, giving the girl no time to react. Then, another clawed hand dug into the creature's nape, Mehr screeching as her fingers ripped out flesh and bone – the seven-meter falling to the abused earth. For a moment, the five-meter deviant and his little one stared at one another, each saying nothing until their situation seemingly came to mind again and the two turned to dispatch more titans. Rogue gulped, worried, but all he could do was continue in protecting Armin who was still perched behind his nape.

"Rogue! Since you can't get out, I'm going to try and untie this knot behind your neck!"

The titan couldn't truly acknowledge him, eyes still hooked upon the scene before him. Mehr screeched, digging her teeth into another naked nape while his little one circled the head of another titan to blind the creature before commencing with the slaughter. His breath hitched as he felt The Armored falter a bit further, body jolting as he nearly fell completely over. Ansgar screeched again as more titans emerged from the fog – drawn to his little ones' scents like they were a drug. Another set of teeth broke through his flesh, sinking so deep that he swore that the monster's incisors met bone. He wailed, reflexively thrashing in a pathetic attempt to shake the beast from him. Mikasa swooped low yet again to execute the titan before leaping to take out another, moving with incredible velocity and speed. Emeralds shifted, checking upon his new ally to see her nails graze the face of a grinning behemoth. Blood splattering upon every organism as the small titan held her own.

But even as it appeared that they were beginning to get a handle upon the situation, things descended even further into hell.

Like hornets having been roused from their nest, the titans swarmed around them. Rogue cried in agony yet again as a chunk of his hip was torn out and his skin was peeled away by greedy fingers. Blood poured to the earth as more teeth sunk into him and gaping jaws continued to snap at his little one. Mehr screeched yet again as she spun around and placed her hands into the mouth of a famished thirteen-meter. Tendons snapped and tissues gave way as the little titan pried the creature's head apart. Quickly, Mehr turned yet again to slice into another giant's face, detaching half of its façade off like the skin of a potato. Just as the deviant went for another one of the beasts, a set of large teeth wrapped around her arm and began to violently pull. Mehr screamed, a sickening pop ringing throughout his ears as her shoulder was torn from its socket. In an attempt to free herself, the small titan swung her other arm and planted her claws into the monster's eye sockets. The titan however, didn't seem to care an inkling as it continued to clench its jaw. Mehr screeched again as her forearm was practically crushed. Rogue gritted his teeth through more discomfort as his toes were bitten off. The way the deviant was positioned, her nape was fully exposed, all it would take was one hit and Mehr would be no more. In the next second however, an abnormal turned its attention to the distressed creature and forcefully sunk its teeth into the small of her back, leaving Mehr wailing and his own heart beating wildly in a panic.

However, before the titan could make its way to her nape, Mikasa cut through greedy hands and easily cut at the creature's nape. With skill, the teen aimed another cable and began to maneuver herself around the deviant, her pairing blades crossed and ready to carve away meat. Then, before metal could run through red, a titan lunged at his little one, successfully gripping her so tightly in its hand that Mikasa screamed, several of her ribs breaking instantly. His blood ran cold and his pupils shrunk. He wailed. No! His baby had been caught! He couldn't escape! She was going to be eaten! He couldn't do anything!

Miraculously, as if his cry was answered by some sort of angel, Mehr ripped herself loose and lunged forward, sinking her teeth into the monster's scalp. With a powerful jerk of her head, the little titan ripped away a large chunk of meat and brain tissue, causing the beast to release both a cry of agony and an injured Mikasa who Mehr quickly caught in her remaining hand and shoved the teen behind his neck.

" **YOU HIDE."** The little titan spoke bluntly. " **I'LL TAKE CARE… OF THIS."**

Rogue only found himself capable of nodding. Beneath him, he could feel Ansgar struggle to hold the weight of both he himself, Mehr, and the other hungry titans. Honest with himself, he really didn't know how on earth the beast was still standing. However, if Ansgar caved beneath the weight, the titans would easily be able to get to his little ones. Rogue swallowed, he wasn't sure of what to do.

"Shit! Mikasa! I can't get this knot undone either!"

"Armin, let me –

"No Mikasa! Your ribs are broken!"

Rogue clenched his teeth, feeling another chuck of his skin being torn. He turned his head again to cover his defenseless babies. Inwardly he struggled. He needed to ward the titans off to keep he and every unwilling passenger safe, but the minute he did it, the Armored would bolt away with him and his babies – one of which was greatly injured. His enemy would surely kill them. He just didn't see any way out. With him bound and Mehr only able to do so much, their fate wasn't bright.

Suddenly, a small titan quickly scaled another and bit into his jaw. Rogue screeched angrily – opening his maw to try and grip the creature with no luck. Again, he wailed – looking for Mehr only to see that she was struggling to pull her leg from the jaws of another titan who was trying to shake the small beast like chew toy for a dog. He would have to resort to the option he had dreaded. He had no other choice. If he moved his head even in the slightest, he risked the loss of his little ones.

However, as a rumble began to form in his chest, a voice carried over the chaos – an oh so familiar commanding tone. At such, the majority of the titans stopped their desperate grab for food to turn and face none other than the reassuring sight of uniformed men and women on horseback. Ahead of the pack was Erwin, his furious face even evident from where he was. Valiantly, The Commander held his blade forward with his men following. For a moment, Rogue could see the looks upon all of their faces. For the first time, not one person looked fearful in a suicidal charge. Each face bore nothing but the look of wrath.

"DEDICATE YOUR HEART AND SOUL TO THE CAUSE!" Erwin shouted. "DO WHAT IS NEEDED TO RETRIEVE OUR TARGET!"

Unfortunately, with the titans distracted by the large quantity of humans heading their way, Ansgar decided that he had enough of what was transpiring. The world around him spun as The Armored Titan forcefully stood all the way up and grabbed an arm of an eight-meter behemoth. Then, with tremendous power, Ansgar threw the several ton creature straight at the incoming Scouts. Time seemed to tick by slowly for the umpteenth time as the body of the titan impacted the earth shortly before them. Rubble and dust flew in all directions as the creature rolled, its fat bouncing and shifting as it scrambled to get to its feet. Forcing himself to watch the horror at hand, Rogue's eyes grew as the eight-meter lifted itself on all fours and charged forward – straight for Erwin.

The Commander couldn't steer his horse away quick enough.

Massive incisors snagged the man's outstretched arm and forcefully pulled him from his horse. Blood decorated the man's body as his followers let their fear return. Like prey caught in the jaws of a cat, the titan bounded away upon all fours with the Commander hanging loosely from the creature's maw. Rogue felt himself grow numb. The titan had taken away the most important man in the Scouts. The leader of the pack stood no chance. Still, the man didn't cry aloud in agony. To his astonishment, Erwin only forced himself to turn, eyes lit ablaze as he still managed to raise his sword to guide the advance.

"I SAID ONWARD!"

Even as the beast carried the man away, Erwin still shouted with determination. At the man's display, the fire was fanned beneath the Scouts again as they charged forward. Ansgar roared, selecting another titan and tossing it like a limp doll into the fray. Horses were flattened and men darted into whatever direction they could safely travel. Things then began to fall further into absolute chaos. Many of the titans began to make a run for the pack of flying humans. Instantaneously, soldiers left their steeds and rocketed toward any towering beast. More crimson was spilt as metal dug into flesh and teeth tore apart bone. Heads rolled and equines were smashed beneath giant feet. The titans that chose to stay and continue for his little ones, either were tugged away by The Armored's grip or they continued to go for his precious and irreplaceable cargo. Another set of teeth sunk into his chest. Red painted across his hide, another wail forcing past his throat as more of his skin was torn away as his kin proceeded to attempt in digging their way past him. He could feel himself grow slightly woozy from the constant loss of blood and his body struggling to keep up in healing – his body still worn from his transformation. Rogue pressed himself into his babies further, eyes still upon the slaughter taking place before him. More bodies fell, soldiers were swung and bitten in half as the titans started to gain the upper hand yet again. Mehr struggled with taking out another beast that had its teeth inches away from his neck, the little titan pulling out the creature's nape and discarding it like garbage. However, seen as both a threat and an obstacle, Mehr attracted the unwanted attention of a large titan. Too busy with ripping the nape out of a ten meter, she didn't see the creature raise its fist and bring it down upon her back. Mehr screeched as she was forced into him, the titan continuing to deal with the deviant by sinking its teeth into her side. Mehr growled, trying to maneuver herself to claw at the beast's eyes to no avail. Rogue swallowed. This wasn't good! Without Mehr he and his little ones were done for. They would either become titan fodder or victims to whatever horrors his enemy had in mind.

Then, unexpectedly, Ansgar reached around to pry off the large titan, throwing the tremendous beast into the sea of chaos with a loud roar. Mehr didn't continue however, the five meter finally collapsing in exhaustion on his shoulder. The little beast breathed heavily, her dark eyes slowly lifting to view him and his little ones – Mehr looked absolutely spent. Another piercing scream of a human victim directed her attention to the massacre before them, the earth redder than ever. Rogue watched as the little titan then focused on him once again, her form shaking.

" **YOU… ARE A LOT OF TROUBLE… YOU KNOW THAT?"** Mehr groaned, trying to lift herself up, but falling again.

" **MEHRR!"** Ansgar roared, glancing at her before returning to his task of tossing titans. " **GO ANDD… TAKEE OUTT THE… HUMANSS!"**

The Armored's order made him and Mehr freeze. The small deviant's eyes widened in panic at the command. She was silent, looking at the slaughter again before letting her head fall. Rogue blinked, watching Mehr's hands shake. Slowly, the little beast lifted her head – eyes half lidded. " **WELL… I HAVE SINNED ENOUGH."** The titan spoke softly to herself, lifting her head higher to look upon him and his little ones. " **I… LOST EVERYTHING."** Mehr smirked weakly. " **I DON'T SEE… WHY YOU SHOULD."** The creature narrowed her eyes in determination. " **IT… WAS NICE TO… HAVED SERVED YOU MY KING."**

Before he could even comprehend what Mehr was saying, the little titan quickly lunged and bit down onto the cable bounding him. With her jaw tightening, the metal frayed and snapped, freeing his arms while Mehr quickly freed his legs – her bite force incredible. Then, with a finale bite to the part of cable that held him against The Armored, the steel snapped and the ground quickly rushed to meet him. His knees hit the earth, the impact jolting his little ones. At his sudden absence, The Armored bellowed in rage, igniting him to scramble to his feet and run.

"He's free!"

"Move Rogue!"

However, a wave of dizziness fell over him, his legs suddenly buckling and his entire body toppling over onto the earth. Mud flew and his little ones were flung just a few feet away. Rogue struggled to lift himself, suddenly aware at just how weak and injured he truly was. Part of his hand was missing as well as several of his toes. There was a huge gash in his side that leaked blood with every inch he moved and one of his calves has been almost completely devoured to the bone. Part of his shoulder was gone and a sheet of skin was hanging from his throat. Rogue whined, quickly reaching for his babies who were dazed from the impact and placing them near him – offering the only protection he could give them until the Scouts at least could rescue.

An earsplitting wail hit his ears, the now familiar banshee like cry instantly made him place his attention back to The Armored Titan and Mehr. His heart nearly leaped out of the confides of his chest at the alarming sight. The small deviant had begun to claw at the plated beast's scalp with Ansgar roaring in protest. Suddenly, as Mehr reached to take the monster's golden eyes, The Armored stretched his arm up to wrap his hand around the tiny titan's body and violently pried her off his head. Rogue only watched in horror as Ansgar squeezed, Mehr shrieking in agony as her insides were reduced to nothing but pulp – her screech drowned out by the massive amount of internal bleeding. Still, Mehr tried to snarl and break free.

However, Ansgar was finished with her.

His jaw went slack as he watched The Armored Titan bellow and throw Mehr straight down to the earth beneath their feet. Mehr, whined – trying to move but the forceful blow had been far too great and clearly paralyzed her. Emeralds grew in size as Ansgar lifted his leg, the world seeming to stall as the beast brought his large foot down – completely destroying Mehr's nape.

And much to his horror, Ansgar continued slam his foot into what had been his new ally – ensuring that her death was concrete.

Rogue paled, unable to look away from what was transpiring before him, his babies doing the very same. Mehr – the little deviant titan that had lost everything and was forced to be a slave of the enemy, had just sacrificed herself so he could have something – so he wouldn't have to suffer the very same. His body stiffened, paralyzed. Why was the world so cruel? Why did the devil seem to always have a grip on him?

However, Rogue had no time to wallow in self-loathing as Ansgar suddenly stopped taking out his frustrations on Mehr's steaming corpse and ran straight for him. Panic spread throughout his body and he quickly scooped up his little ones and held them against his chest. Again, he tried to stand and make a break for it but to no avail. This was it. The Armored was sure to kill him and his babies now. Still, he couldn't help but recognize the anger still boiling in his gut. He hated him! He despised Ansgar! He had killed Mehr, members of his family, and most of all had a hand in murdering his parents! He was nothing but an animal! Scum! A fucking pest that needed exterminated! He wanted nothing more than for Ansgar to rot in hell!

' _ **I… HATE YOU.'**_ The words circulated in his head as The Armored behemoth came closer, steam billowing from his muscles and a hand coiled into a raised fist. _**'YOU… TOOK EVERYTHING… FROM ME!'**_ Rogue thought irately, his breath growing heavy. ' _ **YOU… KILLED… EVERYONE!'**_ His ears pinned against his head, his nose wrinkling into a snarl. ' _ **I… HATE YOU!'**_

The Armored Titan came to a halt before him and prepared to swing as he had reached his boiling point.

' _ **I… WANT YOU TO DIE!'**_

It was then that a seeded instinct that resided deep within Rogue awakened. A spark had gone off inside him, his eyes illuminating a dangerous green with his mind resorting to the one thing it was ordering him to do. Rogue then inhaled.

And screamed.

With every fiber of his being, he shrieked – the sound high pitched and deafening. The vocal ran over the stained plain like a pulse, his eyes glowing brighter and pupils shrinking to pinpricks. The world seemed to stop, The Armored's body went rigid and his plated face contorting into a look of fear as his scream continued to carry. His little ones and every Scout and Garrison covered their ears, men and women cowering on their horses that shook their heads in disorientation. Finally, his scream died down into a low growl with his eyes still ignited with a dangerous green glint.

The world was quiet, the remains of the scream echoing off in the distance. Rogue's brow wrinkled further, hair bristling upon his scalp. ' _ **I WANT YOU TO DIE! DIE! DIE!'**_

Suddenly, to his surprise, Ansgar took a step back in retreat, nothing but sheer terror wiped across his façade. For a moment, Rogue found himself spellbound. What had he just done?

A bellow drew both he, the Scouts, and The Armored's attention away from one another and to the horde of titans that had all but stopped. Rogue's brows lifted. Each of the creatures had stopped their feeding frenzy and had turned their heads to look straight at Ansgar – their eyes glowing red. Feeling his little ones squirming at the visual, Rogue held them tighter to his chest.

"What the hell is –

Without warning, the many remaining titans suddenly twisted around, their arms and limbs moving more unnaturally than usual as they then ran full tilt right for Armored Titan. Insanely, they screeched, suddenly carrying themselves with perfect posture that rivaled even an athletic individual. At this, Ansgar let out a wail and ran in the opposite direction from him as fast as he was able to carry himself. However, the beast wasn't quick enough as he was tackled to the ground by the horde. Like a pack of feral dogs, the beasts snapped and snarled. Ansgar bellowed pleadingly, somehow managing to get to his feet and running again with the other titans easily catching up and trying to sink their teeth into his flesh again. Rogue could only sit in shock as he proceeded to observe Ansgar struggle to his feet only to get thrown to the ground again by the ravenous giants. The Armored screamed as his hair was torn away and his jaw was pulled on as he dragged himself to his feet get again. More titans came out of the nearby thickets and ran right past his family to join the others on their quest to annihilate. Rogue blinked, the plated behemoth disappearing beneath a mound of flesh – titans coming from seemingly everywhere to have a piece of The Armored's meat.

"Oh my god," His Mikasa trailed off. "It's just like what happened with The Female Titan."

"Wait… did Rogue just –

However, before Armin could finish, Rogue felt his body give in to his frail state. Another wave of dizziness fell over him and the wounded titan shuttered and collapsed onto his side.

"Rogue!" Mikasa cried as she got to her feet and ran to meet him despite her injury, Armin doing the same as his breaths grew heavy and shallow.

"Crap! He's not healing fast enough Mikasa! He's still worn out from going into Berserk Mode earlier and from the blood loss caused by the titans. He's too weak to heal himself quickly! Rogue's healing is slowed!"

"We need to get him out of here!"

"Mikasa I don't think he's going to be able to walk right now! He might be able to sit up, but even if he stood there's no way he could stay upright for more than a few seconds!"

His ears flickered, catching the sound of clattering wagon wheels and the many hooves of horses, his little ones turning their attention away from him to none other than Erwin. The man looked worse for wear, his arm missing and his skin pale but with the look of determination still carved onto his face.

"We are falling back now." He informed quickly. "We are here with a transport cart so get Rogue to stand and get on. We'll save the words for later. There's no telling if The Armored or those titans will be back or not so we are getting the hell out of here."

* * *

 

The roll of the wagon had lulled him into a peaceful state of mind, his eyes barely able to stay open as the fatigue settled in further with the moon now high over their heads. Rogue breathed steadily, his smoldering greens tiredly looking over to scrutinize his babies leaning against his chest. Both of them looked worn, and had fallen into a light state of repose. Both of their faces reflected exhaustion and Mikasa's in discomfort with her fractured ribs. Erwin was leaning against his stomach with Hange field dressing his nasty would – the man sweating and suffering from a fever. There were other injured solders as well in the comfort of his presence, each saying nothing to one another or had simply gave in to the night.

Rogue let himself succumb to his fatigue, but taking the time to curl his limbs protectively around his precious cargo like he did every evening. Today, he was incredibly thankful that he knew humans that cared so much about him. His mind drifted lightly among his thoughts. He didn't know what had occurred. He didn't understand anything and he didn't truly know the fate of The Armored Titan, Ansgar. However, as much as he needed to go over the events that had transpired, he was spent. His mind felt too fatigued to process a single thought or analyze anything important. Rogue finally let his dark lids drift over his eyes. All he wished to do at the moment was sleep.

So he let darkness take him in its embrace.

( **POV SWAP)**

Levi sat in Erwin's quarters, his legs folded with the pen in his hand running across a piece of parchment, having been tasked to complete what was left of the needed paperwork. Sunlight shone into the room, highlighting the fact that it was now the Commander's private medical ward of sorts. The room smelled sterile with the hint of freshly washed linens. Tools and medicine sat on the table beside the man's bed while an IV hung above the man's head – the doctor's way of getting fluids back into the man's system. Amazingly, Erwin himself was awake, the man sitting up in bed. Still, the man's face was pale and worn – brows creased with discomfort still radiating from his severe injury. Levi's eyes discreetly examined what was left of the Commander's arm. Upon yesterday's arrival back at Katness, Erwin was immediately taken into surgery to remove any of the mangled bone and dead tissues to make a clean amputation before suturing his arm and sending him back to headquarters with a doctor in tow to keep an eye on the man. The stump was wrapped tightly and nearly to prevent infection. Levi sighed as he recalled the doctor's words the previous evening. Without his arm, there was no way that Erwin would be able to use the maneuver gear ever again – let alone do anything normally. It was likely that Erwin could possibly resign from his position of Commander if he chose to do so or at least demote to a different position in the corps that didn't involve combat with titans. Still, there were Commanders in the past that had continued to hold their position of power even with missing eyes, limbs, or other disabilities – but they never lasted long afterwards. Either way, Levi was not truly fond of taking command if he had to. The heavy burdens that came with the position always tugged at Erwin's mental state and he wasn't sure if he could live with it.

Besides the Commander, several other soldiers were in the medical ward recovering from the chaos of the day before. Kirstein was continuing treatment for the titan bite that he had managed to survive and Ackerman was enduring bedrest to help her fractured ribs. Rogue himself was still sleeping in his barn, slowly recovering from his wounds and whatever emotional scars he obtained during his ordeal. Levi paused in his writing, his thoughts going over the events of the day before. Rogue was some sort of powerful titan king that was clearly more than what met one's eye. The scream that Rogue had produced was the very same that he had done when The Female Titan had struck him down. He was sure of it now. Rogue was clearly capable of ordering titans to do his bidding. It was not related to any alpha like status. Rogue was the only one able to do such.

Just like a king and his loyal subjects.

Of course, he wasn't thinking of not only this ability but also the new questions that the events over the last forty-eight hours formed. What had Rogue possibly done in his past and what intentions did the enemy have? Not to mention, what was this 'Beast Titan' that had been reported by the titan's two teenagers as well as the rest of his squad? Levi bit his lip. He had such a headache from all of this.

"So." Erwin began, his voice quiet. "Did you learn anything from Ackerman and Arlert yesterday? Did they tell you anything after their experience with our mission?" The man sighed, reaching over to grip his arm out of habit only to find that he was falling for phantom limb syndrome.

Levi sat down his pen and paperwork before grabbing his cup of fresh tea from the table adjacent to him. For a moment, he took his time to savor the taste before he let out a long sigh. "Well, not much before they were taken in for medical evaluation. But they found out the names of The Jaw, The Armored, and The Colossal Titans." He informed with Erwin quickly looking to him at the news, the man trying to sit up further.

"Their names? They were able to find them out?" Erwin queried, suddenly reminding the man of an exuberant child.

"If you move too much you'll start bleeding again and I just cleaned the damn floor and sheets." Levi began dryly with the Commander smirking at his horrible brand of humor. "Anyways, the one that the recruits called 'The Jaw Titan' that we met at the tower was named Mehr. The Armored bastard was Ansgar, who we will have to watch out for, and Goliath is fittingly the Colossal. We don't know The Female or this Beast Titan's names yet. However, I suppose that Rogue may know of them and will tell us once he's recovered."

Erwin nodded. "I see. There's no telling what all Rogue was able to learn when he was alone with them. And Pastor Nick was right, we most likely have no idea the magnitude as to just what is going on here. Rogue is right at the center of it all. It's clear to me, but we are in for more turmoil later whether we like it or not."

Levi didn't reply, only letting out a sigh knowing that the man was right. With Rogue being in his position that he was in as well as possessing the kind of power that he had – there was no doubt that he and the Scouts would soon face more trouble again. Perhaps even bigger trouble now that Rogue had slipped out of the enemy's clutches for a second time.

"Not to mention, we might still have to worry about –

However, Erwin's statement was interrupted by a knock upon the door that Levi regretfully knew all too well. It was certainly Hange who he would normally ignore or send away, but after the previous day's events, he was willing to put up with her and hear her out. Besides, she could have found out more if she had spoken with Rogue or one of the titan's adopted teens. "Come in." He sighed, grabbing his tea again and watching as Hange and Arlert entered the Commander's quarters. Surprisingly, the woman wasn't wild whatsoever. Instead, Hange just appeared stunned. The blonde boy next to her seemed to be in a similar state of bewilderment. Quickly, Hange and Armin saluted before the woman cleared her throat to make her address.

"Commander Erwin, Levi – I was able to talk with Armin and he told me of a conclusion that he had come to regarding our latest mission rescuing Rogue and the events that transpired. At first when he suggested it to me I couldn't believe it, but the more Armin spoke about it – the more I think it's true. I felt that it would be best to inform you."

Erwin sat up at this, thick brows rising ever so slightly through his fatigue. He too, found himself leaning forward from the back of his chair in interest. "You have my permission to speak Hange." Erwin replied. "What did you find out?"

"Well, this is hard to say, but I think we made a misinterpretation about Rogue's ability to order titans."

Levi sat up further. "How so?"

Hange dithered. "When Rogue screamed, all of the titans went straight for Ansgar. However, did you notice how weirdly they were moving?"

"What's the big deal? Those bastards move weirdly all the time." Levi sighed, but Hange quickly shook her head.

"That's not what I'm trying to illustrate here, Levi. Just after Rogue's scream, those titans were moving in ways that were absolutely unnatural for them. Their joints were bending in ways they shouldn't be as they turned to face our enemy – not to mention all of their eyes were glowing."

The Commander raised a brow. "Glowing?"

Armin nodded. "Yes, Sir. They were glowing red."

"It's true." Hange continued. "After that they sprinted toward The Armored Titan with the same poise as the most athletic of us. Those creatures had intent in their heads – a single thought in their brain. To kill. Sir, I think it's clear. Rogue didn't order them to do so. No – Rogue was _controlling_ them."

Levi nearly dropped his tea. Had he heard her right?

"Controlling titans. Hange – please explain further how that could be possible?" Erwin began, nearly stuttering.

"Rogue was physically and mentally controlling them I'm certain of it. Those unnatural movements were Rogue controlling every strand of muscle and every nerve in their bodies. He somehow put his will into their heads that he wanted to kill Ansgar. And then he made those monsters go after The Armored."

"Not to mention, Rogue's eyes were glowing the very same way the entire time everything was happening." Armin added.

"Yes, I'm sure that this is the truth about Rogue's so called Coordinate Ability. It certainly would explain as to why the other deviant titans are after him and why the Reiss family call Rogue an entity and a weapon that can rule over both the titans and humanity." Hange paused folding her arms. "It's no wonder why the titans consider him a king."

It was a long moment, before Erwin's sigh carried across the room. "That – is one terrifying power to have if this is true. It's clearly the reason why the other titans are after him, but why exactly are they? What would they have to gain? I have a feeling we still don't know everything about this. We are most likely still missing a piece of the puzzle here."

"Yeah, not to mention, why would the royal family go into hiding and force the MP's and church to be quiet about this? What the fuck were they scared of?" Levi questioned to no one in particular. "If this power is true, then Rogue could use it to possibly make the titans kill each other. Why would they be against such?"

Hange dipped her head in consideration. "I see your point Levi, but I think there is an extent with how much Rogue can control titans. I think only titans close enough to hear his scream fall under his control and for some reason it doesn't affect the other deviants. I think there is many different conditions to Rogue's ability. When he grows at selected titans with intent in his mind I think he could be controlling them as well, not just ordering them to back off." The woman sighed. "It's like a king and his army. When the king summons them, they tend to his will and they fight for his cause."

"Yeah, this is troubling. Perhaps the Reiss think Rogue is on the titan's side – since Ansgar called the brat a traitor."

Silence coated the room again before Hange let out a prolonged sigh. "I guess we'll be in the dark until we know more about Rogue's past. That in itself would probably answer all of our questions we have."

He nearly laughed at the probability of such happening. "Hange, Rogue has barely been able to recall anything from his past at this point. I hate to say it, but I highly doubt that the brat will remember absolutely everything by the next time our enemy makes another move."

The four of them said nothing afterwards, knowing that his statement was certain to be true. Then, before anyone could speak further there was another knock upon the door. The Commander's brows lifted in curiosity. "Come in."

At the invitation, Commander Pixis calmly stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Levi quickly put down his tea. He wasn't suspecting the man to visit so early. Something was amiss.

"I wasn't expecting you Commander." Erwin tried to smile, Pixis only nodding his head, not joking in return like his usual demeanor.

"I wasn't expecting I would have to come here so early either." The elderly man chuckled lightly, Levi surprisingly not smelling booze wavering from the man for the first time. "Let alone I wasn't picturing you sitting up and functioning yet."

"I wasn't either truthfully. Do you have something you need to tell me as well?"

Slowly, Pixis nodded. "Regretfully so. The government caught wind of the mission we had to undertake to rescue Rogue. Despite the needed cause, both you Commander Erwin and Rogue will have to stand trial once again."

At the news, the Corporal's face tinted red in anger. "What! Why would they put Rogue on trial yet again? He was the victim! He didn't do anything!"

"Levi." Erwin spoke calmly, not acting the least bit surprised. "Perhaps they are using Rogue as a key witness. Who would be better to inform the court of what happened than him? He was with the enemy firsthand."

He instantly calmed, feeling mortified. The man had a point. Erwin was the one to call the shots. Rogue was just the innocent one in the situation. "Right. Continue. I apologize for my outburst."

Erwin nodded. "So when is this trial scheduled?"

Pixis exhaled. "It takes place in a month– giving you time to heal."

"Understood."

Out of habit, Levi retrieved his tea once again and lifted the cup to his lips. He had a bad felling about what was ahead.

**(POV SWAP)**

The moon was high overhead, casting pale light and shadows over the rubble and bones that was once the city of Shiganshina. It was a ghost of its former glory, currently a safe haven for the three beast residing there.

Ansgar walked slowly, shoulders slightly hunched. He was beyond exhausted and in no mood to speak to anyone. As he moved, he could practically feel Goliath's eyes burning into his back, The Colossal Titan's face likely screwed up in disgust like it usually was. Still, as much as he hated making contact, he would have to report what happened to Ezekiel and deep down he prayed that the titan didn't tear him to pieces.

He couldn't believe that idiot had bested him once again.

At the base of the wall, Ansgar angled his head to see bright yellow eyes glaring down at him. Even from a distance, he could see the anger swimming within them. Upon seeing him, the titan was saying nothing – which wasn't good. Bracing himself, Ansgar forcefully planted his fingers into the wall and gradually began to scale up it, becoming fully aware of just how spent he was. Every joint burned and struggled to flex as he continued to climb. The moonlight became brighter as he continued to ascend the human's wall. Even as he proceeded upward, the silver hairs upon his head bristled. He was not looking forward to whatever Ezekiel decided to do as punishment.

Finally, Ansgar climbed over the edge of the wall and forced himself to stand, the beast breathing heavily as he attempted to regain his bearings. Golden eyes then looked to where the beastly titan had been sitting only to see that Ezekiel still remained in the very position. The sight before him was truly unsettling. The titan was seated overlooking the city but his eyes were trained to him – face looking almost bored. Pools of gold didn't overlook Ezekiel's slightly crooked lips, the bottom lifting upwards quite noticeably to display his disgust. Ansgar said nothing, suddenly finding himself submitting to a bit of pusillanimity.

" **WELL."** Ezekiel began with a rough sigh. " **I TAKE IT YOU WERE UNSUCESSFUL IN THE TASK I GAVE YOU. YOU FAILED TO RETRIEVE HIM DIDN'T YOU?"** The beast titan addressed, his tone growing darker.

Ansgar swallowed. " **YESS. WE… FAILED."** He admitted. " **I… WAS UNPREPAIREDD."**

Ezekiel's brows lifted, the titan appearing astonished. " **OH? ENLIGHTEN ME AS TO WHAT HAPPENED ANSGAR."**

The Armored Titan dipped his head slightly in shame. " **THEREE… IS A LOTT TO SAYY. SO I'LL… JUST GIVEE THE DETAILSS. HE… CALLSS HIMSELFF… ROGUE NOW. STILL… AN IDIOTT… BUT HE HASSS LEARNED… TO SPEAKK FROM THEE FLYINGG HUMANSS. THEY… TAUGHTT HIMM…. MORE WAYSS TO FIGHTT. MEHR… BETRAYEDD USS. I HADD ROGUEE AND SHEE FREEDD HIMM. I… KILLED HER FOR ITT. ROGUE USEDD… ANN ABILITTY THATT HIS KINDD HAD. HE EASILYY OVERPOWEREDD ME."**

Ezekiel's eyes narrowed, making him flinch. " **HMM… AND DID ROGUE DISPLAY ANY USE OF THE COORDINATE ABILITY?"**

Ansgar growled in irritation, recalling the hell that he had to deal with before arriving in the deserted human city. " **HE DIDD. HE TOLDD… THE TTITANSS TO ATTACK MEE. I HADD TO RUNN HERE AND ABANDONN MY TASKK. BUT… EZEKIELL… I DON'T BELIEVEEE… HE KNEW WHATT HE WAS DOING. ROGUEE… WAS TERRIFIEDD. HE PANICKEDD."**

At his conclusion, Ezekiel's spine straightened, eyes burning into his. " **ANSGAR, IF YOU WEREN'T SO USEFUL WITH YOUR ARMOR I WOULD KILL YOU RIGHT NOW."** The Beast Titan responded, sounding nearly sinister, but still alarmingly level headed. Ansgar watched as Ezekiel slowly turned his head to gaze out at the ruined district – the titan's expression difficult to read until his lips turned up into a slight smile. " **WELL THEN. I SUPPOSE WE WILL HAVE TO GO ON WITH THE OTHER PLAN I COMPOSED. INSTEAD OF GOING TO ROGUE, WE'LL JUST LET HIM AND THE FLYING HUNANS COME TO US."**

Ansgar tilted his head, surprised at the titan's plan. " **LETT HIMM… COME TO USS?"**

Ezekiel nodded. " **YES."** He spoke almost casually. " **THOSE HUMANS HAVE TO PLUG UP THIS LOVELY HOLE WE MADE HERE TO KEEP THE TITANS FROM INVADING THEIR TERRITORY DON'T THEY? SO WHEN THEY DO, WE WILL BE WAITING. THIS RUINED CITY WILL BE DEMOLISHED AND REPAINTED RED. BUT OF COURSE, WE FIRST NEED AN ARMY OF OUR OWN NOW DON'T WE? SO A LITTLE RECRUITING WILL BE IN ORDER. YOU WILL GO GET WHAT WE NEED AND I WILL NEED TO PRACTICE MY PITCHING OF COURSE."** Ezekiel huffed, his mouth twisting up into an even more devious grin – his finger snaking upwards to scratch at his ear in habit. " **WHEN THE TIME COMES, WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE KINGS HORSES AND ALL THE KINGS MEN ARE NO MORE AND HUMPTY DUMPTY WILL NEVER BE PUT BACK TOGETHER AGAIN."**

* * *

 

** **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> Hope you enjoyed chapter 23!
> 
> I know, some of you may want to kill me for killing Mehr. But after thinking long and hard with her character, her sacrifice suited the plot. As a manga spoiler, the "Dancing Titan" wasn't the official name given to her titan. Dancing Titan was a fan given name. In reality, "Jaw Titan" is actually the official name Isayama gave it. Mehr is pronounced "Meer"
> 
> Of course, with Mehr's death I do get to bring in the other titans from the manga into this au :)
> 
> As far as how long it will be until chapter 24, I'm not sure when as of yet. I have planned things out completely, but I am going to take the time to read the "uprising" arc in the Manga to see what ideas and scenes I can keep and what I can get rid of. As far as Rogue's past goes, you might see it in chapter 26 or 27 :)
> 
> I am also going to get a small job somewhere soon, but do keep in mind that this fic won't EVER be abandoned. LOL I have several chapters already fully written for the future!
> 
> Stay tuned!


	24. Part 2: Chapter 24: Grim Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Scouts try to put the pieces back together, Rogue begins to struggle with his role in the world. However, another enemy makes their move and Rogue's life is thrown for a loop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! It's been a while but here is chapter 24! The longest chapter yet! It does take a lot from the Uprising arc in the manga but I've warped it quite a bit to suit this au. A LOT of stuff is going to be revealed this chapter! So pay close attention!
> 
> As far as an excuse for the time it took to upload this... I have two very valid reasons. One is that the entire month of October was taken from me due to JURY Duty! I got put on a medical malpractice case that took all of my time away. And if you've ever done jury duty... you'll know you can't get out of it. My other excuse was put into detail on tumblr but I'll shorten it here. I went to the doctor about a problem I've been having and the CT scan revealed something on my liver that they thought could be a tumor. But after many tests and blood draws they found it to be absolutely nothing and just what was essentially a birthmark. (Thank goodness) But yes, those are my reasons for the delays!
> 
> This chapter took a while to edit so if I missed anything please PM ME THE ERROR. (on my tumblr) 
> 
> Summary: As the Scouts try to put the pieces back together, Rogue begins to struggle with his role in the world. However, another enemy makes their move and Rogue's life is thrown for a loop.
> 
> Please note, there is some content that could be sensitive in this chapter. Particularly with a few torture scenes.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

 

**Chapter 24**

**Grim Game**

The air had a slight chill, feeling good to his toasty skin. The leaves around him were beginning to tint a shade of yellow and there were few that were already an orange hue. Fall was on the horizon – a time of the year that he found both relaxing and fascinating. It was a time of transition that would soon transform to the white of winter. Of course, his mind was far too lost in thought about the previous day's happenings to even admire his changing surroundings.

Rogue sighed, steam wavering from his jaws as his vibrant greens scrutinized a flowering plant that his Armin said was something called a 'tulip' that he held between his forefinger and thumb. Inwardly, he hoped that no one had seen him pull the plant from the castle's landscaping, but he knew he was right in mind for the purpose of the tulip that he had planned. Rogue's ears twitched in the slightest as his head tilted, his fingers turning the tulip in hand. The last two days had been nothing short of jarring to everyone around him including himself. Even though their overall mission to seal the breach and retrieve him was successful, the losses were great. During the time, there was no moment that he could take to morn – but since things had calmed for the time being, Rogue finally had the chance to wander the different directions of his mind. The current direction he was going in was the fact that he wanted to pay his respects before returning to personal matters. Nanaba was the first person he was choosing to honor. She had been a very kind person to him and who he could find comfort in talking to when he had no one else around to listen to him. Rogue winced, his mind darkening for the moment. Nanaba was another victim that had fallen to protect him. His chest still felt heavy with the amount of guilt knowing that he was the reason that everything was happening and why so much blood was being spilt.

Just as his mind threatened to cloud over with anguish, Rogue shook his head to shove away the damning thought. That was one thing that he truly didn't want to think about. Again, he exhaled, eyes following the path he was to take to the memorial garden, trailing the stream. The morning was certainly an odd one to say the least – to the point where he could almost say it was uncomfortable. As soon as the sun made its appearance upon the horizon, he had awoken to find that his little ones were absent from his palm. Looking around both Hange and Levi were missing as well and their scent didn't seem to be in the direction of the Scouts' memorial garden either. Perhaps they had retreated to their beds sometime during the evening or they were eating an early breakfast of sausage and pancakes which he knew that no Scout wanted to miss when they were served – after all, the very scents had wavered through his nostrils when he had risen. Rogue groaned softly, the sound barely heard by any living creature around. He honestly wished his little ones were with him. After he had almost lost them on numerous occasions the previous days, he wanted to do nothing more than to have them by his side.

Of course, the other event that transpired that his mind was gravitating towards was Mehr's death and the fact that the little deviant had gone through so much and had given up even her life to save him and his babies. At the thought, Rogue stilled in his path and silently cursed himself. How could he have forgotten? Mehr deserved to be honored just as Nanaba did. She died protecting him as well. Quickly, his eyes searched below on the forest floor for more flowers – he didn't want to return to the castle for more tulips in fear he would get caught digging into the flower beds, after all he had unintentionally tore them up when he spotted a small vole running around in the landscape that he unexpectedly felt the need to catch. To his luck, his eyes spotted an iris plant sporting two purple and white blooms nestled between two boulders. Deciding that it fit and suit Mehr, Rogue bent over to retrieve the iris, finding himself transfixed at the detail in the flowers' petals before getting up to continue on his trek to the memorial garden. The other, and most troubling thing that he was musing over was just what happened when he was freed from Ansgar's clutches. What on earth was that scream that had rose from his chest? What had it done? Vaguely, he remembered a foggy image of the same happening back in the forest with the Female Titan. Like that time, the titans came from almost everywhere – stopping what they were doing to charge at his enemy. Was he really giving all of the titans orders to charge? The beasts were moving more unnaturally than he had ever witnessed them, some were twisting around so sharply that he wondered why their spines had simply not snapped with the force. Stranger yet, they began to run normally much like he himself did. To Rogue, the scene was frightening and he was struggling with the fact that such a thing happened the way that it did. Was it possible that there was something more to his talent that he and the Scouts were unaware of?

Rogue whined quietly at his misfortune. His mind was a mess.

Seeing the border to the memorial garden, Rogue thought it best to put away his worries and focus on paying his respects and being courteous and quiet to those who were aiming to honor the fallen as well upon his entry. Holding his breath, Rogue carefully and gently parted the tree branches from his face and entered the memorial garden. The behemoth halted in his steps, confused at what was before him. Like always, the clearing was peaceful looking and laced with roses in a variety of colors and the stream that cut through the garden sparkled in the sunlight. However, what he had stumbled across was quite unexpected. The memorial garden was nearly void of life. The Scouts that he had been expecting to be paying their respects were absent – all except for one. On the left near the area that had been set aside to create new memorials, was Connie. Rogue's brow lifted, completely puzzled. The short teen was seated upon his knees and slouched over as he looked at two fresh markers. Even from where he stood, Rogue could smell and sense that Connie was deeply upset and was the exact opposite of his usual dim-witted but fun-loving self. He swallowed. Why was Connie in the garden? Had the boy lost someone dear to him too?

Rogue gulped yet again as he motioned toward one of the rock faces that surrounded most of the area with the intention of selecting two good stones he planned to use to honor Nanaba and Mehr, his green eyes still glancing behind him to stare at the teen. His ears sank, Rogue growing more uneasy as the seconds passed. As heavy as his footfalls were that always signaled his arrival on scene, Connie had not turned to acknowledge his presence. The fact made Rogue shutter. Like the other Scouts that may have come to honor others, their losses had ultimately been because of him. Was Connie aware of this? Could Connie be mad at him? Slowly, Rogue turned to continue his long stare at the male, nearly dropping the rocks that he had chosen onto his foot. He found himself biting his tongue, something that would have looked ridiculous if anyone was watching him. The need to nurture flowed once again through his veins as he continued to stare. Knowing that he was the cause of whatever had occurred, Rogue knew it best to go and console the teen. After all, he would probably feel horrible later if he chose to ignore the boy. Besides, where he needed to make his own memorials was right next to Connie.

Again, the titan found himself swallowing back more of his apprehension as he brought up the courage to finally take one step forward. As if he was tip toeing across headquarters at night, Rogue motioned toward Connie as light on his feet as he possibly could. The behemoth held his breath as he came to stand next to the teen, his massive shadow blocking the sun's rays from hitting the boy. At this, Rogue watched and listened, his chest tightening as he realized that Connie had frozen and his breath hitched, any sound of him sniffling had ceased. The titan's ears sank, knowing that what he feared was likely true. Still, he needed to keep Connie calm. The last thing he wanted was for the teen to hate him.

Deciding to casually carry on in an attempt to ease the nerves of the recruit, Rogue slowly bent down to seat himself upon his knees, Connie still remaining petrified. For a moment, green eyes observed the teen until Rogue proceeded to place the two stones that he had chosen into the ground, making sure he placed them correctly as he kept one ear turned toward his lone company – still unable to hear the slightest greeting. Quietly, the titan then proceeded to plant his index finger into the dirt, doing his best to dig smaller holes fit for the flowers he had chosen. As he dug and tilled the dirt, he could practically feel Connie's eyes watch him, but still the teen did not utter a word. Next, the titan placed the tulip into the still slightly messy hole he had dug before attempting to cover the roots with dirt. Of course, even though he was using a single fingertip, he could barely be gentle enough to the delicate flower – the tulip sitting crookedly into the ground. Even so, he was satisfied with his work and moved on to place the iris into the earth, the plant still slightly offset in the opposite direction but nonetheless buried. His inability to perfectly plant things often led to his Armin and Mikasa redoing his attempts at planting the things they called vegetables back when they had made a small garden in his cove during their time of living alone with him. With what he was able to do finished, Rogue relaxed further upon his knees, but he didn't find himself morning at the moment – the titan was far too concerned about Connie's well being.

Rogue secretly watched the teen, observing as the short human still kept his stiff stance. Unknowingly, the titan had leaned a little lower as he scrutinized, not realizing just how much he was hovering over Connie. The boy's face was definitely puffy – a sign that he knew all too well that meant that Connie had previously been sobbing considerably. Rogue swallowed, a horrible feeling settling into the pit of his stomach. Who could have Connie lost? The teen's closest friends were Sasha, his little ones, Jean, and Historia – of which had survived the ordeal. He didn't really know any other adults that Connie was in close contact with other than Hange and Levi who were still alive and kicking. Rogue tilted his head in thought. Who could Connie be honoring?

Then, the titan noticed that the stones that the teen had placed had writing upon them. Fully aware of how things worked in the garden, Rogue knew that the words that Connie had scribed were names. The names of those that the Scouts honored were always put onto the rocks. Months ago, his babies had written his parents' names on the memorials he had given them. Rogue leaned in further, eyes squinting as he observed the letters – unaware that Connie was looking at him once again. The titan blinked, studying the curves of the written human language. Part of his curriculum in his intelligence classes with Hange was reading simple words and learning the alphabet. In the recent months, he was starting to get a slight grip on the difficult subject. He could read his little ones' names and his own with utmost confidence along with several three letter words. Still, he was nowhere near the level of skill he needed to be to read one of his many children's books. Thus, the words in front of him left him stumped. He didn't know all of the alphabet yet, but he was able to recognize two letters. An "M" and a "E" but the words and the arrangement of letters had no meaning that he could figure. Rogue tilted his head, trying to get a better angle, his long locks suddenly draping right onto Connie. At the realization, the titan sat up in surprise, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment as he sheepishly faced Connie. The teen looked up at him with his brows slightly raised, almost as if he was startled or surprised at his actions. For what seemed like an eternity, the two stared at one another in stunned silence. Finally, Rogue blinked and quickly turned his attention back onto the memorials he had made, his questioning greens watching as Connie had done the same – looking almost like a child caught in a lie. The titan exhaled, rotating his head to look upon the teen again. Deciding that he needed to start his comforting then and there, Rogue opened his mouth to ask his query, but only choked squeaks leaked from his maw – the titan suddenly unable to figure out how to ask the question he had in mind in a way that wouldn't upset the teen. Rogue dithered, his fingers nervously interlacing between his toes out of habit before he decided to go with his best and most primitive option. Gradually, Rogue hunched over and edged his index finger into Connie's space, pointing at the stones and grunting innocently. The titan's worried greens lifted to the teen's face and his ears wilted, hoping that his actions were the right ones.

He watched as Connie's spine straightened as he understood what the titan asked. Rogue lowered his finger, keeping quiet but attentive as he waited for the boy to respond. Finally, Connie let out a long sigh, slouching again and a hand lifting to rub his cheek abruptly. The teen's frame quivered in the slightest, the titan noticing the somber look that Connie wore before had returned to his face. Just as Rogue though that the boy was not going to speak, the young Scout cleared his throat. "They're – my parents. My village… they were the first in Rose to fall victim to the titans that came through the breach. My mom and dad… they didn't make it. They were eaten. We found them – in a titan's pellet."

Rogue's pupils shrank at the statement, a chill running down his spine. It was now clear to him why Connie was in the garden and why he was so upset. The teen had lost his parents. His mother and father that fed and clothed him. Loved him. Instantly, he felt sick to his stomach. The idea that he had ultimately caused Connie's great and traumatic loss made him absolutely queasy. If there was something in his stomach, he would have instantly puked. He couldn't imagine how traumatizing the moment was when the teen saw his parents' likely mutilated, burned, and partially digested bodies.

Why he was chosen as King he didn't know.

" **EII… EII ORRY."** Rogue managed to stutter, surprised at his quick ability to form words for an apology. Connie exhaled softly, his eyes looking upon the memorials of his parents with his shoulders visibly slacking.

"My brother and sister, Sunny and Martin, they were able to escape with several of the other women and children. Right now, they are living with my aunt and uncle in Sina. So, I haven't lost everyone." Connie lowered his head to rest in his palm, his gaze still hooked upon his parents' names. "At the least, I'm glad I didn't see them getting eaten. I can't imagine how horrible that would have been to witness."

Rogue sat up, growing stiff at the teen's words. The titan's brows lifted and his facial muscles went slack, completely stupefied. Suddenly, his mind began to process the very image of that day so many years ago. His Grisha's innards between that smiling behemoth's teeth and his precious and poor Carla's body being snapped like a twig and the blood - the blood that decorated everything. Rogue shuttered, a whine threatening to escape the confines of his chest. Knowing everything that he knew now, it was one thing that he didn't wish to think about let alone have the images in his head. Suddenly, Connie let out a sharp gasp and quickly turned to him with his face as red as a beet – obviously having realized his error.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Rogue!" The teen suddenly himself again. "I didn't realize it. I kind of forgot." Connie's cheeks tinted crimson.

Rogue lifted his head at the teen's sudden apology, but nonetheless he nodded in acceptance. " **ITT OKAEE. NISTAKEES APPEN."**

He watched as a bead of sweat formed on Connie's brow, the boy's eyes darting to the ground in shame. The teen swallowed, throat bobbing as he was bound to deliver something that was difficult to express. "Um – Rogue I… I don't want you to feel like you were responsible for what happened." Connie began again, making the titan's ears prick higher in interest. "I don't think you can help that you were maybe 'born' in the position you're in. So, I don't think you need to believe that it was your fault. Titans did everything. A titan ate my parents and titans breached the wall." Connie paused in his speech, clearly thinking how to put his message into words. "I mean, you are a titan and all, but you're not evil like they are. You're innocent. You didn't do anything wrong."

Rogue considered Connie's words, his shoulders hunching in the slightest. The titan weakly beamed, but deep down, even with the encouragement, he didn't really know how to feel. Again, it was quiet between the two of them until the teen suddenly got to his feet and directed his attention toward his crooked tulips and irises.

"Let me help you with these." Connie began quietly as he knelt down to one of the plants and removed it from its hole only to begin to plant it correctly. "I helped mom plant some flowers before – you have to be careful not to plant them too deep or they won't grow right." Connie continued softly, tone kind with a easy smile pulling at his lips. "You got close to getting them right though." The boy suddenly chuckled. "Armin and Mikasa told me that you tried to help them plant things back when you all lived in Maria. They told me that the first thing you tried to plant was a small peach sapling and you planted it upside down." Connie's smile grew bigger, likely picturing his error that he had made.

Although he could still sense pain within Connie, the teen was coping well with his loss. Still, he was concerned for the teenager, but nonetheless he smiled. " **YEEAH… EII NOTT GOOD GARRDNNER."** Rogue admitted. Connie chortled.

"I'm not an expert myself though. My parents were dairy farmers. Before everything happened we had lots of cows that we would milk. When I was little I was taught how to milk the cows and for many years that was how I worked with my parents. But of course, no one wants to milk cows for the rest of their lives so I went to join the Scouts to make my parents proud. I wanted to be the soldier in the family that everyone would be delighted of. I'm sure – that right now," Connie paused to direct his attention toward the heavens. "They are probably looking down at me and are beaming with pride. I know my mom and dad wouldn't want me to be sad and upset the rest of my life – so I'm only going to celebrate the good memories I have of them." The teen alliterated with a smile, looking down at his work with the tulip to make sure it was placed perfectly before turning his attention to he and the lopsided iris. "So Rogue, what were your parents like? Carla and Grisha?"

The titan lifted his head with slight surprise at Connie's speech. Rogue's inquisitive greens glanced to the open sky with wonder. The young male had spoken something that his little ones expressed many years ago – about lost loved ones always watching over someone. Rogue found himself wanting to smile at the thought of his parents looking down upon him now before looking back to Connie that was awaiting his answer. The teen was well guided. The titan finally let his smile grow. " **CURLA ANND GRISSA WEREEE NICCEE. DEYYY… LOVVED NEE. DEYY CAME TOOO NYY NESST TO KEEP NEEE… CONPANYY."** Rogue stumbled at the word, but kept going as he realized that Connie understood. " **CUURLA CANNE TOOO REED TO NEE. SHEEE TEECH NE. GRISSA… DID AS WELLL. THEYYY TAUGHTT NEE TO SPEEK. EII… LOVVED DEM. VERRY NUCCH."** Rogue concluded as he dipped his head, suddenly thinking about the days when he had first met them. Back then, he was clueless of everything not to mention very frightened. His parents metaphorically came to his rescue. Because of them, he grew confident and learned about the world around him. He loved being their son. They loved being his parents. They had been taken from him far too soon, but he was certain that they were still smiling at him.

"I wish I could have met the Jaegers. I bet they had quite a large number of stories to tell about you." Connie chuckled as he finished his work and suddenly rotating his head to look off in the distance, obviously in deep thought. "You know," the teenager began quietly, as if he was to touch a delicate matter. "I do wonder at times, and I'm sure everyone else here does too, what your real parents were like. Your titan mom and titan dad." Connie started with Rogue's ears rotating forward in interest. He wasn't expecting the boy to dive even deeper so to say. "I bet you look just like them Rogue! Pointed ears, no lips, and all! I'm certain that they are as caring and as friendly as you are as well! Of course, I'm saying this assuming that titans do indeed reproduce – which I think is pretty likely." Connie tilted his head in thought. "If it's true, I do wonder where your family is."

Rogue's ear flickered in interest, his gaze lifting away from the teen to look over the trees at the ominous wall in the far off distance. If he had really been born of a womb or egg he did wonder about his roots and his possible titan parents. If he really had a family where were they? Did they miss him? Were they looking for him? Rogue exhaled through his nostrils, a gentle breeze blowing away the wisps of steam. He had to have come from somewhere. A small smile suddenly spread across Rogue's face. Even so, he couldn't help but feel incredibly fortunate. Whatever happened to him allowed him to be adopted by the Jaegers and adopt his own little ones to love and care for. Circumstances also allowed him to join the Scouts – an even bigger family. At this thought, Rogue turned towards Connie with a determined look upon his face that left the teen bewildered. He knew just what he had to do to make Connie feel a bit better. " **ONNIE."** Rogue began strongly with the teen completely focused onto the titan. Slowly, as if to ensure that the boy's mind wouldn't stray, Rogue lifted his arm to gesture in the direction of the castle. " **SCCOUUTS… FANNILY."** The titan began as he lowered his arm. " **EVVI, HANGGE, SASA, HOORRSSEFACEE… ANDD HISORIAA FANNLY. ARRNNIN ANND NIKKASA FANNLY."** Rogue expressed, lifting his hand for his knuckles to press into his chest, emerald greens staring deep into wide amber pools. " **EIII…. FANNLY."** Rogue beamed, watching as Connie surrendered to a smile. " **WEE ARRR FANNLY."** The titan continued to gesture, taking a bit of pride in himself as he saw the boy's shoulders relax. Seeing the teen perk up fully made a stupidly broad grin stretch across his face.

"Yeah Rogue, you're family and the Scouts has been a second home to me. I'm very thankful for what I have here." Connie smiled with Rogue letting a pleased rumble slip from his throat.

"Ah! There you are your majesty! I've been looking all over for you!"

Hearing the unexpected address, Rogue turned to see Hange stepping out of the woods. His head tilted in the slightest before he grew slightly sheepish. The Section Commander used a title that he recognized as one that was used to refer to a king in fairy tales. He felt a frown wanting to come to his face, not willing to be reminded of his apparent position, but nonetheless he greeted Hange with a gentle rumble and smile. " **ELLO! EIII… JUSST ROOGUE DOUGHHHH."** The titan joshed, aiming to get his point across. Thankfully, Hange gave a feeble grin in understanding.

"Alright Rogue, as you wish my dear." She chuckled as she placed her hands characteristically onto her hips, her eyes dancing from himself over to Connie. "I do hate to steal you away from your quality time together, but Rogue – myself as well as the others need to have a word with you. There are some important details about the recent events we need to share with you as well as other matters that need to be addressed or taken care of."

At the request, the titan bid farewell to the teen and placed Hange onto his shoulder before leaving the memorial garden. He could feel something weigh in his gut yet again – a feeling of unease. He couldn't help but feel that the Scouts had realized something that he did not.

* * *

The titan found himself solely focusing on his footsteps as he moved rather than Hange's constant giggles or little squeals that she kept making in his ear. Every so often, his eyes would check his changing surroundings, noticing that some of the soldiers were following newly appointed superiors to training sessions while others were tending to repairs to wagons and the like. Deep down, he couldn't help but feel incredibly nervous to the point where he was making his stomach upset once again. The Scouts had figured out something, which from experience meant that it was likely an unsettling fact. It had to be something related to his abilities or his position as the so called 'Titan King' – in which held nothing that could be deemed good. Rogue's ear flicked as he heard Hange cackle once again, his green eyes observing as she excitedly kicked her legs like an amused child. Perhaps he could possibly be assuming the worst of the situation, but then again Hange was always excited about everything to do with him.

He hated not being able to predict what could possibly transpire.

Rogue then looked up again from his feet to discover that he had entered the courtyard. To his right, he spied the short statured Levi with his back turned to him ordering Sasha and Historia to sweep the walk with directions that seemed far too structured and complex to even apply for such a simple task. The titan felt his head tilt in the slightest. His Mikasa could still be in the Scouts 'infirmary' with the damage that was done to her ribs, but where was his Armin if he wasn't with Levi? After the events, he hadn't truly gotten the chance to be with them too much. Could his Armin possibly be waiting for him to arrive to hear the news as well?

"Levi!" Hange called down to the Corporal whose shoulders bunched together at her sudden intrusion. "I got our big boy so we can have the talk!"

Rogue watched and listened as the man grumbled and turned to face them, even from the height he stood, Rogue could see the scowl was darker than usual upon the man's facade. The visual only made him surrender to a fretful swallow. "I'm aware of that Hange! You can hear the brat coming before you see him. And you could have phrased your statement better. You just made it sound like we were about to give Rogue the sex talk – which I'm thankful we managed to avoid the first time when you were educating the new recruits."

For a moment, the titan found himself momentarily confused at Levi's words until Hange let out another laugh that was nearly hysterical. "Oh yes, you're right on that one Levi! You know me, sometimes the words just fall out of my mouth!"

The Corporal rolled his eyes in response. "Unfortunately." The man grumbled again. "I also don't understand why the hell you're so enthusiastic about this. What we are getting ready to discuss is serious and could land us into some deep shit in the future. Now you two get down here. We are doing this behind closed doors for this is all classified."

"Understood!"

Rogue found himself frozen as he comprehended what Levi was conveying. It was going to be as he feared… nothing good. Recalling what he was supposed to do, the behemoth snapped out of his daze to kneel down in the courtyard and safely let his passenger off. The titan remained quiet, his stomach wanting to turn sour as he leaned forward to follow the Section Commander and Corporal into the barn. However, the titan couldn't wallow in his thoughts for long as he was met with an unexpected sight. Seated upon a bale of unused hay to his left was an Erwin that looked a lot worse for wear. The man appeared absolutely fatigued – dark beneath his eyes and Rogue swore that there was a bead of sweat upon the Commander's brow and that he looked slightly thinner. Green eyes traveled to where Erwin's arm had once been, noting how the limb was nothing but a stump and wrapped in white cloth. The man honestly looked as if he was going against some sort of doctor's orders to be in the impending meeting. However, what attracted his full attention and generated a bit of surprise was the sight of his little ones sitting near Hange's workspace. Knowing that his Armin was certainly alright, Rogue looked to his other little one, Mikasa. The teen was seated in Hange's chair and sitting in a way that looked as if she was uncomfortable. Mikasa's waist and chest was wrapped in some sort of brace over a series of bandages. At his arrival, he watched as her pursed lips relaxed and drew up into a smile. Suddenly, the girl began to stand from the chair – using the back of it as support. Instantly feeling the need to nurture and pacify, Rogue carefully lowered himself and shuffled toward Mikasa. Naturally, he let a relieved purr rise from his chest as he edged his face forward with the intent to press his nose lovingly into her, but recalling her delicate state, Rogue stopped short and simply let his snout hover just a few inches away.

Mikasa smiled softly, lifting a hand to stroke the bridge of his nose. "It's good to see you, Rogue. My ribs were fractured but I'm okay." The teen answered his silent query of her well being. The titan crooned and let his tongue slide from between his teeth to gift her with a dry lick, glad to hear the news. Slowly, as if she was a doll made of porcelain, the titan sat up and held out his index finger to guide and give her support as she made her way to a hay bale that rested next to him. Rogue then took his own seat next to his injured little one, folding his legs. He wished that Mikasa could sit in his lap, but if he had to shift his weight he knew that he could jolt her healing ribs so the idea was an off limits one. Armin then took his seat adjacent from the teen while Hange quickly motioned over to her workspace to grasp a notebook and pen – making it clear that she was to take notes. Levi then closed the barn door, locking it before turning to the occupants of the spacious room – his nose instantly bunching into a displeased snarl as he spied Erwin.

"The hell are you doing here? You know the doctor issued you bed rest for at least three weeks. I don't want to have to call the doctor back here again if you suddenly start to bleed out you bastard." Levi stated bluntly, but whose words only caused the Commander to give a lightly humored sigh.

"Levi, my wound is fine right now. It's covered in clotting aliments and the doctor ensured that the maggots ate away all the dead and infected tissue so I have less of a risk for infection. I may look under the weather and a bit winded but I'm fine for the moment to come here and take part in this meeting. After its conclusion, I will return to my quarters to recover." The Commander expressed with Levi merely blinking and saying nothing in reply, only leaning against the barn's door. Rogue found himself swallowing back a lump in his throat once again as Erwin turned to look upon him. "Now that all of us have arrived, Rogue – this private meeting amongst the six of us to discuss the conclusions we have come to know about the recent events with the enemy as well as to find out what exactly happened to you during your capture."

Hange nodded in agreement. "Yes Rogue, before we tell you what we know or may know, we need to know every detail you can possibly remember such as everything they did to you and especially every word that was spoken. I know what we are asking for could be difficult to spit out since this is a sensitive subject, but it is absolutely dire that we know what happened." The woman added, suddenly serious.

"Hange is right." Erwin stressed further. "The reason is that maybe some of the things that transpired could either support, contradict, or add to our theories. Please – tell us everything."

Rogue's spine straightened and if he could possibly sweat he would. Again, he swallowed the lump in his throat and exhaled a lazy cloud of steam as he prepared to deliver what his superiors wanted. The titan's eyes drifted to his feet not knowing where to begin. Several seconds passed before a gentle hand from his Mikasa urged him on. " **OKEE… UNNN… AFFTER EIII FAINTEDD… EIII WOKKE UTT ON ORREST EDGEE."**

**"** You woke up on the edge of the forest?"

He nodded. " **ESS. EII WASS TIEED WITTH DA CADDLES FRONN DEPOTT. THEE ARRNORED WAS ANNSGARR. THE COLOSSALLL WASS** **GOLIAHHH. DEYY WEREE TALLKING BUTT ATTCHING NEE."**

**"** So?" Levi began. "The Armored and Colossal Titans, Ansgar and Goliath, were close by watching you? Nonetheless, they used the cables that were missing from the wrecked depot to tie your ass up?" The man assessed with the titan nodding in confirmation.

"The fact that they stole the higher grade cables means that they clearly planned to go after Rogue for a long time." Armin added. "It was premeditated in advance."

"Incredible. It's clear that these two titans are highly intelligent – sorry Rogue. Please continue." Hange urged him on, her pen brushing among yellowed parchment.

" **ALRRIGT. EII WASS SIICC AND HADD TOO PASS PELLET. EII – GOT SICCC ONN NYSELF."** Rogue began again, his gaunt cheeks flushing crimson with Hange and his little ones' faces showing a bit of sympathy. " **EII GOTT ODDERS ATTENTIION… EYY SENNT AHH TITTANN TOO ATTCH NEE. TIITAN WASS NEEHRR."**

**"** Mehr? They had Mehr watch over you? The titan that rescued the new recruits at Utgaard?" Erwin questioned with Rogue nodding.

"What all did Mehr share with you? She had to give you some information."

" **NEHHR TOLLD NEE LOTTS. SHEE SAIID THEY WANNTED NEE FORR SONNE REASONN… BUTT DEYY WOUULDNT TELLL ERR. SHEE SAYY EII WASS AHH KINNG. SHEEE DIDD NOTT THINK EII WASS TRAIITOR."** The behemoth paused to swallow. " **SHEEE ANNTED TOO KNOO ABOUTT… NEE. EII TOLLD HERR NY STORIEE. HOWW EIII HAVVE NYY AIBBIES ANND IVVE WITTH SCOUUTS. EII TOLDD NEHHR ABOUUT CURLAA UND GRISSA TOO. DENN… EII ASSK HERR ABOUUT SELF."**

**"** Did Mehr tell you why she was working with them? You did state that she was doing so against her will. Could you further elaborate on that Rogue?" Hange asked, continuing to take notes.

" **ESS. NEHHR SAIID SHEE LIVED FARR AWAYY… INNN A LACCE WHERR ITT RAINNS AH LOTT."** Rogue narrowed his eyes – trying to concentrate on the words and meanings that Mehr had spoken. " **NEEHRR… SAYY SHEE WASS AHH LEEPER."** The titan concentrated hard on making the 'L' sound as it should be. He could practically hear Hange write even faster.

"Leapers. I'm guessing that is what they called their kind. Her kind seems to be from a region with lots of precipitation. Leaper Titans – I'll classify that as the name of her breed for now on. It's very fitting. Please, go on Rogue."

" **OKAEE. NEHHR… SAYY HERRR KIN ATTCHED HUNNANS… OBSERVVED."** Rogue focused, trying to figure out how to pronounce the complex word.

"So the Leapers must have just observed humans from a distance – thus that is how she knew how to speak our language. Go on."

" **NEHHR SAID NYY KIND LOVDD HUNNANS. SHEE… SAIID SHEE LIVVED ALONNE FRONN HERR GROUPP. ONN DAYY… ANSSGAR, GOLIATH, LOUANNA…"**

**"** Luana?" Armin spoke in consideration. "Isn't that a feminine name?" Hange quickly nodded and wrote faster.

"Oh yes! Luana means female warrior – I believe this Luana was our Female Titan! Oh! Please continue Rogue!"

The behemoth nodded. " **KAYY. ANND EZEKEEL CANNE AND ANNTED NEHHR. NEHHR DIDD NOT ANNT TOO… BUTT DEYY KILLEED HERR PUPP ANND NADE HERR… WORRK FORR DEM."** Rogue paused to rest his pipes but soon noticing that nearly everyone in the room looked absolutely spellbound, Hange was completely standing from her chair with a slacked jaw, his little ones looked stunned, the Commander's back straightened with his thick brows high, and even the usually emotionless Levi looked surprised. Rogue raised a brow in question. Had he said something odd?

"Her – pup?" Levi uttered. "Hange –

"Pup – my god," Hange beamed broadly, looking positively elated again. "Pup is a title given to some species offspring. Oh my! I think one of the biggest questions about titans themselves may have just been answered! Titan… pups! Titans! They CAN reproduce!" The woman nearly screamed, dropping her notebook and pen onto the floor.

"Hange," Erwin began, not sounding quite like himself. "Are you sure this is what Mehr meant?"

"I'm sure! It has to be right!"

Levi grumbled. "This is ridiculous. In case you haven't noticed, Rogue doesn't have a dick between his thighs nor does any other titan. Hell Luana didn't even have –

"Actually," Armin began softly. "Before we set out on the mission to seal the wall, Rogue was telling us about a memory he had when he woke up. We were interrupted before we could talk about it further but it sounded like Rogue was having a vision in his earliest years – when he was an infant. Rogue said that the world seemed far too big around him and he was basically a smaller version of himself." Armin explained with Mikasa nodding. Hange let out a soft squeal, her face comically lighting up.

"Is that true Rogue!" Hange asked excitedly, nearly jumping up and down.

At her query, Rogue nodded, suddenly recalling the dream he had before he woke up in the presence of his enemy. It was a clearer memory and he was definitely a baby! " **YESS. EII… WHENN EIII WOKEE UP… EII DIDD HAVE ANOTHER DREAN. A… CLEERR DREAN. EII AHHS AHH BABEE EII THINKK. EII… WASS ITTLE INN AHH REED SPPACCE. EIII WASS ITTLE IN A BIGG ORREST. EIII… WASS ITTLE WITTH DAA TIITAN DAT… LOOKKED IKKE NEE. DENN… EII WASS IGGER ANND HUNNTING."** Rogue's brows scrunched together, trying to remember the last part of his dream that was much more opaque, not noticing while he stared at his feet that the others looked upon him with eyes as wide as grapefruits. " **EII… AHHS… LEENING AGAINSTT… SONETING AT DAA ENDD. DONN'T RENENBERR DOUGHH."** He concluded.

At his statement, Hange could no longer hold in a scream, one so shrill that it made him wince and pin his ears back. For a moment he thought the woman was going to faint, but Hange quickly snapped from her state as she spied Levi's deepening scowl. "My apologies! However, I do think Rogue's words prove that the fact that titans reproduce is true! The thing you described first sounds alarmingly like a fetus in a womb! If that's right – it would mean that titans are for the most part – mammals! Of course, that could also be like the interior of an egg of some sort. It's so fascinating! The other images that Rogue describes are definitely when he's in his infancy!" Hange smiled as she picked up the notebook and began to write faster than what Rogue thought to be possible. "Ah! If titans are really mammals I do wonder what their mating habits are and how their bodies handle the pregnancy! What is their gestation period like and how long does it last – I do think it would be quite a bit shorter than a human's." Hange speculated. "With population sizes, maybe they are capable of producing litters of pups and it could vary on the species depending on the size of individuals of the species - such as Mehr's case where her body would only be able to carry one pup or two to term. With a Jaeger Titan – they might be able to have a few, or I could be off and they carry one baby at a time. I do wonder however, since we don't see too many female titans – if the species is hermaphroditic. With mindless titans… I think this would be true."

Levi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "At this point I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case with those mindless idiots. Hell, two thirds of them look like a grown man with a baby bump."

The titan's ear flickered as he heard his Armin let out a light chuckle at the Corporal's commentary. "Since you mention it – there was one titan that we saw at Utgaard that looked like a heavily pregnant woman. It was hugging its stomach constantly too now that I remember."

"Ah! That's so interesting!" Hange laughed, grinning broadly.

"Please don't tell me you think Rogue is fully capable of popping out little brats." Levi continued bluntly with Rogue's cheeks suddenly flushing red with embarrassment. The messy-haired Section Commander only laughed.

"As much as I would love some little Rogues – it's still a question if he has the capability or not. At least – it would need more looking into. Since there are some female titans like Luana – maybe some species do have females to bare young – it would make sense for a more intelligent species which are more evolved than a mindless titan. Of course, this makes me wonder as to just how titans mate."

"Oh no."

"Oh yes!" Hange continued with Rogue beginning to not feel nervous but awkward. "I do wonder where titan genitalia is located. Perhaps, if we are talking male and female here, that it is just beneath the layers of skin – residing in the pelvic area until its needed or when the titan is aroused. Or maybe they mate via cloaca which is something often seen in birds and is only visible for the mating. It would be very similar, but the mounting would be different and the path to the female's eggs would be shorter. Either way it would also mean that the babies are birthed from a titan's loins rather than they would just vomit them. Of course, perhaps they mate and birth a different way entirely. Any way a titan mates results in the birth of pups! This is thrilling to know! Not to mention 'pup' is an adorable title for a baby titan!"

"Disgusting." Levi growled with Hange paying no mind to the man's repulsion.

"That is really interesting Hange." Mikasa spoke quietly. "I wonder what you looked like as a pup Rogue." His little one smiled at him. "I bet you were cute."

"Ackerman – he was probably as ugly then as he is now." The Corporal sighed – not caring that the teen was eyeballing him. Hange only laughed.

"Nonsense! Rogue was probably adorable! I bet he was like a little human baby! Lots of chub and baby fat!" The woman teasingly patted his thigh, making his face tint redder. "I bet he was all ears too!"

"As much as I would love to hear your continued theories on this Hange, I believe it would be wise to continue our conversation. We should keep this fact about titan reproduction between ourselves for the moment for Rogue's safety." Erwin sighed, with Hange frowning in the slightest but nodding in understanding.

"Ah, understood. However – that's not going to stop me from taking a good look at you later Rogue! I want to see if I can find anything!"

Rogue felt his spine quiver at the statement knowing good and well what Hange intended - his face red as a beet. Levi's sudden sigh then became his salvation.

"Hange, we're not here for you to talk about looking for Rogue's dick or whatever. We are here to talk about the shit that happened in the last two days. Rogue… continue."

The behemoth sighed, finally letting his tense body relax. His hand reached to scratch his scalp, trying to recall where he had left off and where to start again. " **OKEE. NEHHR… SAIDD EII SOUNNDED DUNNB TOO. SAIID EII… AHHS SLOWW."** Rogue admitted, his chest suddenly growing heavy and his throat swelling in upset at the thought. His shoulders sank, not sure why he had chosen to say what Mehr had called him. At this, his little ones and Hange wore completely worried looks. " **EII NEANN… NEHHR IS KINND OFFF RIIGHT."** He muttered, green eyes darkening and adverting to his toes again. Immediately, he felt the sympathetic touches of his little ones. Levi sighed for the umpteenth time.

"Well, you are a bit of an idiot at points." The man spoke without missing a beat – the words stinging him. Mikasa's eyes narrowed.

"Rogue isn't an idiot. He's smart." His baby began sternly. "Rogue knows strategy better than mostly everyone –

"I wasn't done Ackerman." Levi interrupted. "Sure, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed on some things, but as you said – he knows the art of battle well and he fights with skill – something that only a strong and intelligent person possesses. Now, let's continue with the important stuff." The man concluded as he placed his eyes onto him again with expectancy. Although he was shocked at Levi's answer, Rogue decided he should proceed.

" **AFFTERR NEHRR TOLLD NEE ABOUT ERR… DEYY HEARDD NEHHR ANND NEE TALLKING AND ANNSGARR GOTT NADD ATT NEE. ANNSGARR… HITT NEE… AND Kiickk nee."** Rogue paused to massage his throat, his esophagus beginning to strain with both the previous usage as the troubling image of the abuse in his head. " **AFFTRR DATT… YUU APPEREDD… AND EII CALLEDD YUU. Deen ANSgarr… knoOOck neee OUTT. WOKKE upp onn ANNSgars acck and yuu know Resst."**

"Hmm… so ultimately there isn't much new info to digest or go off of besides the fact that titans do reproduce and The Female Titan was called Luana." Erwin began thoughtfully. "Your experience also further confirms our theories about the fact that our enemy is after you even more. However – Ezekiel. I'm assuming that's another name of a fourth titan in this group."

Rogue blinked, suddenly scouring his foggy mind trying to match a name to the face, but ultimately came up with nothing. Before he could announce that he had not a single clue, his little one, Armin, stood from his seat on the hay. The blonde's face showed curiosity and recognition.

"I wonder," Armin began. "I wonder if this Ezekiel – is that Beast Titan that we spotted on the wall back in Utgaard. He's the only other deviant in play here, so it's highly likely that Ezekiel is The Beast Titan." Armin put forth with Hange's brows lifting.

"Yes… it has to be him. Mehr only mentioned four names. There were four deviants after Rogue and this Beast Titan displayed intelligence according to Armin's intel. Ansgar The Armored. Goliath The Colossal. Luana The Female. So this Ezekiel is The Beast. Humph – Ezekiel. What an unfitting name for a titan. In several now dead religions, he was a prophet and a saint. Who knows, perhaps this is what that titan believes he is so he gifted himself the name."

"So Ezekiel is the big fucking monkey?" Levi thought dryly with Hange nodding.

"Yes. As far as his place among our enemy, his ranking at this time is unclear. Hell, it's even possible that this titan is our enemy's leader."

The room fell silent at the news. Rogue kept to himself, processing the name in his head once again in a desperate bid to see if he could find something, however his attempts were halted as Erwin released a long sigh.

"I'll secretly pass this information along to Pixis for both security reasons and for him to tell the Garrison to keep a lookout for The Beast Titan and the others. The information about titan reproduction stays classified for now until we see fit to reveal it to the public. Doing so now would possibly cause some citizens to panic and could land Rogue into trouble with the government again. Now for the last part of this meeting – Rogue, we need to disclose some facts to you that we were able to gather and put together. Some of this information – you may find upsetting and disturbing."

Green eyes widened at the warning, the giant's heart lifting higher into his chest, nerves flaring again. What did they find? It clearly upset them enough to where Erwin spoke the words that he did. Rogue felt his stomach twist at the very thought.

"However, before we begin with the most difficult subject of this meeting, there is a matter that needs to be addressed first. Rogue – near the end of your transformed state, you gained control of yourself didn't you?"

The titan's eyes widened, suddenly recalling the feat he had pulled that he had all but pushed away into the far corners of his mind due to the chaos he and the others endured. Quickly, he nodded in response. Was it possible… that his little ones snapped him out of his feral state?

"We thought so. Hange has figured out some things about your ability that she would like to share with you. Hange, if you please."

"Ah!" The woman started again as she suddenly flipped to other pages in her notebook. "First thing's first Rogue, I believe I may have figured out how your ability is triggered." Hange continued with the titan's ears rotating forward in interest. "I have reason to completely believe that your Berserk Mode is brought on or activated when you are severely weakened and when you are emotionally distressed at a great level. In Wall Rose as well as Stohess, you transformed per say when you witnessed the supposed deaths of your little ones and when you were nearly beaten to a pulp. When your ability is triggered, it is then fueled by dopamine and adrenaline – dopamine being a chemical made by neurons in the brain that's usually associated with award- motivated behavior and can release various hormones. It's like an absolute drug to the brain – and I believe the fact that you are alarmingly hungry in this state is tied to the great amount of dopamine firing off in your brain. Now, I have two theories about your berserk mode and how it functions. In both scenarios where you displayed this ability, when you regained your sense of self, you lost all energy you needed to maintain your Berserk Mode. Your change of mind, immediately stops the chemicals and hormones flowing through your head that's needed to maintain this form – thus you return to normal and collapse from exhaustion. Truthfully, I hope this scenario is not true for it would mean that in order for your Berserk Mode to be effective you would have to be out of control constantly. This way would be a double edged sword – especially when you are fighting deviant titans like Ansgar." Hange paused for a breather with the titan swallowing fretfully. "My second theory is this – and in all honesty an idea that I like a little better. The idea is that you can only hold this ability for a limited amount of time whether or not you are right in mind. As of now, only further research and tests would have to be done in order to learn more about your ability now that we know what triggers it."

Rogue swallowed. " **TESSTSS?"** He queried, looking spooked. Surely the Scouts wouldn't resort to ripping him apart and putting him and his little ones in danger would they?

"Tests," Hange proceeded. "That we would not feel comfortable in doing since they would be considered both inhumane and impossible for it would be utterly disgusting to torture you, Rogue."

"However," Erwin suddenly began. "The question of whether or not that there is another way you can bring about this ability is still up in the air – one that doesn't require you to get heavily injured or emotionally damaged. That's something that we do feel we should test in a safe environment. You don't seem to show interest in harming humans in this state – so I feel like it is something that can possibly be worked on in the time being. Now, in this difficult time and for the upcoming trial, I can use your short bit of control in your ability as support in our defense as to why we broke our orders of not being allowed to venture into Maria on any expeditions until you gained control of your Berserk Mode. Of course, we want to keep any theories about other ways of triggering this ability to ourselves. If the government thinks we need more time in discovering this, even if an emergency were to arise, I don't think they would allow us to even attempt to address it if it occurred in Maria. Do you understand what we are telling you Rogue?"

The titan's brows lifted. Inwardly, he went over the information that his family just shared with him before nodding in reply. His ability was triggered by massive injury and overwhelming emotions, but was there really another way he could trigger it? Rogue let a steamy sigh seep from between his teeth. A deep part of him felt as if it would be a fruitless endeavor.

"Ah, since you understand, let's move on to the difficult part of this meeting. Rogue – what is your impression of your Coordinate ability? Tell us what you think you know about it."

Rogue blinked, mildly surprised at The Commander's question. " **ERR… EII ORRDERR TITTANS."** He replied after a moment of thinking. That was the Coordinate wasn't it? Why did Erwin ask him such a question? Was it possible that it was something else entirely?

Erwin sighed at his answer, breath wavering through his nostrils and his mouth fixed in a straight grim line, making Rogue's heartbeat pick up its pace. "That was what we believed as well – until we witnessed you display the ability during your capturing in Wall Maria. Rogue, were you able to notice the odd way that the titans were moving after your scream?"

Again, Rogue blinked at the question, tilting his head back in consideration. Recalling the moment, the titans' movements were pretty erratic – even more so than he had ever witnessed. " **ESS."**

The Commander nodded, shifting his gaze to Hange to obviously signal her to give some sort of explanation. The Section Commander nodded.

"Well, Rogue – you're not actually ordering the titans. What you're really doing – is controlling them."

Rogue's eyes widened, his heart skipping several beats. He sat back in disbelief, reaching up to stick a finger in his ear, ensuring it was clear. Did Hange say what he thought she said?

"You heard me correctly Rogue. You are literally controlling titans with your ability. Your will was completely over them. You were both controlling their thoughts and every muscle in their body. You could move their arms and legs and focus their hunger onto Ansgar rather than humans. You wanted them to kill, so you made them do so. Every muscle strand and every nerve is controlled by you. It certainly explains exactly why the other titans are after you. Your power Rogue – is incredible. It's certainly the reason you are referred to as an entity. The Coordinate is just like a king summoning his army. Rogue – you could potentially be… the most powerful living thing to walk the earth."

Rogue froze at Hange's soft conclusion. He could control titans, move every fiber in their body and plant his will into their heads like an aggressive parasite. The titan's breath shuttered. Was it really possible that he was the most powerful living creature on earth? Him? A silly titan that had trouble learning the alphabet and never did things correctly the first time? No… it couldn't be could it? Yet it had to be true, after all he had already demonstrated what he could do! Slowly, Rogue's hand snaked back to his head to grip his scalp. He did not want this. He did not want to be king. He didn't want any of this.

All he wanted was a quiet life with his family. That was all he ever wished for. Why was life so fucking cruel to him?

"Rogue? Rogue – are you alright?"

At the innocent query, Rogue spun his head to see Mikasa and Armin's worried gaze, making him realize that he had been slipping into a panicked state and his breathing had grown slightly erratic. For a long moment, Rogue found himself speechless before he exhaled heavily and surrendered to a nod. " **EII… EII OKAEE. JUSST… EIII DOONNT ANNT DIS."**

"We know Rogue. We know. But," Hange paused, looking to him sincerely. "You are honestly the best being to have this power." The scientist hesitated before speaking again. "However, as much of a blessing this power could be to humanity, it's drawing our enemy here like moths to firelight. Armin and I have been thinking about things even further and enlightened both Levi and Erwin another concern we share. As beneficial your ability is, the royal family, fractions of the government, and the church are trying their best to hide it. They may even be aware that we know you can control titans. They seem to have feared your existence from the beginning. Either they are afraid that you side with the enemy – or your power terrifies them to the bone."

Rogue swallowed, feeling himself become even more ill.

"Well," Erwin continued. "Like your Berserk Mode there really isn't much we can do to help you practice your power due to the current restrictions. As far as this information goes, it is considered classified as well so keep the facts to yourselves. Truth is, your lost memories Rogue, may be the key to figuring out your abilities – which time will only tell if that occurs or not." Erwin paused, his remaining arm naturally reaching over to grasp the missing limb, only to find no flesh. "I believe that is all that can be addressed for now. Remember, nothing that we talked about leaves Scouting headquarters. Nothing. This meeting is over. You are all dismissed."

At The Commander's conclusion, all Rogue could do was gulp with uncertainty. He felt as if he could vomit.

* * *

Emerald eyes watched, completely transfixed by the dancing flame upon the wick of a half melted candle upon Hange's workstation. The sun had long since sat, the skylight of the barn dark above them, leaving the room with a dim but warm atmosphere. Naturally, his ears flickered at the white noise of mice scurrying around beneath the hay, nesting birds up in the rafters, and the words of the barn's occupants. The Section Commander hovered over her workstation, grabbing books to mark their pages, a few utensils he had no name for, and scribing down something in her notebook periodically with a silly grin upon her face. Mikasa was seated relatively close to him on another bale of hay with a bowl of piping hot soup in her hands – the aroma of the dish sweeping through his nostrils, the scent of chicken informing the titan that it was the common bowl of 'chicken noodle' that his little one and most of the Scouts seemed to love. Upon his scalp, he felt the metal teeth of a rake coming through his drying locks to rid the tangles – his Armin volunteering to perform the grooming he needed. After the meeting had ended, the day went on as it usually did. Soldiers worked, cleaned, and helped tend to repairs and those injured. He himself had simply been tasked to scrub the roof again, the Corporal far too busy with paperwork to train his squad – two of their members being injured. Even though there were other soldiers, as well as the unscratched members of his squad, Rogue found that he had hardly a word to speak. Sasha had asked him if he was alright, in which he only replied with a sharp nod before returning to the tedious work of scrubbing shingles. Afterwards, it had been decided that he should get a good bath to rid himself of the accumulated filth. Knowing just how much his skin was tinted from dirt and the fact that he had gotten sick on himself on more than one occasion, Rogue welcomed the bath. Still, even though the scrubbing was done by Levi, Hange, and Armin – witnesses to their previous meeting, Rogue said barely a word. His mind was in a flurry and his emotions were mixed. The titan didn't know what to think or how to handle the news.

Everything was just collapsing down upon him it seemed. There was the biological bombshell that had been dropped on him that he felt ignorant for not understanding at first. Mehr was a mother at one time in her life and her protectiveness over his own little ones and squad made sense to him now. Titans could truly reproduce – even his adoptive mother Carla had theorized the idea. Titan offspring were pups, and his mind was recalling fragments of himself being a pup – apparently even before his birth. Combined with Connie's words, he truly began to wonder about his real family. Where were they? What were they doing? Did they miss him? Why had they not come for him? Were they fighting the enemy just as he was? Rogue's brow wrinkled at the many questions that kept repeating in his head. What was his beginning? What was his story? The Commander said that his past likely held the answers that they so desperately needed. How on earth had he acquired his position as king? Was he born this way or did he acquire everything?

The other fact stated in the meeting was that he momentarily had control of his own will in his transformed state. Not to mention, the Scouts knew ways that it was triggered and theorized that there was more. Knowing that they wanted to do tests chilled his very blood. In his Berserk Mode, it felt as if someone had poured barrels of acid into his brain. His body was powered by nothing but the instinct to hunt and the need to feed. In his transformed state, Rogue felt that he possibly couldn't remember his name if he tried – or even if he could try. Even though he had gained control for a moment, he couldn't guarantee that he could do the same again. His will was twisted and buried in hunger and rage. It was almost as if he was just a rider on an unbroken horse along for the ride. The last thing he wanted was for someone to get killed.

Finally, there was the thing that left him the most uneasy. The truths of the Coordinate ability. He could control titans. He could command them just like an army – all the king's horses and all the king's men. This was the reason why the enemy was after them and had the desire to do anything to obtain him. He was the reason why many streets and the earth had been painted in blood. Oh how he despised such a thing! He didn't want things to be this way at all! All he wanted was a quiet and leisurely life, one that was quite possibly always out of his reach.

Thus, with these thoughts constantly churning in his brain, Rogue had just kept to himself. However, just beneath his thick hide, he could feel his frustrations brewing and nearly boiling over at points. Rogue could fell himself slipping and at any time he was either going to snap or have a breakdown. And of course, luck was not upon his side.

The titan gave in to a long exhale, steam wavering from his nostrils and between his teeth, the small cloud spreading out in front of him like a fog close to the forest floor in the early morning hours. Mikasa paused in her quiet eating to look up to him, the titan quickly adverting his gaze away so his little one couldn't detect the stress swimming in his irises. Of course, his long sigh had not only roused concern within his Mikasa, but Armin and Hange paused in their work to look upon him. Knowing what was coming, Rogue felt his throat swell and his ears heat up. As the tense seconds began to pass, he could feel his eyes watering and his emotional dam getting ready to burst. Finally, Hange cleared her throat, looking at him with a small smile upon her face that reflected that of a concerned mother.

"Rogue, are you alright honey? You've been rather quiet today." Hange paused, the corners of her mouth falling a bit as her eyes continued to study his stressed façade. "Is there something wrong, Sweetheart? Is it – about what we talked about earlier?"

"Are you alright Rogue?" His Mikasa began softly. "Please tell us what's bothering you."

Armin stalled in his combing. "What's wrong bud?"

Rogue quivered – his mind finally collapsing. Slowly, the titan's hand came up to cover one side of his face, fat tears falling from his eyes and his teeth chattering in the slightest. Finally, the titan released a choked whimper, putting those present on high alert as he succumbed to his inner turmoil. " **EII… EII… EI DONNT WANNAA BE KINGG. EII… URG! EII DONN WANNT TOO BEE ORRDINATE! EIII… EII DON'T AHHNT ANNY OF DIS! EVVRYTINNG…. APPEN CUZZZ OFF NEEE! EII… EIII… USST AHHNT TOO DEE NORRNAL!"** Rogue inhaled sharply, tears now coating his flushed face and the beast nearly choking on his own saliva. " **EII… JUST ANNT TO… LIVV WITTH ANNLY. BEE WITTH BAAAIBEES! EII… WANT NO ONNE TO DIEEE CUZ NEE! EIII… USST ANNNT TO BEE RROGUEE! NO KINGG!"** Rogue bawled, completely broken as he finally let his head fall into the hay covered floor with a soft thump. The beast continued to whine and drone face first into the floor, far too consumed in his own despair to notice Armin pick himself up from the hay and join Mikasa and Hange to trade both sympathetic and concerned looks. For several brief seconds, the only sounds and activity present in the barn were his increasingly louder wails. " **WHYYY NEE! WHYY NEE!"**

"Rogue." He felt a gentle hand press against his scalp, obviously the touch of Mikasa that he knew so well. "Rogue?" The titan heard her say once again, the giant sensing the agony and discomfort in her tone. Realizing that his baby had forcefully gotten up to comfort him and ignored her injuries, Rogue warily lifted his head to look upon her with his green eyes now red and irritated. He moaned softly, quivering in the slightest as her hand began to rub the tip of his nose. Guilt came over him as he observed the girl's mouth draw into a weak smile through her agony. "It's okay big brother." Mikasa paused, her eyes adverting to the floor, clearly displaying that she was trying to figure out words to say. "We understand that you don't want any of this. A king is a powerful role to fill – but in all honesty Rogue, I couldn't think of anyone better to fit the role." Mikasa stated with the behemoth lifting his head a bit higher at her comment, blinking in consideration.

"Yeah Rogue," Armin spoke as he took his place next to the dark haired teen. "The Jaegers, especially Dr. Jaeger – didn't they believe that you were put on earth for a reason?" His little one informed, Rogue's eyes widening. "Carla always thought you were special, Rogue. The Jaegers believed that you were destined for a purpose that they didn't know in their time. Now, with the recent revelations, I believe it's clear now. I think your destiny is to indeed be the King of Titans. Perhaps with your stature and power, maybe you are the one that will bring about peace." The boy smiled with Hange giving in to a giggle and folding her arms in triumph.

"Ah! I do believe your babies are right Rogue! You were made for this! You were BORN to be king! Perhaps some higher power chose you to take upon the role!" The woman smiled, the titan turning his attention to the dark sky beyond the translucent section of the barn's ceiling, irises peering into the heavens where his parents spoke that higher powers may be. His family had a point. His parents did often say that he was meant for something, not just to exterminate the troublesome mindless titans from the world. Maybe this truly was his destiny after all. Perhaps he was birthed to bring about balance and peace. The more he considered it, the more he came to realize. Perhaps he was indeed right for the role he was currently playing. All he wanted was for everything to be peaceable and just. That was constantly his mindset. He wanted justice and judgement.

He just wanted things to be good again.

His parents, they would have been thrilled.

They probably would have been so happy for him knowing their son was a major player – a king like one would read about from fairy tales.

Rogue lifted his head a bit higher, green eyes looking down at his family. Yes, he was meant to be a king. The titan swallowed warily, his mind suddenly going over his accomplishments. He had defeated The Female Titan. He took care of his babies in titan territory. He saved his little ones from becoming a meal for his kin along with many other family members. He helped train the Scouts. He could talk to a degree that he could be understood. He knew lots of common human knowledge and he was learning the alphabet and even how to read. He had done a lot in his lifetime that he cherished – many of the things making him boil over with pride. He could handle being a king couldn't he? If it was his destiny, then Rogue was certain he could succeed.

At the thoughts, it seemed as if a new fire had been lit beneath him. He could do it. He was sure he could. Swallowing hard, Rogue blinked away his tears and looked at his little ones with a little bit of determination. Sure, he was still fretful, but if he had already accomplished so much he was sure he could succeed in living up to his set role. " **OKEE."** Rogue spoke softly, his tone quiet as he let out a small purr, leaning closer to invite contact from his little ones which he received. " **EIII… CANN DO ITT. EII BEE KINGG."** Rogue implied, not considering how easily he had been persuaded and his mind suddenly overlooking the magnitude of the situation.

**"** Ah! That's the spirt Rogue!" Hange beamed broadly. "And who knows? Perhaps you will have some more memories return to you in the time being. You seem to be having them more frequently as of late and I think we'll get some more answers!" Hange paused, suddenly rubbing her chin in thought. "By the way, and we didn't cover this during our meeting, but during your fight with Ansgar, you were able to perform techniques that we never taught you in order to gain the upper hand in your duel. By chance, when you were knocked out, did you have a memory return to you – one that gave you the information you needed in order to overtake your enemy?"

Rogue lifted his head in slight surprise, realizing that he forgot to share the important piece of information. Quickly, he nodded. " **ESS. DEE OTHERR TITTAN IKKE NEE WASSS INN ITT."** The beast announced with his small audience perking up in excitement at his news.

"Really Rogue?" Armin questioned, his brows comically rising. "It was the same bearded titan that you told us about before?" The male asked, receiving a prompt nod from the giant.

" **YEEAH. WEEE… WERR INN AH BIGG EILD OF LOWWERS."** Rogue described, recalling the previous vision. " **BERRDED TITTAN WASS TECCHING NEE HOW TO IGGHT BIGG TITTANS. HEE WASS… TRAIININNG NEE FOR DUULS. BEARDEED TIITANN AHHS VERRY PROOUD OFFF NEE… HE TAUUGHT NEE WAYYS TO TAKKE HINN DOWWN. THEE DREEAN AHHS VERRY CLLEEARR. EII – FELLT VERRY HAPPYYY."** Rogue trailed off, recalling his emotions that flowed through his body during the time, suddenly recalling how comfortable he felt with the nearly identical beast. " **DENN THEE DREAAN ENDD."**

"That's interesting," Hange began, leaning back onto her workstation and tilting her head back up to stare at the dark skylight above. "Rogue, didn't you say at our meeting earlier that you had another vision shorty before waking up in the woods with Ansgar and Goliath?" The scientist queried, receiving another nod with Armin's eyes growing bigger with sudden realization.

"Yeah, come to think of it, Rogue did say that he was with this titan when he was supposedly a – pup in his dream. Hange," His little one hesitated, looking from a stunned Mikasa back to the Section Commander that was now looking at the blond with a similar expression, hinting that the two had come to the same conclusion. "Do you think that this titan –

"Yes." Hange cut the boy off, her eyes adverting to Rogue. "Armin, I think we're on the same page here. The titan that Rogue keeps seeing in his memories… may indeed be his father."

At the suggestion, Rogue's brows rose and his eyes lit up in pure astonishment. Was it possible? Could the titan that he had been seeing over and over in his dreams in fact be his own dad? The titan opened his maw, intending to speak but quickly found that he was only capable of emitting squeaks. Was it true?

"It does make sense." Mikasa began softly. "Rogue sees this titan quite a lot in his dreams. It – has to be his real father. Who else could he possibly be to Rogue?"

Armin then snapped his focus onto him again, eyes wide in what the behemoth could almost label as excitement. "Rogue? In your memories, has this titan ever said his name? If titans like Mehr, Ansgar, and Goliath have names then surely this one does to."

Rogue blinked, but soon found himself lowering his head in slight disappointment when he realized that the titan had shared no such thing with him. " **NOO."** Rogue replied, biting his tongue as he tried to figure out if he had ever heard it in passing ever in his memories, but couldn't find a title no matter how hard he thought. Suddenly, his ears caught the sound of Hange's familiar gasp, capturing both he and his little ones' attention once again.

"With the talk of names, I just thought of something! Rogue – could he have had a different name that was given to him in his past?" Hange brought up, making all life in the room grow silent. The titan nearly sat up at this.

Could it really be that he had a name in his previous life? He wasn't always Rogue? His brow wrinkled in the slightest. He couldn't imagine himself with any other name that wasn't the one that Carla had given him.

"You're right Hange – I did hear Ansgar call Rogue "Green Eyes" a few times, but surely that wasn't the name he had before. It honestly sounds like a nickname."

The woman sighed at this, a small smile spreading across her face. "Well, as was stated before, I'm sure more memories will give us the responses to these simple questions that need complex answers for as well." Hange paused, her smile suddenly fading yet again. "Of course, this talk of the bearded titan possibly being Rogue's father brings up the query as to why Rogue hasn't had any recollection of a mother figure in his memories."

Rogue found himself propping up higher onto his elbows as he thought and absorbed the new question, his eyes looking deeply at the strands of hay beneath him. A mother. He felt a lump form in his throat, finding incredibly difficult picturing that he could have possibly had a mother before his Carla became the one to love and cherish him. A titan mother and father. Rogue nearly found himself shaking his head in disbelief, but he couldn't deny the fact that he had a life before his current one. It was entirely true that titans did indeed reproduce, but why couldn't he remember his mother? During his life in the forest he often watched mothers take care of their young – his deer birthed their babies and the mothers nursed them with their milk. Did his real mother raise him in the same way? Did she birth him and feed him milk? If that was how titans reared their young, then why had he not had any recollection of her face? Rogue's brow wrinkled as he thought harder. There was a fragment that he recalled – a scene where his head was pressed against something warm. Thinking about it…. he had the same vision twice, once where he was a pup and then older – but something was off. Deep down, it seemed as if a tiny voice was telling him that the toasty flesh wasn't his mother's. Rogue exhaled quietly, he supposed that it was another thing that he would get the answer he needed with more resurfacing memories.

Still, even if he was birthed from a titan – he would always think of Carla as his mother.

The titan's ear flickered at the sound of Hange's clearing throat, signaling to him that see was to start again. Knowing the nature of their current conversation, Rogue looked to the woman again to absorb what he was able to, he could think about things later.

"It truly makes me wonder. Rogue has never spoken of any such figure in his memories. Yet, going by what the bearded titan states in the memory where he trained Rogue in combat – it suggests that Jaeger Titans do not live solitary lives but rather in groups that seem to have structure. Why Rogue has not remembered any mother of sorts concerns me. Granted, it's not the bad type of concern but more like intrigue. The answer as to why could be a simple one – which would be needing more time to get more information. However, at this rate, I'm not seeing a high probability of such. Mothers are usually the most prominent person in one's mind due to the fact that they have the strongest bonds with an individual from birth. In Rogue's memories, we are only seeing the bearded titan who is present from Rogue's infancy to adulthood. This leaves me with two theories. The first, which would be sad and unfortunate, is that Rogue somehow lost his mother shortly after his birth and was raised by who appears to be his father. It's either that – or my other idea that I'd love to explore." Hange smiled as she turned back to her workstation and began to search among her things.

Rogue watched as his Mikasa carefully rotated toward Hange, concern lining her features of her face. "Another idea?" His little one questioned as Hange nodded, directing her attention back to the three of them once again and away from her belongings.

"Yes! Even though we spoke briefly about it at the meeting, I still think there is a slight possibility that one of my titan reproduction theories could still have a slight chance at being fact." The Section Commander beamed broadly, her devious grin instantly making him feel uncomfortable.

"Hange," Armin trailed off. "You don't mean –

"I do Armin! The fact that Rogue seemed to be extremely close to this titan suggests that my theory that some species of titans may be hermaphroditic could be correct." The woman hummed merrily as she turned to her desk and selected a pair of plastic gloves from her belongings. From watching both Grisha and experiencing Hange's occasional exams… Rogue instantly tensed. He did not like where this was going.

"Hange, this again –

"Please hear me out! Rogue remembers this bearded titan very clearly and he himself has some incredible paternal instincts as we see when he cares for you two – even considering the both of you as his own offspring! The trait of adoption is seen in lots of animals, particularly in females. Felines will adopt kittens from another litter and dogs will sometimes even take in other animals to care for along with their own broods. Rogue places the two of you next to him at night just like many animal mothers would, right against him on his chest or belly. Not to mention, he is incredibly protective of the two of you!" Hange laughed as she began to slip on the disposable gloves, the sound of latex slapping her wrists nearly making him jump.

"Hange –

"I – would love to perform an exploratory surgery on you Rogue to see if I can find any reproductive organs that would resemble ovaries, a uterus, testicles, and well I'm sure the two of you can guess what else! But of course – Levi and Erwin most likely wouldn't allow such a procedure not to mention Rogue would be rather unhappy with me! However, I would like to feel around a bit on you Rogue to see if I can find any indications of such organs! Still, this has only a very small chance at being fact, even I myself don't want to put all of my eggs in one basket here! There is a high probability that Rogue is a hundred percent male and he just lost his mother before he could remember her, but I still have probable cause to examine our lovely titan to rule out any suspicions!"

"Hange, this really isn't necessary."

"Oh! But humanity needs to know about titan biology, for future generations and –

Rogue felt himself growing even more fretful as Hange and his little ones continued to argue amongst themselves. He was rooting for his babies to win the transpiring argument for he was absolutely sure that he didn't want Hange to do what Levi had said was 'molesting him or violating his space' – which was something he wanted no part of. Rogue's ears flattened against his head as he contemplated what to do in the case that his little ones had lost. If need be, he felt that his best option was bolting from the barn to hide in the woods. Sure, it would cause a disturbance, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to –

He stopped, abandoning his current train of thought when an overwhelming feeling of unease washed over him. The titan's small hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his pupils shrunk. Knowing all too well that something was dangerously off, Rogue suddenly sniffed aggressively, searching for any unfamiliar scent – his action bringing his little ones and Hange out of their argument and into a stunned silence.

"Rogue?"

"Is something wrong, bud?"

The titan paid no attention to their spoken words as he propped himself onto the palms of his hands and feet, looking like an alert cat as he swiveled his head and continued to sniff while angling his ears about to detect anything out of the ordinary. Rogue's breaths grew cavernous and ragged as he continued to survey. Then, an unfamiliar odor swept into his nostrils, one that was thankfully human but was new and didn't belong to a Scout. The titan paused, looking at the door of the barn with his ears pinned against his head and a low growl resonating from his chest. Someone had ventured onto their property, and at the very time of night – the beast knew that such wasn't normal.

"Rogue? What's happening?"

The creature sniffed again, a startling thought crossing his mind. What if the intruder knew the men that tried to harm he and his babies? What if this human was here to do the same thing? The very idea produced a rippling snarl from the titan's throat and ignited protective instincts.

"Rogue what are you –

His Armin couldn't finish his sentence as Rogue suddenly navigated himself to stand awkwardly over them, back arched and his side pressed against the wall of the barn. The beast continued to growl, eyes heatedly looking at the entrance to the barn, ignoring his family beneath him.

"What is he doing!"

"Do you think Ansgar or the other titans are here?"

"I don't know –

The titan only grew more distressed as his instincts suddenly kicked into overdrive. The beast chuffed, steam coming from is maw in large puffs as he looked from his little ones and back to the door repeatedly. Guided by an animalistic need, Rogue rotated forward and hunkered down even lower to where his underbelly almost touched his family's heads. Then, not fully understanding what he was doing, Rogue lifted himself from the ground and haphazardly but gently guided his group of humans into his nest.

"Rogue! What's going on why are you doing this?"

"I wonder if his new instincts are telling him to –

Rogue immediately cut Hange off as he scooped a handful of hay over she and his little ones in a desperate bid to hide them. Feeling the incredibly strong need to deal with the problem and protect his family, Rogue surged forward to quickly open the door to the barn and exit into the courtyard, completely ignoring Hange, Armin, and Mikasa as they scrambled from the nest in alarm. The titan stood, looking off towards the entrance to the grounds and inhaled deeply. The human scent was coming from the very direction and said human had just entered the grounds. There was the smell of equine as well and the human scent was steadily growing stronger, meaning that the man or woman was heading for the castle on horseback. His eyes narrowed and his nose wrinkled into a look that reflected his boiling irritation. Without another second to waste, Rogue lightened his body and charged forward into the darkness, leaving the others behind in a state of fear and confusion.

"Armin! Get a horse! You and I need to trail him!"

The titan continued to run, his chest heaving and legs pumping as he accelerated at an alarming rate, the sunlight he absorbed during the daytime hours being put to use. He was against killing humans no matter how evil they were – even his slaughter of those that sought to harm his babies that one faithful night of their initial meeting haunted him in his sleep. Whoever this human entering the Scout's territory unannounced was, he wouldn't reduce them to blood and bone but would rather hand them over to Levi and Erwin on a silver platter – but not without scaring the piss out of them first.

Green eyes cut through the darkness and took everything in with crisp detail. He soon passed the thin ticket of trees and into the barren grassy fields, following the dirt path that led to the entrance of the grounds. A deep part of him couldn't believe his behavior, but he had a right to do so. During his time at Scouting Headquarters – no one visited them at night. Ever. At the meeting, the Commander had not mentioned any guest that was coming so the titan could only assume that this human was an intruder – one that needed dealt with. Still, at the present time, the titan considered the trespasser could possibly be someone with an important message. Times however were indeed dangerous, and that idea was unlikely. Thus, he kept his charge.

Finally, the titan's eyes caught sight of an approaching figure upon the horizon, the clear shape of a horse and a man. Rogue pushed himself further, his footfalls rattling the earth beneath him and causing the intruder to hesitate. The titan watched as the man's horse wisely stalled, nickering and becoming skittish at his approach. He watched as the mare's rider looked around frantically, unable to see in the dark of night and detect the direction that he was approaching from – a satisfying sight to the titan. Seizing the moment, Rogue released a loud and tearing snarl that jolted both the horse and its rider. The titan then leaped, pouncing only to land on all fours over the intruder, the ground thundering beneath his weight. Illuminating greens beheld the horse rear in terror before bucking its rider onto the unforgiving path, the mammal beyond itself as it frantically galloped the way which it came. Next, Rogue stared heatedly at the cowering man beneath him, his growl still rumbling in his ribcage. The man was tall, wearing a panicked look that he took mild pride in seeing upon features that almost looked too small for the male's face. Even in the dark, he could tell that the man had short hair and a well cut beard, hair the color of dry dirt. The male's eyes were swimming with terror but here filled with a kind of fear that one would not have upon seeing a titan for the first time. Rogue growled lowly, leaning in to scrutinize the man closer, stream jetting out of his nostrils to further intimidate. The man gradually began to calm much to his surprise, even taking a moment to check to see if his satchel was still attached to him. Confused, Rogue peered closer, suddenly seeing an important detail that made him cease his growls and sit up in surprise. Any once of aggression left him at his alarming discovery, the titan almost looking comically dumbfounded.

The man was in a Garrison uniform, the roses clearly present. Cautiously, Rogue leaned down to sniff the man again, the soldier not even flinching as his nose came just a few inches from his face. Determining that the man didn't smell of deceit, Rogue sat up and relaxed. This Garrison soldier must be a messenger of some sort hence the man seemed to care so much about the bag beneath his arm. Rogue watched as the man slowly gathered his courage and began to stand, beginning to feel foolish that he overreacted. Of course, he couldn't help but continue to feel uneasy. Garrison messengers only came during the day with news from usually Pixis. Whatever this Garrison soldier was here for – it had to be important enough to bother the Commander this late at night.

Finally, the male got to his feet and brushed the dirt from his pants, pausing to catch his breath before looking to the still spellbound titan. "So – you must be Rogue Jaeger." The man uttered.

"Rogue!"

Nearly jumping at the voice, Rogue spun his head to see Armin and Hange approaching him and his new company on horseback. Quickly, the two Scouts dismounted and rounded his form, the titan hunching his shoulders sheepishly knowing that he was quite possibly going to get an earful.

"Rogue? What on earth are you doing? Is there someone –

Hange stopped mid-sentence as she and Armin rounded his knee to see the soldier afore him. At their presence, the soldier quickly saluted the Section Commander, ignoring the several sprigs of hay sticking out of her and Armin's hair as the two Scouts returned the favor. His little one's brows rose in astonishment, eyes full of recognition.

"Mitabi Jarnach?"

Hange's eyes widened. "You're Mitabi Jarnach from the Garrison elite squad? What's your business here this late at night?"

"Yes." The man began as he quickly opened his bag and retrieved an envelope, handing it over to the frazzled looking woman. "My apologies for the late intrusion, but I have an urgent message from Commander Pixis for Commander Erwin."

( **POV SWAP)**

Hange hurried up the stone steps to the floor of the Commander's quarters in a flurry. After receiving the urgent letter, in the middle of the night no less, she ushered both the titan and his little one back to the barn like two children told to return to bed. Urgent messages were rare and if the letter was from the Garrison, then it was certainly terror inducing. When they had just returned from a difficult mission in which they faced both The Armored and Colossal titans as well as a new adversary, then she had a right to be concerned about the possibility that their enemy was going for round four. Oh how she feared the contents of the letter!

At this point, she desperately wished that it was just another invoice from the government.

Cresting the top of the stairs, the woman desperately tried to catch her breath before making her way towards her destination. Hopefully Levi had finished with his paperwork that he had been working on and was with The Commander who would have to read and approve it. With a letter like the very one in her hand, every second she spent trying to deliver it to its recipient was time wasted. Seconds later, after nearly toppling over another senior officer on their way to the restroom, Hange stood outside Erwin's door. Without bothering to knock, Hange laid a hand onto the knob and turned, incredibly thankful that it had been unlocked – meaning that the short statured Corporal was most definitely visiting the man to deliver his work for approval. Entering the man's quarters, Hange noted that the first room that Erwin used as his study was dark and vacant – the man's desk having not been touched in days and the hearth at the rear bore no flame. However, beneath the closed door that led to the man's bedroom, a warm light radiated from it – meaning that whoever was inside was awake and willing to talk. Briskly, Hange strolled across the Commander's study and up to the bedroom door. Again, without knocking, Hange flung the entrance open to witness what she had hoped to find.

Erwin's bedroom was lit by only a few candles and still smelt sterile with a hint of peroxide in the strangely inviting atmosphere. The Commander himself was seated in his bed with documents in hand, having been going over them with a scrutinizing Levi next to his bed hovering over him in wait for the man's go ahead. Upon her hurried and sudden entry, both of the stoic men quickly snapped their undivided attention to her. Erwin wore a look of mild surprise while Levi's scowl only deepened in annoyance, clearly used to her many sudden ingresses. Within no time at all however, Hange knew that their expressions would change once the letter's contents were revealed.

"Shitty Glasses, what is the meaning of your sudden intrusion this time?" Levi's brows narrowed. "Please don't tell me you examined the big brat and found that he has a secret dick and balls plus everything in between."

At the man's crude statement, Hange nearly wanted to laugh and josh, but the envelope in her hand reminded her why she was there and had no time for humor. Recalling just who was in the room, Hange quickly and somewhat messily saluted the Commander. "Pardon my intrusion, but I'm here on the behalf of Commander Pixis. I have an urgent message from him!" Hange spoke quickly as she handed the letter to the man who looked at the innocent enough envelope with what she could call a mixture of confusion and distress. Erwin then placed the message into his lap to steady the letter after a moment to realize that he lacked an extra hand to open it as it should have been. Carefully, Erwin broke the wax seal and unfolded the parchment. Hange watched, her heart pounding as the man's eyes shifted back and forth as he read each line of text. The two other Scouts remained still as Erwin read, Hange able to note the look of concern laden in Levi's cold blues. Suddenly, the man stopped, his thick brows rising and eyes widening – mouth turning into a pulled frown. Observing Erwin's throat bob at a hard swallow, Hange's nerves only spiked as across from her Levi's arms unfolded as he became worried. For a long moment it was silent, only the dripping of a nearby IV could be heard - something that was much softer than a ragged breath. She could tell, that even though he looked bewildered, Erwin's mind was comprehending, considering, and planning. Finally, the man lifted his head from the letter to look upon the two of him.

"According to the information that Pixis has provided me with, Pastor Nick was found dead at his residence early this morning. Due to evidence, it was clear that he was murdered."

Collectively, both the Section Commander and Corporal's eyes widened in shock.

"Murdered?"

"The bastard was killed?"

Erwin nodded. "Yes. He was found with his fingernails ripped off, severed toes, and finally his throat was slit."

"Sounds like the man was tortured." Levi muttered as he folded his arms again. Erwin nodded.

"Yes. Now, according to this, there so happened to be Garrison soldiers in the area doing volunteer work and they intercepted a man that was fleeing the scene. The man's name is Sannes. Del Sannes. Currently, he's being held in Katness at Garrison headquarters under the watch of several guards. When morning comes, the MP's will be arriving to question Sannes and relocate him into the interior. The Garrison have questioned him but the suspect is saying nothing." Erwin paused, lowering the letter into his lap, brow furrowing as he fell further into deep thought. "Pixis. Pixis knows that Nick disclosed to us what could be called classified information about Rogue that was strictly kept under wraps. I believe Pixis theorizes that somehow the church or someone else trying to cover the truth about Rogue discovered that Nick leaked what was supposed to be kept secret – and probably sent this Sannes to have him killed. I'm certain that Pixis thinks that this Sannes likely knows more than perhaps Nick did."

"That's why he sent us this urgent message then." Hange processed. "Pixis wants us to interrogate Sannes to see how much knowledge he has on Rogue before the MP's show up to relocate him."

"Exactly."

The Corporal heaved a sigh, abandoning the wall that he had been leaning against. "So, it looks as if we aren't getting any sleep tonight. I take it you want us to go to Katness immediately?" Levi queried, almost sounding bored. Erwin nodded.

"Yes. Take the carriage so you are not seen or look suspicious. Make sure you leave before the MP's arrive." Erwin paused, his eyes narrowing with utter seriousness. "And… prepare to use any means necessary to get what you need."

( **POV SWAP)**

His fingers were folded beneath his chin, teeth nearly grinding against one another while the carriage rhythmically rattled and vibrated from the brick path beneath them. Amazingly, although it was close to the midnight hour, his body wasn't feeling the least bit fatigued – on the contrary he was wide awake and admittedly nervous. Eyes cold as steel glanced up to observe Hange who was seated quietly across from him – an abnormality in itself. Admittedly though, he was happy she was quiet for the time being. Late in the afternoon, just before the coming night, Levi had been hoping for a fairly pleasant evening that would have just composed of him doing paperwork, getting it reviewed, and finally sinking into a plush mattress to fall into a state of deep repose. Now however, his evening had been interrupted by some idiot with a knife and what was most likely an order to kill. Although he felt completely annoyed, he was troubled greatly. What else was possibly being kept secret about the giant brat?

Levi sighed, leaning back in his seat to stare at the ceiling before turning his attention to the curtained window. Slowly, he lifted a finger and pulled the drape back in the slightest, letting only a sliver of moonlight into the lantern lit cabin. Outside, he saw only the activity that the night provided. There were stray cats looking for scraps, drunkards drinking outside bars, and the occasional run of the mill citizen moving through town after working late to likely provide for their family. Levi sighed, quickly tiring at his attempt of distracting himself as he closed the curtain and relaxed in his seat – eyes peering upward to watch the lantern above their heads sway with each movement of the carriage. It wouldn't be much longer until they got to headquarters. The man discreetly bit his lip. Pixis had described Sannes as an individual that was difficult to crack and the Garrison themselves had made no progress in getting any answers from him. Deep down, Levi was fully aware that he may have to resort to extreme measures – retaking a profession that he had back during his despicable life in the Underground.

Honestly, he wished that it wouldn't come to that.

"Levi."

Hearing Hange's unexpected serious tone, Levi drew his attention away from the lantern and placed his gaze onto the Section Commander whose mouth was in a firm line. "Yes?"

"I've been thinking. I'm sure that the royal family and the church was well aware that we knew that Rogue could control and manipulate titans to some degree. However, I'm starting to think that there is something else that they are trying to hide from us."

The Corporal lifted a brow at this. Surely there wasn't more to the brat's abilities. Controlling titans was already imposing and frightening enough. "What do you mean?" He questioned. Hange sighed, looking down at her shoes.

"Well, hypothetically, I think there could be more to the coordinate than we or Rogue know. I think – the fact that Rogue can control titans may not be their main concern. I believe that there is something more to Rogue's power that is putting the Reiss and the church on edge and it's something that they are terrified of. They are so scared in fact, that they are using any means necessary to keep anyone's mouth shut. Not to mention, they enlisted Historia into the trainees to learn how to slay a titan like Rogue."

Levi simply stared at the woman. There couldn't possibly be a more terrifying ability to fear other than Rogue's power over the titans could there? The man only exhaled, letting his attention drift to the lantern again. "I suppose that we will perhaps find out if what you believe is true tonight or not when we interrogate Sannes."

Hange quietly nodded, her eyes drifting over to the wall adjacent from her, studying the intricate patterns upon the silk lining. "I hope so. I just hope the man cracks. It's certainly not going to be easy." Hange paused, suddenly crossing her arms and letting out a prolonged sigh. "This is happening so fast. Little did we know that Rogue was much more special than we originally thought. Poor Rogue, he hasn't quite accepted all of this yet. Levi, I'm not sure we should tell him anything even if we are able to get some facts out of Sannes."

Levi settled further in his seat. Hange had a clear point. It didn't take an expert to figure out that Rogue was struggling deep down to accept his role that he had been burdened with. Such clearly showed during their meeting. However, he didn't like keeping things from the brat. "It depends on what we can find out, Hange. Some things might have to be addressed to him. Then again, knowing how things have been lately, Rogue may find out the hard way somewhere soon down the line. I'm fully aware that the brat is delicate and has the mentality and mannerisms of a child, but keeping him in the dark about anything pertaining to him is questionable." The man replied, his tone low but nearly sounding lost in thought.

Across from him, Hange dipped her head in understanding, eyes half lidded and looking solemn. "True. At this day and age… it's difficult to keep things under wraps."

The man's nose wrinkled at the Section Commander's commentary. "I hope whatever this man had to hide will be easily drawn out by guilt. Otherwise, I'll have to put a bit of effort into it."

For a moment, Hange blinked, complexly perplexed, until she realized the real meaning behind his words. She only nodded in return and settled in her seat. Not very many people would have understood his statement, but with Hange now knowing his past, she understood him perfectly. If it was one thing that he appreciated her doing, it was that she never questioned him about his past. It was certainly something that he did not like to talk about. Living in the Underground was rough – full of prostitution, thievery, and senseless murder. Sometimes one would have to stoop down to the lowest level and perform tasks that any god above would frown upon just to survive.

Sometimes, memories of what he had to do haunted him in his sleep.

Before Levi could retreat deeper into his thoughts, the carriage stopped. For a moment, the air between the two Scouts was tense until the door to cabin opened with their cabbie politely standing aside to grant them passage and guidance. Without a word, Levi lifted himself from his seat and exited the carriage to stand before two familiar faces. As Hange left the carriage to stand next to him, Levi beheld an amazingly sober looking Pixis who's face looked nothing like its usual mellow appearance but rather a stern one with his mouth pinched and brows drawn together. Next to the high ranking man was the Garrison soldier that he had met on a previous occasion and the same that had enlightened the Scouts about Rogue's true nature and connection to Ackerman and Arlert. Hannes was the man's name if he remembered correctly and the soldier helped them fight off the Armored Titan – although he was clearly what one would call a chicken. Routinely, Levi and Hange saluted to the Commander who only responded with the same gesture and a curt nod.

"I must thank you two for coming on such short notice. Normally, I would have passed this off as a hate crime against the church, but the timing of such an event and the fact that Nick told you classified information just before he was murdered, was too much of a suspicion. The fact that this Sannes isn't talking leads me to believe that he's also hiding something. I'd enlighten you further, but I'm sure Erwin has probably already figured out my ideas and worries and already has shared them with you." Pixis informed with Levi nodding.

"Yes, as you say, Erwin gave us the details right before we promptly left."

"Ah. That's good. Now, I have to prepare for the MP's arrival in the morning so Hannes here will take you to Sannes and give you further details. I wish the two of you luck."

"Thank you, Sir."

He then watched as the Commander then walked away and Hannes motioned for them to follow him. "Won't the two of you accompany me? We have Sannes on the south end of headquarters in a holding cell. Don't worry about trying not to look suspicious here, every Garrison stationed here knows what's going on."

"Understood." Hange spoke quietly as they began to trail Hannes into the interior of the Garrison headquarters.

Levi remained emotionless and quiet as they passed through the building. Like nearly all of The Garrison headquarters, it was bland and had a similar structure like the others stationed in every major town in the walls. In his years of being a Corporal, he had frequented many of them. Normally, they were littered with many drunk, tipsy, or nearly hungover soldiers. Now however, the Garrison headquarters of Katness was more like a temporary hospital with the many wounded soldiers still recovering from their injuries. Some of the freshly recruited soldiers looked absolutely traumatized as they walked about the halls, some stopping to take notice of the two Scouts as they passed by – even whispering amongst themselves before returning to what they had been assigned to do in a hurry. Levi quickly adverted his gaze back to both Hannes and Hange. He desperately wanted to make this quick.

"You'll have to excuse the state of the place. We were left in pretty rough shape after the second breach and the mission to retrieve Rogue – not to mention that Armored Titan left us with fewer numbers and even more injuries. The damn bastard."

"It's not a problem. We're in a similar state." Hange replied, keeping the conversation going. Hannes nodded.

"I see. So how is your Commander? I heard he lost his arm to a titan."

"You heard right. Erwin is pretty exhausted, but he's stubborn and insisting that he kept working even from bed." Hange laughed lightly.

"Ah, well he's got some spirit! So, how about Rogue? I imagine he's exhausted from everything that happened."

For a second, Hange was quiet until she let out a drawn out sigh. "He's – stressed out from the situation and Rogue's having trouble accepting some changes and truths. Overall, he's just very tired. He expelled quite a bit of energy during his encounter with The Armored Titan as well as during the escape from our enemy." The woman put simply, clear to Levi that she didn't wish to continue with their conversation. He wasn't particularly sure however, if Hange just didn't feel like disclosing any further information, or was just not wanting to slip up and say things that shouldn't be said. Luckily, Hannes seemed to get the message.

"Ah, I bet the boy is. I do hope he starts to feel better as well." The soldier spoke as he led them into a courtyard that was located in the very center of Garrison headquarters. It was basically a copy of the one in Ehrmich district, completely surrounded on all sides and secluded from the public and any prying eyes that would want to see what they were doing. One side of the courtyard served as a stable for horses, leading back into a small barn where the odor of manure and the familiar smell of hay radiated from. On his right was a station set aside for equipment repair which was practically full with the engineers having gone home for the evening. Directly across from them on the far side of the courtyard, was a large wooden door that was blocked off by two guards that looked as if they were on the verge of falling asleep. The trio then paused before the door with Hannes exchanging a few words with the guards before the two men allowed them passage.

Levi kept his signature scowl as he passed them, appearing completely unamused as the moonlight vanished, the party entering a darkened corridor only lit by torches and lamplight. As they descended down a set of stairs, it became clear that this part of headquarters was a much earlier build. The stone floor was more worn and the walls showed a brick pattern that had not been used in ages. Finally, after descending at least twelve feet, their party hit the bottom and only floor. Hannes then began to lead Hange and Levi down a long and narrow corridor. On one side of the wall, it was lined with torches and the other was lined with wooden doors with tiny windows sealed by iron bars. It was a dungeon, reminding him a bit of the one back in Stohess that Erwin was held in – without the stench. It was a known fact that in districts without MP posts such as Katness, the Garrison would be in charge of arresting suspects and placing them in holding cells until they saw fit and for more serious crimes such as murder, the culprit would be held until taken by the MP's – which was the case with Sannes. Levi scrutinized the cells further as they passed, taking note that most of them were really being utilized as storage spaces being full of spare gas canisters and even feed for the horses. It was something to be expected though, Katness was relatively a crime free district with the only troublemakers an occasional drunkard. Thus, the dungeons in Garrison headquarters were much cleaner than those of the Military Police. It made Levi truly thank the heavens.

Hannes guided them to a door that resided nearly in the center of the corridor that had two guards posted right outside – clearly displaying that they had reached their destination. Inwardly, Levi prepared himself while Hannes nodded to the two guards before turning to them and clearing his throat.

"Alright. Sannes is just inside. He's bound currently so he's not going anywhere. As you can image, he's not been too friendly with us. These two guards will be just outside for your convenience as well. Remember, the MP's come in the morning to take this guy away so you only have until dawn to try and get what you need. I wish the two of you luck." Hannes saluted before walking back the way which they came with the two guards stepping aside for them to enter.

"Alright." He began, his hand hovering near the knob of the door and eyes looking to a serious looking Hange. "How about you start with the questioning. I'll just jump in when I need to." He proposed with the woman suddenly wearing a smirk.

"Oh I see!" Hange lightly chuckled. "A 'good cop bad cop' routine?"

He frowned. "If you wish to classify it as such. It's more like 'fucking crazy cop and the 'asshole' with you being the crazy one."

To his dismay, Hange only smiled. "Ah, I see how it is. Hopefully my insanity makes him snap." The Section Commander teased but with her grin suddenly morphing back into a serious frown. "I'll just do my best to get the truth out of him."

His scowl deepened. "Whatever. Just do what you need to do and I'll do the same." He concluded with Hange nodding, most likely catching his underlining meaning once again.

Next, Levi then took a deep breath, a sharp inhale, before he turned the iron knob and opened the door. The room itself was no bigger than a ten by ten space. It was cold and only lit by lanterns set aside for their visit. In the center of the room were two empty chairs facing a third one where a man was seated with his gaze upon them. Levi's brows lifted in the slightest, mildly surprised at Sannes's appearance which was what he did not expect. The man was older than what he thought, at least in his late forties or early fifties. Sannes had short black hair with strands of grey, a long face with high cheekbones, and sunken eyes surrounded by slight wrinkles. The man peered back at them with a gaze that was nothing short of irritated as Hange trailed Levi into the room and sealed the door shut behind them. Even as Hange took a seat afore the man, he said nothing – simply staring as Levi stood intimidatingly with his arms folded and famous scowl deeper than usual. The Corporal simply remained observant as Hange cleared her throat and put a smile on her face – one of the fakest that Levi had ever seen. To some it would have been genuine, but to him as someone who could read emotions well, it was severely forced.

"So you must be Del Sannes!" Hange began, displaying a friendly act. "I am Section Commander Hange Zoe and my friend here is Corporal Levi! We are here on the behalf of Commander Erwin of the Survey Corps." The woman continued with Levi ignoring her title that she had given him. "We are here to ask you a few questions." Hange informed with Levi observing as her cheerful expression morphed into one of absolute seriousness – eyes promising punishment if what she seeked didn't come. Levi raised a brow at this, wondering who was really playing the bad cop in the situation. "Now, did you kill Pastor Nick?"

The Corporal observed as the man's brows pinched together and a look of defiance painted itself across his features. "Well, you certainly have a sudden change in demeanor don't you Miss Zoe?" Sannes began, his voice low and scratchy – reminding Levi of the tones of the many men in the Underground who smoked like there was no tomorrow. "Of course, I think you already know the answer to your question."

The woman's mouth turned down at the corners in the slightest. "So you did kill Nick. Why?"

Levi remained silent as the culprit continued. "I think you know that answer too, Section Commander. But this is one query I'll be glad to answer verbally. Nick just wouldn't keep his damn mouth shut."

Hange only nodded and pulled out a pen and pad, ready to jot down notes. "Alright. You are completely aware that Nick told us some classified details about Rogue. Now, I suspect that there is more about Rogue that the man didn't tell us. Right now, you need to tell us everything you know about the titan. Starting right now."

For a moment it was silent between the three until Sannes unexpectedly grinned – close to looking mad. "You two are absolute fools as with every other Scout! His Majesty and his kin are the ones that sealed us in these walls. His Majesty is right in mind and peace only comes with imprisonment not with war!" Sannes beamed, suddenly gaining a smug look upon his face and any hope that Levi had about the man giving in and telling the truth was diminished. "Humanity's Strongest huh? I'm sure you are a smart man Levi. I'm certain that you can guess what the monster hides."

Glancing at Hange, he could see that the woman was both perplexed and growing cross. "You can speak in a way that could be understood you know. For now, we'll come back to that question. Now, who sent you to kill Nick? It's clear that you didn't act alone."

Again, the man smiled. "I thought this was a clear enough answer Miss Hange that you could have figured out. I do the bidding of the first squad."

Hange quickly scribed the words before looking back up at Sannes. "The first squad. What is that?"

Sannes still wore his grin, leaning back confidently in his seat. "The first squad does the devil's work. We are the king's horses and the king's men. We are the shadows you can't see in the dark. We are the loyal subjects who spill sinner's blood. We are one of man's nearly forgotten secrets."

Levi's brows narrowed even further. They certainly weren't gaining any headway at all and it was clear that the Garrison was telling the truth about Sannes not willing to talk.

Hange exhaled, breath sharp. "Hmm, well then. How many of you are in this first squad?"

"You seem to be getting impatient with me Miss Zoe."

Hange's eyes narrowed. "Let me return to my previous question. What more do you know about Rogue Jaeger?"

Sannes chuckled, the vocal dry. "You are persistent. Quite pushy too." The man paused, eyes adverting to the wall to stare at nothing in particular in an aloof expression. "Rogue is a fucking fifteen-meter titan. Does that answer your question Miss Hange?" The man spoke sarcastically.

"No. It doesn't Mr. Sannes." Hange replied, coldness laced in her voice. "Let me elaborate. What else do you know about Rogue's power? Why would the true royal family and the church want to keep the truth silent? Am I clear enough with my question?" The woman continued, diving deeper into the information that the Scouts knew to try and proceed further.

The culprit however said nothing, simply looking at Hange with an almost bored look. Sannes let out an exasperated sigh. "Because the Ugly Duckling is a swan. But I guess you already knew that." The man smirked. "Any more questions you want to ask Miss Zoe?"

Hange's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to repeat myself. Answer my question. We don't have all evening." The Section Commander informed with Sannes suddenly letting out a laugh.

"That's true that you don't have all evening. The MP's will come in the morning and take me away – likely to be tried in court with the verdict of guilty. I'll then be executed for murder and that will be the end of it. I'll go to hell where I belong like you people probably want."

At the man's words Hange said nothing, tapping her pin on her notepad – the ink making a messy splotch. From where he stood, Levi could already see that the woman's face was tinting a shade of red. It was then that Levi decided that he needed to intervene. The classic interrogation wasn't going to work. Slowly, Levi approached the man, his bored look still upon his face as he took a step before Hange who looked away from her notebook and up to him in question. Sannes met his scowl with his own, but amazingly said nothing as the two men continued to stand their own ground. Finally, Levi cleared his throat and casually rolled up his sleeves – his expression not changing in the slightest.

"How about I ask the questions now? Since you've been nothing but a dick I figured I would have a turn to see if I can make you crack." The Corporal began as he lowered his arms, trying to appear as collected as possible. "Now. I'll start with the same question, but I'll just reword it. What more is there to Rogue's power that you feel the need to keep under wraps at all costs? What was so important that provoked someone to send you to kill a rat? Start talking. I'm not a patient person. Nor do I like dealing with complete shitheads. So you better give me a coherent answer"

Sannes blinked, brows pinching together and his forehead wrinkling. "Why don't you piss off? All of you are fools an –

However, the man didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as Levi's balled fist heavily impacted the man's jaw. Sannes's head snapped roughly to the side and blood decorated the adjacent wall – the sound of a tooth hitting the floor eerily echoed in the small cell. The chair shuttered and the man's breath was caught in his throat. The reverberation of Hange's falling seat sounded throughout the room as the woman stood in shock. However, Levi paid no attention. He was a hunter too transfixed upon his prey. Dazed from the hit, Sannes hung his head, blood running from his lips in a steady trickle to pool between his legs. Levi's gaze grew dangerous as Sannes finally tilted his head back to look at the man – his eyes showing absolute fear for the first time. The look was the very same that the old Levi would crave back in the Underground. He was a skilled thief and dangerous gang member. Even when he was very young he killed and tortured. Levi hated the person he once was, although he was cold and stern from his experience, he despised the fact that he had been reduced from slaughtering titans to beating a man for the truth. The only thing that didn't make him ill was the fact that Sannes was a murderer.

"That was the wrong answer. Let me repeat the question. Why is Rogue's power being kept under wraps?" He spoke gruffly, his fist clenched and ready to strike again.

Amazingly, Sannes didn't utter a single word, he just kept his frustrated gaze. The lack of response provoked the beast to come out of Levi again as he swung his fist, knuckles meeting flesh and crimson spraying. Before Sannes could whimper like a wounded animal, the Corporal swung his left fist, knocking Sannes's opposite side of his face. Levi nearly reveled at the sensation of snapping bone, his target's nose breaking with blood now decorating the man's face. Levi then quickly caught the tipping chair and sat the man straight again. It was then that the man gave a low drone – his head swaying and blood now decorating his chest. Levi however wasn't finished as he slammed his heel down on top of the man's foot with Sannes yowling like a dying cat. Gripping the arms of the chair, the Corporal leaned closer, his steel gaze burning into his victim like a judgmental god.

"Levi," Hange cut in, her speech seemingly higher than before. "We can't beat the crap out of him! The Military Police –

"Don't worry." Levi replied, his eyes still locked upon his prey like a cat to a mouse. "I have nothing to pull his fingernails off or to clip his balls with. All my doings will only appear as if the Garrison roughed this idiot up a bit in a scuffle while he attempted to flee. Nothing more. We'll leave before those bastards can get close." Levi paused, bending even lower where their faces were merely inches apart, ignoring Hange's lack of response. "Now, where were we… oh yes. Since you seem to be having trouble answering my question, let me move on to another one. I only have two questions and I'll ask them repeatedly until you answer. So, did the real royal family, the Reiss, send you to do their bidding? Or did they hire another party to not get blood upon their hands? And did such a party hire the first squad who sent you to do their dirty work?"

Sannes grunted, blood dripping in clumps from his nose. Levi observed as the man's head swayed. As much as he didn't want to get his hands physically dirty, he needed the man to be alert enough for his questioning. Without wasting any more time, Levi quickly pinched the mangled bridge of Sannes's broken nose that was now horridly disfigured. The culprit let out a screech as he tightened his grip – blood oozing into the wrinkles of his knuckles. Levi nearly scoffed at the unwanted crimson, but kept his nerve. He would just rid his hands of filth later. "I apologize, but I need you awake. How about your answer? Ready to give it to me?"

Sannes's now reddened eyes looked to the Corporal in terror. The man's face barely twitched however even as Levi tightened his hold – Sannes only grinding his teeth. His own temper flared as the man's eyes suddenly narrowed, irises changing to a look of rebellion once again. Before Levi could react, Sannes pursed his lips and spat, blood splattering over his bleached shirt and spots landing upon his jaw. Like a beast, he could feel his irritation turn to fury. The fucker before him was incredibly stupid and he would now drill the fact into the suspect's head. With his mouth formed in a snarl, Levi growled and planted his fist into the man's stomach – forcing Sannes to awkwardly bend over with a pained inhale. Levi wasn't finished however as he quickly brought his knee into the man's chin, forcing a second tooth to fly towards the ceiling.

"FUCK!" Sannes choked, his blood distorting his speech.

"God… Levi –

He ignored all pleas and continued his work. Smoothly, skilled from practice, Levi placed a boot beneath the chair's edge and lifted upward – Sannes and his chair falling backward onto the floor with the man's head bouncing from the impact like a child's ball. Placing his foot onto the edge of the chair again, Levi shoved both the man and the piece of cheap furniture across the room so forcefully that the man's head hit the far wall. "Of all the stupid moves you could have made – you pulled that one." The Corporal growled as he motioned briskly to the man – grabbing his shirt and pulling both Sannes and the chair upright again. "Just for that, how about every time you don't answer or reply with bullshit I hit you harder until you squeal like the pig you are and lay it all out for me." He spoke with venom practically dripping from his tone. Sannes coughed, a sneer returning to his face – a false display of confidence.

"You're - a monster." The man growled out with Levi merely blinking at the meaning of the insult.

"I'm no more of a monster than you are Mr. Sannes. You however are a cowardly beast." Levi retorted without missing a single beat. "Now, again. Did the Reiss put you up to this or did someone they hire did?"

"I… already answered that!"

The Corporal's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint as he instinctively advanced with a brutal uppercut to Sannes's chin. Again, blood decorated the wall at the quick but brutal blow, droplets touching his cheeks and lips. It was well known that Rogue craved such a sensation at the sight and feeling of being coated with his foe's blood. Levi however would be lying if he said that he favored the sensation. At the moment however, he was far too lustful for the truth to care. "You reiterate that answer in a tongue that I and Shitty Glasses over here can understand."

"Fuck… you."

Without a hint of regrets or remorse, Levi threw his fist forward again into Sannes's jaw. The horrific sound of splitting bone met their ears as the man's jaw was fractured. Once more, the culprit screamed like a bound to be slaughtered hog. At the hit, the man and his chair toppled over again with Sannes's head hitting the floor for a second time. To his luck, the man was still conscious enough for him to proceed with his rough interrogation. "Again, wrong answer. I can keep this up all night Sannes. You've got a broken nose, enough blood loss to make you dizzy, a broken jaw, and likely a concussion. I don't think you'll last much longer before you pass out. So I'll be sure to get the truth from you beforehand." Levi spoke as he repositioned himself to stand imposingly afore the man. "Let's switch to the other question. What more is there to Rogue's power? Why would the true king want to keep the fact secret? Why would he order someone to kill Nick? Why would he wish to remove Rogue Jaeger from the equation?"

However, his prey only lay upon the floor, staring up at him with a mixture of fear and willfulness. The lack of an answer fueled his frustration even further and provoked the Corporal to give a swift kick to the man's stomach yet again. Sannes reflexively curled in as best as he could upon himself and coughed up more crimson to stain the damp floor. "You might want to start talking."

A bloody and beaten face rotated to peer up at him once again, but Sannes did nothing.

And so Levi kicked once more.

A rib snapped, but Sannes remained silent, muffling his scream of agony.

Thus, the Corporal repeated his action.

Blood left the man's lips once again but no words were muttered.

He brought his heel upon the man's shoulder, his patience wearing thinner by the second.

Again, blood sprayed the bricked floor but Sannes somehow held his ground.

Once more, Levi repeated the question and received the same response, kicking the pathetic soul again in the stomach. Asking the query again, Sannes only remained defiant. Levi however had enough. He wanted his answer. He didn't want to get dirty for nothing. So he kicked again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

The floor painted itself red and the Corporal stood back, staring down at the man in disgust as he tried to catch his breath. Slowly, Levi reached up and attempted to fix his ruffled locks as his ice like eyes watched his victim struggle to breathe through the pain. Sannes's eyes were half lidded and stubbornly hanging on to consciousness. At this, Levi exhaled; fatigue was settling into him and with Sannes's lack of cooperation – it was clear that their attempts were fruitless and the man was fully committed to keeping his lips sealed no matter what. "Worthless piece of shit." He muttered, his tone laced with exasperation. "You must be on a very tight leash if you'd rather be beaten to death than say the one thing that can save you – the one thing that may lighten your prison sentence." Levi lied, heaving another breath. "Boy the Garrison has a lot to clean up after you –

The Corporal however didn't get the chance to finish his sentence as a foot that wasn't his own hit Sannes square in the chest with the man releasing a cry of agony. Stunned, Levi turned to see a furious looking Hange standing adjacent to him and over their subject of interrogation. To Levi's further surprise, the woman's face contorted into a maddened look with a sick smile. He said nothing, he couldn't remember when he had seen the very look upon the Section Commander's face.

"Oh Sannes! You're the silent type aren't you!" Hange playfully taunted. "You've been beaten like a dirty rug and not one word! Incredible. You are an intriguing specimen!" Hange chuckled darkly as she suddenly kicked the man's chin again, staining her pant leg with splotches of crimson. "Too bad I can't take skin samples and fingernail samples hell even a blood sample from you to figure out why humans are a delicacy to titans! Ah! I bet they would fancy the taste of a man like you!" Hange cackled as her foot made contact with Sannes's face yet again – bending his broken nose in a completely different direction. The man only whimpered like a dying dog.

Before the woman could act further, the door to the cell opened with Hannes waiting within the frame. He himself looked disturbed at the scene that looked as if it came straight out of a horror novel. "Er – I came to warn the two of you that the MP's are coming earlier than expected. You two only have an hour left to get him to talk." Hannes could barely speak, too transfixed by the grueling sight. Levi sighed.

"Shit. We have to hurry this up."

"Right! You hear that Sannes!" Hange smiled. "We're going to have to work a little harder to get the truth out of –

"W…wait. P…lease." Sannes unexpectedly uttered, catching the two Scouts off guard. "I'll… answer."

Levi's brows lifted at the man's words. "So you're finally going to talk huh?"

Sannes nodded. "Y…es. But… please… don't hit… me again."

"Well, we're listening. I believe you know by now what we asked."

Sannes quickly cleared his throat. "I… don't know the name… of the one… who hired us. I'm a low… ranked and new member. This… was my… initiation. But I know… why your titan… is a target."

"Tell us."

Sannes swallowed, and turned to look up at them in absolute fear. "Your titan… Rogue… is the King of All Earth." The man spoke before darkness clearly claimed him.

Both Hange and Levi were speechless as they simply stared down at the unconscious man. For what seemed like minutes, all was silent until Levi snapped back to reality.

"As much as I would like to ask this bastard what the hell he means, we don't have the time to revive him. We got valid information, but now we need to leave."

* * *

As Hannes ushered the two Scouts out of the Garrison headquarters, Levi couldn't help but be in a daze. Sannes, although stubborn and difficult to crack, had given he and Hange revealing news. There was this first squad that he had never heard of that seemed to be a group that wasn't associated with the Mp's but rather a force that was hired to do the dirty work. Of course, the thing that Levi was having trouble wrapping his head around was the information Sannes spoke about Rogue – a fact that he was willing to get beaten to death over. Rogue – was 'The King of All Earth' – what in the hell did the bastard mean by that? Was that giant idiot –

"Your ride is here!"

At the Garrison soldier's words, Levi drifted from his train of thought to see the Scouts' carriage coming from around the corner and quickly approaching them – the horse's nostrils flaring as it galloped in a hasty advance. It wouldn't be much longer before the Military Police showed up and Levi was thankful of the carriage's prompt arrival. They needed to hurry and get the news to their Commander.

"Good. It's about time we should be going." Hange responded. "Please tell Pixis that we thank him for the opportunity."

"No problem. The Commander is just glad that you could come on such short notice."

Levi only nodded in reply as the cabbie steered the carriage before them, the horse coming to an abrupt halt. The driver of the carriage barely acknowledged them as he messily climbed down from his seat. "We need to get this information to Erwin quickly." He began sternly, eyes watching the man rounded the cab. "Although it's nearly three in the morning, I don't care if his ass is asleep I'm waking him. I fear that what we were just told is incredibly serious."

Hange dipped her head in agreement, saying nothing in response as the cabbie opened the door to the carriage. Worrying that anyone could be close by watching, the two Scouts quickly bid farewell to Hannes and climbed into the small cab, sealing the door behind them. However, as they sat, they were met with an unexpected surprise.

Seated across from the two was none other than Erwin himself. The man looked exhausted and frankly unkempt. Erwin was dark beneath his eyes and had not bothered to tend to his blonde locks. The man was still in his evening clothes, but his face wore the same serious look as always. Levi's lip curled in the slightest. The Commander was wise, but he clearly didn't know what bedrest meant.

"Erwin? What the hell are you doing? You're not even supposed to be riding in a horse carriage let alone be out of bed period. If you bleed out that's your own fault."

"Levi," The man retorted, his address sharp. "This is more important. Besides, I'm on pain medication currently and I have emergency clot powder of my wound opens." Erwin paused, lifting a finger to gesture at the two of them. "You both look worse for wear so I take it that Sannes was difficult to crack. What were you able to get out of him?" The Commander questioned as the carriage lurched forward and began to ride off into Katness at what felt like a brisk pace.

Hange quickly pulled out her notepad, flipping the cover before clearing her throat. "It was difficult – Levi and I had to rough Sannes up a bit and force the truth out of him. Sannes spoke mostly in analogies and metaphors so he wasn't straightforward at all. But he did tell us he was sent to kill Nick by a group called the first squad." Hange paused, glancing from her notes to Erwin. "Sannes described the first squad as, and I quote: 'The first squad does the devil's work. We are the king's horses and the king's men. We are the shadows you can't see in the dark. We are the loyal subjects who spill sinner's blood. We are one of man's nearly forgotten secrets.' At first I was skeptical, but I'm guessing they are hired assassins of some kind. Does 'first squad' mean anything to you Erwin? Have you heard of them?" Hange alliterated as the carriage turned another corner.

Erwin sat back in his seat, eyes suddenly adverting to the floor. "No, I can't say that I've heard of them. By the description you gave me it does sound as if they are hired assassins or mercenaries. It's interesting that Sannes used the phrase 'king's men' which makes me think that The real king of the walls hired these men or had someone else hire them for him. Either the Reiss themselves, the church, or some other party."

"Exactly." The Corporal began. "We suspected the same thing."

"Yes." Hange continued. "Especially when he said: 'His Majesty is right in mind and peace only comes with imprisonment not with war' – which definitely reefers to the Reiss or more specifically Historia's father. Still, we don't have definite proof if he indeed hired the first squad himself."

"True." Erwin spoke. "Historia doesn't even know the name of her own father either due to the fact that she was predominantly raised by someone else." The man looked to them again. "That's more key information that we need to dig up. What else did you find out?"

For a moment the two were silent, the Corporal making note that Hange was making no move to reply as she kept staring at her messy handwriting at the most incriminating fact that she had written hastily as they had made their way out of Garrison headquarters. The woman appeared as if she was still too stunned by the fact to speak it. Levi finally exhaled.

"Erwin, it took us beating Sannes within an inch of his life to get this out of him. Sannes said that the big brat was 'The King of All Earth' – which I admittedly find unsettling."

"The – King of Earth?" Erwin acknowledged with Hange finally nodding.

"Yes. Erwin – I think our previous assumption that Rogue was the King of Titans could be severely off. Nick said that Rogue was an entity that ruled over titans and men. I believe, going by this new information, that Rogue may indeed be the true ruler of the world."

It was silent as the carriage continued to roll over the cobblestone streets of Katness, the dark sky starting to lighten as the wagon passed over the district's border. Each of the three Scouts bore looks that hid their stress at the truth. The Corporal shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I'm having trouble swallowing the fact that our bumbling idiot of a titan is this King of All Earth. But I can't deny that Mehr and the other shit deviants obviously were aware of this."

Hange sighed. "It is difficult to take in. I don't blame you. It's hard seeing our gentle giant as such. Don't get me wrong, it's incredible but it's just so troublesome to think about. Rogue just wants to live normally and I've seen just how stressed he is knowing how much an important role he's in."

"Indeed." Erwin sighed, sounding almost tired for the first time since he had met the two of them shortly before. "I do wonder if Rogue knew this in his past at all." The man dithered, reaching once again to scratch at his other arm that was absent. "I think it's painfully clear that Rogue is considered as such do to his power. I am starting to wonder if this was the fact that the Reiss and the church was trying to hide rather than the possibility that there was more to Rogue's uncanny ability. Then again, Sannes could not have told you both everything and there really is more to what Rogue can do that puts him in this position. I'm still leaning towards my second theory myself."

Levi only dipped his head at the meaning of Erwin's statement, his nod in understanding barely detectable. Damn how he hated this. He wished that Sannes would have spoken much more.

"Erwin – should we, you know, tell Rogue this?"

For a brief second the man looked up at the swaying lantern before placing his hardened blues back to them. "For now, I wouldn't. At least until we know more. As far as sharing what you learned with Ackerman and Arlert, that is it up to the two of you. You may let your new squad know as well Levi, but keep it from Rogue for now. As far as when you can tell them, that's your decision as well."

"Understood."

"Of course, when we arrive back at headquarters – I assume the first you'll do is wash up before turning in. You can postpone any of your training sessions to catch up on sleep."

At the statement, Levi was then aware of his blood splattered clothes and skin. Knowing that there was nothing to cleanse it from him in the carriage, the Corporal only released a vexed breath. "That's the first thing I'm doing. My squad is asleep anyway. By the way," He continued as he turned to face Hange who possessed the same marks of blood spatter. "I wasn't expecting you to get in on the action. You looked like you had gone mad and I'd go as far as saying that you appeared to enjoy it."

Hange shrugged her shoulders, chuckling lightly. "I'm always prepared to do anything for Rogue, including getting the truth pertaining to him. Besides – Sannes was piece of crap."

Levi sat back at the woman's answer but otherwise nodded. Minutes passed by as the carriage continued to roll gently across the scarce countryside, leaving Katness in the distance. No one spoke a single word, only looking out the curtained window, twiddling their thumbs, or watching the swaying lantern. Finally, the awkward and tense aura was broken by the clearing of the Commander's throat.

"In light of this recent event, I believe necessary precautions need to be made for our trip to Sina next month for the trial." Erwin started, sounding even more grave than before.

"Like what?"

"Rogue is being summoned as a witness for my trial the day after I take the stand and give my testimony. If you two can recall the incident with the hunters stumbling upon Rogue and the iron bamboo bullet that he was shot with – I believe those men could have been part of the first squad as well. Which means –

"Rogue is at risk."

"Precisely." Erwin confirmed. "Not only is he a target, but Miss Reiss is also. Thus, I believe it would be wise if during our stay in Sina, if both Rogue and Historia were taken to an undisclosed and remote location near Olvid district until court calls for Rogue. The location I have in mind is the farm owned by Dita Ness's parents. At one time they used to breed our horses for us until we took on the task. On occasion they supply us with home grown food goods and natural ingredients. No one knows we have any relation to them. The farm is located in a wooded area with wide stretches of farmland that's far from civilization. When the time comes, we'll take Rogue and Historia there. Molbit as well."

"Alright. What about my Squad along with Ackerman and Arlert? Knowing Rogue, he won't be too pleased with the separation. Does Arlert and Ackerman have to be witnesses for this case as well?"

Erwin nodded. "Upon reading into the court summons, all of you are. Levi, you and your squad will remain in Olvid district, with your gear close by as well as other personal protection on hand. After you finish your testimonies, you'll return to the farm in an unmarked carriage that will pick you up on the outskirts of Olvid. Hange will remain with me in case I need to pass on messages. The next day, all of you will escort Rogue to the court. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir." Hange and himself spoke in unison.

"Right. I'll go ahead and say this as well. Be cautious of the Military Police. We can't deny the connection of the bullet to the old guns the MP's once used. Not only that but the fact that the man that previously attacked Rogue was a former MP soldier. It may be bizarre to say, but Nile himself may be the only truthful MP we know of. Sure, he is arrogant, but he mostly just follows orders from the false king. Still, keep him in the dark of what's going on here. And of course, if you see any persons that appear suspicious. Deal with them any way you see fit. If a man like Sannes can kill a middle aged priest, these first squad members have no problem with killing anyone. Do I make myself clear?"

"Understood, Sir." Levi replied as he settled back into his seat. The truth was absolutely one that he did not wish to hear. Deep down, he was fully aware that they were most certainly not out of the woods. It was likely that Pastor Nick's confession was going to snowball future events.

( **POV SWAP)**

The day was a beautiful one. The wide countryside fertile with wheat and other crops he couldn't find a name to seemed to dance in the gentle breeze. Water from a distant mill glittered in the sunlight and the trees appeared to whisper about the coming fall. If he could have Rogue would have stopped to lie and roll about upon his back in the fields to soak in the sun. However, he, his little ones, squad, and several of the higher ups had a schedule to keep as they made their way towards Sina.

Discreetly, Rogue looked down to see the leading carriage that both Erwin and Levi rode in as well as an open wagon much like the ones that the Scouts brought on missions that the young recruits were seated in as well as a Hange that was riding her own horse between the two of them. Rogue could feel himself tilt his head in the slightest – still puzzled at what he was looking at. For some reason, his little ones had dismounted from his shoulders and moved to sit among his young squad mates in the wagon with no real explanation as to why they were doing so. The titan blinked, studying further. The plain wagon seemed to carry several supplies that were purposely covered by a tarp and held several items that really had no place in the wagon – such as several crates of grapes and what he had heard someone describe as bottles of wine. His family's lack of uniforms perplexed him as well – all of which were simply wearing casual clothes with the addition of an unmarked cloak. His Armin and Mikasa seemed unnatural still, almost as if they were forcing themselves to look at nothing in particular. Admittedly, he was worried.

A month had quickly gone by since their clash with the other deviant titans. Things had gone about like usual along with the new session that Levi and Hange had added in to his routine. On some days they would practice trying to bring about his Berserk Mode in different ways in the safety of a deep cavern in the Scouts' territory. They had attempted to make him angry and to get him to bring the ability forth with a bizarre process that they had called meditation. As he had expected, he wasn't showing any positive results. The most he had done was just steam and cloud the area to where they would have to cancel the experimental session. Soldiers were adjusting to new roles and leaving to love and remember a lost comrade. Thankfully, despite his position, he was treated the same and everyone was friendly to him as usual. However, the only thing that Rogue seemed to notice was off was what he wanted to title as the 'secretive behavior' of his babies.

The things he has noticed were subtle and small, but still clear enough for him to make note of them. Armin and Mikasa seemed to know of something that he did not. And the very something seemed to be a fact that they didn't wish to disclose. On occasion, he had found them staring at him during training and during his education with Hange. When they had their eyes upon him they always looked distressed beneath their skin. Concerned about their actions, he had taken it upon himself to question the two of them one day, during the evening right before bed. When he had done so, there was a slight hesitation before they replied saying that he either 'had a more mature look about him' or 'he had lost weight.' At the time, Rogue had simply gone with their answers, but deep down he knew that their statements were false and just excuses. He looked the same as always with the same child-like demeanor and it was impossible for him to lose weight when he hadn't eaten a thing to throw up. Rogue knew that whatever they were hiding, it was something not good and his babies didn't want to spit it out.

It was absolutely bizarre.

Even as he walked next to the rolling wagon, he didn't understand them at all. In truth, it upset him to the point where it hurt his feelings. Why were they being so strange? Why was everyone before him doing something so odd at a time like this?

Rogue slowed his pace ever so slightly, a scratchy sigh barely escaping his throat as he continued to observe. He was quickly growing irritated with not being included as to what was going on. Sure, he knew they were going to Sina for a trial, but why were they going like this? From what he remembered, Sina was a place where the rich and extravagant lived and the Scouts were always in uniform for everything. Even for a trial. Not only that, but he wasn't wearing his shackles. He wore a new collar that Hange had ordered for him that looked nearly identical to his old one with the leather and plates along with his name, but not his shackles. Rogue knew well that his shackles were to be worn in Sina so why wasn't he wearing them? True, it was one thing he wasn't complaining about because he hated them, but the lack of them upon his wrists confused him greatly.

Again, the titan glanced down at his family, feeling himself grow a bit more agitated. He needed to get them to speak. He needed to know what was going on and he needed to know now. Rogue's brows narrowed as he contemplated how to go about addressing the situation when they were moving. It was then that the titan recalled his ace in the hole. He would plop down upon his rump to gain their attention from the impact and then proceed to pout to ignite their concern before asking them what the hell their secret was. Rogue's eyes ignited with a devious streak as he prepared to carry out his plan.

"Alright, here's the fork in the road."

Rogue abandoned his idea for the time being as he watched their party stop in their tracks. Confused once again, the titan observed Levi remove himself from the carriage and Hange dismount from her horse. The behemoth's ears naturally pinned backwards as he became more befuddled and cross at the lack of communication with him. He scrutinized as Molbit abandoned his seat where he sat to steer the wagon to take up Hange's horse with Historia leaving the wagon to follow him. Levi and Hange stood, quietly exchanging words with Hange – the woman glancing up at him from the corner of her eye. His greens caught his little ones as well staring up at him – a slight nervous quiver in their jaws as they lifted themselves from their seats. Rogue's nose wrinkled as his babies dismounted and motioned to speak with their superiors, keeping their voices purposely hushed. The titan snorted, he had enough.

Quickly, before anyone could notice what he was doing, Rogue bent his legs and promptly seated himself on his rear, jolting all life around. His move startled the horses and brought all eyes to him. Pissed, Rogue folded his arms and stared heatedly at the crowd below him – paying no heed to the fact that he looked like a giant toddler with his legs sprawled out before him. Rogue released a vocal similar to a bark and proceeded to pout, waiting on the obvious question.

"Rogue?" Hange began, turning away from her previous engagement. "What's wrong? Are you upset about something?"

Aloof, the titan blew a jet of steam from his nostrils before folding his ears over in aggravation. " **WHHATT GOIIN ONN! WHHII… ARRE YUUU NOTT ALLKING TOO NEE!"** Rogue heaved a frustrated breath. " **WHAAT YUU KEEPINGGG SECRRET!"** The titan nearly yelled at them. At his outburst, his little ones looked completely startled and Hange released a sad sigh.

"Rogue, I'm sorry sweetheart that we've been keeping rather hush about things." Hange chuckled nervously. "But right now things are a bit risky with some of the events that happened recently. Right now, you and Historia are going to go with Molbit to a secret location so you two can be safe. We are doing this because at this present time, we don't feel that you would be safe in Olvid district. Rogue – not long ago Pastor Nick was killed because he leaked some information he should not have. Erwin as well as all of us here do not want anything bad to happen to you or Historia so that's why we want to relocate the two of you somewhere safe until you are needed. Do you understand?"

The titan sat back at the news, shoulders sinking in the slightest. They were moving him and Historia somewhere no one could find them? Pastor Nick had been killed for saying something important? Rogue's ears lowered. He supposed that the decision made sense. However, the titan's ears lifted in alert yet again as the realization hit him. What of his little ones? Where were they to go? Why were they being separated from him? Would he ever see them again? At the very thought, Rogue gestured to his little ones in both desperation and in anger. " **ARRNINN! NIKKASA! DEYY NEED TO BEE WITT NEE! ETT NOTT SAFF!"**

"Rogue, now is not the time to start this shit." Levi muttered, receiving a sharp growl from the beast.

"We're sorry Rogue, but Armin and Mikasa will be needed for the trial tomorrow. The same goes for the other members in your squad. You don't need to worry. No one knows who they are remember? They are going to be well hidden. Not to mention, they will be in the care of none other than Levi!"

The titan's gaze softened at the Section Commander's information. Although he wanted nothing more than to protect his babies, Levi was a very capable person to put his trust in. " **EVVI – WILL BEE WITT DENN?"**

Hange nodded enthusiastically. "Yes Rogue! Levi will be with your babies and everyone else. Plus, they have their own protection if they need it." She smiled. "Not to mention Rogue, it's only for a short while. You'll see Armin and Mikasa again tomorrow night. It's just over a day of separation. You can handle that right Rogue? You're a big boy remember? You can do it." The woman beamed tenderly with Rogue loosening even further, now feeling utterly foolish for his childish fit.

"Hange's right Rogue." Armin beamed tenderly at him. "It won't be long. We'll get to Olvid district this evening while you and the others scale the southwest side with the help of the Garrison providing cover."

"Also Rogue." Mikasa approached him and patted his foot. "You get to stay at a farm. You've always wanted to see one right? There are all sorts of animals like the ones we show you on flash cards like cows, goats, and chickens. You'll finally get to see those and there are plenty of horses. You'll have some fun with them, Historia, and Molbit. We'll be okay Rogue. You don't need to worry about us. We're in good hands and we'll be back together soon." His little one smiled softly at him, her look easily breaking him and making the titan see to reason.

Rogue let out a prolonged sigh, steam wavering over his audience. Yes, his little ones would be completely fine with someone like Levi. The man had survived taking on the Armored Titan, the Female Titan, and countless others. If there really were other predators out there – he was certain that the Corporal would show no mercy. His babies were in good hands, hands that always smelled like bleach, but good hands nonetheless. His squad members would be fine as well. No one would find he and Historia either on a lonely farm – something he always wanted to get a closer look at. Finally, the titan gave in to a weak but supportive smile. " **OKEE. EII UNDRRSTANND."** The titan spoke as softly as he could manage as he bent over to press his face into his two babies, a purr resonating from deep in his chest. He watched as Armin and Mikasa's grins grew broader as they reached to stroke his cheek and nose.

"Glad you understand, bud." Armin began again as he motioned to scratch just beneath his gaunt cheek. "Just remember that it's not going to be years that we're apart." The teen chuckled with Rogue giving in to a slight huff. Yes, it wouldn't be like his time in Maria when he sent them to live with the humans. It was just a day and a half as opposed to three long years and he had Historia and Molbit to keep him company while they were gone.

"You'll be okay big brother. We'll be back before you even have the chance to miss us." Mikasa alliterated as she pressed her brow into his, the titan feeling his heart flutter at her gesture. "We love you."

The titan couldn't help the affectionate warble that seeped through his lipless maw. Gently, he parted his teeth and blessed the two teens with a lick before nuzzling into them. Rogue purred louder as he continued to express his farewell and wish his little one's safe travels. Finally, after several more minutes of reassuring and farewells to his family, Rogue stood and began to follow Molbit and Historia as they rode upon their horse. The beast couldn't help but wave as the wagons went in the opposite direction. Again, they began their trek with Rogue following the two Scouts closely, eyes wondering about the landscape as a natural need to scope things out settled in. Deep down, the titan couldn't help but feel anxious.

**(POV SWAP)**

"Well now! I'd say that he's certainly having fun!" The farmer chuckled, his wife laughing next to him as the titan before them continued his antics.

"He's just like a little kid in a candy store!" The woman smiled, the sound of her mirth warm and displaying her bubbly personality. "I never thought a titan could actually be cute!"

Historia smiled at the older couple's commentary. She couldn't help but feel the same amount of elation. In the previous evening, she, Molbit, and Rogue had arrived at the Ness's farm when the moon was starting to descend from the sky. Being nearly midnight, their party couldn't perform a proper visit, Mr. Ness promptly guiding the three of them to a vacant barn as soon as he spied that the titan's body was nearly given out. That night, as cramped as the barn was, Rogue easily fell asleep, curled around them just like a protective mother wolf and her pups. As soon as the morning dawned, Rogue awoke with both boundless energy and curiosity. Somehow, Historia and Molbit had convinced Rogue to keep from roaming and to meet with the owners of the farm. Mr. Ness was a plump but still fairy muscular man with short greying locks and a pair of circular glasses that seemed to fit his easy- going personality. Mrs. Ness looked like the typical jolly grandmother and if the term was listed in a dictionary, it was likely that Mrs. Ness would have been an illustration next to it. She was a chubby and cheerful woman and Historia couldn't help but notice that she seemed to constantly smell like pumpkin pie. At first, like many, they seemed a bit reserved and unsure upon Rogue's greeting. However, with one purr from the beast, any insecurities melted away and suddenly they were in the care of what they could appropriately consider as an overgrown toddler.

Or – perhaps an overgrown puppy was a better term.

Currently, Rogue ran on all fours with his emerald greens lit with nothing more than child-like excitement as he interacted with several goats and ducks that roamed around freely on the ranch. A variety of squeaks and grunts left Rogue as he hopped back and forth upon his hands and feet, his mouth contorted into a lively smile. For the past ten minutes, Rogue had been giving playful chase to the small animals and attempting to play with them in the only way that he seemed to know how. Again, the four chuckled as Rogue dropped down with a high pitched grunt, resting oddly on his elbows and chest with his rump in the air as he produced a variety of playful vocals at a group of small goats that had taken an interest in him. The two Scouts and the couple were seated on a lone picnic table watching the show play out before them.

"He's amazing." Mr. Ness began again as they continued to watch the giant. "Rogue's quite the goofball. Is he always like this?" The man snickered as Rogue's hips wiggled like an excited cat before he gave a loud tweet from his maw and then proceeding to run awkwardly on his hands and feet around the large red barn adjacent to him before stopping at its corner, hiding behind it with just his face peering around the bend, watching the animals with fully dilated pupils. Molbit chortled, putting down his pencil for the moment to break from his current sketch and join in on the conversation.

"Most of the time Rogue is in excellent spirits. Despite everything he's gone through, he's a very happy titan all around. Rogue can best be described as a mixture of a young human child with the deposition and behavior much like a dog or cat. Besides having human like intelligence, he obviously has many animalistic characteristics. Rogue is a friend to everyone and almost everything. He's a friendly fellow with a mischievous side, but even though he loves to play around he takes following orders pretty seriously. Rogue loves the company of people – in fact he doesn't like being alone at all. He just – loves humans in general and he'd never harm a fly. Rogue is good natured and good hearted." Molbit explained with a smile as their group watched Rogue slowly edge out from behind the barn, the young goats that had been interested in him bounding to the titan once again like hopping bunnies. Comically, Rogue tucked his head for a few seconds behind the barn once again before edging out with a squeal. "The only time you ever see him behave like a bloodthirsty beast is when he fights other titans. Otherwise, he's a Sweetheart. Everyone at headquarters loves him."

"He's such a gentle giant!" Mrs. Ness spoke as Rogue tilted as if he was nervous, lifting his hand like it was too heavy for him before letting it hover over the baby goats with the intent to touch before the titan brought his hand back to the ground and hopped to his side, the impact of his weight sending a vibration that made even her ribs rattle. "Aw! He's so excited. So this is his first time on a farm and seeing these animals?"

Historia nodded. "Oh yes! Rogue knows forest animals and our horses really well, but as you can probably guess he didn't get to go close to farms. Even still, he isn't allowed to go beyond the Scout's grounds. So every bit of this is a sight to behold to him." She educated, watching as Rogue crouched down again to be at the goats' level. She couldn't help but giggle at the giant's crooked and lopsided grin. All eyes watched as the baby goats approached the titan again and began to scream in play, sounding like a bizarre mix of a toddler and sheep. Rogue's ears fluttered and his mouth somehow contorted into an even bigger grin. Suddenly, the titan inhaled and released a booming sound in return, the vocal was a nonthreatening vocal – sounding like some prehistoric beast before it quieted into a deep purr. At first, the goats were still and appearing as if they had been frightened before bouncing around the titan again with the beast following them.

"So Historia, you said that Rogue is part of the Levi squad along with you correct? What's he like during training?" Mr. Ness questioned, sticking a toothpick that he had been chewing on back in his mouth.

"Well," Krista rubbed her chin as Rogue took a sudden interest in a white chicken that had darted across his wake, the beast abandoning his current game to follow it to a hen house. "He's wonderful to train with. He helps by teaching us how to evade a titan attack as well as practice complex maneuvers. When we are on lunch break we usually eat with him and he lets us do anything to him." Historia paused as she watched the titan circle the hen house like a dog looking for its toy beneath a piece of furniture. "He would even let me sit on his head and braid his hair."

"Wow really?" Mrs. Ness laughed yet again. "It sounds like Rogue is like the perfect sibling and –

However, the woman was interrupted by a strange noise that she herself had not heard before. It was a very fast series of deep squeaks. At first, Historia and the others looked equally confused until they turned their attention to the only possible source. There was Rogue, crouched down to where he almost sat on his belly as he tried to look into one of the windows of the small red hen house. Suddenly, Rogue parted his teeth and began to produce the same sound again – the titan's jaws parting and closing rapidly with his ears wiggling in unison while his eyes were locked onto his target. Again, Rogue shifted his weight and repeated the same action, the squeaking becoming higher in pitch. Historia could feel her own jaw slack in the slightest. This was something that she had never witnessed from the beast and she was certain that Mikasa and Armin had not seen such either for they never spoke of it. The blonde teen couldn't help but smile. Back when she lived on a farm she had seen cats do the same at birds when they couldn't reach them. Rogue looked like a giant all too eager feline.

"I – didn't know he could do that." Molbit trailed off with the older couple giving in to more giggles.

"It's clear to see why you say he's animal like. Dare I say this, but he's almost like a giant hairless cat." Mrs. Ness illustrated, giggling again along with her husband who promptly agreed.

"I wish all the titans were like him." Mr. Ness began again as Rogue circled the hen house before placing himself over it and trying to look inside. "He's just a big kid. The Jaegers were very lucky people to have him."

Historia could only nod at the comment as she turned to watch Rogue get distracted by the goats once again before guiding the little animals back to the hen house as if to ask them what chickens were. The teen then began to retreat into her own mind. It was difficult for her to believe that she was once going to train to kill the very titan that she was now very good friends with and could trust immensely. Rogue was such a good-natured soul and didn't give up or get angry at her when she revealed her secret to him. It was absolutely stunning that Rogue was so forgiving. How? How could she even have considered killing Rogue? How could anyone else for that matter? Rogue was the nicest being she had ever met – and he wasn't even human. The fact that there was still people in the world that hated him and wanted him slain like a monster was beyond her. Historia brought her knees to her chest, hugging herself. All her life, the church had only drilled the fact that Rogue was some sort of devil into her head. Her grandparents as well mentioned a demon every once in a while. Upon first seeing the titan in Trost, she could feel the hatred boiling in her belly, but seeing Rogue's true nature when the Scouts managed to make contact she couldn't help but let her previous perceptions melt away and fall for the creature. Past the grizzly exterior of the beast, Rogue was indeed just a misunderstood soul that wanted to do his best to care for everyone and other times he was like a frightened child struggling to understand the cruelty of the world. Rogue was not a monster at all.

Rogue was her friend.

"Well," Mrs. Ness began again, breaking the silence. "I am going to go back inside and work on making us all lunch. I feel like making peach cobbler today as well so that all of you can have it for desert." She beamed with her husband nodding.

"Oh yes, the two of you will certainly love the cobbler!" He laughed before turning to Historia. "I was just getting ready to milk the cows if you'd like to join me. We could use it to get some cheese ready for this evening when everyone comes back. We can get the milk while the misses makes lunch." He suggested with the teen giving a nod in compliance.

"Sure, I don't mind."

"I can help in some way, Sir." Molbit volunteered with the man returning the offer with a determined nod.

"You can help us by getting some chicken eggs, Molbit. After that you can give us a hand with the milking. As for Rogue – I don't have any chores big enough for him to do currently and I think he should have some fun." Mr. Ness stopped to clear his throat. "Rogue!" The man called, the titan immediately sitting up and looking to the man with his large ears facing fully forward. "While everyone is working feel free to look around the farm alright? Just don't go outside the perimeter a don't let any of the animals out. We'll call you when lunch is ready so you can be with us. Sound good?"

Historia watched as the titan gave an excited nod and proceeded to start playing with the goats once again.

"Alright, let's get to w –

A loud boom that rattled nearly every object around them drew their attention back to the titan once again who had stopped to flop over on his back. Historia gave into a laugh. Rogue's feet were drawn inward and his head was tilted backwards to stare at the small mammals from the wrong way up. The titan's arms were outstretched, kept tight and straight as he playfully and gently reached for them – gurgling in enjoyment. Mr. Ness laughed once again.

"Ah yes, a gentle giant indeed."

**(POV SWAP)**

The titan gurgled, the vocal morphing into a squeal as he continued to toy with the little creatures before him, paying no mind how silly he possibly appeared to any onlooker. They had arrived at the Ness's farm late in the evening when everything seemed to be covered in a shade as dark as ink. Thus, without much aid from the moon, Rogue wanted nothing more than to sleep despite his eagerness to see what a farm had in store for him. At dawn, he quickly awoke to meet an alluring sight. The farm was composed of several big barns much like his own, all of them nearly red in color as they dotted the Ness's territory. There were also stables and sheds among fenced fields. Besides all of the new things that graced his vision, there were plenty of new smells every time he took a sniff. There was the usual scent of horses, hay, and the odor of manure that he could easily overlook. However, there was a sea of other animal scents that he had never witnessed before or so long ago during his time with his parents that he couldn't remember them – even though he lacked the knowledge to match an animal with a certain scent. The first animal that he came across that was completely foreign to him was what Historia told him were goats. They were intriguing little creatures – reminding him of young deer except they were much smaller, had dog like ears, and their horns were much different. Unlike his deer that he had always enjoyed watching, the goats seemed to want to play with him – which he quickly obliged to and the small animals seemed to enjoy his company very much.

Rogue chirruped as one of the little goats rammed his outstretched hand, the impact nothing more than a soft thump to the massive titan. Yes, the farm was an amazing place that he was excited to explore. Sure, he did wish he had his babies along to show them things and for them to educate him, but he supposed that he could do so later upon their arrival. Besides, the two of them were doing what was important and were following orders. It was still disenchanting, but the titan was glad that he still had a bit of human company. Mr. and Mrs. Ness were a kind and sweet elderly couple. Mr. Ness seemed to be an easy going man and smelled like the farm itself whereas Mrs. Ness was a very cheerful individual and smelled of sweetness like the candy stores of Sina. As he had expected, they seemed a bit fretful of him at first, as if they were just stunned and speechless until they warmed up to his presence. The couple liked him very much as he did to them. The farm seemed to ease the stress on everyone. Molbit was a bit more open and Historia seemed less reserved as well. For the first time since the incident a month before, Rogue felt himself finally unwind and forget about his troubles.

Maybe he could convince his babies, Hange, and Levi if he could bring a goat or two home.

Rogue found himself purring at the thought as he watched the little goats approach to sniff his fingers. However, the titan's attention was quickly redirected as the bizarre clucking came to his ears again. Knowing the animal that produced the sound had eluded him earlier, Rogue quickly but carefully rolled back over onto his belly and rose back up on all fours to face the small tiny barn once again – just in time to see one of the birds retreat inside. The titan rumbled as he quickly dropped down to rest upon his elbows in a fruitless attempt to peer inside. Rogue's ears rotated and fluttered as he tilted his head this way and that as he tried to spy into the interior. Unfortunately, his eyes only caught the uninteresting view of the floorboards. The towering beast grumbled and lifted himself to reposition, trying to see through one of the barn's tiny windows. He simply had to know what these things were! Obviously, they were birds, but didn't seem to be able to fly. They had feathers as white as snow and something red on the top of their heads. Going by the limited view of what he had seen, the birds walked oddly, heads bobbing and their tails straight up. He had never seen anything like them. What on earth could they possibly be?

The titan continued to think to himself as he rotated around the miniscule barn on all fours, trying to figure a way to draw the creatures out without having to remove the roof – which he was sure that the couple didn't want him to do. The closest bird he could compare the flightless birds to were birds that he often saw back in his forest – a type called pheasants that would scurry across the forest floor with their young in tow. Still, the birds before him were still far different. Rogue found himself growing impatient, slowly lowering to lay awkwardly upon his side. The behemoth then let out a loud wine that made the tiny structure tremble. The call of longing did not go unheard as the birds inside the barn clucked and shifted, Rogue's ears filling with the sounds of their fretful movements. However, they still refused to rouse from their nests and exit to greet him. At his failed attempt, Rogue tried once again, moaning even louder as he lifted a finger to scratch at the side of the small barn. Again, the life inside stirred, but ultimately no birds ventured into the open. Again, the curious titan whined, upset at his lack of luck. Rogue then turned to sit up once more before lifting himself onto all fours to prowl back to the front of the tiny barn. The titan lowered himself to his rump and stared long and hard at the front of the structure. Like all barns, it had a door but the small building was made more like a cozy cottage one would come across in the woods. The door to it looked just like any door that humans went through except for what appeared to be another door carved into it on the bottom – the tiny opening guarded by a flap that opened and closed when the birds exited and entered. The titan's face wrinkled up as he found himself lowering once again with his face mere inches away. With instinct suddenly flaring, Rogue let out another needy grumble and forced his face to the door – pressing his nose right against it. The beast's nostrils flared wildly as he sniffed, his breath rustling the flap and only managing to startle the birds more. Rogue's ears flickered in consideration, the birds smelled far different from any that he previously seen as well. Taking his self-appointed mission even further, Rogue backed away from the door and pushed the tip of his index finger through the flap in a pitiful attempt to touch one of the feathered foul.

"Rogue? What on earth are you doing?"

At the sudden query, the giant immediately pulled his finger free from the tiny barn and turned to see Molbit behind him. The man wore a slightly humored look upon his face and held a large wicker basket in his hands. At the man's expression and lack of movement and words, Rogue realized that Molbit was expecting an answer.

" **ERR… TRYYING TOO SEEE BIRRB."** Rogue admitted somewhat bashfully, the tips of his ears turning a light shade of red. Molbit chuckled as he made his way to the tiny barn.

"Oh, so you are bothering the chickens?"

Rogue sat up at the male's response. Was that what the birds were called?

" **CIIKKENSS?"** The titan asked innocently. Molbit nodded as he lay a hand onto the knob of the door, turning to look at the massive but curious creature again.

"Yes. The white birds are chickens and almost every farm has some." He smiled, looking nothing like the normally nervous person that he usually was. "I'd bring one out here for you to see Rogue, but I'm afraid that chickens aren't really the nicest of birds and can be difficult to handle. Not to mention, they are quite the pain to catch if they get loose. However, I can show you what the chickens give us Rogue if you'd like to see that."

Although he was disappointed that he couldn't see what these chickens looked like, he was curious as to what Molbit spoke of so the titan dipped his head, trying to not look too disenchanted. " **OKEE."**

The man laughed, his mirth reminding him of the way Connie chuckled. "Well alright then. Give me a minute and I'll be back." Molbit spoke as he quickly ventured inside the small barn, leaving the titan outside alone yet again.

For several minutes, Rogue remained seated with his lively emeralds locked onto the small barn, waiting like a dog whishing his master would return home. Just as he began to grow impatient yet again, Molbit exited the barn and sealed the door shut behind him. Feeling himself quiver in excitement, Rogue's ears wiggled as he bent lower to see what Molbit had to show him. Several excited chirps left him as Molbit held the basket he carried up for Rogue to see its contents. The titan's green eyes widened. In the basket were dozens of eggs, a smooth and solid tan color donning each one. Instantly, the titan became a mix of awe and confusion. Like all birds, chickens seemed to make eggs that would hatch into babies, but why was Molbit taking them? Wouldn't they not hatch without the warmth of their mother?

" **EGGSS?"** Rogue finally asked with Molbit nodding.

"Yes, chickens lay eggs Rogue that farmers collect to use for baking and selling to other people in order for them to make certain foods." Molbit described as he held one for the titan to see, but Rogue was close to being horrified.

" **YOUU… EATTT DAA BABIESS?"** The titan asked, a slight rattle to his voice. How could humans eat little chickens that hadn't even hatched yet? At Rogue's innocent question, Molbit quickly shook his head.

"Oh Rogue! Don't worry! These are unfertilized eggs. That means that there are no babies inside them. There's just the yolk. Fertilized eggs are the ones that have the babies inside them. So you don't have to worry." The man quickly reassured with the titan feeling a wave of relief wash over him.

" **DATT GOOOD."** Rogue sighed, continuing to observe the cluster of eggs. A thought then crossed his mind. Thinking back on the meeting that he had attended in the barn a month ago and the fact that titans could reproduce, Rogue formulated his next question. " **MOBITT?"** The titan asked, sounding just like any wondering child as he grabbed the man's attention.

"Yes, Rogue?"

Rogue hesitated. **"TIITANNS NAKKE BABIES RIGHHT? SOO… DOO YUUU TIINKK DAYY LAYY EGGSS?"** The titan questioned, watching as Molbit's face went slack, seemingly stunned until the man tittered.

"Well, I suppose it could be possible for titans to lay eggs. If you asked Hange she would likely say something along the lines of perhaps titans warm their eggs by lying them out in the open and letting sunlight incubate them as opposed to titans sitting on them since the weight would just crack them. Then again the babies could grow in a womb just like mammals. It's a big question that I think everyone looks forward to getting the answer to." Molbit laughed again as he gipped the basket more securely. "Why don't you run along Rogue and explore other areas for a bit? It's a big farm with sheep, cows, and other animals that I'm sure you'd like to look at."

The titan's brows lifted and he gave a nod. If the chickens wouldn't come out of the tiny barn, then he could certainly go find other animals that would take an interest in him. Molbit then turned in the opposite direction and held his hand up in a wave. "Well, I best be getting back to Mrs. Ness to give her the eggs she needs. You go have fun." The man bid farewell, leaving the beast alone once again.

For a moment, Rogue watched as Molbit ventured into the farmhouse before turning to face the expanse of the farm. The titan's ears wiggled in interest and excitement. What should he try to find first? The titan tilted his head, naturally sniffing with his nose picking up the scent of a new animal that was close by. With his decision made, Rogue stood up to his full height and began to head forward. At fifty feet, the titan could see almost the entire farmland. There were several fields, some dedicated to crops and other to livestock. Beyond them was the tree line of a forest that circled them and through breaks in the branches he could only see barren land with no inhabitants. The Scouts were right to bring him here. Rogue smiled, he finally found another place to explore freely without supervision, plus he was safe. Again, the titan started forward, walking steadily towards another one of the brown fences, his eyes taking note of the white animals grazing there. But of course, on his way to the enclosure, Rogue was easily sidetracked by a tool leaning against one of the water troths. Abandoning his task momentarily, the titan bent over to rest on the balls of his feet as he looked at the thing before him. The front of the device looked like that of a carriage that would hook onto a horse while the rear of it looked like the contraptions that Levi would make the recruits use to cut the grass – metal things with blades that had to be pushed to work. There was a seat on the thing before him as well, making the object all the weirder yet more intriguing. Curious, Rogue pushed the object gently with his finger, watching as the blades on the thing twirled and dug into the earth – stunning the titan for a moment. Although it looked as if it was meant to cut grass, the contraption was clearly made to till the earth. Recalling it now, Rogue remembered that the Scouts also used to have a tool much like this one only smaller. Of course, after he came to live with his new family, there was no need to use the device for with a simple tug of his arm, he could plow up the earth with his fingers to aid his family with the vegetable garden. Rogue huffed to himself, if titans were a friendly breed he was sure many would want to live with farmers to help tend to their fields and guard their wondrous animals.

Before Rogue could examine further, a bizarre sound met his ears, one that was very similar to the vocals produced by the goats. Realizing the direction the call came from, the titan twisted around to see one of the white animals had come to the edge of the fence. Rogue blinked, brows raised in astonishment as lowered to the creature's level afore him. Although the creature seemed more concerned with grazing than with him, Rogue began his examination. The white animal looked alarmingly similar to the goats except for one clear detail. The animal's body was covered in a thick layer of fluffy fur – reminding the titan of a cloud. With child-like curiosity creeping over him again and taking the reins, Rogue gently and warily lifted a single finger – letting it hover in the air for a brief second before lowering it onto the fur of the animal. Rogue's eyes widened at the plush feeling, it was the thickest fur he had ever felt. Rogue smiled, it reminded him of the same material that his little one's scarf was made of. The titan continued to stroke the back of the animal before looking up into the field to see more of the fluffy white creatures. As excitement for possible new playmates hit him again, Rogue cheerfully cantered forward, moving on all fours again so to not startle them at his full standing height. The titan's eyes practically lit up at the view of the small grazing herd before him. Seeing that he needed to submit himself and invite the creatures closer to engage in a bit of fun, Rogue flopped over onto his side with a deep loud squeal. Completely beside himself and carefree, Rogue grunted, gurgled, and chirruped as he rolled about on his back in the grass. The titan flayed around a bit, throwing out his legs to kick at the sky and arms tucked tight against him as he simply escaped into his own state of pure bliss. Rogue was sure that if his little ones were watching him they would be laughing as he tried to gain the creatures' attention. The beast purred, rolling over to see if he had captured the curiosity of the others only to find that the animals were still grazing without a care that he was there. His heart faltered at the result. Disappointed, Rogue rolled back over onto his stomach and sat up with his ears lowering in upset. Perhaps these creatures just didn't fancy company at all.

Rogue sighed, but fleetingly catching another scent that swept through his nostrils in the breeze. The titan quickly twisted his neck in the direction of origin and sniffed, nostrils flaring and sounding like a hunting hound. The smile returned to his grotesque mouth. It was the scent of another new animal that he had to quickly investigate. The titan scrambled to his feet yet again to follow the new scent, leaving the other animals behind within a few steps. Within no time, Rogue had left the field to be on the gravel paths that ran all over the farm to connect barns, paddocks, and sheds. Lowering himself to be ground level again, Rogue passed by a small stable with the Scout's horse and several mares and foals inside. Many of the horses were asleep so the titan decided not to bug them and to rather follow the scent of the new animal. Rogue passed by a friendly orange farm cat as well as a small duck pond with several new hatchlings, but he took no notice, even as he was being trailed by several of the cat's kittens that seemed all too curious about him. His vibrant greens were locked onto a smaller barn that sat nearly behind the farmhouse. Surrounding it was a low fence that barricaded the creatures that called the barn home. Rogue's ears faced fully forward as he lowered his body in a crouch with his head low to examine the enclosure and its residents. Unlike the nearly perfect grass that blanketed the territory, the enclosure only had a few patches of healthy grass while the rest was dirt and mud. Moving around the paddock were several large plump animals with strange curly tails and somewhat floppy ears and beady eyes. They were pink in color and either wallowing in the mud or rooting in the buckets and troths in search of food. Rogue's ears fluttered, leaning closer as he sniffed, nose flaring in the slightest with the pungent smell, but otherwise the titan stayed put. What were these animals?

Several of the cats that has gathered around him began to purr and rub against his heated flesh, making him emit the same sound in return but otherwise Rogue kept his attention glued to that in front of him. The beast grunted, trying to gain the creatures' attention, but like the white creatures, the pink ones continued on with their activities. Rogue's ears lowered until they stood straight up again at the sounds the animals made – a snorting and grunting noise that the titan realized was similar to the vocals he often made. With a lopsided grin, Rogue put his plan into action and began to grunt, gurgle, and squeal rapidly with his tapered ears fluttering at each sound. To the titan's surprise, each and every one of the animals stopped what they were doing to peer up at him. Rogue beamed broadly, leaning closer to look upon the creatures. The beast began to study the detail on one of the animal's faces. Like its body, the pink creature's face was plump and had several rolls of fat surrounding its cheeks and brow. The nose was a shape that Rogue had not seen before. It was wide, flat, and the nostrils were large round holes. The titan watched the subject of his study smack its lips as it continued to chew nothing in particular. His grin grew even bigger as he decided to take his examination up a notch. As the animal turned its head to root through the mud once again, Rogue carefully lifted his finger and reached to poke the curly tailed creature. However, just as his fingertip touched the spine of the animal, the creature released a terrified and startled squeal.

Unexpectedly, as the cry of the distressed animal hit his eardrums, a sharp stab of agony flared up and radiated behind his skull – his hand flying to his brow to encase his head in a stronghold.

_The beast squealed in his hand, moving and thrashing as it tried to get free. His eyes marveled at the softness upon its skin. A sense of absolute pride flowed through him, making his frame quiver. The breeze was gentle and sunlight was dappled. Trees whispered in the easy wind, seemingly congratulating him for his catch._

_There were voices suddenly, real voices that came from excited souls. They shouted three clear words that made him feel absolutely great. He could feel himself smile and coo at the attention._

_Then his hand held his prize in offering, pleased to share. Suddenly, there was pain, his catch flying from his hand and he quickly found himself pinned. The pain came again and again – then there was blood and his eyes filled with tears._

Rogue held his head, slowly opening his eyes once again to stare at the animals who had obviously sensed his distress and paused to peer up at him once again. The titan blinked, his hand shaking in the slightest as he slowly lowered it from his brow. For a moment, he tried to catch his breath, eyes swimming with confusion. What – had just happened? Could he have just had another memory hit him? When he wasn't asleep?

Feeling a wave of dizziness, Rogue gritted his teeth and braced himself, a trickle of blood dripping from his nose and falling to the earth. Startled, Rogue quickly reached to brush away the small amount of crimson, still trying to get a grip on what he had just witnessed. All was quiet as the titan slowly went over the details in his head. It was a memory and no dream that much was clear to him. There was a forest and –

One of the pink creatures grunted, producing the sounds that the animal had been making shortly before as it returned to rooting in the grass. Rogue's brows narrowed, eyes squinting in question as he scrutinized the plump beast. The animal that he held in his hand in the memory – it was a boar if he recalled correctly, just like the ones that he and Sasha hunted and similar to the animals before him currently. However, in the memory the voices called the creature something else. Something that he oddly felt was used to describe the pinkish creatures.

" **P… PIGG?"** The titan muttered to himself, his bewilderment growing as all of the animals in the enclosure looked back at him before approaching. Rogue's eyes widened at this, his jaw slackening. Were these beasts before him called pigs – a word that Levi often used to describe the residents in the high class societies in Sina? Rogue continued to sit in silence, why was he remembering this now? Why did he not recall a thing when he hunted with Sasha?

The titan continued to go over the vision in his head. There was another name that the voices called him, one that he had heard from Ansgar. **"GREEEN… EYYESS?"** Rogue said aloud to himself. The words feeling salty on his tongue. Green Eyes. The way it was spoken to him seemed almost as if it was spoken like a name, but something about the title felt almost like an insult. Rogue sat back, ignoring all life around him as he contemplated further. The memory, he was happy and then there was agony. What had happened? Rogue found himself wishing that his babies were around for they could help him make sense of it. Suddenly, the titan had an idea. It was said that Historia was supposed to help him remember so perhaps she could aid him. Slowly, Rogue stood with plan in mind, but he couldn't help but feel incredibly uneasy.

He was almost sick to his stomach again.

* * *

Rogue walked briskly across the barn's grounds, his fingers scratching his scalp. He hadn't been called back for lunch yet but the titan figured that it would be best if he headed to the last place that he had seen his family and new friends gather. The beast kept milling over the scene that had played in his brain. Unlike his visions that he had as of late, the very one that he just experienced was so cloudy that he could hardly make anything out except for shapes and voices. Rogue's gaze dropped down to his hand, contemplating. The boar or pig that he held in his hand – it seemed rather large in comparison so perhaps he had been young in the memory. His eyes narrowed, studying the folds and creases of his skin. Did something attack him at the end of his vision? There was blood and he had been crying – so what could it have been? Was it possible that it was one of the titans that he had unfortunately come to know? Could it have been Ansgar or Luana? It certainly Wasn't Mehr who he was sure wouldn't have even done such a thing. Was it possible that it was a titan that he hadn't met yet? One that could have known him well in his past? The titan clicked his teeth in aggravation, ears flattening until he exhaled a heavy cloud of steam. He was already stressed enough and he didn't need to worry himself sick and trigger a headache trying to figure out his memory himself. He needed to get to Historia quickly.

The towering behemoth rounded another corner to see that Molbit, Historia, and the Nesses were doing what his little ones described as 'sitting the table' which the titan found to be an interesting human act. Mrs. Ness and Molbit continued to place full dishes of food upon the picnic table, the scents wavering into his nostrils and the meals themselves looking much better than what the Scouts served most of the time. There was a large plate of ham and other foods that he hadn't seen made before – even by his own parents. One of the dishes in particular smelled very sweet and like peaches and seemed to excite both Historia and Molbit. Not wanting to look like he hadn't been enjoying himself, Rogue let his body loosen and put on a broad smile. He didn't want to frighten anyone or ruin what looked to be a special occasion.

As he arrived, Rogue chirruped in greeting while his advancing footsteps attracted the party's attention. Instantly, his smile, although forced, was infectious as each displayed their own.

"Hey Rogue!" Mr. Ness chuckled as he handed out plates and silverware. "It's funny you came we were just about to call you to join us. Feel free to take a seat next to us." The man beamed up at the titan with the beast accepting his invitation with a nod, lowering to sit neatly with his legs crossed at the end of the table. "So did you have fun exploring?"

Still grinning despite his inner confusion, Rogue nodded. " **YESS!"**

The creature's cheerful reply provoked Mrs. Ness to let out a warm chuckle. "Aw! I bet you did! So did you see the sheep and the pigs, Rogue? We have a family of tabby cats that live here too that are quite friendly."

The titan disguised his state of shock with another eager nod. The pink creatures were indeed pigs as he thought. " **EII DIDD."**

**"** Good! Perhaps you can see the cows or something after we eat." Mr. Ness began as he retrieved himself a few slices of ham. "I kept the cows in today to feed them a special grain while we milk them. I'll release them into the pasture again so you can take a gander at them. Have you ever seen cows before, Rogue?" The man continued as the four sat down and began to eat.

The titan shook his head. " **NOOTT CLOSS UPP."**

"I see. So could you only see farms at a distance back in Maria?"

Again, Rogue nodded, trying to figure out how to ask his question. Mrs. Ness laughed.

"Well, no doubt it will be an interesting experience. Some of the cows birthed their calves just a few weeks ago and I have no doubt that you'll like them Rogue." She smiled, the titan tilted his head at the term.

" **CAVVS?** " He asked innocently, not knowing the title.

"That's what baby cows are called Rogue." Molbit explained. "He's still learning some nouns." The man continued to inform the couple. "Rogue takes several courses from Hange and I geared to educate him. He's been learning the alphabet and how to read as of late. We decided to teach him nouns like what baby animals are called when quite a mix up happened with Hange not understanding something that Rogue was trying to convey – which led to chaos where Hange thought Rogue was telling her he was pregnant rather than he really meant that he found some kittens that he was caring for. "Molbit laughed with the others chuckling, the titan's face quickly tinting red at the reminder of his massive mistake he had made some time ago – one that he was constantly teased about.

**"NOO."** Rogue groaned, with the others giggling goodheartedly.

"It's alright, Rogue. We've all done something that was lost in translation some way or another." Mr. Ness beamed. "I have too many of those moments than I care to admit!" The man chortled with the giant calming and smiling in amusement before he recalled the query that he needed to ask. "This peach cobbler is as delectable as always, Sweetheart."

"Thank you honey! Mr. Molbit here is quite the cook as well! He's a helpful hand in the kitchen. A little lady would be lucky to have you Molbit!"

At Mrs. Ness's commentary, the young man's face suddenly turned a bright shade of crimson, clearly embarrassed but otherwise he smiled and simply nodded in thanks. Rogue nearly found himself wanting to huff in amusement, but decided to ask his query before the group could move on to another subject.

" **HISSTORIA?"** The titan inquired, sounding similar to a shy child asking their parents a sensitive question. At his address, the blonde looked up from her plate, swallowing her mouthful before putting on a small smile.

"What is it Rogue? Do you – have something you want to ask me?" Historia began, setting down her fork and giving him every bit of her undivided attention.

For a second, Rogue found himself biting his tongue before he cleared his throat. " **EII… HAD ANNOTTER NENNORY. WILLE… EXLLORING."** The beast explained, watching as the party's brows rose and Historia's mouth hung open.

"You had a memory come to you while you were looking around the farm?" She asked with the giant nodding. "What was it about?"

Rogue bit his tongue as he tried to figure where he should begin. " **EIII – TIINKK EII WASS SNALL."** The titan tried to illustrate with his hands, the others watching intently. **"EII… WAAS HOLLDING AHH PIGG. BOORR. EII THINK – EII CAUGHT IT. DERR WEERR VVVOISSES. EII WASS APPY BUTT DENN EII ASSS ATTAKKD."** Rogue concluded, reaching up to scratch at his ear, feeling almost shy to admit that he probably sounded silly. " **NYY HEADD URRT AFTER NENORY. BUT ITT FINNE NOWW."** Molbit and Historia exchanged glances before Hange's assistant turned to him.

"So you are saying that you had another memory when you could have been a pup? That's great Rogue, of course it's not a lot to go on. The fact that you were attacked is worrying. Be sure to tell Hange and your little ones. They are usually better at figuring out your memories than I am." Molbit responded with Rogue's ears lowering in slight disappointment. He quickly turned to the young blonde.

" **HISSORIA? THEEYY SAIID YOU… COUULLD HELLP NEE RENNENBRR."** He spoke hopefully, green eyes wide as they bore into her cerulean blues. At his query, Historia's smile faltered, her face suddenly painted with worry.

"I'm sorry, Rogue. I mentioned it before but I don't know how to get your memories back. I really wish I could help you. But maybe in time we can figure it out!" The girl concluded with a weak smile, trying to hide her shame that she was unable to accomplish such a feat.

Rogue let out a small and scratchy whine, lowering his head before nodding with understanding, feeling mortified. Damn! He had been ignorant. He had forgotten that Historia had shared with him the news that she lacked the knowledge of drawing out such memories. As many had stated, it was something that he would have to figure out in time. For what seemed like several minutes, it was awkward silence before Mrs. Ness smiled again.

"I wouldn't worry too much Rogue!" She began as she reached over and patted his knee. "You'll get the answers you and the others need in time! Patience is key." The woman spoke sweetly before returning to her meal. He could only nod.

Yes, he had to be patient. Unfortunately.

Time ticked by again as the group continued to eat lunch before him and talk about their everyday doings. Rogue had resorted to laying on his side, curled around part of the table like a large dog as he soaked up the sun. The titan's head was still lifted, trying to show that he was still interested in their conversation and to hide the fact that he was deeply bothered. He hated how unfair things seemed to be, but he didn't want to worry right now. He didn't feel like worrying after all. The last thing he wanted to do was make himself feel sick on what could be considered a mini vacation for him and he didn't need to drag down the others – especially Historia. It was highly likely that she was feeling just as frustrated as he was. She didn't need the stress either.

"So how is Corporal Levi? We haven't heard much from him since he sent us the news of Dita. I hear he lost nearly his entire squad to the Female Titan."

"He's being doing fine now that he's got his new one composed of the elite recruits. He's still grumpy and stern as usual, but otherwise he's handling the loss well."

"Ah, well that's good that he has people to turn to…

Rogue continued to sit quietly, listening to the conversation and how it transitioned into talk about how the new foals would be ready to start training for military work the coming spring. The titan shifted in the slightest, glancing to the sky to see how the day was officially crawling into noon. Just a few more hours until he would see his babies and family. At a time like this, he really needed them. Rogue then lowered his head and returned to listening to the conversation at hand.

He stopped.

The wind had shifted, carrying a new scent to his nose, one that immediately grabbed his attention. Rogue turned his head to the south, in the direction of the thickest part of the surrounding forest and sniffed aggressively, nostrils flaring as he sampled the scents further while catching his company's attention.

"Rogue?"

He ignored them, quickly sitting up in alert as he continued. Attempting to get a better read upon the odor, Rogue inhaled deeply – eyes blowing wide in shock and his brow wrinkling in confusion. The musk wavering from the woods – it smelled like a scent that he smelled before. The very same one that he had sampled around headquarters many nights ago as well as the one that he had smelled in Katness and on the Trainees' grounds.

Instinct descended over the titan, one that practically shouted that he needed to protect his own. Naturally, his ears folded over and a deep growl vibrated his frame as he slowly stood upright, hands balled into fists, his teeth clenching, and his hair ruffling like an aggressive hound. Every fiber in his body demanded him to take action. Territory had been breached and he needed to do what was necessary to protect himself and those around him. There was no time for him to spread concentrated scent deposits to announce his dominance. He needed to address the situation head on and deal with the threat. At a dangerous time like this, he couldn't take such a thing lightly.

With the primal need in mind, Rogue took a step forward.

"Rogue? What is he doing! You're not supposed to leave!" Molbit yelled, standing from the table with Historia doing the same. "Stop!"

The titan however paid no attention as he took off in a jog, nostrils flaring and his eyes set onto the tree line. The beast was unaware that his actions ignited the small party into a frenzy.'

"Shit! He must be doing something on instinct again! Historia! Grab a horse! We need to follow him! Mr. and Mrs. Ness – please wait here!"

"Right!"

The creature continued to ignore them as he charged past the arched entrance to the farm and across the lonely dirt road before entering the forest. Rogue snorted, his ears pinning backwards and his face fixing into a suspicious snarl. The bright sunlight above transformed into dappled light as he slowed his pace, weaving through the trees and off the designated path. The beast altered his pace even further, reducing his speed into a slow walk – the style of a stalking predator. The woods were quiet, no birds chirped and nothing pitter pattered across the earth. Rogue could practically feel his skin crawl. Something was seriously amiss. What he assumed was the enemy clad in black was here among the brambles and foliage. The titan's brow wrinkled. He would let his enemy know what was his and that he was a beast to be reckoned with. He would roar so loud that he would blow the bastard's ears out and make the pest charge right back to the hellhole from which he came.

Rogue continued his slow waltz, green eyes narrowed – dark and dangerous. His tapered ears shifted, trying to pick up any foreign sound or the slightest hint of a whisper, but there was nothing. Not even the rattle of a yellowed leaf. The titan stalled, eyes scanning the surrounding forest. There wasn't a single ounce of life running freely. Rogue's ears folded over once again, a low growl leaving his throat. Something was here. Something had to be. He was never wrong –

"Rogue!"

Startled, Rogue quickly turned, eyes nearly feral as he spotted both Molbit and Historia approaching him upon horseback. The titan's look of aggravation was replaced by unease. He didn't want his family here! There was trouble!

"Rogue! What on earth are you doing?" Molbit began. "You are not allowed to leave the farm grounds! The Corporal will have to be told about this!"

The giant only looked on at the two in fear, quickly rotating his head to check for any unwanted pairs of eyes. This was the last thing he needed!

"Rogue?" Historia began, gaining his attention again. "What is going on? Is – something here? Or someone?"

The titan hesitated at the small blonde's question. He didn't quite know how to answer. He never told anyone about the man in black. Not even his little ones and he admittedly just passed the individual off as a creep – someone with the same intentions the three men that kidnapped his babies years ago possessed. He had thought the man had simply disappeared since he had not smelled him in quite some time. Rogue had even considered the man not even being a man at all but some sort of parading monster. " **EII… TIINKK SOMMEONE HERRE."** He finally admitted, looking around again. The two's faces deepened in worry.

"You think someone is here, Rogue?"

" **ESS."**

"I don't know Rogue. We're in a pretty rural area so I doubt that anyone besides us would be around for miles. Not to mention, no one except the Scouts know that we are here."

Rogue hesitated. Molbit was right, they were in a lonely area – but there was someone else besides them. He was never wrong. Not to mention, the scent was close. It was strong. Whoever had their eyes upon them was less than a mile away. Not wanting to waste any more time, Rogue simply turned and continued onward – keeping his steps light like a fawn venturing into an open field.

"Rogue! Wait!" Historia continued, whipping her mare's reins to catch up with the titan, Molbit however quickly steered his horse beside her, making the girl pause.

"Rogue believes that something is up." Molbit began sternly. "Either that or his instincts are in overdrive again. It could be someone or something. Let's keep an eye on him. If something is wrong – then we'll retreat straight for the city. Otherwise, we'll just see if it is a bear or something he's smelling."

The girl seemed to hesitate before sighing. "Okay. I don't think anyone is out here either. If it's a bear it might be good for Rogue to take care of it. Mr. Ness did say that they do have trouble with them quite often."

"Alright. Let's see what he does."

Rogue paid no attention to his allies' comments as he continued to walk and examine the scenery. He could practically feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise. The aura of his surroundings was undoubtfully dangerous. His enemy was not a titan, but it sure seemed as imposing as one. The towering behemoth continued to walk, taking the time to sample the scents around him once again. There was the smell of the pines, the sugar maples, birds hiding away in their nests, and persimmons. However, there was another scent that he found rather odd. Normally, it was a common thing to smell in the woods, but Rogue couldn't help but feel even more uneasy. It was deer urine – a lot of it. But there was not a single one of the animals in sight. Rogue heaved an irritated breath, his ears pinning back again as his eyes shifted. Yes, there were no deer around and the urine seemed fairly fresh. But of course, the strongest smell was the one that belonged to the man clad in black. Both of the strange scents were radiating from just up ahead. He would get there and deal with whatever was going on and leave his own scent to proclaim his dominance and rule over the area. No one would be touching his friends or the farm.

For several minutes, he and his entourage proceeded onward. Rogue didn't speak to either Historia or Molbit as he continued to examine, the trees breaking in the slightest and allowing a small amount of sun to shine through the canopy. The scents grew stronger with every cautious step he took. Suddenly, a twig snapped, the titan twisting his head to stare off into the distant green. He stilled along with his party. Rogue's ears were forward and fully erect, eyes shifting as he searched for life among the foliage – only spotting a crow that left its hiding spot. A small growl forced past his teeth, the creature following instinct before deciding that there was no adversary lying in wait. With another snort, Rogue started forward again, deaf to the conversation that Historia and Molbit had started.

"We've been walking for ten minutes at least." Molbit whispered. "We're getting pretty deep. Strange though, usually you would see more wildlife by now."

"Yeah, you're right. Surely there would be a deer or something. Sasha said when you can't find wildlife nearby it usually means there is a predator around. Animals love Rogue, so perhaps it is a bear."

"Well, I guess we shall see in a bit. We are getting pretty far from the farm."

Rogue's breath deepened, another tactic to ward off any threats as he walked. His ears shifted, but captured nothing foreign to worry about. Still however, the scent of the being in black was almost closer than ever. The titan heaved another breath, shifting his gaze all around him before looking ahead.

Unfortunately, he never saw the man and the weapon in the brush.

Neither Historia or Molbit noticed the lurking danger either.

Hidden away in the leaves was a long, slender, but lightweight cannon in the control of a male dressed in garments that perfectly blended in with the surrounding forest – the two purposely covered by branches and leaves. Silently, the man lay upon his belly with his finger on the trigger of the weapon, the barrel following the titan.

Rogue proceeded onward, still looking about him. The smell was stronger than ever so the man clad in black had to be just up ahead! The scent was fresh. Somewhere the man was watching them. He had to be. The titan's ears flattened against his head in distain. He was going to find out why the man was following him. Once he did, he was going to –

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the forest and shook it to its roots. Crows and birds left their roosts frantically as all hidden life was disturbed. Before Rogue could even think or turn to the source of the clamor, a searing pain shot through his side, making the titan stumble into a tree with a piercing and sharp yelp. As Molbit and Historia's horses reared and bucked, Rogue immediately gripped his flank, feeling something that was very out of the ordinary along with a bizarre lack of blood. Green eyes flashed to the area just beneath his ribs to see a strange looking device sticking out from his hide. It looked alarmingly similar to the syringes that Dr. Jaeger once used – except it was the length of his thumb and lacked the plunger at the top which was replaced by cloth fashioned in a style that looked like the ends of Sasha's arrows. In its translucent glass center, there was a clear liquid – one that was almost completely injected into him.

"ROGUE!"

Historia's scream brought the beast from his stupor, igniting him to pull the strange syringe from his flesh and throwing it to the earth, giving his family a clear view of the object. Molbit's face lit up in absolute horror.

"My god – that's a tranquilizer dart! I've never seen one so - Rogue! We need to get back to –

"FIRE!"

The command forced him to direct his attention away from whatever injury he had to where sudden movement caught his eye, beholding something that seemed to make time slow and his chest tighten in fear. Out of the canopy leaped several men, their forms darkened from the lack of abundant sunlight above. Green eyes widened in horror, briefly catching sight of what hung from their bodies. It was almost as if they wore the Scout's gear, but in all the wrong places. Swords were not held by their hands but were replaced with what appeared to be –

Guns.

"Rogue! M –

The warning was not finished as triggers were abruptly pulled, the men and women yelling with both triumph and in intimidation as bullets were brought forth. Instinctively, Rogue threw his arm up to cover his face, but his protection proved useless as the bullets pierced flesh – feeling like the stings of a thousand insects. Again, he screeched and threw up his other arm – realizing that the one type of bullet that could puncture his skin was being used. Iron bamboo.

The men swerved around the beast, propelling themselves along with both gas and cables – just like the very same that his family utilized. Terrified greens watched barrels raise once again, his ears practically ringing as triggers were pulled. More metal buried into his hide, blood splattered and steam spilled from his wounds. Who were these men! Why were they after him! What was going on! Before he could shield his face, one of the flying men, dressed in black like all the others, lifted his weapon and fired – the bullet drilling into his eye. Rogue screamed, the pain absolutely unbearable.

"THAT'S IT! BLIND THE BASTARD! YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!"

His heart thundered even faster at the words. The titan's fight or flight instincts were overpowering. These men were out for blood and he did not feel like waiting to see if their intentions were to kill or capture. With bullets penetrating deep into his muscles with blindness and blood in his eye, Rogue's mind switched onto the defensive. Completely panicked, Rogue turned to bolt into the woods, foolishly following a seeded instinct.

"YA TRYING TO RUN BIG BOY? WHERE DO YOU THINK YER GOING?" A voice boomed overhead. "TAKE EM' DOWN!"

His breath sharpened, brows lifted high in panic as he charged straight over a tree, knocking down the timber with a splintering crack, causing him to stumble but still he kept his pace. Rogue's shoulder roughly knocked another tree from his wake, his ears fanning with the sounds of whirling gears. For the first time since the other deviants had invaded, he was utterly terrified.

"READY THE TRANQS AND ARTILERY! PREPARE TO ENGAGE!"

Rogue whimpered, reaching up to pluck out his useless eye. The voice, it was so rough and sounded absolutely venomous. It was chilling, worthy of making his blood run cold in his veins. The shadowy men began to close in, able to move easily in the relatively dense forest. In an effort to slow them down, Rogue threw his useless eye at his pursuers – not hitting a single one of the nimble adversaries with his vision impaired. Steam billowed from both his eye socket and between his teeth. Perhaps the hot clouds could ward them away; give him time to retreat and take the others to safety in the city. Sure, he would be breaking the strict rules that had been placed upon him, but this was an emergency. He had no idea who his hunters were and why they seeked him.

This was certainly a time where he did not fancy being the mouse.

With another step and a felled tree snapping from his body's sheer force. Rogue stumbled into a small clearing. However, before he could even formulate a plan and choose the direction that he wished to go in, another loud bang rattled his eardrums, the noise so loud and close that it made his ears ring painfully. Just as he was able to open his eye again, netting flew from the foliage and spread open over his face, the weights at the corners completely wrapping themselves around his head. With his stomach suddenly heating up in rage, Rogue instinctively stalled and reached up to savagely and desperately rip at the ends of the net, stumbling around and hunched over as he tried to untangle and tear at the tightly woven rope. He had to remove it!

"FIRE!"

Another shot sounded violently through his ears and pain ignited on the right side of his rump that forced another yelp from his esophagus, feeling just like the pain from the projectile before. Furious, Rogue snarled – finally able to tear the netting free from his face. Peeling open his now healed eye, the titan quickly looked in the direction that the net was fired to see two men trying to reload the cannon – men that he decided to be his targets as he quickly threw the net they had used against him at them. The two men were too slow to move as the webbing wrapped around them like a cocoon and sent them tumbling over and over in the grass and ivy. With green eyes wild with rage, Rogue turned to the rest of the men and roared, the bellow projecting his warning all throughout the forest. However, his threat practically went unnoticed as the men in black rushed him. Swirling around his bulk like acrobats, they raised their guns. Growling, nostrils flared, and slit pupils as thin as paper, Rogue lifted his hand to snag the wires of the closest individual to him. Unfortunately, before he could even wrap his hand around the cable, bullets from another man pelted his arm – the pain stinging down to the bone. Rogue screeched, both angry and knowing that he needed to disable the enemy, the titan lifted his other arm again only to receive the same treatment. His furious gaze was then replaced by fear. How was he supposed to grab the men by their cables without getting shot?

"I HEARD ABOUT YER LITTLE TALENT OF GRABBING CABLES AND TOSSING THE SCOUTS INTO THE TREES ROGUE JAEGER! LUCKILY WE HAVE A WAY OF PREVENTING THAT! OUR GEAR WAS DESIGNED TO NUTRALIZE MEN, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WORKS ON YER ASS TOO!" The voice chuckled darkly from up in the canopy, making Rogue tremble at the use of his name and at the meaning of the man's words. "FIRE!"

Rogue could think no further as another boom echoed across the clearing and a searing sting ignited in his breast. Glancing downward, the beast spied another one of the large syringes sticking out of his tough flesh. Feeling the need to keep moving, Rogue quickly pulled the dart from his chest and hurriedly removed the other from his rear before bolting once again into the thick foliage.

"WHAT A USELESS ENDEVOR YER MAKING!" The voice continued. "JUST LIKE A SCARED DOG! HE'S EVEN GOT THE COLLAR FOR THE ROLE!" His adversary laughed. "KEEP ON HIM! HE'S NOT TO LEAVE THE FOREST! YA'LL KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH A DESERTED SHEEP!"

He swallowed, limbs snapping and leaves rustling as he charged through the timbers with his pursuers hot on his trail. Rogue's mind buzzed with both confusion and panic. Thoughts practically flooded through him as his breath grew heavy. These men were aiming to capture him, but for what purpose? More importantly, how was he going to be able to string the men and women up by their wires in the trees and brush like marionettes? Rogue swallowed. He didn't want to kill them. He couldn't. It was possible that his hunters were only acting on orders from the man that he had smelled. The only option he had was to try and swipe earlier so their fingers had no time to pull the triggers upon their guns. Besides that, he could only run to safety before meeting up with Historia and Molbit and go find his family. He was 'in deep shit' as Levi always said. Rogue kept running, exhaling puffs of steam as he began to feel completely ignorant. His instincts had forced him to enter the forest to investigate. The deer urine was clearly a cover up for the men and women's assortment of scents. Their leader had clearly allowed his scent to be detected for he knew that he himself had smelled it before and feared it. He should have never ventured into the woods in the first place! He should have just gathered those he loved and started for the city with no regrets of breaking any rules! Now here he was in a heated chase with little options.

He didn't want to kill anyone. He didn't want to live with the sins that he had committed haunting him for the rest of his life.

Pinpricks of pain along his spine brought Rogue back to the reality of his horrible situation – the feeling of grapples buried into flesh kicking himself into high gear. Out of the corner of his worried eyes, Rogue watched as two men dived downward – clearly aiming to swerve around his legs. However, before he could attempt to make the grab, two men took lead of the dark clothed pack, raising their guns and pelting his back with bullets. Rogue's teeth grinded together, tears forming in the corners of his eyes while crimson began to decorate his tan hide. Rogue whined, pushing himself to run but recalling the two men that had previously made a dive at his feet. Looking down, Rogue watched as the two men weaved around his calves before turning and skillfully flying in reverse. The titan roared in agony as the iron bamboo bullets pelted his shins and blood ran down his legs in a pattern like candle wax. What was he going to do!

"PREPARE TO FIRE!"

At the order, another one of the narrow cannons nestled in the brambles that sat on a tripod like structure – the barrel following the titan as he approached and Rogue noticing the instrument far too late as the weapon fired. The behemoth's howl in anguish bounced off the trunks of trees as one of the massive darts impaled his stomach. Rogue grimaced, his eyes looking down at his abdomen – the needle of the large syringe stuck deep in his muscles with its contents emptying into his bloodstream just like the others. Teeth grinding, Rogue quickly pulled the dart from his belly and tossed it behind him. He needed to get away. He needed to run.

"GIVE IT YER ALL! HE'S A STUBBORN ONE! PREPARE TO ENGAGE FURTHER AND SET THE HEAVY ARTILERY! THIS ONE IS A BIG BEAST! HE'S GOING TO TAKE MORE AMMO!"

The titan curved around another bend but meeting more trouble as two other hunters leaped from their perches. Immediately, Rogue dipped his head and shielded his face as more bullets dug into his forearms. He could practically feel the metal beneath his skin, his muscles stinging every time he moved. Rogue found himself cursing his incompetence and envious of Luana and Ansgar yet again. If he could only harden himself, he could easily do what he needed to do to save himself and everyone he loved.

Hearing that no man or woman was approaching from the air, Rogue lifted his head to look afore him again. However, as he did, a sense of dizziness hit him, nearly making the beast stop and gather himself. Rogue blinked, his vision blurring and his eyes suddenly seeing double of nearly everything. His heart thundered in horror as a bit of drowsiness began to creep upon him. Panicked, Rogue blinked in an attempt to focus, only managing to lose the double vision as his pace began to slow. What the hell? Why was he growing tired? Why was his vision dulling?

"Yes! It looks like he's getting sleepy!" A man laughed from behind him. "The tranquilizers are starting to work on the brute!"

Rogue blinked again, questioning the man's statement. Tranquilizers? Was it possible that the man meant the strange syringes that the skinny cannons fired? They were the things making him sleepy? Rogue gulped, face painted in horror as he kept moving – slowed to almost a light run from a sprint. He was likely going to succumb to repose. He didn't have much time left to escape. He needed to move!

Suddenly, the stinging infected the small of his back, more bullets forcing themselves past his skin. Rogue screeched, the cry not nearly as piercing as the previous he had emitted. The dizziness hit him once again, his limbs suddenly feeling much heavier. The titan stumbled, but kept himself upright as his vision doubled once again before blurring – his eyelids growing heavy. Rogue blinked, shaking his head in the slightest before forcing himself to carry on in a jog. Bullets seared his shoulder, bouncing off the metal plating upon his collar. His breath grew ragged, the world around him almost seeming slow. Still, Rogue growled in determination. He had to outrun them. He had to get away.

He had to move.

He had to move.

Move!

"FIRE!"

With the fog and effects of the tranquilizers clouding his mind, Rogue couldn't react quick enough to the sound of the blast – another dart implanting deeply into the side of his neck and fully injecting more of its contents. Rogue yelped, stumbling and leaning dangerously before pushing himself to jog forward once more. The titan reached upwards with the intent to remove the dart.

"NOW!"

Frightened, confused, and knowing that it was likely that he was to be hit with another dart, Rogue forced his tired body to move faster. Unfortunately, he never noticed the cannon he was closing in on. Another loud bang vibrated his eardrums and sent more birds flying, a large cannonball flying through the forest - snapping limbs and whipping leaves as it barreled straight for its target. As the titan brought his leg forward, the cannonball met its mark, impacting the side of the knee. Rogue bellowed as blood sprayed the earth as the cannonball exited the other side of the behemoth's knee. His leg buckled inwardly, unable to hold his weight, Rogue tumbled to the earth. The ground shook and trees were uprooted as he rolled like a ragdoll down a small knoll.

"WE GOT YA NOW! PREPARE TO TAKE THE BASTARD DOWN! HE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH LEFT IN EM!"

Rogue whined, flopping over as he struggled to push himself upright. With determination, the beast was able to stand, but quickly found that he was unable to run and could only manage a shaky hobble for he couldn't put any weight upon his right leg. With his heart still pounding in panic, Rogue soldiered forward. Another wave of fatigue and dizziness fell over him as he stumbled into a glade – one full of the men and women dressed in black. With his head feeling immensely heavy, Rogue looked up with his eyes only able to see a blur of shapes.

"FINISH THIS."

With the final command, the earth seemed to rattle again as more cannons fired, two nets swarming around him with their weights tangling and pinning his arms to his sides. The titan stopped, his entire body feeling unbearably heavy. Exhaustion gripped him in a vice as tears welled up in his eyes as the realization hit him. There was no way he could escape with the others and protect his family and his babies now. Whatever had been injected into his body was making him grow unbearably drained and forbidding him to move his body easily and impairing his vision. The men perusing him with guns had only used their bullets to steer him into this trap. He had fallen for every bit of their tricks. He was so incredibly stupid.

He had made a huge mistake.

"FIRE THE BARBS! HE'S DONE TAKE HIM DOWN!"

The sounds of blasts rattled the forest yet again and dozens of barbs sunk into his legs and hips. Rogue droned, the entire world tilting. In a last ditch effort to reach safety and escape to the city, the titan lifted his leg and sluggishly brought his foot forward. Around him, his hunters gasped as he began to pull the barb cannons from their resting spots – dragging the machinery with him. At this, Rogue couldn't help but feel a slight sense of hope, but such was diminished when another shot echoed across the glade. Rogue yelped as an added dart implanted into is back and spread its contaminants. Time then seemed to stand still as his body gave in to defeat.

With another wave of dizziness and fatigue drowning the towering beast and black dots crossing his vision, Rogue's legs finally gave out beneath him with the titan dropping down onto his knees, the ground trembling beneath his weight. The world seemed to spin around him as tears soaked his face. Suddenly, the great beast's strength left him and Rogue fell forward. The land shuttered at his impact and a chorus of cruel cheers celebrated his loss. The titan's breath labored, chest heaving as he rolled in the slightest onto his side. He couldn't help but whimper and whine like a frightened child. He had lost. He had been captured by evil men and he had not the slightest idea as to what they planned to do with him. His babies. He couldn't get to them. He couldn't save them.

He couldn't protect them.

He had failed.

The titan struggled to stay awake, twitching in his binds and suffering from a state of mortification. Even though the world around him seemed opaque and indistinct, Rogue was able to hear the slight nickering of horses and rustling leaves.

"Rogue?"

His heart began to pound once again at the familiar voice. With his muscles stiff but mind coated in worry, Rogue arched his neck to see Molbit and Historia at the edge of the tree line – a horrified look plastered onto their faces. No! They needed to get away! They needed to warn the others! The titan parted his maw, ready to roar a warning but only able to manage a pitiful high pitched moan as the wooziness swept over him again. Unfortunately, his vocal drew his hunters' attention to the frightened pair.

"HEY!"

"Historia! We need to go warn the others!" Molbit ushered the teen, the girl resisting.

"But Rogue –

"Right now we have no way to free him! We need to go find the Corporal and the others!"

For a moment, Historia seemed to hesitate before giving in and following the man on horseback, the titan unable to see the tears gracing her cheeks.

"Hurry! Go after them and bring the girl! Kill anyone that gets in yer way!"

Rogue froze at the words. They wanted Historia too? Why would they –

The titan's thoughts were suddenly stalled by the sound of a deep black chuckle – a smug and rough tone lacing the vocal. With his eyelids sinking even further, Rogue slowly turned his head, the foul stench of his enemy hitting him full blast. Practically feeling his own heart beating in his ears, Rogue's eyes made out the outline of the man that he had seen before – dressed in dark clothes and a hat with a wide brim covering his brow. The titan felt nothing but fear as his vision grew dimmer. The man stopped just inches away from his face and folded his arms, the smirk on his face so wide that Rogue could make out the very form. The tall and slender male then chuckled again.

"Well, well. Yer sure are tough. Usually it takes only two of those lovely darts to send one of you titans off to dreamland. Yer ass took seven of them, but I can't say I'm surprised since you are the infamous Rogue Titan – the fifteen-meter titan slayer and King of Earth." The man practically hummed. "I was honestly expecting more of a retaliation from you, but in reality beneath that tough exterior yer just a scared little child!" His adversary snickered, making heat pool in his stomach at the insult. Though he was incapacitated, Rogue mustered the strength to let out a rippling snarl that would make most soldiers piss themselves. To his dismay however, the man gave the opposite reaction, simply folding his arms in defiance and sniggering again. "Oh? So ya do have a bit of fight in you?" The man laughed before lifting his foot and planting it down hard on the beast's nose. Rogue growled weakly, unable to move to even get away from the unwanted contact. "Well, we'll just have to do something about that won't we?"

"Kenny?"

Rogue observed as the man rotated his head to meet the company of another man that was approaching them – the only detail that he could make out was the man was plump with his vision fading.

"Yeah Boss?"

"So – this is the Rogue Titan?"

The man, who seemed to be named Kenny, nodded. "Yup. The big bastard in the flesh."

There was a slight pause before the other man began once again. "My family has been waiting a hundred years to get their hands on this titan. Now – he's in our possession."

"Ah." Kenny acknowledged, leaning closer to look at the beast. "I have to tell ya, he's quite stubborn and willful. The big boy fell for our trap though due to the fact that he felt the need to protect his own. He's a fighter I'll give ya that. We pumped em' with enough drugs to put at least five seven-meters to sleep – yet he's still struggling to stay conscious. There's no doubt that he's going to be quite temperamental."

The stout man nodded in understanding. "I see. We'll need to break him then. I cannot have him misbehaving."

Kenny nodded, smirking once again. "I'll see to it, Boss."

"I trust that you will be taking him to that – arena you frequent."

"Yup. I think that will break his sanity into pieces and pound it into dust. I'll ensure that he gets the special treatment there. Of course, we'll keep him doped up like a dirty little whore so there's no risk to anyone attending the show or handling him. He'll make things pretty interesting."

Rogue blinked, his body still and his eyelids sinking as darkness began to creep over him.

"Ah, and with the moon full it's the perfect night to carry out our plans. I think I'll even come to these little games of yours Kenny. Just to keep tabs on the both of you and see how you tame this wild creature. Now, what of my daughter?"

"Historia? Well, ya don't need to worry about her. I and the elite part of my squad will go and fetch her and bring her to you in time for the event this evening. We know where they are headed. We'll dispose of any obstacle that gets in our way and do the job quickly. Don't ya worry, Boss."

"Good. Do not fail me. Tonight, I'm finally going to ensure that we will forever have peace."

Rogue sighed, muscles going slack. His mind was far too worn to comprehend a thing that had been discussed. Finally, with no energy left, the titan succumbed to an awaiting slumber.

**(POV SWAP)**

Levi folded his arms in displeasure as he faced the group of teens afore him. It was a sunny and bright day in Olvid district with admittedly fine weather. Much to his annoyance, the great day had drawn out what seemed like every person from every nook and cranny. In the market part of the district there were men, women, and children of all ages moving about and purchasing goods. Admittedly, Levi would say that Olvid district was surprisingly better than Stohess district. There weren't that many arrogant aristocrats but there was still the stuck up and greedy merchants – not to mention the sheer number of people was not something he found favorable.

Of course, with what he and his squad were trying to pull off, a crowd of people was both a blessing and a curse. In their plain clothes and unmarked hoods, they could easily blend in, but if by chance they were noticed – things would go down a shitty path quickly. He knew this all too well and itching at him was the feeling that something wasn't going to go their way today. They had arrived the previous evening and quickly got a room at a cheap inn that tested his patience. Staying with several teenagers in the evening was an experience he didn't want to repeat anytime soon. Due to how pricey even the affordable inn was, they had been forced to take the single room instead of getting several. Sasha and Connie were constantly digging into the free pastries that the room service provided. Jean complained about the simplest things such as someone taking too long to shit and the water being too hot. Armin and Mikasa had behaved pretty well for the most part – wondering about Rogue and going over what they were to say when they were called as witnesses for the trial. He himself found the room in need of a slight dusting, but he forced himself to tolerate it. Thankfully, amid the chaos of settling in, Levi did get an hour to explain the plan to his squad. Of course, he was still envious of Erwin and Hange getting their own rooms at a pricier inn much closer to where the trial was being held.

When morning had dawned. He wasted no time in getting the teens out of bed, prepared, and out of the inn to find a good morsel before they were to head for the trial at noon. Currently, their party was stationed around a single bench eating the things that the teens simply had to have for breakfast. Bacon and green apples. Levi was the first to admit, it was an odd and strange combination of foods but he wasn't minding. Bacon was an incredibly rare shipment they received at headquarters and green apples was a food that he only ever saw the rich and privileged eating back when he lived in the Underground. He was no stranger to the common red apple, but the green ones had a somewhat tangy and sour taste that he appreciated. Levi took another bite from the fruit, getting close to the core as he continued to think and contemplate about all sorts of matters. Rogue, Historia, and Molbit would have gotten to the Ness's farm late the previous evening and were likely indulging on homemade foods. The giant brat was probably chasing chickens or something of the sort while being safe from other sets of eyes. Erwin was probably being prepped to give his testimony while Hange was likely preparing as well along with keeping a sharp eye out for any incoming news. The Corporal exhaled, tugging on his hood again to ensure that it was covering his face. He couldn't wait till the trial was done and they could head back to headquarters.

He just wanted to get this over with.

"So, Fritz is supposed to be at this trial listening in?" Jean began as he took a sip of water from his canteen.

"Unfortunately." Levi muttered beneath his breath, thinking of the news that a messenger of the court had given them just shortly before. "Of course, he's really just a stand in so we won't have to worry about him. It's just the government and nobles that we need to persuade. And it's likely they work with the Reiss. No doubt will they be harsh about Rogue."

"I'm afraid of this trial." Arlert began, eyes looking intently at the apple in his hands. "Even though Rogue didn't do a thing, they might have put the dots together and figured out that Rogue is the reason why the invasions are happening. They might decide to terminate Rogue thinking that they are solving the problem." Armin expressed his worries with Mikasa noticeably growing tense next to him.

Levi's grip tightened on his meal, knowing that the teen had expressed a valid point. "I do agree with you. We have a right to be nervous. It is likely that many people have figured this out and it's not just the government but those that never supported Rogue to begin with will take it as the perfect opportunity to retaliate against us. Of course," Levi paused, going over the facts in his head. "We are there for Erwin's decision to break the rules. Erwin is the defendant and Rogue is just a witness. So if anyone should receive any sort of sentence, it's Erwin. Of course, the Commander was faced with an emergency situation and had to make the call. He didn't have any other choice. I hope the jury sees to reason in this situation."

"If things don't go in our favor, what could Erwin be sentenced with?" Sasha asked quietly.

The Corporal found himself hesitating. This was a query that he was afraid to answer. "Truthfully, I am unsure. It could be a simple jail sentence with a fine or as extreme as execution for treason." He admitted, watching as several of the teens stiffened. "Of course, I think our case is a strong one. Pixis himself is testifying as well."

"So – there is no telling how this will go?" Jean began bluntly. "We have no idea what the outcome will be?"

Levi released a vexed sigh. "No. Now let's keep the talk of this silent for now. We can't have everyone overhearing – especially with the recent events that transpired." He informed with the others blinking before nodding. For several minutes, the group continued to indulge on breakfast and listen to the surrounding conversations, waiting on any message to report. Levi took another bite of the apple, getting closer to its core.

"I wonder what is going on with Rogue and Historia right now." Connie began. "I bet they had one hell of a breakfast this morning." The teen chuckled, obviously trying to lighten the mood. "I wonder if Rogue is chasing around animals or something. Seems like a likely thing he would do."

"True." Mikasa smiled discreetly. "He's never gotten to see any of those animals close up so I bet he is enjoying himself."

"We need to keep any subject about Rogue to ourselves for now. We can't afford someone important overhearing." Levi quickly intervened, watching as a few of the teens looked at him in surprise before conveying their understanding in curt nods. The Corporal then sighed, turning away from the group to observe his surroundings yet again while the teenagers continued to talk about things that no one would have an interest in including himself. The street continued to be busy and he didn't see anything that would be a cause for concern. Levi shifted his weight, feeling his maneuver gear that was tucked away beneath his cloak – ready for any emergency. The recruits had brought their gear as well, the weapons hidden away in their transport cart that was stationed nearby, ready to travel to the trial. They were prepared for anything. At least, that was what he was able to determine at the very moment.

Again, Levi took another bite of the apple in hand, his face instantly screwing up in displeasure as the man bit into a seed. Quickly, The Corporal spit out the unwanted bite and tossed the core of the apple away. For a moment, Levi glanced at his inside pocket and back to the apple stand. The fruits were delicious, although expensive, he wasn't sure when he would get the chance to indulge on them again. Giving in, Levi reached into his pocket and pulled a few coins from his bag, taking the time to ensure that he had the right amount before walking forward.

However, much to his unfortunate luck, he never got to the stall.

A tall man bumped into him roughly, nearly knocking him over and the money that he held flying out of his fingers. Levi's brows narrowed.

"You need to watch where you're going kid."

He froze at the insult, face heating up at the jab at his height. He could practically feel a vein bulge in his neck. "You could watch where you are going yourself." Levi blurted out, turning to scrutinize the man who was a plump individual with a thick mustache. The man wore a scowl and was obviously not the friendly kind let alone the forgiving.

"You should probably learn some manners and –

However, to his dismay, the man paused, blinking in disbelief before a single brow rose in cunning. It was then that the Corporal realized that his hood had slipped off in the shove. Inwardly, he cursed himself as the man let out a laugh.

"Well, you're not some kid after all. You're Corporal Levi of the Scouts." He laughed. "I didn't picture you to be as short."

Levi said nothing, simply glaring at the man while his squad watched nearby. A bead of sweat appeared on the back of his neck as the man's words drew nearby onlookers' attention.

"What are you doing here in your plain clothes? Not to mention you're in a hood trying to hide your face." The man snickered. "Let me guess, you're hiding because of the mess your titan has caused!" The plump male chortled, making Levi's brows narrow and his face heat up. With this statement though, he was unsure of how to reply. "I'm right aren't I?"

As much as he wanted to reply, Levi found himself unable to speak. This was the one thing that he did not want to be spoken.

"Your lack of response tells me that I have a point. I bet that Armored and Colossal bastard came here to just get rid of the one thing protecting us. Hell, maybe your beast is special."

Levi's brow wrinkled. "I would shut up before you dig yourself into a deeper hole and look like an idiot. We are the last of humanity on earth. Those monsters are desperate for food so they came knocking on our fucking door. There is no proof that they would be after Rogue." He lied sternly, knowing that he was likely saying something that was described in the papers. Now, our titan as well as the rest of the Scouts are the only ones capable of ridding ourselves of our enemy. If we had not intervened, it would have been very likely that the Armored and Colossal would have advanced all the way into the interior and thus allowing the titans into every section of the walls. So – think before you speak."

He could be the first to admit that he took a bit of pride seeing the man's dumbfounded face, the male opening his mouth to reply but ultimately unable to produce a single vocal. Seconds passed, and Levi observed the audience to their spat turn to one another and discuss what happened. Levi felt his face heat up. He did not like this situation. How had he been so careless?

Finally, the man cleared his throat. "Well, whatever. But I still think that the Scouts are covering up some –

However, the man's reply was abruptly cut short by a frantic clatter of hooves. For a moment, Levi's heart stilled as he watched citizens frenetically move out of the way. Time seemed to pass in slow motion as two horses rounded a corner, their riders instantly making both his squad stand and fear and confusion course through his body. Upon the equines' backs, were both Historia and Molbit – looking panicked more than he thought possible. Their hair was messy, clothes dirty, and a slight bit of dried blood leaked from minor cuts. His heart pounded. Rogue was not with them nor was Mr. and Mrs. Ness. It only meant that what they had tried to prevent had occurred.

"Levi!" The two yelled in unison as they pulled the reins for their steeds to stop. The stunned man was soon joined by his squad with an incredibly horrified looking Mikasa. "Levi!" Historia quickly dismounted from her horse, nearly tripping over her dress before stopping afore them and trying to catch her breath.

"What happened!" He demanded, Mikasa and Armin saying the same in unison with him. The small blonde gasped, finally able to stand straight.

"Rogue… they captured Rogue!"

Levi's heart nearly stopped again. The big brat had been captured? Was it by the titans that they had tangled with before? Did they breach the wall again? Were mindless titans invading once more? Shit! They didn't need this! His squad were the only ones around! They didn't have an army to pursue and get Rogue back!

"Who captured Rogue!" Mikasa demanded, breaking him out of his paralysis.

"It was some men dressed in black!" Historia informed, catching the party off guard. It wasn't titans? Humans had actually managed to trap what was supposedly the most powerful titan? Levi swallowed. Only the Scouts were capable of doing such a thing so who could possibly have the strength and know how to capture a fifteen-meter deviant?

"Men took him?" Armin stammered. "How is that possible?"

"They did it with some sort of tranquilizers!" Molbit exclaimed. "The also had trapping equipment like ours!"

Levi's eyes widened, revealing a demeanor that was not witnessed by many.

"Yes!" Historia continued. "Not to mention, they had gear like the Scouts except it was arranged differently! They had guns instead of swords!" Historia paused to catch her breath again. "They – shot at Rogue and overwhelmed him pretty easily!"

The Corporal remained stunned. The words were loud and clear and he couldn't second guess himself. With the news, something finally clicked in his head, making him recall the event that occurred a month prior and the two men that had ambushed Rogue on their property some time ago. Next to him, Armin appeared to have come to the same conclusion with a gasp.

"The first squad." He began, the eyes of those that weren't aware turning towards him. "Is it possible that the same people that killed Nick were able to capture Rogue? Were – the men that snuck up on us at headquarters the same as well?"

"Oh my god."

"Yes." Levi quickly agreed. "By the description it does sound like them."

"Hold on." Connie cut in, his amber eyes as large as grapefruits. "Who is this first squad?"

Without hesitation, Armin quickly turned to the teen and began to hastily explain. As he did, Levi's mind began to race. The first squad had managed to capture Rogue. By the use of similar traps like their own, it was clear that the ambush was premeditated. The first squad must have known that the Scouts were to report to a trial along with Rogue and it was highly likely that they had seen the titan along with Historia and Molbit going to the farm during the night. Shit! They knew nothing about their new foe and had no possible idea where they were taking the beast. If their equipment was indeed like that of the Survey Corps, then it was likely that they were transporting Rogue beneath a tarp on a covered wagon. And in such a rural area, no soul would likely see the first squad making a getaway. This was not good. The men were clearly after Rogue and –

Levi's train of thought was brought to an abrupt halt when a chorus of screams pierced the air along with the thunder of wooden wheels over bricks. With movement capturing his gaze, Levi looked up to see something else absolutely horrifying. Nearly plowing through the crowd, was a wagon being pulled by two horses with several men and women dressed in black on board. The driver of the wagon had their eyes clearly set upon them. Finally, able to feel his body after the previous state of numbness, Levi quickly shoved himself into his squad. "Move!" He ordered with the teens leaping out of the wagon's wake.

Historia however wasn't quick enough.

The small blond was able to avoid the wagon's impact, but the girl was unable to avoid the grip of one of the men atop the carriage – hands hoisting the small teen onto the wagon as it proceeded to venture further. For a moment, Levi and the others remained stunned, Molbit struggling to get a hold of his spooked horse until pure instinct hit him. Quickly, Levi reached inside his cloak and pushed his gear into position, grabbing the hilts and preparing to make his move. "Grab our wagon and trail them! Use your gear if you must! Molbit! Go alert Hange!" Levi ordered as he pulled the triggers, launching himself into the air to take pursuit. He pulled his triggers harder, exhaust leaving his gear's canister as he propelled forward so quickly that his eyes produced tears in protest.

Suddenly, there was an echoing bang and something whizzed past his cheek and shattered the glass of a passing building. For a moment, he found himself wanting to go rigid, but recalling his days in the Underground, Levi reverted to the instinct held by prey. He swerved just as a collection of booms rattled his ears and more bullets flew by him – turning various things into Swiss cheese. Needing to get an edge and move into a better position to size up his foe, Levi propelled himself upwards and began to weave through the spires and chimneys. His breath hitched and adrenaline flowed in his blood as more bullets flew by like a swarm of locus. Levi laced around a tower, not daring to look behind him as he quickly dived down to a lower rooftop and scrambled to take cover by a chimney. He remained still, concentrating on controlling his breath. His ears listened to his pursuers' gear as it edged closer and stopped, the Corporal taking note at the slightly different tune of the motor and the reeling mechanism. Discreetly, with his stern looking face showing an absolute stone cold expression, Levi angled his head around the corner to peer upon what he and his squad were now dealing with.

His brows immediately rose in astonishment. Historia's account that the first squad's gear was much different was more than correct. Instead of on their lower backs, the gas canisters and reels were placed high on the user's backs. The gear didn't have the hilts for swords but rather two guns for each hand. One barrel was clearly one made to fire a wire and the other longer barrel was made to be the actual firearm that resembled a blunderbuss. Around each thigh were extra barrels full of ammunition. Levi swallowed, a bead of sweat forming upon his brow. The things were absolutely intimidating. It was no wonder why Rogue was quickly overwhelmed. The titan probably had no time to grab a cable before another man shot his arm. To a titan that couldn't harden its skin – this was a more than effective weapon. In addition, this was a very formidable weapon against a human.

Their odds were certainly not good. Swords against bullets always lost.

"Well, what do ya know? It's been a hell of a long time Levi!"

His eyes widened and he felt his heart skip a beat. That voice – he knew that voice from his childhood. Oh how he knew it! It belonged to the man that had taken him under his wing, taught him how to hold a knife and defend himself before leaving him. It was the man who had taught him everything he knew.

"Look how much you've grown!" He laughed, the sound of his mirth raspy like the tones from smoking men. "Ya haven't changed a bit have you?"

Slowly, Levi turned and came face to face with none other than his own uncle, Kenny Ackerman. The man looked the same as he always had, tall and slender with a short beard around his jawline. His eyes had a bit more wrinkles than he remembered but overall Kenny looked the same as he did years ago. He even wore the same old hat that he always did. The Corporal's face twisted into a grimace. Of all people it had to be Kenny! The man was crafty and amazingly clever. It was no wonder as to how the man managed to capture Rogue. He would have to move quickly and get to a safe place so he could think about how to deal with his opponent. Unfortunately, for the time being, he would have to leave the recruits to tail the wagon. He had to take care of this unfortunate obstacle at once.

"I don't think you've changed much either. What the hell are you doing here Kenny?"

His uncle chuckled. "You should know better. I'm just working a job!" The man proclaimed as he quickly lifted the barrel of one of the guns.

At this, Levi's instincts kicked into gear once again. As quickly as he could, he dethatched his cloak and threw it before him to obscure as he turned around to dive from the rooftop, the sounds of bullets cutting through the air meeting his ears and leaving his cloak like a moth-eaten cloth. To his dismay, Kenny shadowed his move, arching over him with his guns aimed at his target.

"I thought ya'd run!"

Just as the taller man began to press his triggers, the Corporal resorted to utilizing his only way of firing a projectile – like lightning, he plunged a hilt into his scabbard to attach a blade before drawing a sword. Next, in his desperate attempt of defending himself, Levi pressed the release on his hilt, dethatching the blade with its momentum carrying it forward in a deadly spin – a trick that he had picked up when joining the Scouts to blind a titan. He wasted no time watching the piece of steel fly inches by Kenny's head to slice a few hairs as he advanced forward.

Levi launched himself into the air, pushing his gear to its limits as he moved when necessary to avoid the incoming rounds. As he suspected, Kenny was working beneath someone. The man had always been a hired assassin. With Rogue and Historia being captured, he had a pretty good idea as to who the man was working for. It had to be none other than the true king of the walls, but the question as to why was still up in the air. Why go through the trouble trying to conceal and dispose of the one weapon that was capable of defeating the titans and why would the king want his own daughter? Was it possible that he wanted to get rid of the girl too?

Levi cursed beneath his breath again. Of all people, why did he have to deal with Kenny? The man was dangerous. He was fast. And we was skilled enough that he would be able to predict his every move.

"AFTER HIM!"

His heart began to pound as more bullets whizzed by his head, forcing him into an instinctual dive. Like a frightened fawn running from prey, Levi swerved left and right in a zig zag pattern with people running from his wake. He carefully glanced over his shoulder to see three other men in black trailing him with guns drawn and Kenny leading the way. It was proof. His uncle was the man in command of what was the first squad. They were up against a truly formidable opponent.

This wasn't good. Rogue had been taken and now there was a chance that they wouldn't be able to catch up and retrieve Historia.

"Fire!"

Suddenly, bullets rained down upon him again, pelting the walk and only missing by mere inches. Following instinct, he swerved yet again in a new direction, flying through a lonely alleyway that he was thankful wasn't home to any homeless drunks. However, as he did, several more men leaped down from the rooftops with guns drawn. His heart rattled in his ribcage as he abruptly changed direction once again. His ears were practically ringing as the party fired their weapons another time. He nearly bit through his lip in pain as one of the bullets grazed his side – the ever familiar feeling of blood soaking into his shirt present. Levi gritted his teeth, but just as he pulled his triggers once again, more bullets swarmed around him like aggravated hornets, hitting the bricks on the adjacent building and causing them to combust into pieces, two of which traveling across his cheek and brow. Instantly, blood decorated the side of his face and obscured his vision. Levi cursed again as his ears picked up the arrogant laughter of Kenny just behind him.

"YOU CAN'T RUN YA LITTLE SHORT BASTARD! THIS IS QUITE THE FAMILY REUNION!"

Inwardly, his mind churned, instantly looking for ways to escape just like any prey. Quickly, his eyes spotted a saloon and aimed a cable right for the front of the building above the doorway. Levi then pulled his triggers as hard as he possibly could, propelling him through the double doors of the establishment and right onto the top of the bar counter itself, ripping the doors from their hinges in the process. Regaining his bearings, Levi immediately reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and began to quickly and thoroughly wipe away drying and dripping crimson. His head throbbed and his side stung. The day was an absolutely shitty one.

"Is that – Corporal Levi of the Survey Corps?"

He paused at the spooked voice, pressing the cloth to his head as he gradually looked up to view the interior of the saloon. Bars such as the one he was currently in were not too common in the walls like they were decades ago. The establishment was indeed a saloon with the short double doors that had once hung at the entrance and a mostly wood and rough around the edges design. Stiff and stunned patrons sat motionless with wide eyes at tables while several of the men struggled to clean up their spilt beer. The bartender looked both spooked and in awe as he peered at him from behind the bar with wide and questioning eyes. Levi grunted, lifting the handkerchief away to see if he had stopped bleeding, finding that it was indeed starting to slow. The saloon seemed like the kind of place that several soldiers would frequent to unwind and one that he would only visit once in his life.

Suddenly, his ears were filled with the sounds of whirling gears and boots hitting the brick walk. Instantly knowing that his foe had arrived, Levi displayed a hushed gesture to the customers and dove behind the counter of the bar to squeeze beneath the top. He swallowed, pressing the cloth to his face again. He was prey that had been backed into a corner. He would have to weasel his way out quickly and reunite with his squad. He would have to be smart. Maybe he could even gain information.

"I smell a rat!" Kenny's voice carried into the saloon, the sound of his boots hitting the wooden floor making him search all the more desperately for a plan. "Where are ya Levi!"

Levi hesitated, taking a breath to calm himself with his eyes catching sight of one thing that could save his skin and allow him to make a break for it. Tucked beneath the counter of the bar was a long old rifle that was obviously kept for the saloon's own protection. Quietly, Levi leaned over and plucked the weapon from its spot. His eyes looked the object over. It wasn't a hunting rifle with real bullets but rather a gun that fired rubber bullets used for crowd control. He wasn't surprised at the fact. Most shop owners used guns like such since they risked any sort of misfire with a bullet injuring an actual customer. That didn't mean the weapon wasn't useful. He could still stun or even knock Kenny out with it.

"I know you're in here ya little rodent!"

The Corporal exhaled, calming himself. "I'm here Kenny. You're right it's been a while."

A cocky laugh sounded throughout the saloon. "Ha! I'm curious to see what your face looks like again after I tore it up! I'm here to see what color yer brains are!"

His brow twitched. "You know, I actually thought you were dead Kenny. So – I take it that you're the leader of the first squad huh?"

For a moment there was a pause until Kenny let out a slight laugh. "Heh! Indeed! I'm guessing you learned that from that poor sap with a big mouth that I sent to visit Nick!"

Levi's brows narrowed. Kenny sure was cleaver, already thinking of the one possible source that the Scouts could have learned about the real king's secret squad.

"I suppose I can't let you live now knowing that. As for everyone else, we have ways to keep em' quiet. Some – well are probably frowned upon by many."

Levi exhaled, calculating his next moves. He needed to get as much information as he could. "So. What do you want the big brat for? Not to mention it seems you took the girl for a purpose. What are planning to do to the two of them? Kill them I presume? Get rid of the problem that the king thinks he has? Am I right Kenny?" Levi spoke as he leaned forward and turned one of the liquor bottles upon the shelf behind the bar, making the label face away from him and allowing Levi to see Kenny's reflection in the brown glass. The man stalled for a moment at his query, casually leaning against an empty chair.

"Eventually." The man finally answered, almost humming. "But there are matters that need to be taken care of first. Other things that must be done and things that need to be accomplished."

Levi clenched his teeth, feeling his frustration brewing. What else did they wish to do with Rogue and Historia? Besides erasing what the true king deemed as a threat, what else was planned? His eyes narrowed further, he knew that Kenny would not tell him even if he asked. The man would just dance around the question.

"You know Levi, even though I lived in a shithole part of my life it was worth it in some ways. In my profession, it provided an abundant hunting ground." Kenny began once again, making the Corporal's blood begin to boil for he knew full and well as to what the man was talking about. "Not only that, but there were plenty of poor bastards to slit throats and shoot and many more men willing to fork over a small fortune for someone's head! Like you, I got an incredible opportunity where the payment was citizenship above ground. I carried that job out in a single fucking day – splattered that fucker's brains all over his dinner table!" Kenny continued his tale, several of the bar patrons standing to leave in a rush. "After that, I got me a small place out in the country where I thought I'd try to live a calm life as a hunter who sold meat and furs to the rich. It was good fucking money, but it didn't feel so satisfying. I've shot down six point bucks, tracked down and field dressed bears, and slaughtered colossal boars – but I never got the thrill of the kill like I had when my prey was human. For a while, I weighed my options. I could live an honest life or return to the life I had to satisfy the particular blood I craved and eventually be judged by my sins. One day, I had an unexpected offer – an invitation to work for the king as part of his personal hounds. As ya can imagine, I accepted. For a long time, the boss wouldn't explain why we were killing certain targets. There were deserting nobles and even priests. Then, the breach happened and the boss finally told us about our real target – the infamous Rogue Titan! For years, we practiced and trained until this day came, Levi." Kenny chuckled darkly, picking up a beer from a neighboring table to take a few swigs before throwing the bottle to the floor. "You should have seen your prized pet! The beast was reduced to nothing but a frightened animal – a toddler that screamed like he had lost his mother. Our bullets pelted the bastard, making his blood spray against the trees and earth. Our cannons shattered his knees and the drugs we injected rendered him utterly immobile and useless. He was a worthy beast of hunting! The most prized of big game! Hunting a titan is an unforgettable experience." Kenny continued. "That big bastard is going to give me more than just a fortune." The man practically purred, suddenly lifting the chair in hand and throwing it behind the bar, bottles shattering and alcohol spilling. "Now – do you remember Levi? About the lesson of cornering a rat?"

The corporal gritted his teeth, realizing that Kenny had the saloon surrounded. His chances were slimmer than ever!

"No matter which way ya go, we're just gonna swoop down on ya!" The man's mirth grew louder as he neared. "I love this hobby of mine, going up against a formidable opponent gives me quite the rush. I can see why you joined the Survey Corps." Kenny smirked.

"If you like killing titans so much, why didn't you just become a Scout? You clearly have the credentials, Kenny."

Levi watched as the man's grin grew even broader. "Because of benefits." Kenny paused as he picked up another chair, mere feet away and forcing Levi to ready the gun. He would need to be quick before his uncle could move. "Ya kill too when it benefits ya as well right?"

As Kenny lifted both his weapon and the chair, Levi saw his only window. "Yeah. You're right Kenny." The Corporal spoke as he quickly tilted the gun up over his head and the counter. For a moment he took a second to witness Kenny's stunned façade before he pulled the trigger. The bang echoed throughout the saloon as the rubber bullets met their mark, packing quite a punch and sending Kenny nearly outside the saloon. Next, he tossed the rifle to the bartender who clumsily caught the weapon while he thanked the man with a curt nod. He would need to think of his escape quickly.

"Is that Captain Ackerman?"

"Is he dead?"

"No he's knocked out! Quickly, prepare to engage the Corporal! He's armed and dangerous!"

Levi began to kick himself into high gear yet again. The saloon was surrounded by heavily armed men and women that would shoot as soon as he tried to make his exit. A distraction was needed first and he couldn't fly out of the entrance for it would be suicide. A side window would be his best bet. He swallowed, sticking a hilt into his scabbards and drawing out a blade made for taking down monsters. As much as he didn't want to resort to what he had practiced before, he would have to do what he could to survive. If he was later tried for such acts, he could easily claim self-defense. Knowing that he could wait no longer, Levi set his plan into motion and grabbed one of the many now empty chairs and made his way to a far right window. He would have to be quick.

Steps away from the window, Levi pitched the wooden chair as hard he could, shattering the glass into thousands of pieces. Instantly, there was gunfire and the chair was reduced to splinters in the smoke. With a blade drawn and his finger curled around a trigger, Levi waited for the right moment where there was a pause in confusion. Then there was the click of an empty gun and a confused gasp. Cleared to move on with his plan, Levi aimed a cable for the building next door and propelled himself forward with alarming speed. Like he had been trained in the field to watch out for his moving targets, Levi briefly looked to see two men standing on the neighboring building's rooftop as well as the man perched on top of the saloon reloading his gun. Levi quickly planted himself onto the side of the building out of range of the two men. Shifting his gaze to the man who had fired at him previously, Levi decided that he needed to proceed. With no regrets sitting badly in his stomach, he aimed a grapple and pulled the trigger – puncturing the man right through his throat and neck to kill him instantly. For a moment, the other men seemed utterly spooked at their ally's demise, watching petrified as Levi began to reel in his cable, pulling the man's body from the roof and into his arms. Bracing himself and making sure he had a good grip on the corpse, Levi hoisted himself onto the roof and held the body before him like a shield as he approached his other two targets.

"What the hell!"

"He killed Duran!"

"Fire! Kill him!"

The men fired their guns with purely horrified expressions upon their faces and their bullets tearing into the carcass like a group of piranhas tearing into meat. Levi continued forward, gritting his teeth. His second window opened as one of the men's guns jammed and the other had to reload. Tossing away the body of their friend, Levi quickly drew his blades and rushed forward. The steel made to cut apart a titan's thick hide cut the men in half like a stick of butter. Far too desperate to return to his squad, the Corporal didn't pause to wipe the blood that sprayed on his hands and face but flew on ahead with his enemy still trailing behind him. Levi wasn't a religious man, but he prayed that his squad was still alive.

' _What an absolutely shitty day_.'

**(POV SWAP)**

Kenny moaned, the pain in his chest great as he slowly sat up, getting over a wave of dizziness before slumping over to let his arms hand casually over his knees. He simply couldn't believe that the short male had gotten an edge on him. Deep down, he oddly felt proud of the fact that his early education he had given the man had proved to pay off, but then again he had a job that he needed to get done and a goal to accomplish. He wasn't going to let even Levi get in the way of his plans either.

"Captain? Are you alright?"

He lifted his head to view a woman that was his second in command named Delilah that shared practically the same ideals and was skilled in all the fields that she needed to be. He grunted.

"I'm just dandy. Healthy as a horse. I guess they do have bar owners that keep guns as self-protection."

"I see."

Kenny chuckled, placing his hat back over his head. "That shrimp did well. Avoiding us wasn't an easy task. Sure, we scuffed him up a bit, but he got away."

The woman folded her arms. "What are your orders? You want us to go after him?"

He shook his head, snickering once again. "No. I thought ahead. Knowing the duty of a Corporal, he's going to relocate his squad who's currently and probably trying to chase down that little blonde brat. We've got plenty of men waiting to ambush them. Besides – we have some other work to attend to. We have to go play with that titan."

"Yes, Sir."

"I do know one thing." Kenny continued as he gradually stood. "If that little shrimp or the other Scouts continue to get in the way – I'll be further away from achieving my own dream."

**(POV SWAP)**

Armin whipped the reins yet again, urging the horses to move faster after the carriage that was far ahead. Normally, he hated to swear, but under these circumstances, he simply couldn't help it. The first squad that Levi and Hange had told him about that murdered Nick had captured his best friend and guardian along with his friend and squad mate Historia. They couldn't let them get away! There was no need to think of the reason why the first squad had captured them. The thought of what they were planning made him sick to his stomach, but he couldn't help but to be confused. If the true king wanted to kill the two of them, especially Rogue, then why bother to capture them? Why didn't their adversaries just kill them right away? A lump had formed in his chest at this knowing that something else was being planned. The only question he had was what.

"Hurry Armin! We need to get to them and get Historia back so we can figure out where the bastards are taking Rogue."

He gulped as he briefly set his gaze onto Mikasa before looking back to the road outstretched before them. He knew good and well that she was furious and frantic. Armin didn't blame her aggression for he felt the same. Sure, he feared for Historia, but in truth he knew Rogue was more venerable. He had been captured by men that knew fully well how to take down a titan. Not to mention, the true king wanted to no doubt erase him. They wouldn't hesitate killing Rogue when the time would come. No doubt, there would be more hesitation when it came to Historia. She could even prove to be useful if the king changed his mind. To the king, Rogue was just a big problem. Armin swallowed. Rogue was probably absolutely terrified. If he had been drugged as Historia had claimed, he was likely very weak and there would be no way he could escape.

Things were not good. At all.

Suddenly, the sound of maneuver gear met his ears, forcing the group of teens to turn their heads to the source. However, to Armin and the other's dismay the approaching man wasn't Levi but rather one of the men dressed in black – and wearing a device that resembled their own gear. Armin's arms tightened, his gaze transfixed. The man's gear looked almost identical to their own except for the fact that it was placed differently on the user. That and the pairing blades were replaced by guns – that were aimed right at them. Before Armin could even blink or steer the carriage into another direction, a cable impaled the gunman's chest and the Corporal emerged from seemingly nowhere and cut clean through the man – severing the individual in half. Instantly, the group of teens became even further petrified and Armin nearly vomited as he watched what was left of the man and his innards fall unceremoniously to the ground below. His brows rose in realization. The man was one of the same wearing what they used to capture Rogue and the first squad that was hunting them down as well.

Levi then dove downwards and landed in the carriage. The Corporal looked like he had been through hell. The man's side was stained in blood and Levi's face was cut up and splotched with dried blood. True to his habit, Levi quickly pulled out the cloth that he always kept handy and began to wipe his blood splattered flesh. The man breathed heavily, refusing to look at the startled group of teens as he peered all around them.

"Corporal Levi?" Sasha began. "What happened? Are you alright?"

The man grunted in aggravation as he examined a small gash on his side that clearly needed stitches. "I'm fine. I'm torn to hell and filthy but I'll live. Armin, change directions. We are abandoning our current adjective to retrieve Historia and Rogue."

The words caught the blonde by surprise. Had he heard the man right? Next to him, Mikasa's face tinted red and the girl snapped.

"Why are we stopping! We need to go after them!"

Levi only growled, looking at the dark haired teen seriously, with a gaze that simply said that he was not in the mood. "We have no choice. If we continue we are as good as dead. Their leader is an extremely dangerous man who will not hesitate to kill anyone. He's enormously skilled and he can predict nearly every move you could make against him. I know that right now he's got many more men stationed just up ahead ready to ambush us. So as of now, we are retreating to the closest safe house the Scouts have in the countryside. If we move quickly, we might be able to make it there alive. It's unfortunate, but that is my order under these circumstances."

"But – what about rescuing –

"We'll figure everything out once we are safe." Levi quickly informed, Mikasa stiffening and silent until she gave in to a weary nod – her fire clearly extinguished. Although Armin hated the order, it was necessary. As he steered the wagon onto another road, the Corporal cleared his throat to start again. "Now, if more of those bastards come at us again, I need several of us in the air and ready to defend. That will myself, Ackerman, Blouse, and Springer. Jean, you and Arlert fire from the cart. We brought rifles just in case we needed them and it looks like we might have to utilize them." Levi paused, taking a moment to let out an exasperated sigh. "Before you even ask, yes – I am telling you to kill someone if you must. These men are ruthless. They torture defenseless people and are the true king's assassins. They are monsters. You should be used to killing beasts by now anyways so you should have no regrets in doing so."

Armin swallowed, unable to rid himself of the lump that had formed in his throat at the Corporal's statement. If they were attacked, he would have to do the unthinkable. His stomach nearly turned over again at the thought. He couldn't do that – there was no way that he could take the life of a person no matter how cruel! Armin's knuckles grew white. Oh how he wished that it wouldn't come to such a thing. However, deep down, he had a horrible hunch.

To his dismay, his hunch turned out to be correct as several men swooped down from the rooftops.

"Take them out!"

With both Levi's words ringing through his head and the men raising their guns, Armin pulled on the reins, forcing the carriage to swerve down another road. He urged the horses onward as Levi, Mikasa, and the rest of his squad that the Corporal ordered launched themselves into the air. Easily, Levi sliced his blades across the scalp of an individual and plunged his sword into the stomach of another. Sasha and Connie struggled to avoid several of the men, opting to simply cut the cables of their pursuers instead – which was proving to be an incredibly difficult tactic. Bullets rained upon the two who had barely the time to dodge – their whipping cloaks quickly littered with holes and a bullet grazed Connie's shoulder. In horror, Armin watched as Connie faltered in the slightest but ultimately regained himself and simply focused on moving as fast as possible. Armin's eyes then flashed to Mikasa who looked absolutely furious. The girl had her blades positioned to kill and there was something savage within her grey eyes. By her look alone, Armin knew that Mikasa was ready to do anything reckless.

Armin swallowed, reluctantly reaching down into the leather satchel in his seat to grip the small handgun that he had been entrusted with. Even holding the small weapon, he felt incredibly uneasy. Even when he was a trainee during target practice, he never liked holding or using such a thing even though his target was simply a painted bullseye. He swallowed, eyes scanning his surroundings yet again to land on Jean who sat at the back of the cart with his rifle aimed but shaking in his hands. The teen looked horrified, eyes blown wide, his teeth almost chattering, and paler than an expired body. Armin rotated in his seat, staring forward yet again to steer the carriage. Jean was certainly not prepared to commit the ultimate sin either.

"Jean!" Levi's voice carried over the chaos. "Take them out!"

Armin steered the carriage, glancing over his shoulder at the still petrified teen. Jean was utterly frozen as the men in black swarmed all around them. Bullets shattered clay roof tiles, bricks, and ripped through awnings. Even as the Corporal and teens held them off, some of the nimble men snuck ahead.

"Shit! Armin!"

"Get ready Arlert!"

His heart hammered within his chest as a woman and man sailed over the carriage. Armin felt his body go rigid, unable to lift his weapon as the man held up his own. Suddenly, his entire life began to play out in his head. There was his days as a lonely child, the day that he met Mikasa after she vanquished the neighborhood bullies, the day that he and his best friend were rescued and befriended by a titan. He recalled everything.

Before he could blink, there was blood. Cold steel was pressed into warm flesh and there was a vocal akin to a pained animal. Mikasa had impacted the man, planting her blades straight through his chest. The expression upon her face was one of war worn by a warrior. He had seen such in old books where men fought titans. Mikasa had been out for blood and she had gotten it. Mesmerized by the sheer violence of her approach and the splatter of blood, Armin failed to notice the female had landed next to him until the movement of her raising gun captured his attention.

Then, before the woman could shoot, Mikasa's foot impacted the woman's head with considerable force, knocking her into the wagon face first. Quickly, Jean rotated in his seat and aimed the rifle at their foe.

"Don't move!" Jean ordered, his voice cracking and nowhere near threatening.

The teen's tone of voice made his brows rise. Armin simply stared at the shaky teen, knowing well that Jean was far too frightened to act. He swallowed, there was no way his friend would make the move. Suddenly, the limp body of the female came to life and before Jean could react, the woman swung her weapon, knocking the rifle from the male's hands before pushing the barrel of the gun into his face. Time seemed to slow and panic flooded his body. Jean's skin visibly paled and his pupils shrunk. Armin gasped, blood chilling. He was about to lose a good friend. However, it was then that his mind locked onto one thought that never existed before now – a primitive idea that represented the laws of nature. With the thought the only one in his head, his body reacted instinctively.

He pulled the trigger. Then there was blood.

**(POV SWAP)**

Her breath was ragged; she was not expecting this. In a large room with fancy molding, a crimson carpet that looked like a painted battlefield, and windows on nearly all sides, Hange was seated in one of the few pews lining the sides of the room. Her hands were folded in her lap and her palms were sweating profusely. They had not been expecting this. Normally, cases were held in courts of law, but upon their arrival the witnesses and defendants were escorted to the last place that she wished to be. They were now converged in the throne room of the false king in the presence of the man himself along with four nobles. The room was crowded full of officials, guards, and military personnel. Although the room was elegant with its gorgeous paintings upon the ceiling with Corinthian columns and warm colors, the throne room had a dangerous aura. It made her more and more uneasy by the minute.

There was a reason why they had been sent here – one that had completely slipped the Scouts' minds. Not only were the most serious offences tried before the king, there was what was called the "three strike" trial. The details of such a circumstance was when a person or party was tried three times in a year – the third being held in the presence of the king to be judged by the noblemen. This wasn't good for them at all. With Rogue involved, Hange knew these men would look for any excuse to disband their regiment and get rid of the titan once and for all. Of course, Hange wasn't particularly sure if the noblemen were really working for the Reiss or not. The men could have possibly been just in the dark as they were. Of course, she couldn't rule out the idea that the men had ties to the true ruler of the walls.

Things were unfortunate and absolutely unpredictable.

Across from the pews she sat upon were more pews populated by both the MP's and the Church. At the rear of the room were other members of the Military Police as well as minor witnesses. Seated next to her was Pixis, Hannes, Rico, and several other Garrison members who had already read their testimonies. Poised at the head of the room across from one another were the four nobles, each of the esteemed men having distain upon their faces. They wore robes of finest quality and were nearly all plump from their riches. They watched a young Garrison soldier like lions observing their prey – gazes absolutely intimidating as the man explained what occurred on the day that the wall was breached again. Behind the nobles was so called 'King Fritz,' seated in a dignified throne with his chin resting on his palm – the man looking as if he was bound to fall asleep. Hange blinked. Fritz was the last thing she thought a man posing as a king looked like and behaved. Although he was well kept, he was dark beneath his eyes and slouched in his chair – leaning to the side seemingly without a care in the world. It was clear that Fritz would rather be else ware.

For the umpteenth time, Hange tried to get comfortable in her seat. For the past several hours, soldiers present during the encounter with Ansgar and Goliath as well as participants on the mission to retrieve Rogue had been giving their accounts of what had occurred and if they felt the decision to commit treason was the right one. Thankfully, each witness had given nearly the exact same answer and felt that Erwin and Pixis's choice was necessary. Just minutes ago, the Garrison Commander himself spoke strongly about his reasoning and delivered a very convincing statement that would sway the trial in their favor. However, Hange knew better. The nobles would try to find and menial thing to use against them. The scientist swallowed, watching as two guards tending to the doors spoke to one another. Any second, Erwin was to enter the room and the nobles would begin their questioning. Deep down, she was worried. It was obvious that Erwin was truly the one that made the decision to go after Rogue and convinced the other superiors to do so as well. It was likely that the Scouts' Commander was going to be treated much differently than the others before him.

She had a horrible feeling brewing deep down in her stomach.

Suddenly, there was a loud creak and a series of shuffling, drawing the room's attention to the double doors once again. Hange could feel her jaw drop before her teeth clenched in aggravation as several men ushered Erwin roughly into the room. Thankfully, he wasn't being dragged along but the man was rather pushed forward. The crowd watched as The Scouting Legion Commander was forcefully shoved down onto his knees. Hange's brows narrowed at the treatment until Pixis lightly elbowed her, likely to remind her that outbursts were not tolerated in proceedings such as the one that was currently transpiring. She then placed her focus on Erwin once again to find that the man had not attempted to get back to his feet or brush off the hands holding his shoulders to forbid him from moving. Her brows lifted in astonishment. The man called to witness didn't wear a single expression that hinted at any weakness or aggravation. Instead, Erwin dawned the very look that he always had when they were about to embark on expeditions – the very determined look he possessed when he led the brigade into battle. Hange found herself in a state of befuddlement. The Commander didn't appear too fearful at the trial's change. In fact, she could say his gaze was close to intimidating. Was it possible, she wondered, that Erwin was confident?

The first of the nobles glared heavily at The Commander, the plump man having short hair and a beard coupled with a gut and an unkind aura surrounding him, peering at Erwin with a deep grimace. For several tense seconds, it was quiet in the throne room as the noble scanned the amputee, his lip turning up in distaste before he cleared his throat. "You are Commander Erwin Smith am I correct? Head of the Scouting Legion?"

Erwin nodded, his expression still unchanged. "Yes, Sir."

"Well then. Commander Smith, you are being called here as a defendant today to testify and declare your reasoning with the recent decision to breach government issued orders. Now, to begin, a short time ago, Wall Rose was broken into by The Armored and Colossal Titans where Rogue Jaeger engaged the Armored in combat but was ultimately captured by the Colossal and taken into Maria. Is this correct?"

"Yes." Erwin answered simply, saying nothing further. The noble nodded.

"Alright. Now, shortly before the incident occurred, you were briefed that the Scouting Legion was restricted of going on any further expeditions into Wall Maria until Rogue Jaeger had control over his abilities correct?"

Erwin's chin lowered, his gaze still strong and imposing. "Yes. That was what the government issued."

The man nodded, shifting his gaze to another noble that was a thin and neatly shaven man who stood and cleared his throat. "Erwin Smith, just after Rogue Jaeger was captured, you stood upon the wall along with Commander Pixis and several other high ranking men and women and came to the decision to disregard the government order you were given. Can you explain your reasoning as to why you did this?"

Hange watched as Erwin nodded confidently. "Yes I can and would be glad to shed some light on my decision." The man stared intently at the nobles, no hint of fear upon his façade. "I believe it's an undisputable fact that Rogue is humanity's best chance in survival. He is our most effective soldier and a formidable weapon. He is capable of taking out dozens of titans within minutes as well as provide us with protection. Rogue, as you've seen when he sealed both Trost and Wall Rose, he also aids us with tasks that we as humans cannot achieve. Rogue is our trump card. If we lose him, humanity loses its sword and its shield. Unlike the many soldiers that dedicate their hearts to the cause, we are expendable. Rogue is not. Humanity cannot afford to lose him. However, I do believe that we did not commit treason by disregarding the government's orders."

The nobles' brows rose in astonishment at the blonde's answer, looking at one another in question before the man cleared his throat for a second time to speak once again. "And why do you believe this Commander? Why do you think your act wasn't treason?"

Erwin's brows pinched together, wrinkling the bridge of his nose as strong determination intensified on his features. "I'm sure the others who have testified pointed this observation out as well, but during Rogue's confrontation with The Armored Titan. He indeed went into what is known as Berserk Mode – whereas you've been briefed is when Rogue's body heat soars, his strength and speed increases, and his senses increase. As in Stohess, in the beginning of his transformation, Rogue was feral and uncontrollable – driven by the need to hunt his enemy. However, toward the end of the opposition, Rogue was able to get in control of himself and was able to make complex offensive and defensive moves against his enemy before his exhaustion and The Colossal's intervention. It was stated that Rogue needed to control his abilities before expeditions could take place in Maria. On that day, Rogue Jaeger was able to regain his own will and do things strategically. Thus, I believe my decision was without consequence."

The room was then silent, only a stray cough being heard from the audience. Fritz had finally fallen asleep in his chair while the nobles sat still, glancing at once another again. Hange couldn't help but to be confused at the nature of Erwin's confidence. The man almost treated his testimony as if it was nothing serious. Was Erwin onto something? In the view of everyone, the nobles nodded at one another and leaned in to whisper among themselves. Finally, the plump nobleman cleared his throat and stood.

"Thank you for your statement Mr. Smith. We have deemed your decision to be a valid one that was necessary. The witnesses that are waiting to be called to testify are dismissed. However, the Survey Corps will be under close watch for now on. More restrictions will be written by the council –

Hange couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had won? Without difficulty? How? Then a feeling of unease swept over her, making her skin prickle. Something – something was off. There was no way their offence could be dismissed so easily. The royals and nobles always believed that Rogue was a problem along with the Scouts themselves so why were they letting them off now? Befuddled, Hange's gaze drifted from a standing Erwin back to the noblemen, seeing something that she did not expect. Instead of a frown coated in absolute disgust, the men wore a small cunning smirk hidden by a hand either resting on their chin or pulling at their beards. In the men's eyes, Hange could see victory swimming. She was no stranger to such a look – one that reminded her of wolves finally able to trap their prey into a corner. It was clear, these nobles were planning –

Suddenly, the doors to the throne room opened hastily, the hinges creaking as someone began to push their way through the crowd towards the center of the room. The audience nearly stood from their seats at the intrusion. Several of the guards snapped out of their stupor and began to approach from their positions. Fritz was immediately woken by one of the men who tried to usher him away for his own safety if an attempt on his life was currently transpiring. Hange's heart pounded, her mind flowing in several different directions as the man frantically pushed his way through the crowd towards their own Commander.

"COMMANDER ERWIN!"

Hange froze at the voice, knowing just who it belonged to.

From the tangle of bodies, Molbit freed himself and approached the startled blonde with a haphazard salute before trying to catch his breath. The scientist slowly stood from her seat, knowing that her assistant's presence in the room meant that something horrible had occurred.

"Commander Erwin!" Molbit breathed, leaning over to grip his knees. "Rogue and Krista – they were captured! We were ambushed!"

The woman's heart stilled at the news. Rogue and Historia, were captured? How! How did someone know where they were! How could someone besides the Scouts know how to catch a fifteen-meter titan? Still pondering, Hange quickly left her seat and began to approach her superior. She could practically feel her heart thudding against her ribcage. Was it possible – that the first squad that Sannes mentioned was involved? Were they more capable than they originally thought?

"Molbit, what happened?" Erwin ushered as Hange and Pixis came to join them with Zackley approaching. The man continued to catch his breath.

"The three of us were ambushed at the Ness's farm. There were these men that came at Rogue with equipment similar to ours. They shot at him with bullets, cannonballs, and tranquilizers!"

Hange's brows lifted at the final word. "Tranquilizers?" She asked. From her knowledge, she knew that sometimes such darts were used in hunting larger game and on rare occasion for defensive purposes. Never before had she heard of them being successfully used on a titan. Sure, the Scouts used a sleeping gas when they captured titans in the past, but one thing they could never figure out was how to produce an effective tranquilizer with potent enough ingredients. The fact that these group of men had accomplished such a feat said that they were extremely skilled and extremely dangerous.

Molbit nodded. "Yes! I don't know how they succeeded, but they were able to take him down fairly easily with nets and barrel shots. I took Krista," the man continued with Historia's alias. "And we rode straight for Olvid where we met the others. We were able to brief them about what was going on but just as we were, the men ambushed us again! They took Krista and rode off! Their maneuver gear was modified where they used guns instead of swords! I'm – not completely sure if they were able to make it." Molbit concluded, frowning and sweat rolling down his face.

For what seemed like an eternity, it was quiet among the three and the room around them didn't seem to exist. Erwin finally broke silence. "This is clearly the work of the first squad. No doubt about it." Erwin paused suddenly, his brows bunching together and his lips drawing up into a snarl – completely straying from his usual character. "Shit. They had this planned. They baited us."

With the Commander's statement, it was then that Hange finally realized what had truly happened and why the trial had gone as smoothly as it had. Her eyes drifted back to the group of nobles who simply sat grinning behind their hands – making rage boil in the pit of her stomach. The Nobles were indeed working with the real king. They knew that if they were brought to trial again it would take place in the throne room before them and the false king. They _**knew**_ that with their testimony and the many witnesses that the Scouts would win. Their goal was to simply draw their regiment's most skilled members to one location and Rogue to another to break them apart and capture the two that they needed. They had planned _**everything**_. Now, they had no clue if the Corporal and his squad was alive or not or where Historia and Rogue were taken.

They were in big trouble.

"Alright, we have to work quickly. The more time we waste, the worse our situation will become." Erwin began again. "If Corporal Levi and the others are alive they were instructed to go to the closest remote safe house if trouble were to arise. Hange, you and I need to partner with the Garrison to form a team that will pursue these men when we get more information as to where they are."

"That is correct Erwin." Pixis began. "I and my men would be proud to lend you our assistance. I'll go now and rally some soldiers together. When you're ready just meet us right outside."

The Commander gave a curt nod in return. "Thank you. Zackley, if it is possible, can you have the MP's sweep Olvid for any sign of Corporal Levi, his squad, and any suspicious individuals? I know I'm asking a lot here –

The elderly man raised a hand. "It is necessary. Not only are your resources gravely important but men like these could threaten the innocent civilians. I'm sure the recent breach has your reputation tarnished as it is and I believe it would be wise not to make matters worse if people make the connection to your titan. The MP's will gladly serve the cause."

Although the truth behind the Supreme Commander's words clearly stung, Erwin nodded in thanks and watched as the high ranking man briskly made his way through the crown and began speaking to one of the MP guards. "Alright." Erwin began as he waved both Hange and Molbit to follow him from the throne room and down the long corridor. "Before we do anything, we need to try and get some intel."

Hange raised a brow in confusion. Did Erwin know something else? "Intel?"

The Commander however didn't reply as the trio rounded a corner and made their way down another corridor that housed several temporary living quarters and offices that were devoted to high ranking MP's. Hange blinked, wondering what on earth Erwin was planning. Finally, the man began to speak once again.

"Yes. We need to get intel and anything possible that can help us. Right now there is not much to go on and I'm having to resort to the safest of all my options. I'm not sure how much he can help if he can at all, but I'm going to ask Nile if he knows anything of our enemy."

The brunette could feel her brows lift at this. It was a known fact that the Scouts tried to avoid confrontation with Nile at all costs. Only the higher ranking Scouts knew that Erwin and Mike were in the same trainee core – and were once close friends. However, they parted in more ways than one when Nile went to the MP's. Over the years, Nile had grown arrogant and indifferent towards them – something that she and Erwin figured it was due to Nile's position in the MP's. The fact that Erwin chose Nile of all people was startling and something that she didn't truly understand. After all, there were other options. "Nile? You're going to ask Nile if he knows of the first squad?" Hange questioned with Erwin nodding but keeping his gaze forward.

"Yes. I would ask Zackley, but with all that's come to light, I think it would be best to keep him occupied with searching Olvid. Zackley has pulled so many strings for us in the past, but he takes orders from the king – which we can't determine right now as being the false king or the real king. I believe he indeed takes orders from Fritz, but with the nobles around, I don't want them to overhear Zackley sharing any information that he knows. Nile is the only person I know well enough in the MP's - I also know how to make him crack. I know his weak points."

Hange hummed at the man's answer. Erwin did have a point. At the moment, Nile was the safest they could speak with and the only possible person who could know something. "I see. So, we'll leave this to you. I'll just be an extra ear to hear it and Molbit can take down any notes if you need them."

"Thank you Hange. If I need anything explained, I'll ask you to clarify." The man replied as they came to a stop before one of the last doors in the long corridor. Without even knocking, Erwin opened the room and pushed his way through the entrance. Inside was a general but cozy interior with a bed, bookshelf, and a desk along with a seemingly stunned and startled Nile who was in the middle of buckling the belts of his gear. Although slightly ruffled, Nile wore a disgusted look as he always did.

"The hell are you doing here Erwin? You should know that it is polite to knock first."

Erwin's expression remained unchanged as he calmly strolled in and closed the door behind them. "I'm aware of that fact but this is an emergency."

Nile practically rolled his eyes. "Don't you think I'm aware of that? I really don't have time to chat Erwin. I've been ordered to look for injured civilians and for those that possibly harmed them."

"I know Nile, but before you head out – I need your help."

The man lifted a brow at this, folding his arms in what Hange believed to be a mix of amusement and disgust. "You – need my help?"

"Yes. Nile, I think you might be the only one capable of knowing such information – facts that could help us get back our biggest assets."

At the mentioning of Rogue, Nile's eyes narrowed. "You want me to help you retrieve the one thing that caused all the chaos in the first place? That's hilarious Erwin."

The tall blond stood straight at this and looked on in defiance – appearing absolutely imposing. "Before I continue, how is Marie, Nile? Last time I heard you had your third child on the way."

At the Commander's statement, Hange knew that Erwin was pulling the card that he spoke of earlier. However, the man himself remained quiet as he looked on at Nile. In his eyes, Hange could clearly see that Erwin's mind was turning and likely assessing Nile's loyalties as the seconds passed. Nile shifted his weight, his grimace weakening.

"She's doing fine. She's about thirty-four weeks in and my other two children are alright. They both recently started school."

Erwin nodded at the answer. "Ah, well that's good to hear. Now, to get on with our business, who do you serve Nile?"

The man raised a brow. "I serve the crown you should know that well, Erwin."

"I see. Nile – I'm fairly certain that you and the rest of the Military Police serve the true king of the walls and not under the hand of Fritz." Erwin began with both Hange and Molbit's eyes widening at Erwin's sudden approach and revelation. "Years ago, a Captain by the name of Jorge Pikale warned the Scouts of the MP's and the church about their connection to Rogue Jaeger. Today, I fully understand what is truly happening here. You as well as Zackley take orders from the Reiss, but Zackley is rebelling against them by aiding us any way he can. His attempts at keeping Rogue alive is what ultimately led us here. He too, knew that we would win again, but he didn't count on the king having a second plan to counter us." Erwin continued, clearly piecing everything together. "Nile, I do believe you are a genuine person deep down beneath the side of you that's devoted to your work. I also think that you only follow orders just so your own head doesn't roll. I believe – that you know that Rogue is the only thing that will allow humanity to have an edge against this war we have been fighting against the titans. You know that Rogue is really the only effective weapon that we have, Nile. I'm sure you know about Rogue's powers and what all he is truly capable of. Please think of your family Nile. I'm sure you want them to be safe."

At Erwin's conclusion, Nile continued to stare at the man with a seemingly unmoving expression. The man's nose wrinkled in distaste, eyes adverting away to look at nothing in particular just like a pouting child. Nile then gazed back to Erwin, his expression still unchanged. All that could be heard was the chaos of shuffling feet in the nearby hall. Finally, the man sighed.

"What is it that you want?" The MP caved, unfolding his arms and walking towards his desk to pour himself a drink. Hange could tell that Erwin smiled inwardly.

"Thank you, Nile. As I said before, I'm not sure how knowledgeable you would be on the subject, but let me ask you this - who is the group that calls themselves the first squad?"

Nile quietly sat down the glass bottle of brandy and capped the jar before tilting the glass to his lips to indulge before letting out a sigh. "You are right about my knowledge being limited. But I do know a little. Even though I am Commander, the king only shares information to those who have served him for a number of years and as you know, I've only been in this position for the last five years or so. However, on the day that I was sworn in as Commander, the previous Commander pulled me aside privately and informed me of a few things that I needed to know. One of them was details about this so called first squad. Even the previous Commander didn't know much, but he did say that the first squad was the king's personal group of assassins that he used to so called 'tighten the leaks' – in other words kill off anyone who talked or threatened him. They are mostly experienced soldiers that have previously served in the military – that includes some Scouts who mysteriously dropped out, those over the age limit, or were discharged some time ago. I myself have never seen them, but from what I've heard they are a ruthless bunch. Their leader is a madman who used to be a thug from the Underground."

"I figured that. Do you happen to know where they could be heading with Rogue?"

Nile tilted the glass to his lips once again before pulling out a piece of parchment and pen and began to write. "This is the only place I know of that they utilize. I don't think they could house a titan there, but it's where you can start looking. They use it as their headquarters. That's all I really know about the first squad." The Commander concluded as he capped his pen and handed the parchment to Erwin who looked at it with great interest before handing it to Molbit.

"Thank you Nile. What you're doing is risky, but it's much appreciated. Change of plans. When we leave Molbit and Hange, I want you two to head to the safe house we mentioned earlier. As I said, it will be the first Levi's squad would head to if there was trouble. One last thing before we depart. Nile, if you know it, what is the real king's name?"

The man hesitated, swallowing roughly before opening his mouth to speak.

"Rod Reiss."

**(POV SWAP)**

_The world was blurry, colors merging together and things tilted and spun. His lungs hurt with each choked breath he took. The warmth had left him and he was cold. His surroundings felt different. Not as heavy and dark. He blinked, screaming as he tried to get his vision to focus. He stretched his legs, able to finally do so fully without hitting the barrier. Shapes finally began to become more lurid and his vibrant greens began to brighten. Something panted near him, its breaths labored as it closed in – his frail body feeling the heat from the approaching figure's breath. He blinked again, greens spotting long tangled silk that brushed his brow and eyes the color of the heavens._

_Suddenly, pain seared through him and he was airborne._

_All that tore through his clogged throat was an agonizing screech._

_Then, the world changed again. The willowy figure with long tangled strands towered over him, joined by many voices and eyes. There was more discomfort that swept through his body and suddenly he found himself against the warm flesh of something familiar._

_He blinked again, seeing fields of flowers and forests of towering trees. The world was bright and serine, but faint and his body felt weary. However, his heart fluttered with excitement. He felt at peace, his face burying into the brow of another, strands of silk tangling._

_Suddenly, the world twisted and turned backward. His body felt pain once again, the world towered over him and he could taste hot copper in his mouth. Eyes looked upon him once more. Several figures stood over him. Two roars rattled his bones and he became paralyzed by nothing but fear._

_Then there was more agony but without pain._

His nostrils flared and a choked sound rose from his throat as the memory faded away and reality began to come to him. The titan's eyelids fluttered but otherwise remained shut. Instantly, he was aware of an incredible weakness that plagued his body right down to the bone. Rogue groaned softly. His head hurt and his stomach felt sick. He swallowed, the massive amount of saliva that had pooled in his mouth sliding down his gullet. Rogue groaned again. It felt as if he had been kicked by the Colossal Titan. Although he was weak, there was a sense of restlessness creeping through his frame. Rogue then shifted, trying to lift his head – but as he did something became painfully clear to him. Something that made his heart begin to pound.

He couldn't move.

He was pinned.

Alarmed, Rogue opened his eyes to see a blur of colors and shapes. He blinked rapidly, trying to get his eyes to focus but ultimately only succeeding in the slightest – his quality of vision hazy as it was in most of his dreams. Instinctively however, he blinked again as he struggled to make out what was before him. Rogue stared harder to find that several heavy chains cut across his face. His heart began to pound as he soon realized that an even larger chain crossed over the back of his nape over his collar. The titan's eyes widened as his panic rose, shifting and pulling his body only to find that that he had large chains crossing over nearly every part of his form. Another wave of dizziness flashed through him, making his body go slack and his chin fall to the hard surface of the floor. Rogue blinked, a short whine escaping him yet again as his eyes began to venture, still attempting to blink to focus completely. Although he couldn't twist his head to look around thoroughly he could tell that he was in some sort of incredibly dark room with a table and an assortment of objects lit by dim candlelight that he couldn't quite label. On his back, he could feel the familiar sensation of moonlight beaming down just above his pelvis. His ears flickered at the sounds of rats scurrying and water dripping from leaky pipes, making it quite clear that he was underground somewhere.

Rogue's breath hitched as a shiver coursed down his frame. What had happened? How in the hell had he gotten here? He was with Molbit and Historia, his body tensing and his breath catching in his throat. The men in black and the man in the hat had captured him. He had been shot with darts and cannonballs. The men flew on gear like his family and their blades were replaced with guns. He had been overwhelmed and the men took him away. Historia and Molbit bolted, likely toward the city and the men went after them. As the titan continued to go over the details, his eyes widened even further with his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. The men had chased them to the city, where his babies were. His heart pounded faster. Could they have been caught? Could they have possibly been slaughtered? Could they have been shot? Were they possibly bleeding out among the city walk?

A wave of dizziness coursed through him at the thought, the titan feeling faint. Rogue's eyelids fluttered, his head lolling to the side in the slightest as he began to whimper like a wounded puppy and water threatened to seep from his tear ducts. He knew nothing of his little ones and he was alone! He needed to get away! To free himself! He needed to get back to his family!

Absolutely frightened, Rogue attempted to pull at his binds once again, his joints weak and frail like a newborn fawn and his muscles feeling like lead. Failing to tuck his pinned legs beneath him, Rogue resorted to pulling at the chains crossing over his arms, only to have a searing pain prick at the crook of his elbow. Rogue yelped at the sudden throbbing. Naturally, he placed his attention to the source.

The cause made him more terrified than ever.

Running into his arm were several large translucent tubes tipped with some sort of makeshift needle that was submerged deeply into one of his large veins. Rogue blinked again, managing to focus further to see the other ends of the tubes were connected to a strange device that looked like a pump. On the device there looked to be some sort of glass barrel filled with a translucent but yellow substance that didn't look at all or smell like water. Another whine passed through him as he realized that his captors were putting something into him. Was it possible that it was the same contents of the darts?

Rogue forced himself to look away, his blood even chilling as his trepidation grew. The titan whimpered, suddenly giving in to a defensive instinct. Ears pressing against his skull, Rogue inhaled deeply and repeatedly. There was a musty odor that usually came from old stagnant water, the smell of rats, a hint of alcohol, and strangely the scent of both titan and human blood. If he was able, he would have lifted his head at this. They were not outside the walls were they? They had to be somewhere under the earth so why was titan blood present? Why was human blood present as well? It didn't make any sense. The only time the two scents could be found together was when the Scouts went on expeditions as well as when titans breached the wall. Rogue swallowed roughly, feeling his skin actually prickle. The aura of the place was incredibly unease as it was horrifying. What sort of hell had the men in black taken him to?

Suddenly, the world spun again and his chin met the floor once more. His stomach twisted and his vision doubled. Rogue coughed, saliva coming up from his throat and trickling down his chin. He droned, his head tilting as he struggled to regain his bearings. The titan's nostrils flared as he breathed, but in doing so he smelled a collection of scents that made his body go rigid. There was the odor of a female followed by an unfamiliar man, but the scent that stood out to him most and made his spine quiver was the very one of the man in the hat. The man with the name Kenny.

A loud creak echoed throughout the dark room followed by footsteps. Rogue's breath hitched, his body growing stiff. Weak and chained, he couldn't run. He was helpless. He could do nothing. Rogue sank in his binds, trying to get over another wave of vertigo. With his eyes half lidded, Rogue quietly groaned as he watched a blonde female approach the desk and began to fool with several glass tubes just like the ones that Hange often experimented with. The woman glanced over her shoulder at him, abet weary before she made some sort of signal with her hand before returning to her work. The titan's heart began to pound as the two other men began to approach him.

"Kenny! Have you gone mad! This is the largest titan we've ever brought in! Not to mention, this is the fucking Rogue Titan we are talking about! We don't have the restraints capable of holding him back if he gets aggressive – which he will. Not to mention the bastard is intelligent! There's no telling what he could do to us!" A man hurriedly spoke with Kenny letting out a snicker.

"Nonsense! He's more drugged up than an addict on the street. Even when he competes tonight, he won't be at full power. His majesty won't be at his best, but I'll be sure he puts on a show."

The other man was quiet for a moment before letting out a humored chuckle. "Well, if you say so. We'll just have to be vigilant. Keep the first squad on their toes and on standby if he tries anything. Humph! The Rogue Titan in the show. He'll bring in a fortune!"

Rogue grunted, blinking with confusion as to what the man was talking about. Whatever it was, he didn't like the sound of it.

"That he will. I'm going to tame this animal while I'm at it."

"I see. He'll be the finale Kenny. So when you're prompted in two hours you better have him prepared. You better make sure he won't cause any damage. I'm sure you would like to keep your head tonight as much as I would."

Kenny's snickering met his ears again. "Trust me, the Boss is here and I'm going to do my best to ensure that such doesn't happen."

"Ah. Well as always, be ready when called, Kenny." The man concluded before walking off and exiting the room.

Feeling another dizzy spell run through his body, Rogue couldn't help but moan and shut his eyes briefly to regain his bearings before opening them again to watch Kenny approach the woman at the desk. The man's cold eyes looked upon him for several seconds before turning to the woman who was still fiddling with vials and substances. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"So – the bastard's awake? What's is his status?"

"He's waking up from the sedative. He's certainly feeling the side effects now from it. He's groggy and obviously sick to his stomach. He's still weakened by the tranquilizers as well."

"Hmmm… well I for one am not in the mood to clean up titan vomit plus we'll need him ready soon. Give him an aliment for the side effects as well as something to calm em' down considerably. Just enough to keep em' under control for the time being."

"Yes sir." The woman replied as she grabbed several containers and motioned over to the contraption. In horror, Rogue watched as she opened some sort of lid on the clear canister and began to pour the contents of the jars into the strange liquid. Suddenly, Rogue's terror turned to anger and heat pooled into his stomach. The chained titan warily turned towards Kenny and let out as much of a growl as he could – a vocal that sounded more like an irritated message than a threatening snarl. For the first time, he was able to take in the details of the man's face. Although his vision was impaired, he could tell that Kenny was an older man with sunken in cheekbones and noticeable wrinkles around his deeply set eyes. The man's hair was slicked back with something smelling greasy and a short beard framed his face. With part of his mouth sitting in a permanent grimace, the individual had a dangerous aura. However, there was something about Kenny that seemed strangely familiar. Rogue grumbled again, but to his dismay, Kenny only smirked in amusement.

"I apologize for the uncomfortable accommodations Yer Majesty, but yer a bit of a problem. Yer a bit of a brute so we can't have you misbehaving!"

The titan's ears folded over and he drew the skin around his fleshless maw in as much of a vicious snarl as he could. However, before he could growl once more, an incredible warmth spread throughout his body. Every fiber in nearly every muscle went slack and Rogue was overrun by a strange sense of peace. Woozy yet confused. His gaze shifted over to see that the tubes running into him had filled with a reddish substance – one that was now flowing into his bloodstream. Weak and growing more slack, Rogue's head fell to the floor again, but even still his fatigued eyes stared at the slender man with sheer distaste. This of course, his foe found funny.

"That will keep you from barfing all over the fucking place. Unfortunately, with some titans like yerself, the sedative makes them sicker than a damn dog. This 'medicine' if you will also temporarily paralyzes everything from the neck down. Of course, when this little effect wears off, you'll still be in a weakened state for several hours – which as ya can imagine is quite ideal to us."

Rogue blinked at the news, suddenly feeling more uneasy again. What did Kenny mean by the other titans? What was the show that they were talking about? Where on earth had he been taken? He wanted answers.

"From what I've seen and the information I was able to gather, you Rogue Jaeger are quite the intelligent beast. Once ya get past the cuddly gentle giant yer truly a monster aren't you? You'll do some pretty nasty stuff in order to protect yer little family you've made. You'd even kill. Those green eyes of yours do bare a human resemblance, but they are more like the feral eyes of a beast aren't they? The way they glow with such ferocity is incredible. I can't wait to see that once again after I give ya that push to be the true monster you are." Kenny chortled sinisterly. "Now, I know that you can understand every little word that I'm saying, so I feel I can give you some information. If yer wonderin' where ya are, you are in an abandoned spillway which is like a vast tube used to carry water undergroud. A long time ago, water used to be pumped down here into this treatment facility to cleanse the water so it was suitable to drink. But then the water became tainted by sewage and this place shut down, the water dried and drained. Nowadays, it's used as a sort of gathering place if you will that every bit of scum from the Underground frequents for what we like to call The Titan Games." Kenny paused as he motioned over to the desk and made a grab for some kind of whiskey. Almost casually, the man came back before him and knelt down to be at his eyelevel. Again, Rogue grumbled lowly at Kenny's lack of fear against him.

" **WHUtT… AR…R ItTAN… GAnnES?"** Rogue muttered, the saliva pooling in his mouth once again as he was barely able to speak. Kenny practically swooned at his query, taking a swig of his drink.

"You even sound like a muttering drunkard right now." The man proceeded, his arrogance becoming more prominent. "Anyways, The Titan Games are the main event 'round here. You see, hundreds of years ago there was a civilization of people called the romans." Kenny hummed, the weedy titan assuming that the man meant a city of humans. "The romans had something that was called a coliseum – a place where men would compete and display their ability to survive. Sometimes, men faced hungry lions or warriors fought one another to the death." Kenny continued to explain as Rogue's tired eyes slowly lit up with even more fear. "The Titan Games are similar to the events that the romans held in their coliseum. Of course, we don't have any lions around so we use something even better, titans."

Rogue's breath caught in his throat at this. Did Kenny really mean what he thought he meant?

Kenny laughed. "The look on your face tells me yer catching on! As I was saying, our beasts are titans. Thanks to some of our members being previous Scouts, we have the knowledge of how to sneak into Maria through these very tunnels and capture small to medium sized titans. Now, most titans are stupid creatures who will eat a man as soon as they get one in their greedy hands. Here, things are interesting so to speak. The men and women that play in our games are lowlifes and just as stupid. So we sometimes let them loose with the beasts – because the animals get pretty fucking hungry and the Underground has gotta keep its own brand of justice in check." The man proceeded to inform. "As ya can imagine, we have to make it a little more fascinating than the romans did." Kenny paused as he walked over to the desk and retrieved a syringe from the collection of contents. The man then sat before him with a both intrigued and cunning smirk wiped across his face. "We make all sorts of medicine here. There's stuff to calm and paralyze all the way to what we shot you with earlier to make you sleep. The ingredients are hard to come by, hard to make, and practically illegal. We never write them down we catalog them in our heads for reasons I won't elaborate on. At times in our games, we throw a little of this in." Kenny held the silver syringe for the titan to behold, the large needle catching even the faintest of candlelight, making the titan wish to squirm in his binds. "It's small, but extraordinarily effective. As ya know, titans unlike yerself eat only humans, but when we inject them with this – the result is incredible. It makes a titan highly aggressive and they'll try to kill anything that moves before em' – which includes other titans." Kenny beamed broadly, displaying nearly every tooth in his mouth.

Rogue's pupils shrank. No! He didn't want that! Did Kenny really plan to inject him with something that would turn him into a monster? Frightened, the titan whined loudly, the sound pathetic as he tried his hardest to get his body to move, but ultimately, the beast was unsuccessful. Rogue turned his head away, the world tilting around him in the slightest as he cried out once again for any sort of person that was willing to aid him or any sort of god that would show him mercy.

"HEY!" Kenny's voice echoed in the vast room, the titan feeling a rather harsh tug on one of his locks that was so forceful that his scalp stung. Instinctively, Rogue turned his head with the intent to defend himself but Kenny harshly planted his boot on the tip of his nose and propped himself up to dig his heel into flesh, looking even more imposing than before. Rogue only froze, feeling like a frightened child. "You shut the fuck up! No one is coming to rescue ya!" Kenny spoke roughly, the titan's form going absolutely rigid. That was right, no one knew where he was! Molbit and Historia left as soon as he was taken down! At this, all Rouge could feel was his thundering heart. Things were worse than he thought. "Besides, it was decided that you don't need to have this little miracle drug in your system." The man hummed, the beast lifting a brow at the news. "You've already got a natural drive to kill yer kind, but of course – we need you completely aware of yer surroundings. As ordered, I've been instructed to make sure yer will breaks. I'm going to make you do things that you don't wanna do just to survive. I'm going to make this night a living hell for you, Rogue. You'll beg for mercy no doubt and want to be free of your sins yer gonna commit here tonight. I'm going to warp your mind and make you hate yourself so much that you'll beg for death!"

Kenny's laughter carried through the spillway once again. Rogue was absolutely silent, utterly traumatized. He found himself unable to blink and his blood had chilled by several degrees. With his mind clear for the first time since he woke up, Rogue was nothing short of stunned. Even as Kenny took his boot from his nose and walked away to join his partner, Rogue retreated into his head. He was trapped. His little ones and family had not a single clue as to where he was and this man, Kenny, was going to do something truly despicable with him.

"He'll start regaining the use of his limbs soon. Keep him company while I rally the squad and get things to our host for the evening. If he gets aggressive, resort to low dosage suppressants or iron bamboo bullets."

Rogue paid little attention to the conversation at hand. Slowly, his eyes began to water, tears clouding his vision and his head sinking to the floor. He was going to be in for a rough night. He just wanted to be free. He wanted his family. He wanted his little ones.

He wanted to go home.

**(POV SWAP)**

His stomach twisted as he doubled over in the uncut grass, bracing himself with an unsteady hand against a thin tree. Armin's head spun with the vision of blood and splattering brain matter – the face of a woman being blown off and the body tilting over the speeding wagon to grace the ground. At this, nausea crawled up his gullet, a hot and acidic taste that swept up his throat. Instantly, Armin doubled over and spilled his stomach contents onto the ground, tainting it with what he had indulged on at lunch.

Armin breathed erratically, nearly hyperventilating as he struggled to get over both his queasiness and the sin he had committed. He had pulled the trigger of his gun. He killed someone. He slaughtered that woman on the wagon. The streets of Olvid ran red with her blood. How? He couldn't believe he had done such a thing! He had never done a single horrible thing in his entire life.

He was now a murderer.

At the thought of the word, sick breached his mouth yet again and spilled to the earth. His body shuttered, his limbs feeling weak.

"Armin?"

He stiffened as he felt a hand gently laying on his shoulder, Mikasa clearly concerned. He stalled, spitting out whatever bit of vomit that he had left. They had just arrived at a small and run down cabin that lay on the edge of a trivial thicket. It looked abandoned and absolutely avoidable, but it was so remote and lonely that it was perfect. Levi quickly hid the carriage and retreated inside the small cottage, likely to tidy a bit. After they left the city and into the barren countryside and forests, the ride had been silent. No one spoke. Everyone had worn either a dour or startled look as they retreated. Things had been so chaotic that the realization of what he had done had not hit him until their arrival. As soon as the carriage stopped, the nausea hit him full force and he bolted to violently get sick in the weeds. He found something alarming however – he was surprised that no one else seemed to be in the same state.

Did this make him weak?

"Armin, it's alright. We're all alive. That's what matters." Mikasa began softly, the tone of her voice melancholy.

With his stomach settling for the moment, Armin weakly stood – wobbly like a newborn fawn as he turned to face Mikasa and the others who looked on at him in sheer worry. "Mikasa – I… I killed someone! I took a life! I'm a murderer!"

The teen's nose wrinkled in the slightest, a frown crossing her face. "Armin. I did the same. With my blade I took the lives of several men. So did Connie and Sasha. Levi as well." Mikasa paused, looking down at her feet as if she was trying to figure out what to say next. "But if we didn't do what we did Armin – none of us would be here."

Armin found himself unable to reply, his mouth opening and closing with only a few squeaks leaving his lips. Suddenly, Jean who had been shuttering for much of the trek cleared his throat.

"Mikasa is right Armin. If you hadn't pulled the trigger, I would have been the one to be a corpse on the street. You saved me. You did what was necessary. I – didn't have the guts to do what you did Armin. T…thank you."

The blonde remained quiet, listening on as Connie spoke up.

"None of us are really proud of what we did, man." The short male sighed, his brows bunching together. "But we just did what we had to. If we didn't act, we wouldn't be standing here."

Sasha nodded. "Yeah. Those men and women were trained to kill without mercy."

Armin processed his friends' words as Mikasa approached him, laying her hand upon his shoulder once again and looking into him as if she was trying to read his very soul. "You see Armin? You said it yourself once. To defeat a monster, you must become a monster. You did what you had to do to protect someone. Armin – a long time ago, Rogue had to break a vow that he made to Carla and Grisha. Against his own morals, Rogue killed three men to save us. I don't think he's truly ever forgiven himself for doing such a thing. But you know what? He moves on. Rogue became a monster to defeat monsters that likely aimed to do the most unspeakable to us. He did what was necessary. Just think of that. All we can do now is move forward. Sure, Rogue is incredibly strong but he isn't invincible. We need to protect him, by any means. Right now we have to do what we must."

His chest tightened, but Mikasa's words held truth. She – she was right. He reacted to basic instinct and did what he had to do. He had spared Jean's life. If you didn't fight you didn't win. The world was cruel, plain and simple. But his deed allowed him to live to behold the beauty of the world another day. He could think about his transgressions later, but at the moment they had to focus on saving their friends. Finally, after an awkward silence, Armin nodded in agreement. "I see. Thank you guys. I – needed that." The blonde beamed weakly, the sickness in his stomach letting up.

"Hey brats!" Levi called from the doorway to the cabin, gathering their undivided attention. "Get your asses inside. I need to go over something with you."

The group of teens looked at one another before gathering themselves and venturing into the cabin. Swallowing once again in an attempt to both rid the taste of vomit from his mouth as well as rid himself of the lump that had formed in his throat, Armin took his thoughts else ware as he looked around the miniscule cottage. Amazingly, with Levi having been in it for more than ten minutes, the interior was still quite shabby with at least a layer of dust over everything. By the contents, it was clear that the cabin one once used as a hunting cottage by the presence of several mounted deer and antlers as well as examples of taxidermy sitting in corners as well as upon shelves. Levi himself stood before a large burning fireplace to the right, his cold blues watching and monitoring the dancing flames. His teeth clenched. The Corporal, was always known to clean up any residence as soon as he entered, but this time with the way the man was desperately leaning with his expression close to looking spooked, Armin had a hunch that something was very wrong.

"Corporal Levi?"

"I need to tell you all something gravely important. It's about just who is the leader of the first squad and how much of a danger we are facing." The man began seriously, no hint of humor or any other emotion found in his voice whatsoever. Armin's brows lifted. It was not often when Levi spoke this gravely. Even in the dim light, the blonde teen noticed a small bead of sweat forming on the man's brow.

"Sir?" Jean began, almost nervous to speak up. "Just who are we dealing with? No offence, but you seem like you've been knocked down a peg or two."

It was a long moment before Levi stood up straight and turned to them, Armin watched as Levi pinched his brows before folding his arms and letting out a deep sigh. "You'll want to take a seat for this one because it's quite a story and one that I've never told anyone but Rogue, Erwin, my previous squad, and Hange. As far as who we are dealing with, I never informed them of that either." Levi paused, interlacing his fingers as he rested his elbows into his thighs before looking at them. "The man that is the leader of the first squad is my uncle."

The second the truth was spoken, there was a collective gasp throughout the room. Armin felt a slight knot grow in his throat. Had he heard the Corporal correctly? The man that was Levi's uncle was the leader of the first squad?

"As I said, you all might want to take a seat. There are some things I have to explain." Levi waved a hand to several still dusty chairs and rocking chairs. Eager to know if what the Corporal spoke of was true the teens each quickly took their seats. Armin didn't even bother to get comfortable.

"Sir, you mean your uncle –

"Yes Connie. My uncle, who I previously assumed to be dead some years back, is the Captain of the first squad. His name, is Kenny. Kenny Ackerman."

Right away Armin's brows lifted at this. The man's name was Kenny Ackerman? Shifting his eyes over at Mikasa he saw that the teen came to the same realization as him with her normally stoic face turning into one of surprise. Was it really possible? Could his friend really be –

"Sir?" Mikasa began. "My last name –

"It's Ackerman." Levi interrupted. "My last name is the same and so is Kenny's. Of course whether or not we are blood relatives is quite up in the air. We could either be distant family or it's just a coincidence that there is more than one family with the last name Ackerman." He informed before his brow creased. "As I was saying. Kenny Ackerman is a ruthless and bloodthirsty man. He's cruel, arrogant, etc. Not to mention, he's an extremely skilled man in combat. Kenny is especially good with knives and guns. Not to mention, after today, he's exceptional on maneuver gear. He's not afraid to slit anyone's throat. The first squad is basically the king's men so he's a hired mercenary which he fits the role quite well. Kenny and I go back many years. He taught me how to fight and defend myself for the bastard is the one who ended up raising me."

The room was silent again, still like a lonely pond. Armin continued to remain speechless. If Kenny was as skilled as Levi stated, then the Corporal's effectiveness in hand to hand combat and combat in general made sense.

"He raised you?" Jean asked, the man nodded, shifting his weight uncomfortably in his chair.

"Yes. My mother was a whore in the Underground who's living was fucking for money. I was her only child and one day she became deathly ill with an incurable sickness. As my mother lay at death's door, Kenny walked in and took me under his wing for a reason that I still don't get to this day. The first thing I knew how to do was hold a knife. The man made me watch how he worked and taught me ways to defend myself and how to survive in the Underground. The day that I was able to successfully take down a man that wronged me, when I was merely seven, Kenny left. I never saw him again after that until today. Although he looks older, nothing about him has changed. He's as slender as he always was and he still has greasy hair and the same short beard." Levi paused, swallowing. "When I was twenty-nine, I had made quite a name for myself in the Underground as a leader to a band of thieves. Apparently, I attracted some attention and that's when I was assigned to steal a document from Erwin and kill the man." The Corporal proceeded to inform with the others listening intently. "We joined the corps undercover but my two friends were killed shortly after that by a titan. From that day onward. I served the corps and soon earned the trust of Erwin altogether." Levi let out an exasperated sigh. "Now you know my story. The only reason I'm sharing it with you is because you need to know about our enemy."

Armin sat back in his seat, secretly cataloging all the information that Levi had just told them. He supposed that Erwin's interest in Levi's skill made more sense now too. One thing was clear however. This Kenny that the Corporal spoke of was incredibly dangerous.

"Corporal." Mikasa swallowed. "Do you think Kenny has killed Rogue?" She spoke, having difficulty in getting the words out. At the query, Levi abruptly shook his head in denial.

"Kenny is capable of killing, yes. He's got the rescores apparently to take a titan down. However, Rogue was captured and tranquilizers were used against him. I think that there is some sort of plan that either Kenny or the real king has in store for Rogue otherwise he would have been killed instantly. Of course, this means that we have to think and work quickly to see if we can find and rescue him. I wouldn't be surprised though, if the enemy aims to get rid of Rogue rather quickly after they do what they want with him. Unfortunately, we have nothing to go on an all we can do is wait here until we get information that allows us to proceed in some sort of direction."

At Levi's conclusion, Armin couldn't help but swallow, the lump in his throat growing more prominent. The Corporal was right. Their foe wouldn't keep around a fifteen-meter titan for long. Especially one with Rogue's fame knowing that the Military was currently looking for him. After their work was done, they would try to get rid of the evidence quickly. Time was of the essence, and right now, they could do nothing until –

A sudden knock on the door silenced Armin's thoughts and made the swell grow even larger in his throat. Quickly, Levi held up a hand to steady and prepare them as he motioned for the door, pausing to pick up a blade that he had left to lean against the doorframe for protection. The party held their breath as Levi stilled before the door, standing upon the tips of his toes to see through the small peephole – a sight that the group of teens would have normally laughed at but forbid themselves to in the dire situation. To their relief, the Corporal quickly sat down the blade and opened the door to reveal and urgent looking Hange and Molbit.

"Levi! It's good to see you! Is everyone else alright?" She ushered with Levi stepping aside to allow the woman admittance.

"By the skin of our teeth. What happened at the trial? Your presence here just tells us that it was interrupted by the fact that Rogue and Historia were taken. Were you able to find anything out that could help our shitty situation?"

Hastily, the woman nodded and motioned for Molbit to hand her a piece of parchment. "We got a clue about a place that could lead us on the right path of finding Rogue and Historia. In addition to that, we also found the name of the man who's been pulling all the strings here."

"Spill it. We don't have time to wait. Rogue was captured for some sort of purpose along with Historia, and if the king's intentions are what we believe them to be, it's likely that we don't have long before the two of them are killed – especially Rogue."

Instantly, Hange absorbed Levi's words like a sponge and understood them, quickly nodding as she unfolded the parchment. "Erwin was actually able to get this information from Nile who we confirmed to be the only reliable resource at the time."

"Nile?" Mikasa stammered with Hange dipping her head.

"Yes, I know it is hard to hear, but Zackley was not in a position to pass information to us. I'd explain everything but we are short on time so I'll cut to the chase. Nile didn't know much but he did inform us of an old mansion about an hour's ride from here. It's an old manor that the first squad uses as their headquarters. Granted, it's not big enough to hide a massive titan like Rogue, but perhaps we can interrogate someone stationed there to see if we can find out any information as to where Rogue and Historia were taken. It's not much to go on, but it's a clue at least."

Levi nodded. "I will explain to you all what we've found out about the first squad on the way there." The Corporal decided as he slipped on a new cloak. "Didn't you say that you found out the bastard who's calling all the shots here – did you find out the king's name?"

Once more, Hange nodded. "His name is Rod Reiss. As of now, we have no idea of his location."

"Well then, we best start moving."

With the conclusion, the group quickly gathered themselves and began to load up into the wagon. Armin hurriedly took his seat only to see Mikasa in her own cone of silence, her fingers gripping tightly onto her scarf and her gaze lowered. Looking closely, Armin spotted the fact that the teen was close to tears.

"Mikasa –

"Armin, do you think Rogue is alright? He must be so terrified by now."

The blonde repeated her own words in his head, milling over them and trying to compare them to facts – the most likely thing Rogue would have done when he found himself in a tough spot popping into his head. "Just keep your hopes up, I'm sure that somewhere, he's fighting."

**(POV SWAP)**

A long grown vibrated from his throat, transforming into a dog like whine. Thankfully, he was alone in the spillway once again and Kenny and his assistant had gone else ware. Rogue took a second to watch a lonely cockroach scurry across the floor before trying to pull at his restraints again – but still having no luck. The titan's brows pinched upward and his mouth frowned – the expression of fear clearly upon his face but no one to view it except lesser creatures. At least an hour had passed since the 'medicine' that made him unable to move his body was injected and it was thankfully beginning to wear off. Granted, he was still not in peak condition. His joints felt loose and there was a sense of weakness in his limbs that he couldn't quite describe. If was as if his mind was fully alert and his body was just begging for rest. Rogue pulled again, the chains sliding uncomfortably upon his wrists but otherwise not even budging – being made of heavy iron and each link as big as a man's head. Irritated, the titan gave a low hiss before his vocal transcended into a worried warble. Kenny's words were bone chilling. He didn't understand. What was the man planning to do with him?

Rogue paused in pulling at his binds, his emerald pools staring long and hard at the dirty floor beneath him once again. Were they going to have him do something with other titans? The man that Kenny was with said something about making a fortune – which was a term that he heard humans use that meant to make money. How could he make them money though? Surely they weren't going to sell him? That seemed impossible, yet with these shady men it could actually be possible. Rogue swallowed, he didn't wish to think about it. He needed to focus on getting back to his little ones.

However, before he could even think about a way to escape and make any attempt, the sound of a heavy door opening met his ears and the many scents of humans met his nose. His frame shuttered in panic and he immediately shifted his gaze to see several men and women enter the large room. The titan's eyes widened at the contents they carried as they prepared to swarm around him. Many of them were equipped with the very gear that they had used to take him down previously – the invisible wings with guns while others wore gloves with two men carrying what appeared and smelled like paint. Instinctively, Rogue growled, the deep vocal bubbling from his stomach, but to his dismay his warning was ignored. The titan struggled in his binds as the group swarmed around him, guns lifting, aimed and ready. Rogue grunted, snarling again to project a threat that went unrecognized.

"Remember! Kill him if he attacks us! As soon as he's released, push him toward the door! Get him ready!"

Rogue growled again before fear settled into his system once more, the beast attempting to curl in on himself with his ears pressed to his scalp. He did not like this! The titan shuttered, feeling sets of hands grip the chains and pulling. This perplexed him further, what on earth had these men planned?

"What number should we put on him?" Spoke a man to another one that stood near his shoulder. "It's gotta be good!"

"13?"

"No. That's unlucky."

"72?"

"Naw, how about the most demonic number you can think up? These things are demons and this guy is the king of em' man. He looks like a fucking demon too."

"Oh, I know!" The other giggled cruelly, the titan feeling paint being brushed over his arm.

"That's perfect!"

Rogue continued to growl and whimper, not knowing if he should fight or flight. He needed to get free! He needed to get back to his family! His heart pounded as the men and women continued to swarm around him. The titan's frame stilled as several of the group approached his neck, their hands beginning to pull at his collar – the one thing that was protecting his venerable nape. At this, Rogue nearly screamed.

"Take the damn thing off and set it aside. We need the nape exposed if we have to kill him!"

The titan shuttered, his spine quaking in sheer terror. Feeling the chains loosen around his neck before falling all together, Rogue lifted his head from the floor and looked around the room thoroughly – his eyes immediately catching light beneath what appeared to be a wide door that resembled the wall's gates. A sense of relief passed over him at the sight of possible salvation. It was promising that he could run!

"Get ready! The chains are coming off!"

The titan blinked, his head turning this way and that as he glanced at the group around him pull chains and lift their guns even higher.

"Be prepared to close the door!"

Suddenly, Rogue felt the chains puddle around his wrists and ankles. At the sensation, the beast quickly pulled his hands and feet free and arched himself to hunch over on the balls of his feet, swaying as his own limbs felt as if they couldn't support his weight. Rogue groaned before he felt a searing pain in his forearm – the sting of a bullet. His eyes shifted to see the men and women taking aim and pulling the triggers. Feeling the wrath from what seemed like steel hornets, Rogue released a screech and stood to make his way for the light, his knees faltering and causing him to crumble onto the floor. Desperate however, Rogue scrambled ahead. Suddenly, the clamor of guns ceased and there was a thud so heavy behind him that it startled the beast and physically shook him. The light sharply decreased when another door came down before him, his bulk pounding against it.

Rogue panicked, his chest heaving as he tried to understand what was happening and his new surroundings. The titan breathed rapidly, quickly placing himself into a corner and drawing his legs to his chest. He shuttered, eyes darting back and forth. He was in a box – a small room of some sort. It was pitch black, making the titan curl up and wallow in what seemed to be a lake of mass confusion. Where was he now? What was going on? Where had the light gone? Rogue swallowed, he needed to get out and quickly. His hands ran along his legs, he was still weak and there was no way that he could stand long much less run for long periods at that point. With his goal in mind, the giant unfurled himself and his hands began to search the corners and groves of his containment – looking for any latch or weak spot. It was then however, that his ears caught a sound that made him go stiff. Both startled and curious, Rogue paused to listen – rotating his ears toward the door and straining to hear what lay on the other side. Beyond, he could hear a booming beating along with what sounded like a mass of shouts and cheers. The titan pressed his ear against the cold door, quietly listening as a voice began to carry above all others.

"Ladies and Gentleman!" The voice of a charismatic man announced. "Tonight's finale is one of legendary proportions and one that all of you have been waiting for! Courtesy of the first squad, you will witness the most bloodthirsty and ferocious titan known to humanity! This behemoth is the ruler of them all and even feeds upon his own kin! This big boy clocks in at a staggering fifteen meters and weighs as much as several fully loaded passenger ships – the biggest titan we've ever had the pleasure of pitting in this arena! You are in for a show folks! This is no common fifteen-meter as I've said! This beast is the ultimate weapon, the most powerful monster, the most dangerous of deviants! Ladies and Gentlemen… I give to you – THE INFAMOUS ROGUE TITAN!"

He couldn't process the meanings of the spoken words as the door before him suddenly began to lift skyward. Rogue pressed himself against the wall behind him, petrified as cold and warm light spilled into his tiny holding area. With eyes blown wide, the titan remained frozen, his heart feeling as if it was leaping out of his chest. What was he going to do! He couldn't go back and forward was most certainly another dimension of this hell he had been thrown in! Rogue hunkered down further like a terrified puppy, the people beyond nearly silent for a moment before there were complaints sweeping through the audience. The foul scents of alcohol, titans, sweat, and the tinge of blood met his nostrils, nearly making him snort in disgust. He shuttered again, mind searching for any plan that would work. However, before he could gain any clues to his escape, the door behind him began to rattle with the sounds of clanking metal and furious yells.

"He's being a chicken! Open the door a smidge and shoot him!"

At the very word that stated their intentions, Rogue's mind instantly snapped to the need to move forward. With his feet nearly sliding out from beneath him, the titan abruptly left his small holding area and ventured into the light – but he quickly skidded to a stop and collapsed onto his hip. Rogue's eyes widened, greens laced with nothing but sheer trepidation at what he beheld around him.

He was in some sort of massive concrete pit, circular in shape with big walls all around it. At the top of the surrounding wall was what looked to be iron bars barricading the pit. Behind the bars were hundreds of spectators that were clearly the lowest of the low. There were drunks galore, women that bore so much skin that it was a wonder how their clothes stayed attached, scuzzy criminals, men and women puffing more smoke than a chimney, and even bratty children that were screaming their heads off at him. On the other end of the pit behind the barrier was a tall tower that overlooked the area where a man in what appeared to be some sort of flashy costume that resembled what the aristocrats in Stohess wore stood. Above, the ceiling extended upward into a high shaft that was open at the top, allowing moonlight to pour in to the depths below, bathing the pit in both the light of the full moon and firelight from several makeshift torches surrounding the pit. Rogue hunkered down again, a long whine leaving the beast as he instinctively motioned backward, but a crunch beneath his feet alerted him to place his attention to the floor beneath him.

The titan's heart stilled at what he saw.

The floor of the pit was covered in splattered blood, limbs, and even stray guts. Scattered around the carnage were the fractured and broken bones of victims. Rogue's eyes widened, a sharp yelp leaving his mouth as he stumbled against the back wall, standing halfway upon his hands and feet as he tried to desperately move away. It was then that Rogue understood where he was.

An arena. A place where men and monsters fought to the death.

Rogue droned, his eyes searching for a way to freedom once again. Looking up, was it possible he could climb out of the shaft above? With the need brewing, Rogue unknowingly attempted to get to his feet, his knees wobbly like a toddler's as his head met the base of the iron bar barrier that surrounded the arena – making several spectators produce unsettling noises at his immense size. However, the beast could do nothing as his weak joints caused his leg to bow and he tumbled down onto his knees. Mortified, Rogue released a quiet whimper as he scooted back to crouch against the wall – the audience above laughing at him.

"As you can see ladies and gentlemen, The Rogue has been impaired by the effects of some of our infamous medication, so you don't have to fret about him getting a bit angry with us! Of course, he's still well enough to brawl!" The announcer cackled with the audience cheering. "Now, what has been said about this beast is true! He's self-aware and incredibly intelligent! The Rogue also thirsts for the blood of his own kin!" The man continued with the humans roaring in favor. "So! How about we start things with a bit of an appetizer!" The announcer laughed cruelly as he waved towards another door that slowly began to open.

Rogue swallowed, his ears pinning and pupils shrinking as he observed a relatively small titan emerge into the pit. His heart thudded even harder against his ribcage at he witnessed the other titan's appearance that looked anything but what he was used to from his mindless kin. The titan afore him was a five meter that was hunched over in a way that reminded him of Mehr, but its body shook and trembled unnaturally with resentment. Its brown eyes were locked onto him and for the first time, they did not appear cloudy or far gone but rather had intent in them – the drive to maim. Saliva and foam pooled from its maw and its body was painted with lewd images as well as what appeared to be a number. Rogue lifted himself to crouch upon all fours again with trepidation. This beast was bound to attack him and in the state he was currently in – he could only do so much. He gulped again, knowing that this was the effect of the medicine that Kenny mentioned. He couldn't help but feel incredibly apprehensive. The titan looked almost like how he had seen some wolves infected with something that Dr. Jaeger referred to as rabies. Hopefully, it was not the same thing and he couldn't contract it. He certainly didn't want to be near this creature! The unsettling feeling his instincts gave him was alarming!

It was then that an idea popped into his head. Recalling all of the information that Hange and the others had told him about his power, Rogue wondered if he could possibly control the titan before him. Perhaps he could send it back into the spillway. His opponent gave a shriek and took a few steps in advance. With his only plan in mind, Rogue snarled at the beast as he turned to face it, giving him a demanding roar of command that echoed all throughout the arena.

However, his attempt was futile as the smaller titan suddenly charged at him with surprising speed. As quick as he could, Rogue lifted his bulk to dart out of harm's way as the other titan smashed headfirst into the wall. The audience above let out a collective sound of disapproval. Rogue let out a series of heavy breaths as he tried to get to his hands and feet again, eyes staring in shock. His ability didn't work? Was the titan far too enamored by the medicine to listen to him. Rogue swallowed at his failure. He had but one option now. He would have to do what he had to get through this.

"Kill the bastard!"

"Is the Rogue frightened! What a big baby!"

"Eat the damn thing!"

The titan then pulled itself to its feet and turned toward him again. With saliva spraying from its maw, it shrieked as it lunged right at him. Defensively, Rogue raised his fist and brought it down upon the five meter's head, squashing it like a melon before its jaws could snag his skin, his action making the crowd go wild. For a moment, he found himself reveling at the attention, but recalling their true loyalties, Rogue put those feelings aside and focused on his own survival. To put the creature out of commission, the fifteen-meter quickly smashed the monster's nape and shuffled to the center of the pit, resting upon the balls of his feet as he awaited for what his foe could throw at him next. Feeling another wave of weakness course through him, Rogue sat on his thighs. He was unsure how much longer he would be incapacitated, but he damn sure hoped that it wasn't all evening.

At the carnage, the crowd seemed to grow even more unruly with the host throwing his arms out in approval. "Ah! You see that folks! Look how easily he took out a single titan! He's painted the floor with its brains! So do you want more?" The man asked the audience who let out a loud cheer that made Rogue swallow another wad of uncertainty. "Then we shall give you more!"

The vibration of two heavy doors lifting free, tore his attention away from the man and to the open spillways. Almost instantly, two titans pushed their way into the arena. They were both much larger than the last beast. One of them was a nine meter and the other was a seven meter. Both stood upright, abet hunched over as they stared at him with the same amosite that the previous gave him. Like the first, they were painted with numbers and images – one even having its normally blonde locks tainted with some unnatural color. Knowing that he couldn't possibly fight two titans at the heights they were standing, Rogue quickly forced himself to get upright on his own two feet, nearly tipping over as he teetered dangerously. He panted, panicked even further at the thought that his ability was useless here. Green eyes darted back and forth between his two foes who's eyes were locked onto him. Their teeth were wet with a nauseating look of saliva and blood, foam running down the corners of their mouths onto their chests. For a split second, Rogue swore that the expressions upon their faces changed into even deeper scows and snarls. Weakly, he held up his fists in what was supposed to be his signature fighting stance, wrists trembling. Lowly, he growled as a natural response with the other two titans hissing. If he could sweat, it was likely that at the very moment he would.

Suddenly, the beast to his right lunged forward with its jaws agape and ready to separate flesh. Quickly, but clumsily, Rogue turned and encased his palm around the creature's face and gave the hardest shove that he was able to muster. He felt his frame nearly topple as the other titan fell to the hard floor of the pit. Before he could stand straight however, a weight forcefully rammed into his back and a set of teeth was snapping at his ear. At the feeling of skin brushing against his nape, Rogue instinctively reached over his shoulder and gripped the base of the titan's skull. With his teeth grinding against one another, he heaved the monster's body up and over him to throw the giant onto the carrion littered floor of the pit. With the weight of the beast however, Rogue's legs buckled and he felt himself fall forward. Awkwardly, he rolled in a messy somersault before coming to rest on his side. His chest shuttered as he inhaled, green eyes instantly searching for his foes only to find that the two of them were attacking one another like two wolves fighting for dominance. For a moment, Rogue even found himself watching them. Yes, they were just like feral dogs with the way one pinned the other on its back and was currently pulling the skin around the creature's throat away. It was unnerving however as blood splatted all over the creature's face – the titan not even blinking its eyes. Rogue's moment of observation soon ended when the dominating seven meter suddenly placed its attention to him once again. Leaving behind its current victim, the monster blindly charged at Rogue who promptly lifted his foot to kick the abomination in its face – the skin and flesh tearing right off and sending the creature backwards and toppling onto the other.

As the audience raved at the carnage, Rogue struggled to stand again. He would need to take the two enraged beasts out quickly. They were far too dangerous and unpredictable. Now on his feet, Rogue motioned toward the two recovering titans – nearly dragging his own legs as he carried on. With another low growl, Rogue lifted his foot and stepped upon the exposed nape of the struggling seven meter. The spectators cheered at the sight of blood as he shifted his focus on his now single opponent who had managed to get upright. Rogue had barely the time to react as the nine meter came for him again with its mouth ready to tear him to shreds. At the last moment, he managed to catch the creature's neck and pushed it into the wall, rattling both the people and bars above. As the behemoth turned its head to hiss in defiance, Rogue, lifted his arm to jab his elbow into the titan's face and staining the wall once again with blood. Not wasting any more time and needing to sit again, Rogue flipped his stunned opponent around and plunged his teeth into its nape. He took a moment to savor the taste of his enemy's blood and the feeling of his teeth going through meat. While the audience cheered at the sight he contemplated eating the meat in hope that he would gain energy, but then he recalled the sick feeling that was involved in pellet passing afterwards and decided against it – spitting the chunk of his foe's spine back onto the floor in dissatisfaction before letting the beast's body fall at his feet with a rumbling thud.

"Hell yeah! Kick their fucking asses!"

"Look at that big mother fucker!"

Rogue ignored the commentary as he weakly leaned against the wall, huffing clouds of steam before hobbling back to the center of the pit to crouch down with his head between his legs, suddenly dizzy. Without warning, his stomach rolled and he began to spit up between his feet. He must have been coming off more of the medicine his mind figured. Ill, he shuttered. He just wanted to go home. He just wanted to get through the night. Get away and return to his little ones. With his ears flickering, he caught the sound of something that made his chest tighten and tears nearly come to his eyes – cruel laughter that was aimed at his disheveled state.

"It's sick as a damn dog!"

"That's something that happens with drugs ya bastard! Get used to it!"

Rogue's body shuttered, but before he could break down completely, the announcer began again.

"See how he tears them apart folks! Even a drunken devil does fine work!" The man cackled. "That was a bit easy for him wasn't it! Two titans are nothing to this guy! Simple filth like ourselves! What do you say ladies and gentlemen? Should we give The Rogue a challenge?"

He lifted his head at the startling information as the spectators to the vile sport agreed with a chorus of yells. Rogue whimpered. He wasn't feeling like himself and as impaired as he was he didn't think he could take on more titans!

"Good! Let's give humanity's hope something to fight that will make him a bit squeamish! Let's test his soul!"

Rogue swallowed in a poor attempt to rid himself of his queasiness, blinking as he slowly lifted his head. He needed to get up and prepare himself. He had to continue. He had to push though his weaknesses! He couldn't afford to lose! He had so much to live for!

Below the tower, another spillway door began to open. "Let us give a warm welcome to our champions tonight!" The announcer continued, making Rogue tremble even further. He knew the word 'champion' well. It meant a tough opponent or the top rank in battle. The mere mentioning made him whine yet again. He was in for trouble. As Rogue struggled to stand and prepare himself, a perplexing sound swept the arena – the sound of booing. Before he could even question the reason as to why, the announcer pressed onward. "Tonight, for your viewing pleasure we have three champions that are the lowest of the low straight from the Underground!"

At the news of three confirmed foes, Rogue quickly lifted himself to prop his frame on his heels, stabilizing his bulk with his hands pressed into the floor and appearing not unlike a seated canine. He had to be ready to at least dodge.

"These three, a thief, a slut, and a gang member who wronged his don – will face off against the Rogue Titan himself! As always, whomever survives wins the round!" The man cackled.

Ready to defend himself, Rogue's ears rotated and he lowered his head to let out a low growl. The least he could do was prepare himself. Green eyes scrutinized the lifting door and the blackness on the other side, watching for his emerging foes. However, as soon as his enemies' forms came into the light, Rogue's heart stopped for several beats and his tough façade gave way to absolute terror.

Before him were his new opponents that were not titans but rather humans – two men and a woman with horrified faces wet with sweat and a single old iron bamboo blade held in their shaky hands. It was then that the truth hit him. These so called champions were purposely ill equipped – making it painfully obvious that this was set up to be an execution.

And he himself was the executioner.

His blood went cold, pupils shrinking to pinpricks. Slowly, he backed away, shaking his head in denial. Desperately, he moaned, looking up at the announcer before pressing himself into the wall behind him. " **NOooo."** He voiced his opinion, his say going completely ignored as the announcer and the others laughed. Was this really – did these humans really enjoy seeing this! Rogue swallowed, feeling his body tremble and hunker closer to the floor. He didn't want to be here! He didn't want to kill humans! He couldn't! He promised!

"Remember champions! You know good and well what happens if by small chance there is ever a draw!" The man shouted with the three contestants gulping in unison. "When the bell is rung, you begin! Good luck!"

The world seemed silent to Rogue, the roaring audience a muffled sound and every soul moving in slow motion. Green pools studied the three humans thrown into the pit, taking note of their disheveled clothes, filthy skin, and faces that only mothers could love. There was no way. He wasn't a monster. These men and women had done nothing to him or his family. They were strangers. They hadn't killed anyone. Levi had been a thief and what he assumed was close to a leader of thugs in his past, but he was a good person. He didn't know what a slut was, but he assumed that it wasn't the worst sin in the world. Even still, he couldn't kill anyone. The day that he had slain the three men from taking his babies had always haunted him – knowing that he had broken a very important vow that he had made to his beloved parents. Sure, he had done the world a service, but there was no way that he could kill these humans. The fact that these people enjoyed such a spectacle made him feel even sicker.

After what felt like an eon, a loud ringing of a large iron bell echoed throughout the room and summoned him from the torture of his own mind. The three humans before him simply stood, shaking in their own shoes. Rogue himself remained petrified, struggling with what to do as the three glanced from themselves onto him.

"Oh my god! I can't do this!" The female panicked. "I don't deserve to be here! It was a mistake! I'm innocent!"

"Someone just shoot me! I'd rather it be quick than face the torture of being eaten!"

"I can't die yet! I have to go home! I need to see my daughter again!"

His heart struggled with the words that the three spoke. Surely it was a lie that the announcer said! Could these humans be innocent? With the sword shaking in their hand, one of the men took a step forward, his teeth grinding and his face lit up in absolute terror. Naturally, on reflex at the advance, Rogue shifted his weight in the slightest – moving a hand as he prepared to poorly avoid the humans even further, his eyes noting the trail of urine that had begun to navigate its way down the man's pants. Neither party wanted to do this – and these humans were only doing what they were being forced to do.

"Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!" The crowd chanted, making the hairs stand upon his neck.

"Eat the fuckers!"

"Spill their guts out chicken!"

"Kill the bastards!"

Acting on a natural instinct that was deeply woven into him, Rogue cautiously sidestepped, keeping himself low like a sulking and injured animal as he began to move around the pit, glancing over his shoulder at his opponents every so often to see that they were warily shadowing him. Rogue's green eyes wandered to the stands, noticing the increasingly agitated crowd. Now however, he spotted several of the first squad members perched at the top of the bars on small platforms, overlooking the pit like gargoyles. They were obviously posted to extract orders when needed. Orders to kill him and perhaps the three humans chosen to duel him. Rogue took another step again, his line of sight catching the figure of Kenny now hovering behind the announcer, watching the proceedings with a frown. From his position, he noticed that in the fair outer edge high in the stands was a little room sectioned off from the rest of the crowd. Behind glass, stood Historia with a taller and plump man with his hands resting upon her shoulders - making him recall the stout male that was with Kenny when he was captured, the man that provoked Kenny to have him take part in these grim games. The thought itself made Rogue stall and growl at the fact, but before he could allow himself to simmer with anger, the titan caught movement from the corner of his eye – forcing him to quickly rotate his neck to see that the three humans were right upon him with swords trembling as they raised them. Rogue yelped and pushed himself to move out of harm's way and to cower on the other side of the pit. Even with this act, Rogue still felt the need to steer clear rather than to slaughter. It was as if this instinct was controlling him. He didn't want to do this!

Of course, with his unwillingness to carry out what was demanded from him, the spectators to the cruel sport strongly disapproved.

"The fuck!"

"What are you waiting for! Kill the bastards!"

"Slaughter them you sorry excuse for a titan!"

"Paint the pit with their guts!"

"What are you waiting for! Destroy them!"

"Chicken!"

"Kill them you piece of shit!"

Rogue could practically feel his own heart rip into pieces at the statements – the old phrase that his mother had shared with him about sticks and stones did not mean a single thing here. The words were just downright cruel and their meaning behind them made him feel even worse. A lump formed in his throat once again as he proceeded to shuffle and gradually make his way around the arena, keeping his eyes onto the opponents pitted against him as they nervously followed. This only angered the audience even further and their rage projected even louder.

"YOU STUPID FUCK! GET YOUR ASS TOGETHER AND KILL THEM!"

"EAT THEM YOU IGNORANT MONSTER!"

"DUMB ANIMAL! RIP THEM TO PIECES!"

"KILL THEM! I PAID GOOD MONEY TO WATCH YOU PAINT THE WALLS WITH THEIR BRAINS!"

Rogue shuttered, unknowingly pausing and his mind submitting to the torment.

"KILL THEM!"

"KILL THEM!"

The beast's jaw began to quiver, pupils shrinking into even smaller pinpricks. No, he couldn't do it! He wanted to go home! He wanted his family! He wanted his babies!

"KILL THEM!"

"KILL THEM!"

His joints seemed to tighten as his body was overcame with both astonishment and alarm. How was he to run away! He was weak, he couldn't get –

"KILL THEM!"

Before he could finish a thought, the titan felt something blunt impact his shoulder and ooze out onto his skin, the feeling making him jump in the slightest and turn to see something that completely cut through his current mentality and only made him even more uneasy. Upon his shoulder and running down his flesh was an egg – a raw egg that reminded him of the day that a man threw an egg at him after their failed mission back in Katness. Rogue's heart faltered. Disregarding his surroundings, Rogue lifted a hand to promptly wipe away the yolk and shattered eggshell when something else flew out of a hand and smacking him in the face right beside his eye. Abandoning his current observation, Rogue lifted a hand to his face to feel a somewhat chunky liquid before catching the object's unmistakable scent that had crossed his nose – a rotten tomato.

At the realization as to what was transpiring, Rogue brought himself to move again around the outer edge of the area. As he took a step forward however, another object hit his back, this time shattering and the foul stench of booze sweeping his nostrils. Looking over his shoulder again, frightened greens caught sight of many humans sticking their hands out of the gaps in the bars with objects held within their fingers. Rogue's heart pounded as the audience prepared to enforce their wrath. Quickly, he turned but was met with several objects from eggs and tomatoes all the way to hot cigars and more beer bottles. The behemoth let out a long whine as he tried to start forward and evade his punishment.

"KILL THEM NOW!"

"THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR? TEAR THEM TO RIBBONS!"

"FUCKING USELESS!"

"YOU ARE MADE TO KILL SO YOU NEED TO GET KILLING YA' STUPID BASTARD!"

Rogue yelped, ears lowering as he proceeded to try and scramble from the path of projectiles, but the method proved fruitless as whatever direction he turned in he was met with some sort of object. The beast yelped as a stay whiskey bottle shattered near his eye, the alcohol burning the mucus membrane. Instantly, he screeched, reaching up in a poor attempt to relieve himself. Off balance, the titan swayed with the audience laughing even louder in amusement, igniting them to only continue their cruel torture. Another egg smacked his head and more booze wet his locks. The smell of feces even met his nose as a horrid woman threw her infant's used diaper at his back. The titan screeched again, yelping and whimpering as he struggled to rub his eye and scramble from the crowd's cruel work.

Suddenly, he felt a searing pain ignite in his foot. Letting out a cry of agony, Rogue abandoned his current discomfort and turned to see that one of the men that was victim to the game had plunged his sword into the top of his foot. Eyes growing wide in shock, Rogue watched as the other man raised his blade. Witnessing this, the titan lumbered forward as the other man managed to slash his ankle. Again, Rogue yelped as his blood splattered across the pit. Another bottle hit the side of his face, provoking him to move faster or as much as his impaired body was allowing him to go. Unfortunately, another wave of dizziness swept over him, causing his feet to cross and the behemoth to stumble. The ground came up to meet Rogue and his body rolled hard and awkward into the wall. With tears filling his eyes and his vision clouding, Rogue whimpered as he attempted to get back to his feet, embarrassingly falling to his belly before moving across the pit in an attempt to evade both the so called champions and the objects thrown by the laughing and angry audience.

"WHAT A FUCKING IDIOT! AND THEY SAY HE'S SMART!"

"KILL THE BASTARDS!"

"SLAUGHTER THEM!"

Rogue's limbs shook as another bottle of brandy cracked and spilled over his brow. His nostrils filled with the horrible scents of everything that had been thrown upon him and kept being thrown upon him, making him completely nauseated. Fear crippled the beast and he instinctively began to hug the walls again as he moved, edges feeling safe to the creature as he continued to refuse what he was ordered.

"STUPID BEAST!"

"IGNORANT FUCKER!"

"KILL THEIR ASSES!"

More objects rained down upon him, staining his back and hair in an array of colors. Rogue stalled, his joints trembling and his head hanging low as he tried to get over another wave of queasiness. He hated this. He wanted to go home! He didn't want to do this! He didn't want to kill people! Deeper he fell into his mind's torment as more beer and objects continued to paint and pommel him. A tear finally fell from his eye, flowing down his chin and onto the bloody floor of the pit. He was in hell. He was truly in hell. And even still he refused to do what the devil told him. Even though they had drawn blood from their prey, he still felt no need to retaliate. He didn't want to kill again. He couldn't! He was made to hunt bigger prey. He could not do this! He couldn't –

Suddenly, there was a searing heat that hit him and shook his frame to the core, pain exploded quite literally in his left side and sent Rogue falling into the wall. The world spun around him. Rogue shrieked in agony – the bone chilling sound bouncing off the rooftop. With wooziness quickly sweeping over him and the crowd growing silent, Rogue turned to see that his entire side was caked in crimson and sinew – the result of a small grenade that had been tossed to pause the proceedings. The titan gritted his teeth, hissing in the slightest as he attempted to raise from his position. Rogue heaved a breath as he managed to hoist himself onto his hands and feet. He lifted a hand to grip his steaming wound, the rapid loss of blood provoking him to grow dizzy yet again. However, as he looked up he noticed something that made his blood chill.

There, standing in place of the announcer, was Kenny himself with an absolutely sinister grin upon his face.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMAN! BASTARDS ALIKE!" His enemy began charismatically. "I THINK IT'S TIME WE GIVE THIS BEAST A BIT OF ENCOURAGEMENT! WHAT YOU SAY WE GIVE EM' A BIT OF A PUSH!"

Before Rogue could even contemplate as to what Kenny meant, the men and women of the first squad that had been perched above, descended into a dive with their own blades and guns drawn. Immediately, the crowd roared in triumph and the instinct to flight ignited within him. Panicked, Rogue quickly pushed himself to his feet and nearly teetering as the squad swarmed. Rogue screamed as a wire wrapped around his leg while bullets riddled his right side. He tried to move, run with no possible destination. A man curved downwards before arching upwards again, digging his swords across his arm and leaving a wide and deep gash in his flesh. Once more, he cried as his own blood sprayed against him. The titan gripped the open wound desperately as another man landed an anchor into his scalp and brought his swords over his face, cutting Rogue's brow and allowing crimson to gush for the umpteenth time. Rogue screeched as his façade was tainted red. Instinctively, he moved again, a man swerving around his midsection and blasting his side, the bullets making hundreds of holes as another did the very same to his calf. Fearing for his life, the titan quickly covered his nape, feeling the blades of a solder dig deep into the tendons of his fingers – making him scream. Desperately, he willed his frail limb to keep its position. He panicked. There was hardly any room to run inside the arena and he was still so weak that he could barely hold himself not to mention his reflexes weren't up to par. There was also nowhere he could string up the men and women, leaving him with only one option which was to roll them roughly to the ground. Rogue swallowed, of course, there was the other option, but such was out of the question.

Another man dived, swerving beneath his arm. Catching his movement, Rogue urgently swiped at the man's wires only to snag air. At his miss, the same human spun around and sliced into his shoulder, a pained screech peeking between his clenched teeth. Bullets hit the small of his back, making his body grow still for several precious seconds at the immense pain growing in his spine. Rogue droned, green eyes trying to focus, the room seemingly spinning again as he pushed himself to try and stay upright. Another squad member circled his hip, iron bamboo steel slicing into his abdominals and spilling more vital crimson. Rogue roared, the sound lonely and filled with agony. Again, his eyes attempted to focus on movement of his foes. A man moved low, blades poised to strike his ankle. Rogue tried to steady himself, his knees wobbly as he prepared to execute a move to defend. The titan lifted his leg, but before he could do what was needed to protect himself, a man flew at him with alarming speed and planted his swords into his throat, tearing open his esophagus as his other opponent cut across his his ankle. Rogue screamed, the sound drowned by gushing blood and his free hand shooting up to cover his throat. The behemoth stumbled into the opposite wall, his eyes blown wide in horror as blood spluttered from the wound, coating his fingers and pouring down his chest. He coughed, red spraying his teeth and misting the southern side of the pit. To protect himself, Rogue released his nape and pushed himself closely to the wall. The world tilted and black dots scattered across his vision. Steam shrouded his shielding fingers as nerve endings slowly began to repair themselves – his weak body unable to regenerate what was needed promptly. Again, his stomach twisted and rejected his stomach contents, acid and blood falling at his feet. Rogue shrieked in agony as he felt his gaping wound burn like hellfire. His legs nearly buckled, the once powerful creature using everything he had just to partially stand. His suffering was only mere amusement for his audience.

"KEEP ON EM' I DON'T THINK THE BIG BOY UNDERSTANDS YET!"

Willing himself to keep moving through another wave of unconsciousness, Rogue looked up in horror to see that the squad was advancing yet again. Trying to find his determination through his ever growing fear, Rogue narrowed his eyes and lifted his shaking hand. Wires snagged into the flesh of his shoulder, igniting him to quickly reach to tear out the grapples. However, his fingers never made it as the tips of them were severed clean off. Rogue howled, the sound gargling in his damaged throat. Bullets seared across his chest as he felt his thigh being torn open – blood coursing down his frame like hot wax. Rogue hissed, eyes franticly searching for a window of opportunity. Squad members swarmed him like the carnivorous fish that Armin told him about in his books – their eyes hungrily looking for a spot to target. His vision tunneled in the slightest, the titan stumbling as he nearly fainted yet again – stepping in his own sick and filth that covered the floor of the pit. Cables sailed towards his own chest, the titan managing to wrap his fingers around the woven steel and pulled. Thinking quickly, the beast yanked the man and threw his body to the ground – the individual tumbling and rolling over and over as he turned his attention back to the swarm.

His reaction however, was far too late.

A squad member dropped another one of the explosive stones onto his shoulder from above, the blast incinerating his skin and tearing deep into his muscles. Shrapnel imbedded itself into his jaw and cheek – rattling his entire frame from the force. The titan stumbled, his vision blurring as he screeched yet anew. More bullets flew into the flesh of his jaw while his opposite cheek was torn open by more blades. His mind was in a flurry. He was weak! He could do nothing! He had to stop his attackers and incapacitate them!

Another set of pairing blades dug into his back as another surge of dizziness swept over him. Images distorted and the creature wobbled, looking like a drunk trying to find his way home. The muscles in his legs burned from both exertion and his steaming wounds. With his ears still ringing, Rogue entered a haze. As a last attempt to protect himself, the titan covered his nape with both his beat up hands and dipped his head like a frightened child in a thunderstorm. A series of whimpers sounded through his maw all the while the audience cheered and started to pitch their belongings once again. While more bottles shattered, the squad kept up their pressure. The titan could feel every bullet and every swipe, yelping louder and louder with each one. Rogue shut his eyes tightly, retreating into the one place he could – inside his head as the abuse continued.

_'_ _ **WHY?'**_ He thought frantically. ' _ **I… JUST WANT TO GO HOME!'**_

A man swooped, cutting just behind his kneecap and nearly causing him to fall to the earth.

' _ **I CAN'T – THEY ARE… JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS! I CAN'T KILL! I – CAN'T!'**_

Beer and blood painted his scalp, matting his hair as a woman unloaded her guns into his forearms again, adding to the collection of bullets that were imbedded from his earlier encounter.

' _ **I CAN'T! I CAN'T!'**_ Rogue suffered, the audience chanting all around him.

"TEAR HIS ASS UP! WHIP HIM INTO SHAPE!"

"YEAH! MAKE THE BIG BASTARD DO SOMETHING!"

"JUST KILL HIM ALREADY!"

' _ **I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T!'**_

Steel met flesh and bone, tearing free his fingers and a champion's sword plunging into his foot again. His frame shuttered like a dead tree in a gust – shivering like a cold animal.

' _ **I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T!'**_

The laughter of both a madman and an unforgiving audience echoed in his ears. The cruel words cutting deep into him just as each and every swipe of a sword.

' _ **I CAN'T! I CAN'T… DO THIS! THERE'S… NO WAY I –**_

Time seemed to suddenly stop for the beast as he came to a sudden epiphany.

' _ **NO.'**_

"YEH BETTER DO SOMETHIN' YA BIG BRAT! I DON'T THINK YA CAN LAST MUCH LONGER!"

' _ **THESE… HUMANS. THEY… ENJOY THIS. THEY… LOVE THIS! THEY… ACT LIKE… ANIMAL.'**_ Rogue proceeded to think. ' _ **THEY… KILL THEIR OWN KIND. FOR… FUN! I… DID NOTHING TO… THEM! THEY… LOVE – PAIN! THIS… THIS IS… CRUEL!'**_

Another attack commenced, but Rogue was still wrapped in his thoughts even as his blood trailed.

' _ **THESE… HUMANS…NO! THESE… MONSTERS! THESE… ANIMALS, SCUM – ARE ALL… BAD! THEY… ARE – MEAN! THEY… THEY TOOK ME HERE! THEY… WENT AFTER MY… FAMILY! MY BAIBIES!'**_ His consciousness darkened, heart pounding faster. ' _ **THEY… COULD BE – DEAD! SCUM! SCUM! THEY… CAN'T BE… GOOD! THEY ARE EVIL! THEY… ALL SCUM NEED – TO DIE!'**_

Men and women reloaded and the audience continued their mirth and unkind contributions.

' _ **I… NEED TO… GET RID OF THEM! MAKE THEM… PAY! I'LL TEAR THEM… APART! THE PIGS! SWINE! I WILL… MAKE IT ALL… RED! RED! RED!**_ _**THEY… WANT A MONSTER! I'LL FUCKING GIVE THEM ONE!'**_

As the torment proceeded, a hot surge swept through his body, his weakness and frailness suddenly vanishing with a hatred fueled heat pooling in his stomach. His breaths grew ragged, the others still unaware at his transpiring shift. Slowly, his eyes peeled open to unveil feral blazing greens with pupils in thin slits. His hair ruffled and ears folded over, nostrils flaring at the foul odors of his foes.

' _ **I… WILL TAKE… THEM TO HELL! I'LL – SHOW THEM… HOW MUCH OF A MONSTER… I CAN BE! I'LL – SHOW YOU WHAT A REAL… TITAN IS LIKE!'**_

A squad member dove from his perch, his bullets tearing into his shoulder before the male's eyes searched for another target – but never having the chance to execute his second move as Rogue locked onto him. With rage festering in his blood and more blades digging into him, the titan suddenly left his defensive position and released a rattling roar. Like lightening and fueled on nothing but anger and adrenaline, the titan swung his open hand with tremendous force.

The man would never know what had hit him.

Bones were crushed at the impact of the titan's open palm instantly. Like an old raggedy doll, his limp body was launched across the arena, silencing all life around. Green eyes beheld the man make impact, feeling absolutely triumphant as the corpse became nothing but bloody pulp – smashed like an insect. A few brief moments passed before the man's dead body, or what remained of it, peeled off the wall and fell to the pit below. Rogue snarled, feeling nothing, not even a hint of regret at his sin.

At this, the audience only went wild, cheering at the carnage. Only the squad could read the situation clearly.

"Oh sh –

Before the flying humans could even think of how to act in retaliation, Rogue swung his arm, backhanding several of his targets and turning them into nothing but red smears. The scent of blood filled his nostrils, alerting him of his success.

_**'YOU! YOU… ARE FILTH!'**_ The beast growled, saliva dripping from his jaws. _**'YOU… DESERVE DEATH!'**_

"Quick re –

Numb to any other emotion, Rogue lashed out, snagging a man in his hand. Wild emeralds beheld his victim squirm and scream. Needing to condemn his catch to the depths of hell, the titan began to tighten his grip. Not willing to waste his time, he squeezed. His victim didn't have the seconds to plead for mercy as he extracted his revenge, organs rupturing and skeleton reduced to dust. The titan then discarded his kill unceremoniously and threw his head back to bellow a threat to all sinners surrounding him.

"SHIT!"

Rogue then lowered his head, back arching in the slightest as his illuminating greens locked onto Kenny whose expression was both a mix of horror and disbelief. The titan snarled, looking absolutely savage.

' _ **I'LL.. KILL YOU NEXT!'**_

"RESTRAIN THE BASTARD AND PREPARE THE TRANQUALIZERS!"

' _ **YOU… DID THIS!'**_

Rogue roared and began his advance, one of the champions defeated by his massive foot. The titan's eyes narrowed, another shriek leaving his mouth as he bolted full tilt toward Kenny. He would crush him! He would kill him! Pound him into mush and paste! However, before he could reach his prey, a man swung around his wrist, wrapping his appendage and pulling it in another direction. At this, Rogue released another growl and pulled his arm back, wrapping his fingers around the man's – scum's cable and yanking him away from his work and hurling him across the pit, his body hitting the iron bars so violently that the man was nearly severed. Even still, the spectators enjoyed what was clearly no longer a sport but rather a slaughter.

' _ **YOU… FUCKERS! I'LL… MAKE YOU SORRY!'**_ His mind screamed as he rotated to face the swarm, placing his attention away from Kenny. Completely blinded by rage, the titan seeked his next victims. His eyes captured movement and quick as a whip, Rogue snagged the man's cables. Like the monsters he knew so well, Rogue lifted the man to his teeth and bit down. Screams and cheers filled his ears as he tore the man's head clean off with one fluid motion from his neck – the man's blood completely tasteless upon his tongue. The titan spat out the man's flesh and immediately snagged another set of cables. The titan roared yet again and pulled his prey around him before slamming his own body into the wall, rattling the pit and leaving those trapped beneath his flank as flat as pancakes – the soulless reduced to condemned bones. Swiftly, he turned and punted another champion high and far to where their death awaited them. With buzzing of gears in his ear, Rogue abruptly pivoted to grip another solder in his hand only to turn and throw them to the unforgiving floor with their limbs twisting in all the wrong directions.

' _ **YOU! ARE ALL EVIL! I – WILL KILL YOU ALL!'**_

"FIRE!"

An echoing boom vibrated his eardrums and pain erupted in his hip. The fire from a needle forced him to yelp, but overcome with fury, Rogue ignored the tranquilizer as he placed his attention to one of the guns mounted and manned at the edge of the of the wall. Releasing an earthshattering roar, Rogue charged forward, blazing greens beholding the gunman's petrified face before he swatted. Crushed metal and bricks flew as the man perished beneath his might. Snarling, Rogue turned to face the fleet once more. Seeing them serve to avoid him, the titan swung his arm outward to lay waste to his foes. Blood fell like rain as he quickly turned his head to snag another squad member's leg between his teeth. Crimson painted itself upon his chin as he severed the limb with his powerful jaws, allowing gravity to take the individual straight to hell. With his chest puffing like a proud robin's breast, Rogue inhaled before releasing another earthshattering roar – spreading his arms and throwing back his head to ensure that all the scum upon the earth could hear him.

"FIRE AGAIN!"

The arena rattled with another blast, agony spreading into his shoulder and leg as two more needles penetrated his flesh. Still, the beast was blinded by rage as he proceeded to hunt. He had to punish all of them!

"YOU FUCKING THING!" A man shouted as he pulled the triggers to his weapons to shroud the titan's frame in bullets. "YOU KILLED MY FRIEND!"

The statement was ignored by the monster as he quickly snagged the man's wires and pulled him into his waiting palm much like a child's toy and reduced him to mush like a squashed grape.

"FIRE! FIRE!"

Rogue's body flared, heat surging as saliva foamed in his maw while he ignored more of the newly injected drugs. Steam spilled from his nostrils in a hard jet as his eyes scanned for his next victims. ' _ **IF… I AM DEVIL… THEN I TAKE… YOU ALL DOWN!'**_ The creature's mind projected as he howled with wrath. All these spectators and his captors were evil! Scum! Scat! Shit! Mere bags of spoiled meat! He was the king and they would face every bit of his fury!

"GET HIM!"

The titan's glowing irises seeked what remained of his flying foes – two men that wore the look of horror quite prominently and quite well if he were kind enough to give them critique. With one of the animals too fearful to even move at the fact that he was looking death straight in his emerald eyes, Rogue seized the chance and swung – catching the mortified and terrified man in his grip and forcefully returning him to the earth. Even as Kenny commanded, more blasts rang out, and more of the medicine flowed into his bloodstream, Rogue locked his eyes onto the last flying human remaining in the arena. The monster behemoth nearly grinned at this fact. He was doing well at wiping the slate clean.

"FIRE GOD DAMN IT! TAKE THE FUCKER DOWN YOU WORTHLESS IDIOTS!"

Rogue's nose wrinkled as he emitted another snarl, disregarding more incoming tranquilizers as he watched his prey like a cat would to a bird – the bird too hyped on adrenaline and pushing himself as fast as his gear could carry him. Wires shot out and Rogue swiped, his fingers missing by but mere inches and allowing the remaining man to curl around to the backside of his frame. Just as the titan aimed to spin around and face his opponent yet again, another syringe planted itself straight into his chest – the pointed steel rubbing bone and making the titan scream in rage. Undenounced to the beast, the final man drew his blades and closed in for the beast's neck. But instead of the sickening sound of dividing flesh, the crack of steel met the titan's ears.

"Huh? What the f –

Before the man could even finish his question, his body met the titan's shin as Rogue performed a powerful kick – leaving the corpse to splatter the wall. The audience yelled in favor as the beast tried to catch his breath, chest heaving as his eyes caught sight of the only other poor soul sharing the pit with him. The so called champion gazed up at him, the old blade still shaking in his hands. Rogue growled, the sound rumbling the stone floor beneath him as he almost casually strolled up to the last human. Even as their face grew more desperate, his judgement had already been made. The man wouldn't have been sent to execution if he hadn't done something wrong. The crowd practically chanted as he lifted his foot high into the air, letting it hang for several precious seconds before bringing it down upon male. For a moment, he was mesmerized by the crimson bubbling beneath his feet until he lifted his foot once again to slam it down onto the body using every bit of his weight. When the deed was done, he repeated it, over and over as marrow was reduced to dust and sinew to a scarlet soup.

"Hell yeah! It finally got good!"

The titan brought his foot down for a final time, rattling everyone to the bone. It was quiet as he stood, head hung and his breaths easy, steam spilling from his teeth. The atmosphere became eerie, the audience and gunman looking on in confusion as he remained still. Then, ever so slowly, Rogue lifted his head and faced the audience, his greens blazing dangerously as the audience began to cheer yet again. The titan's eyes narrowed and his face contorted into a hostile snarl.

' _ **I'M NOT … DONE YET! YOU… ARE ALL SCUM!'**_

Suddenly, the towering beast roared and lunged right for the wall, the structure tremoring with his impact as he gripped the iron cage and pulled. The bars snapped at the sheer power behind his tug.

It was then that the audience found no more humor but rather terror as Rogue pried the barrier apart and exposed his next targets.

"SHIT!"

"GET THE BARB CANNONS AND RESTRAIN HIM FOR FUCK'S SAKE!"

The titan's eyes watched as the spectators began to scramble, but he would allow no escape! Rogue howled and brought down his arm upon several of the fleeing humans and stone seats. With a low growl, the titan raked his arm across the stands, sending the petty people flying and bathing the beer soaked seats in blood. Rogue roared, taking pride in the strings of intestines and other organs strung about and the great amount of gore before letting out another threatening vocal and slamming his arm down upon several spectators once again. He rumbled at the sight of red and the mangled bodies. They were all scum! Stupid beasts that took pride in killing and watching slaughter! His brows pinched together, bringing his fist down upon another victim. He was doing the world a favor! These people were evil!

Humans ran like panicked ants as they retreated down a stairwell, igniting the flame in him further. Rogue braced himself and crawled upwards, scrambling to get a good grip before pressing his face as much as he could into the stairwell. The titan roared, the sound deafening to the humans retreating down the tunnel. He snarled, saliva spraying as he snapped his teeth as a desperate attempt to grip a part of anyone but was unsuccessful. Rogue grimaced, pulling his head out and pushing his hand down into the depths, grabbing at nothing. Frustrated, Rogue pulled his limb free and roared one more, his eyes searching for more scum that could not go unpunished.

However, it was then that he stopped – his eyes meeting a grueling sight that instantly cooled his rage and replaced the emotion with sheer horror. Laying in the stands, alone and crying at the top of its lungs, was a tiny baby covered in the blood of its dead mother. His heart fell to his stomach and his eyes widened in alarm. The titan's ears lowered and his frame trembled. Ever so slowly, he turned his head to look upon what remained of the stands. Everything was painted crimson and flesh lay haphazardly in every direction. Rogue switched his focus back to the wailing infant, spying the blood caked all across his skin and seeping into every fold upon his hands. The titan's body went rigid, freezing at the realization of the great crime he had committed – blood feeling like ice in his veins. ' _ **WHAT… WHAT HAVE I DONE! I KILLED… THESE HUMANS! I… DID THIS! I –**_

His panicked thoughts were silenced as pain exploded all across his back, the now familiar feeling of barbs implanted into his deep muscle recognized by the beast. The cables grew taught, yanking the titan backwards and roughly away from the stands. Rogue struggled, gripping onto the damaged wall as he tried to keep himself standing – the sudden feeling of faintness returning to his body as he peered at his enemy once again. Startled greens watched the first squad move to their positions and reload – making another fact come to his head that instantly ignited his anger once again. ' _ **THEY… THEY MADE ME DO THIS! THEY… MADE ME KILL! I'LL – I'LL WIPE… THESE MEN OUT FOR THIS!'**_

"GET READY TO FIRE!"

Heat coursed through his body and his muscles bulged. His fingers singed, digging into the wall as his nails elongated and sharpened into talons. Pain coursed through his maw as his tombstone sized teeth lengthened into fangs. The titan's eyes began to blaze yet again as he faced his foes with an unworldly bellow and charged.

"FUCK! FIRE! FIRE! BRING HIM TO THE FLOOR! UNLOAD THE TRANQS! RESTRAIN THE BEAST!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO IT!"

"GET HIM!"

Rogue unhinged his jaw, preparing to let out another cry of dominance, but his decent into madness was halted when more barbs sunk into side, bringing him to an abrupt halt. The titan swiveled his head to deliver a shriek, but was cut short when more of the barbs were launched into his leg. Before he could even question what a reeling sound was, his frame toppled and his body crashed to the floor. Fear suddenly dominated him again as he began to squirm and screech, trying to find his footing.

"FIRE! KEEP HIM DOWN!"

As the titan prepared to release a roar of warning, the arena sook with sounds akin to cannon blasts and gunfire. Rogue screamed as pain coursed all across his body with more piercing syringes decorating his flesh and more barbs pulling him from above and feeling as if some angered god was damning him for his deeds. Frightened, Rogue whined, whimpering as the weakness quickly crept over his frame once again as his ears rung from the explosions. To the titan, it felt as if an eternity had passed before the weapons went silent. Gun smoke filled the air and began to mask the scent of blood. The surrounding squad said not a word and the only sound that could be heard in the arena was his deep and shaky breaths. With his energy rapidly depleting, the titan peeled open an eye to weakly look around him. Like before, everything was blurred and a mess of colors and shapes. Feeling a great wave of faintness with his vision blackening, Rogue let his head roll and gave in to panting, eyes shut tight as he fell further into a state of mortification.

"ALRIGHT! PACK EM' UP AND GET HIM THE HELL OUT OF HERE! WE SUCCEEDED. OUR JOB HERE IS DONE!"

Rogue whined softly, his head spinning and his darkened lids falling over his eyes.

"PLEASE! DON'T HURT HIM!"

"QUIET! SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND KEEP MOVING!"

The titan exhaled heavily, his ears listening to the clanking of heavy equipment, shouting, and the wails of an orphaned infant up in the stands. He was a monster. They had molded him into one. With his heart completely shattered, the titan finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

**(POV SWAP)**

"What the fuck are you –

The man was cut off as Levi threw the individual into a tree, putting his boot square in the center of the man's chest. "Quit complaining. Let's get down to business."

Armin watched silently along with the others as the Corporal rolled up his sleeves in preparation to interrogate their current hostage. They stood on the edge of a large moor, having arrived an hour before to investigate their lead that Hange had delivered to them. As Nile had stated, the first squad's mansion rested in the middle of the empty field – looking like it needed some tender loving care with peeled paint and overgrowing vines covering every statue. The mansion itself was surprisingly crawling with off duty members of the first squad. Upon their arrival, Hange had formulated a plan to restrain or take out the men and women residing within its halls but leaving one member for interrogation without issue. Thankfully, the squad was on standby and unarmed so they were met with little to no resistance. Armin secretly thanked whatever god existed for that fact. He had been hoping that he wouldn't have to draw his blades. He already would have to live with the idea that he had taken one life and he damn sure did not want to live with the idea that he had taken more. However, if it was one thing that he was relieved about it was the fact that the mansion infested with the first squad was real. It meant that they were on the right path to wherever Rogue was located.

The blonde swallowed, dipping his head as he retreated into his mind. As they had guessed, Rogue was not at the mansion. He couldn't help but be increasingly worried along with Mikasa. Where on earth has Rogue been taken? What was happening to him? Armin knew that Rogue was mentally a child and didn't handle stressful situations well. Knowing that Rogue was with many violent people, Armin knew the titan had to be utterly terrified. He swallowed. There was no telling what had been done to the beast by vile people that weren't afraid to kill. He just hoped that Rogue wouldn't carry any physiological pain with him afterwards. Mikasa too, expressed the very concern to him shortly before. Rogue, despite being a massive, powerful, and terrifying behemoth, was very delicate. Still, he had tried to reassure her that Rogue may carry no scars of his ordeal. After all, he had been taken by the very titans that had indirectly murdered his own parents and destroyed half of humanity and was the very same goofy titan. Armin swallowed at the thought. Of course, Rogue had been captured by _**humans**_ this time around – and it was possible that the mere fact could prove to be more terrifying to the gentle giant.

The thing he was most worried about however, was if they could get to Rogue and rescue him in time before the King used him for whatever purpose he had in mind before disposing of him. He also prayed that the man before them would be of help. Armin desperately hoped that they could figure out what Rod Reiss wanted with his best friend and that this man knew where find him. They couldn't afford to lose any more precious time. He didn't even want to consider the possibility that Rogue could have already transpired.

"Now," Levi began again, the man's face molded into an expression so dark that it made he and the rest of the members of their squad uncomfortable. "You are going to tell me everything you know right now or else you won't be having a pleasant evening. So it would be wise to talk and speak truthfully. The last guy I interrogated probably couldn't walk or breathe correctly after I was done with him. First, where have they taken The Rogue Titan and Historia Reiss?"

The man below Levi's boot frowned in disgust, the right side of his lip pulling up in the slightest, his long greasy hair falling over his face. "Go fuck y –

Their victim was cut off as Levi's fist suddenly made contact with the man's cheek, his head violently twisting to the left and a few of his teeth landing in the grass, blood painting the man's lips a bright cherry red. The man groaned, swearing beneath his breath before yelping as Levi hoisted him roughly into position by the collar of his shirt. Eyes like cold steel then bore into the man once again – no wonder some Scouts found Levi to be unnerving when he was in a foul mood. "You know damn well that's not the answer I'm looking for." The Corporal practically growled out. "Tell me where the hell Rod Reiss and Kenny Ackerman took the titan and the girl! What do they plan to do with the two of them!" Levi enforced strongly, his tone more venomous than before.

The long haired man grumbled in return, still more concerned with the lack of his missing teeth than the Corporal's query. The lack of response however, provoked the short man to deliver a vicious kick to the man's face. Armin's stomach nearly turned over for another time as he watched the man's teeth go through his lip and more crimson spray the green blades of grass. Their hostage let out a pained wail as he flopped over and rolled upon the ground, holding his now bloodied and broken nose as he moaned and groaned.

"You might want to answer. We don't have all night."

The man nearly shivered at Levi's voice, holding up his hands in both protection and defeat. "Alright! Alright! I'll talk! I'll fucking talk!"

At this, Levi stood and folded his arms. "Smart choice. Starting now, tell us everything you know and remember, lying or bullshitting I won't tolerate."

Their victim swallowed, lifting a hand to brush his bloodied nose on his sleeve before gulping yet again. "I… I'm not really a member of the first squad." He stuttered, his fingers clearly shaking. "I was just a hired hand for the estate. A cook. But – I do know some things and I do have an idea where your titan and the Reiss girl were taken!"

Levi dipped his head at the information, only replying with a hand gesture for the man to continue.

"Okay, the… the first squad are the King's hired group of assassins that he uses to do his biddings. They… are a weird bunch – they're a cult of sorts with Rod as their leader."

"A cult?" Hange questioned in surprise with the man nodding.

"Yes! I… don't know what they plan to do with the two of them, but I… know they do these rituals and I think I know where they do them!"

"Spill it."

At Levi's demand, the man nodded promptly. "The Reiss… they own this little chapel in the middle of the forest – just southwest from here. I've… heard the squad members say that there is a large chamber beneath it that's connected by tunnels that are part of an old spillway. I think that's where they hold the rituals and have our ironworkers go! It's a tiny white chapel in the middle of a clearing about a mile from the river. You can't miss it! Now… as far as what they want the titan and the girl for – I couldn't tell you. The squad is very hush about it around the estate's servants. But… they do seem much more interested in your monster rather than the girl." The man held up his hands once again. "I swear! That's all I know!"

For a long moment, it was still between them until the Corporal swiftly punted the man beneath his chin and instantly knocking the male unconscious. He then stood and popped his knuckles and turned to face them. "He cracked much faster than I thought he would." Levi's eyes narrowed as he motioned over to climb back onto the wagon, sitting down and grabbing the reins. "Well, you all heard the man. Let's get to that chapel. We're wasting moonlight."

Armin and Mikasa seated themselves with the wagon moving again, more perplexed by the mystery than ever as well as terrified even further.

What did Rod Reiss plan to do with Rogue? What on earth did he want from the titan?

**(POV SWAP)**

The world around him suddenly felt cold, lukewarm almost as his body felt as if it was dangling in midair – his head still spinning and restlessness infecting his limbs. Rogue groaned, suddenly feeling incredibly heavy and his head starting to pound even worse. Then, behind shielded eyes, there was a flash of red, an image of a severed limb and the wails of terror. He whimpered, feeling his frame shutter as the nightmare continued to play. Rogue gritted his teeth, his chest heaving as he fought through another wave of heat and weakness. Laughter played out in his head, cruel and insensitive it sounded. Finally, his body snapped and the titan's eyes flew open to a blinding white.

Instinctively, Rogue winced, tightly shutting his eyes again in protection. Confusion then hit him. Why was it so bright? Was it possible that he – was dead and seeing the heavenly light his parents described to him long ago? No, it couldn't be. He could feel his own frame and every organ working – clearly meaning that he was alive. Curious and nervous as to where he was, Rogue slowly unveiled his emerald greens, blinking them several times to both focus his vision and to get used to the unnatural brightness. Quickly however, he found that his body still felt frail and his sight wasn't as crisp, but his eyes still held the ability to make out a distinct detail about where he was and why it was so bright.

Rogue blinked again, trying to further understand what he was looking at. The light from the moon wasn't present for he was still underground in some sort of cavern. Almost no firelight burned among the area either for the cavern was almost as bright as a sunny day. The reason as to why both perplexed the titan as well as surprised him more than ever. Covering the walls, ceiling, floor, and what looked to be stone columns of some sort was a layer of crystal, pale blue in color and reminded the beast of the hardened diamond skin that The Female Titan was once able to produce. Rogue swallowed, fighting another wave of faintness as he continued to try and understand. However, as he strained to angle his head to look about, another terrifying fact came clear to him.

He couldn't move again, something was wrapped around his wrists, ankles, and his waist – in fact his body was sitting upright with him resting on his folded knees and his arms were hoisted up into the air in some sort of messiah like pose. Rogue let out a small constrained gasp and turned his head to view what he could. The titan held his breath as he spied what he had expected and what was more than he expected. Around his wrists and ankles were pairs of massive shackles forged in heavy iron and bolted to weighty chains that were either fastened to the floor to hold his legs or running high up into the walls to keep his arms elevated and fully extended – leaving him in a highly uncomfortable position. Weighty iron was also wrapped around his waist in the form of chains that were secured to the crystalline floor. Rogue's heart pounded with his instincts pulsing just as fast as he pulled at his restraints pitifully, far too weak to even shake them. After a final attempt, another bout of dizziness overcame the titan and he went limp in his restraints, head and shoulders hanging low with a sliver of saliva seeping from his maw and traveling downwards.

The titan moaned, feeling almost borderline delirious. He had been injected with more of the medicine that Kenny had spoken of. That much he knew. But – how had he gotten here? What had happened?

Then it hit him, his eyes widening and head lifting as the images of blood and gore came back to him. Instantly, he went rigid. He – had been taken into an arena of sorts. An underground arena where they made him kill titans and pitted him against ill equipped humans. He refused, and the swarm of men and women in black came after him. There was an angry audience that threw things as hard as they could at his bulk. He was slashed and shot at and he – he snapped. He – had slaughtered people. He had killed some of Kenny's men, the people pitted against him, and he had even climbed into the crowd and crushed and thrown people. Rogue shuttered. He had ripped off limbs and bitten off heads – spilled enough blood to fill a pond. He had killed so many people – most likely some of them had been innocent. He had probably widowed wives and had certainly orphaned children. Tears slowly began to leak from his eyes and his chest tightened. He had broken his promise! He had committed the worst of sins! His hands – the flesh was still tinted crimson and he smelled of death! Rogue swallowed, suddenly incredibly sick to his stomach while black dots scattered his vision. How! How could he have snapped! Why didn't he just string the men up and ignore the audience! His head fell even further, guilt washing over him as he began to whimper like a frightened puppy. He did this and he was to live with his horrible deed for the rest of his life!

The titan faltered, finally breaking as he let out a high pitched wail and his eyes finally pouring out water. Rogue was broken. Absolutely broken. How was he going to tell his little ones? What would they think!

"Rogue!"

At his name, the titan stopped, inhaling sharply as he recognized the voice to be Historia's. Following the source, he looked down to see that the teen stood before him, appearing concerned. The titan blinked, trying to clear his eyes. Historia was not wearing what she had been wearing previously. In fact, she was sporting something that he had not ever seen a human wear at all. The teen was dressed in a long robe, purple in color and silk. A hood hung partially over her head – the outfit bizarre altogether. Putting his own transgressions behind him for the moment, Rogue decided that all he could do for the time being was focus on what was transpiring currently. Thinking about it now, he recalled that the men that had taken him mentioned that he was needed for another purpose. If he was to even see his babies or his family again, he had to make it through the night. His body was weak but felt so incredibly uneasy. Something wasn't right with this situation. Besides the fact that he was chained, something was horribly wrong. " **HISSORIA -**

"I see that His Majesty has finally awaken."

Rogue stilled, his nostrils flaring as a foul odor met his nose – the same that belonged to the plump man that had been with Kenny. His brows knitted together, there was a detail that he had missed previously. Laced in the man's musk was something that smelled alarmingly similar to Historia. Before he could even wonder as to why or connect any dots, the very man walked into his view. Rogue blinked, willing his vision to focus the best that it was able to do so as he scrutinized the male. Like Historia, he wore the same purple cloak. He was fairly short with black hair, slightly wrinkled eyes, and well kempt facial hair. All in all, he had an almost average appearance and if someone were searching for him he would certainly blend in with the crowd. Rogue swallowed, the way that the man looked at him was unnerving. His eyes and face did not hold a hint of distain but the man appeared as if he was beholding something stunning or magnificent. Still, Rogue could sense something absolutely disturbing in the man. His earlier behavior proved just that. He wasn't planning anything good he knew that much. The titan quietly whimpered. He had no idea what was going on.

He was more scared than ever.

"I'm not sure what all you remember Rogue, but like I stated previously – it's an absolute honor to finally meet you. Our family has waited a hundred years to be in your presence." The man spoke, his voice soft, calm, and collective. "I didn't get to formally introduce myself earlier either. My name is Rod Reiss. I am the King of the Walls and I'm extending my greeting from one king to another."

Rogue lifted his head as much as he could in realization. Rod Reiss? This was the King of the Walls? Historia's father? The beast remained silent, unable to find the words to even reply. Historia's worried expression deepened – suddenly increasing to the point that he could label her terrified.

"Dad? What – is going on? What do you want with me and Rogue? Why! Why are you putting us through all of this!" Historia's voice elevated, anger laced in her tone. "Kenny's men could have killed my friends! They – you made Rogue –

"Historia!" Rod interrupted, his calm pitch suddenly changing into a commanding tone, startling both he and the teen. For a long moment, the man glared at his daughter before his body went slack and he returned to his levelheaded disposition. "I see, that you nor Rogue are aware of the truth. Historia, I need to tell you something that long ago was erased from most human memory. I'm going to reveal to you just how powerful Rogue really is and just who he is."

The titan's heart stilled, his breathing became choked and his eyes widened more than ever. His hair ruffled and his ears rotated fully forward. Rod – knew his past? This man before him – he knew everything? Rogue remained still, stunned. Was he truly going to learn just what had happened to him? Was he really going to finally learn the truth about him that dragged him into this mess in the first place? Did this man really know everything that he did not? All of his history that he had lost in the far regions of his mind? The reason why the other titans were so interested in his power?

"W… what?"

Rod nodded. "Yes. All that I know has been passed down from generation to generation of the Reis family. It is bits and pieces from our memories that we were still able to recall fragments of. You see," Rod addressed to the titan and the teen. "Humanity is only able to remember the fact that titans have trapped them behind the walls for the past one hundred years. That is as far back as history goes for much of the citizens within the walls. But in truth, the titans have been around for thousands and thousands of years."

Rogue looked on in absolute disbelief while Historia remained as shaken and skeptical as she was before. The titans – they had been around for ages longer than what was originally taught? Why on earth had humanity been lied to? For a moment, Rogue thought about interrupting to ask, but was quickly reminded of the position that he was in and stayed silent. Something told him that Rod was about to reveal the answer anyway.

"You mean – the titans have been around for far more than a hundred years and somehow everyone was unaware of this?" Historia speculated with Rod nodding.

"Yes. I'll get into why in a moment but first I'll continue my introduction. As I was saying, titans are an ancient breed. Now, most books and courses today on titans only classify these giants as three different species. Normal, abnormal, and deviants. Recently, with Rogue's return, the Scouts are moving away from this kind of classification and more toward the truth. In reality, there are actually nine different breeds of titan. First, you have the Colossals, the largest breed and the very one that breached Wall Maria years ago. Next you have the Skinless titans like The Armored and The Female. Then there are the Leapers that lived in the trees, carried their young upon their backs, and observed humans from afar. There are the Crawlers who run about on all fours and are small but fast. The Beasts live in the polar regions to the south and are smart plus their thick fur keeps them warm. There are the Hammer Titans who forge their own weapons from their hardened skin. The common titans you see are the Mindless and they are as their name states. Now," Rod paused again as he shifted his gaze to the listening behemoth. "Rogue is a very special breed of titan known as a Hunter Titan – which your Hange Zoe has taken to calling a Jaeger Titan. Hunter Titans are from a faraway continent from across the sea. They… were a proud race, intelligent and built to hunt and made for battle. Despite this, they were a peaceful species that lived in large packs that held structure and had very animalistic characteristics. They devoted their lives to guarding a settlement of people and were seen as deities by them. Titans of a certain rank engaged with some of these people on rare occasion as they did to them. They learned how to speak human tongue and would share their own memories to trusted individuals. Like the Leapers, they raised their own young from birth and molded them for certain roles when they reached adulthood. Rogue – is likely to be the very last of his kind. It is not known why, but the Hunters suddenly vanished from the world one day, practically gone without a trace."

Rogue simply sat, completely stupefied. He has suspected something was off, but he never imagined such to be true. He – was likely the vary last titan of his kind? He swallowed, throat bobbing. No wonder. No wonder his real family didn't come to look for him! They were probably dead! It wasn't that they didn't care for him, they were just up in the heavens with his parents! The beast swallowed again, the news absolutely unsettling and making a shutter course through his bulk. He really was all alone in the world. But why? Why was he the only one to survive?

"So Rogue is – the last Hunter Titan known to exist?" Historia asked, her voice somehow growing smaller. Rod dipped his head.

"Possibly. Now, Rogue himself – is a very powerful Hunter Titan. In fact, with his ability he is the most powerful living thing on Earth. He is the King of all Things. The King of all Earth. Ruler over all titans, beasts, and men. For he is what's known as The Coordinate. Now, you may think that The Coordinate is just the ability to control Mindless Titans and make them his armies – but that is not even the half of it."

The titan's brows lifted even higher at the declaration. There _was_ more to his ability!

"What else does Rogue have the capability to do?"

For a moment, Rod looked almost thoughtful before he set his eyes back to Rogue. "The Coordinate has three other functions. In addition to controlling titans, Rogue has the ability to control humans as well."

Simultaneously, both Rogue and Historia's faces fell. Had he just heard the man correctly? He – could control people?

"He can –

"Yes." Rod continued. "The Coordinate has the ability to move our every muscle to do his bidding. He can also manipulate the memories of one's mind or mess with the memories of masses. This certainly explains why he doesn't remember his past altogether. Sometime long ago, he somehow wiped his own memories. As for the circumstance he did such under, I couldn't tell you."

Rogue's jaw slackened as he naturally tried to set up at the reveal. Was the reason why he couldn't recall his past due to the fact that he erased his own memories himself? How? Why had he done such a thing?

"It does explain why he remembers nothing and didn't know anything."

"It certainly does. The final thing that The Coordinate is – is an all knowing being with knowledge of the past, present, and future. Time doesn't limit his mind whatsoever. So, Historia – in correct terms, Rogue is an all-powerful and all-knowing being. In other words, Rogue is essentially a living god."

"A… god?"

Rogue's brows knitted slightly, his ears pressing against his head in a mixture of confusion and anxiousness. God? He had heard so many meanings to this term in passing but the term that seemed to fit what Rod spoke of upset him even more. Learning from both his parents and Armin's banned history books, gods and goddesses were almighty beings that controlled all of the world – at least that's how he understood the definition. The titan's gaze drifted to the floor, his head shaking discreetly with disbelief. How on earth – was he a god! He wasn't nearly as strong as Goliath or Ansgar normally and he was an absolute idiot when it came to memorizing complicated letters or words!

"Exactly." Rod's voice brought him back from his contemplating. "Now, about two hundred years ago, the Hunters Titans built us these walls as a safe haven for the last of Humanity to retreat to in order to remain safe from the Mindless Titans."

"So – it was Rogue's kind who were the ones to build the three walls for us? Not humans?"

The man nodded. "Yes. At the time, their leader who was the current Coordinate decided that Humanity needed to live behind these walls until a time that they felt was right – a time when they returned and felt that the world was safe enough and we were ready to colonize the world yet again. A time that they felt we were strong enough. Until then, they wanted humanity to better themselves by making them forget their greed and what we could say were imperfections. So The Coordinate erased everyone's memories of their time in the outside world and to lessen the horrors of what we may have experienced beyond the walls."

Historia remained speechless, taking the time to absorb Rod's every word before clearing her throat. "But, how was our family able to remember all of this? How come no one else did?"

"The reason as to why the Reiss family is the only family able to retain some of these memories is the fact that our family is direct decedents of the many people that The Hunters protected. The Hunters trusted only us to retain the true secrets for their reasoning." Rod paused, suddenly laying a hand upon Historia's shoulder and guiding her towards him. "Over the years, the heads of the Reiss family kept this private, we said nothing for we saw how much better humanity functioned in a world ruled by titans."

Rogue's eyes narrowed at this. Was Rod serious? Humanity was ignorant! They were caged like animals!

"Which brings us to the reason why we are here today." Rod continued as he led Historia up a small set of stairs next to him before he and Historia stood upon his back. "The Hunter Titans fought for our freedom as Rogue does, but that jeopardizes our utopia here. As you can guess, this means that I have to take charge."

Rogue's breath hitched for the umpteenth time while Historia hesitated, the titan able to sense her climbing fear.

"Father – are you going to kill Rogue?" The teen asked, her voice turning hoarse.

He remained quiet, still as he waited for the man to begin again. Several brief seconds ticked by before Rod released a long sigh. "This is why we are here now. The Hunters and the people that they protected could share memories, meaning that we Reiss are able to do the same. Tonight, I am going to show you just how true this all is."

"You're – you are going to find out about The Coordinate? Are you wanting to know – how Rogue became The Coordinate?"

"Ah, yes. I've – gone through the memories of the Reiss family, and I'm pretty sure I've discovered the truth that the other titans are well aware of. Rogue's memories should confirm it. Afterwards, we can get on with our business here." Rod paused again as he led Historia up to his back, right up to his nape.

Rogue began to panic further, his breath growing labored and his mind swarming in fear. What – Rod was going to kill him! As he and the others expected, but what was he going to do before then! What the hell did he want from him! Where was his family! Where were his little ones! The titan shook in his restraints, trying to will his legs to move but he couldn't. Was Rod really telling the truth to all of this? Was he really the last of his kind and an all-powerful and all knowing god? His kind were the ones who built the walls? It – it couldn't be true! More confusion crippled the creature, making him shutter even further. He just wanted to go home. He just wanted to be normal and not extraordinary! He wanted things to be like they were, with his parents and little ones in the forest and his new family to be with him! He didn't ask for this! He didn't want any of this!

"Historia, what I'm about to show you and Rogue is the full proof of this truth. Together, we are going to learn Rogue's past and everything we wish to know about his power." The titan felt the man bend down to be level with his exposed nape, his spine instantly twinging as his enemy came far too close for comfort. "Historia, please place your hand onto his nape like so." Rod began with Rogue freezing at the touch, his heart pounding even faster as Historia unwillingly obeyed him – the beast feeling her soft flesh upon his tough hide. "Now, please follow my movements, completely clear your mind and relax your body."

Rogue whimpered, feeling the hands move along his nape in some sort of pattern that he was unable to distinguish. His knuckles grew white and he naturally tried to pull himself up again but to no avail. He – he needed to –

Suddenly, the hands pressed into his spine – igniting a painful surge of heat that coursed all down his frame. His blood ran as hot as lava then as cold as ice. His head drooped forward, his limbs growing numb and his fear vanishing – all emotion ascending else ware. His eyes widened, pupils shrinking and the emerald irises dulling and resembling cooling ashes. His organs slowed, the steam in his stomach dwindling as his bodily functions began to shut down. His pupils then enlarged, his vision going black while his mind opened.

And then – he remembered everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, poor Rogue. He's going to be having it rough for a while but...
> 
> THE NEXT CHAPTER STARTS ROGUE'S PAST! Yes! There will be several chapter's dedicated to Rogue's past. 5 to 6 in total!
> 
> I also wrote chapter 25 ahead of time! So...
> 
> JANUARY 31ST! Is when I will post it! This way, everyone has time to read this one and I get a head start writing chapter 26.
> 
> The next chapter may be the cutest yet the most heartbreaking one...
> 
> Stay tuned! Hope you all enjoyed!


	25. Part 2: Chapter 25: Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new life is born in the heart of the forest....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, sorry for the delay. I got a new job that has long work hours. For future reference, please don't ask me about updates - Ill get them don't you worry. Just remember I have a job now so expect a slight delay sometime. Secondly, this is a chapter I've been wanting to share with you for a very long time now. Rogue's past! This is the first chapter of several.
> 
> Some things I'd like to point out before you begin reading is that one, Rogue past alternates between two points of view. (you'll see why later) Secondly, I had no choice but to add some titan characters for plot reasons and for you as a reader to get to know Rogue's species. Third, you will get to find out how little titans come into the world. (and don't worry, its not terribly graphic)
> 
> As usual, if you spot any errors, PM ME and I'll fix them. :)
> 
> Also, get your tissues ready. This is a sad one.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

**Chapter 25**

**Almost**

_**103 Years Ago:** _

_In a remote part of the world far from the sea, deserts, icecaps, and stone walls, there was a flourishing land – a rare haven compared to the rest of the apocalyptic earth. The landscape was filled with trees – projecting a high canopy over most of the land. Rivers were abundant, waters like sparkling sapphires that weaved through the lush foliage like serpents. There were cliffs and large carved rocks and an array of creatures that fed off the haven's bounty. It would have been called paradise if titans, beasts that craved mankind's crimson flesh, didn't infect the delicate world._

_Not all titans however, crave the sweet nectar and meat of man._

_Deep in the haven was what could have been called the core of the forest, lay the heart of the wood. The area was gorgeous, a vast clearing where the leafy canopy opened up to the blue sky. The circumference was blanketed in long grass and sheltered by rocky cliffs, giant pines, and maples. The centerpiece was a large but peaceful waterfall that cascaded into a shallow river that fed the wood's heart. The place was tranquil – perfect for the thriving pack of titans._

_Seated atop a high boulder was one of the pack's longtime individuals, a seventeen- meter titan with long black hair and a scruffy dark beard. His vast humanoid body was muscular but still had a weighted abdomen – but otherwise incredibly fit and strong. The creature's pointed ears flickered to eavesdrop on the distant conversations while his golden and black ringed eyes scrutinized the pack with watchful interest. The titan was known as Titus, a well-respected mentor of the Hunter Titans – one of the eight breeds of titan. There were the Skinless, Leapers, Beasts, Crawlers, Colossals, Hammers, Mindless, and Hunters. Of the eight species, the Hunters were a remote breed, so much so that the others knew nothing of their existence as they did unto them. The Hunters were an incredible breed of titan. They were fast, strong, and incredibly skillful at hunting – their prey being the Mindless titans, unintelligent lumps of meat that roamed the earth. Compared to the standard titan, the Hunters possessed acute senses that made them the top of the food chain. Their intelligence nearly matched that of a human's instead of their minds being empty voids. They were nothing short of extraordinary._

_Titus shifted his weight to his other arm, grass rippling with the vibration. Golden eyes fell upon a cluster of females. He blinked, brow furrowing in the slightest as he studied. His eyes sat upon a particular female titan known by the coven as Clymene, one of the most respected titans. Like the titans of their breed, she had pointed ears. Long chocolate locks flowed down to her chest and her eyes were teal as the sea. Like some of the titans in the coven, she lacked lips – teeth jutting out from her skin with a serrated jaw, a dominant gene among the Hunter Titans. Her role was one of the coven's Advancing Titans or Advancers – one of the many assigned jobs given to the pack's members. The Hunter Titans had a complex system to which they lived by. The pack was ruled by an elder titan that oversaw the classes that all titans were divided into with other high ranking Elders that ensured the leader's decisions. First were the Mentors that trained selected young titans to be Advancers. An Advancing Titan's job was to both protect the pack from the Mindless Titans – and bring back the lesser giant's bodies for the pack to feast upon. Advancers were almost always the most fit titans in the pack. Then there were the Gatherers – the weaker titans that were tasked to gather foliage for the bedding that the titans slept upon. The system made the pack a functional inhuman society._

_Titus continued to stare at Clymene, watching as her face morphed into a look of discomfort as she raised a hand to massage her swollen girth. Like several of the other females during birthing season, Clymene was pregnant – and by the sight of her, he knew that it wouldn't be much longer until her litter saw the light of day. Every five years, male and female Hunters choose mates for mating season. They considered their mating process a simple one. When the female and males select their preferred mates they immediately begin their delicate work. For Hunter Titans, reproduction is quite a different process in comparison to man's. Instead of a traditional mounting, the mated pair lock mouths and the male vomits a special secretion that activates the formation of eggs in the female's stomach lining. After the initial mating, the male aids the female for the next six months to nurture their unborn litter – the growing offspring feeding off the sunlight taken by their mother as well as any bits of meat that would dissolve in her stomach to be absorbed by the pups until their birth. Clymene grunted in irritation as she rubbed a particular spot on her lower abdomen, Titus observing the slight ripples beneath her flesh – it was evident that one of the pups was giving her a hard time. He could sense it; her litter would be coming soon. Very soon._

_The titan heaved a breath of steam, the cloud lingering for a moment in the pleasant spring air before dissipating into nothingness. Arching his head, Titus looked up to the cerulean atmosphere, sky as blue and as open as it ever was – sunlight pouring down to warm the pack's flesh. With a practiced gaze, Titus judged the sun's position. It was midday – close to the afternoon. Knowing what he was to do at this hour and on the very day, Titus began to stand with the shifting of his body vibrating the earth. It was time for him to hunt._

* * *

_The forest of the Hunter Titans was as picturesque as usual, the lush land preserved as best as possible by its inhabitants. Deer were feeding from the fresh grass, birds were in conversation, and other furred creatures awoke from their winter slumber. If it was one thing that the Hunters were glad that the Mindless did, it was the fact that they ignored the animals and plants. As much as they ruined and tainted, they thankfully left one of the last beautiful aspects of the world alone._

_Titus moved slowly and smoothly, his gate the result of being a seasoned and skillful predator. It was the way of the pack. Hunting the Mindless Titans was their livelihood. Not only did they perform their art for the sake of population control, but for a food source as well. It was true that titans as a species didn't necessarily need to eat to survive. However, for his particular breed, it was found that Mindless Titan meat gave them extra proteins and other vitamins that were expelled while the meat was still in their stomachs until it was regurgitated. The extra benefits made the Hunters stronger and sturdier. Thus was the reason why the ones assigned to take down prey brought back their catches for the pack to feast upon. It was a weekly event, one that was never canceled._

_The creature inhaled, catching the scent of a Mindless that instantly made him still. Titus paused beneath the trees, nostrils flaring and tapered ears fidgeting and swiveling to locate prey. The smell of Mindless blood was present along with the distinct scent of a Hunter – making it clear that another of their kind had taken it down. Since the kill was claimed, Titus strolled forward again with his senses on high alert. As of late, there was a slight increase in Mindless Titans in the Hunters' territory. The beasts usually stayed outside their marked borders that bore the scent that promised death. But of course, there were always those few that ignored all boundaries and followed their own bloodlust to the end of the earth in hopes for a meal. Of course, they were just easy prey that didn't have to be carried back a long distance. Some of the Hunters loved that Mindless were truly as stupid as fish swimming into a net. The most intelligent and experienced though saw this as a potential burden – and being a long time Mentor and high ranking Hunter, Titus shared this belief._

_Turning around a bend crafted by a stream, the titan's golden irises spotted something abnormal among the serine beauty of the landscape. Compared to all around him, it was quite the blemish upon the area and demanded his attention. Titus approached the point of interest, a large pine that shadowed the stream and a small family of deer. Normally, any eyes that didn't belong to a Hunter would have missed the tiny clue. Just a few meters below his head was a collection of broken and severed limbs that were freshly snapped – the wood still light and yellow without the presence of mold or moss. With the branches being neatly seven feet long and ten inches thick, he knew that there could be only one kind of culprit. Titus bent in the slightest to sniff the branches hungrily, nostrils flaring and his breath rustling the pine's prickly needles. Titus's pupils fixed into serpentine slits, nose wrinkling in distaste. No doubt had a large Mindless passed through, and not long ago. Suspiciously and now on high alert, Titus scanned the small perimeter again, gaze immediately dropping to the bank of the stream to see a large footprint imprinted in the mud. Immediately, Titus dropped down and ran his clawed fingers around the outline of the print. With instinct taking hold, Titus leaned further down to intake the scent of titan, pupils turning even thinner like a sapling's tree ring as he continued to diagnose the situation. If it was one thing that made the Hunters formidable, it was their highly concentrated animalistic instincts. They could hear better, smell better, and overall sense better than any other titan that they knew of. Titus continued to smell, following his nose to the direction of the source._

_He felt his body grow rigid. The titan was a fairly large one and it was headed straight to_ _**THEIR** _ _border – one that a Mindless could not cross even more than their own._

_With no scent of another Hunter present beside himself, Titus stood and bolted. The ground tremored and the landscape shook, the earth quaking as the seventeen-meter moved at a brisk pace, growling to himself in a wordless curse for their pack's negligence. His new target was at least a fourteen meter that was certainly moving in a fast pace. Knowing this, Titus pushed himself further – lightening his mass and testing the limits of his body. Like all titans, no matter the species, the Hunters were genetically prone to body deformities. Even though the dominant and recessive genes that determined if a Hunter had lips or no lips and the presence of pointed ears and sharp nails was determined to be the defining characteristics of the Hunter Titans and not defects, they were plagued with slight abnormalities. Among their breed, the deformities that occurred were shapes of torsos and the length of arms and legs. Sometimes a torso was a tad bit longer or more broad or their arms were almost to their knees if placed to their sides. Their legs were either proportionate, or just long or short. Thankfully, unlike the Mindless, these deformities were not as drastic and didn't hinder them of most of their mobility. The only drastic abnormality that ever occurred to a Hunter was to that of their current leader – a titan born with skin and hair as white as bone with eyes as pink as the berries on a creeping wintergreen. Although the titan was vastly different from the rest of the members of the pack, the creature's vast wisdom dominated his physical appearance. Titus himself had a few abnormalities. His torso was wide and his arms, if relaxed against him, his fingertips went just above his kneecaps. Of course, despite the awkwardness that it sometimes imposed, Titus was used to his body and knew how to move it. The Hunter Titans had hopes of eventually creating an absolutely perfect specimen – something that they had not yet achieved. If one thing was for certain though, every Hunter no matter what was bred with the intention to be a fighter._

_Titus continued to move, pushing himself through trees and low growing brush. His mind was swarming with questions as to how a Hunter could have let a fourteen-meter Mindless so close to the Village. It was known than on the rare occasion, a Hunter could be killed in the hunt, but with the perimeter lacking the scent of their blood, it was unlikely. Perhaps a Mindless had somehow evaded a Hunter's keen detection. With his ears erect, Titus heard the clear sound of massive and uneven footsteps – signaling that he was nearing his prey. However, with another inhale of the air and straining of his ears, Titus's heart thudded even harder against his rib cage. There were the whinnies of the equines and the desperate orders called to retreat and attack. Titus's brows narrowed and his teeth clenched in anger, blood boiling at what was currently transpiring. Usually, the Hunters never allowed such a thing to occur._

_Seeing the sight of tanned flesh through the green, Titus thrust himself forward and released a loud and threatening howl that shook the forest to its roots – a signature roar that was unique to every Hunter that announced their presence. Time seemed to stop for a split second as Titus charged into a glade on the edge of the forest. In the middle of the clearing stood a fourteen-meter Mindless. It was thin with its gut swollen grotesquely and its ribs prominent like a corpse. On its face was a mocking and permanent smile that never transformed into any other expression. Its eyes were fogged with nothing but an itching hunger with its teeth stained and yellowed from the blood of its past meals. Around the titan's feet were at least a dozen humans. Men that wore armor forged of steel and rode atop horses that were skittish and fearful of each of the titan's steps. In their hands, they bore long things that man called swords to Titus's understanding – weapons the were effective only against animals or other humans. Such blades did nothing to a titan's skin, one of the reasons why the earth was overrun with their filth. Man, no mater how strong they were or how expertly they crafted their weapons, they were no match for a hungry titan. The group of humans before him were residents of The Village, a decent sized settlement of males, females, and their offspring that refused to leave their lands to go to the Great Wall that they spoke of that lay in a land far away and across the sea – a wall that Man had retreated behind when the Mindless began to devour nearly all of the humans upon the earth. The Hunter Titans' other priority was to protect The Village from the Mindless and had been protecting the settlement at least a hundred years before the Mindless or titans in general were known to exist. Before the Mindless even came into the existence, The Hunters defended The Village from criminals and wrongdoings – the escaped telling stories of the fierce giants only for them to be shot down as just stories until the titan apocalypse. When the Mindless came, that was when the Hunters realized their true purpose upon the world._

_Protecting the Village, they were considered as gods, deities, and saviors by its people. In exchange for their services, the humans taught them their language – a tongue that they referred to as English as well as about the world around them. With the gift of man's tongue, The Hunters often utilized it among their own pack even though their vocal chords couldn't allow a perfect pace or tone, speaking it even more than their own native tongue that was often complex and difficult to distinguish, composed of a series of grunts, growls, and other vocals only meant to express one's current mood, situation, etc. It was just one of the things that made The Hunters both wild and civilized – an apex predator and dominant race of titan. A force to be reckoned with._

_Upon Titus's arrival, the humans instantly backed away from his wake. The Mindless craned its head, but far too slow as Titus lifted his arm and encased his massive hand around the titan's face. The monster made a pained grunt, completely caught off guard as Titus forcefully pushed the titan into a nearby tree, the sound of impacted wood echoing into the forest. With incredible strength, Titus surged forward with another bellow and dug his sharp nails into the titan's trachea. His prey let out a gurgling scream, hot blood spraying in all directions as he ripped out the creature's throat. With steam pouring from the open wound, Titus then encased the creature's head and began to tear it from the titan's body, ligaments separated, muscles tore like threads, and skin ripped like leaves in a storm as Titus easily decapitated his prey. The fourteen-meter's body slumped forward, the top of the neck steaming with its nape still intact – the traditional practice carried out by the Hunters. The pack always left the nape, the weak point of a titan and the kill spot, alone until the Mindless was brought back to the waiting jaws of the pack to feast upon – Advancers keeping their catch incapable of awareness or movement until they returned home._

_With his prey incapable of resisting or fighting back, Titus then hoisted the monster over his shoulder, holding the titan's legs just before his head like a human hauling a heavy sack of flower. His work was complete. The hunt was successful with no human blood spilt._

_"Is that?" A voice whispered below, one that was young and questioning._

_"It is. That is the one called Titus, one of the most powerful of the Hunter Titans that's ever existed."_

_Upon hearing his name spoken from human lips, Titus turned in the slightest to view the cluster of men staring up at his massive form with the look of great respect. A small smile pulled at his lips as Titus dipped his head in greeting, rumbling deep in his throat._

_"Thank you." The leader of the men uttered, in a state of awe, obviously amazed to be in such a formidable titan's presence._

_With another nod, Titus cleared his throat. "_ _**YOU ARE… WELCOME."** _ _His gruff and cavernous words carrying across the small glade. Speaking no other word, Titus then turned and began to take his haul back to the heart of the forest._

* * *

_The blue heavens began to turn amber, reds and yellows staining the sky like a repainted canvas. Titus continued to haul his kill to the pack's grounds – going back the way which he came. Carrying the fourteen-meter was a chore. A titan's head could regenerate within two minutes. Thus, he was constantly stopping to rip the titan's skull from its shoulders every time it became aware of itself and attempted to get loose from his clutches. Finally, the titan stepped through the trees and back into the rocky and sheltered clearing that the pack called home. However, Titus froze._

_The clearing was vacant, empty. Not a single soul was present and kills brought back only lay abandoned with their napes half hazardly torn out._

_For a moment, he found himself blinking in confusion until it dawned on him. It was time. It certainly explained why there was no Hunter Titan present beside himself._

_Knowing the event that was unfolding, Titus quickly threw the fourteen-meter before him and hurriedly sank his teeth into the nape, taking only a few moments to savor the flavor of blood and juicy meat before ripping out the Mindless's weak spot. Not wishing to devote time to regurgitating his meal due to a titan's lack of digestive organs, Titus simply spat out the nape and dropped his kill to the earth. Not wishing to miss what was currently unfolding, Titus quickly made his way to the far side of the clearing towards the mouth of a large cave that lay in the belly of a cliff side – one that was vast and covered in foliage from moss and vines to willows and pines. Trees grew from it in all angles from acute to obtuse, framing a waterfall that cut across the elevated plateau. Titus slipped into the cave, one that was composed of several caverns and tunnels that The Hunters called home. Water had once flowed through the caverns long ago, making the earthy stone smooth and the passageways and areas big enough for his kind. In the cave, there were many catacombs and dens that each of the titans made their nesting area. There was also the great grotto as well, an area where many of the titans chose to nest openly. The large expanse was also where the cave branched off into other sections of living quarters. It was the heart of the cavern, and knowing what was currently happening – Titus made the hollow his destination._

_The rocky walls twisted and curved, the cave lit up by many fissures cut into the dirt and stone overhead, giving the sunlight that they needed to survive while still being sheltered from the elements. The titan's ears suddenly pricked forward as he approached the grotto, hearing a collection of sounds that provoked him to walk faster. He could hear the restless murmurs of his kin and the clear sound of uneasy and strained breaths. Golden eyes widened. Yes. It was happening. It was time._

_Knowing that an event such as this required silence, Titus lightened his frame and slowed his pace, careful to keep a low profile. He was late and didn't wish to bring attention to that fact. He could sense the presence of nearly every titan in their pack – even their leader and many of the Elders that held much of the authority and enforced the pack's rules. Soon, the tight rock walls opened up into a spacious cavern that possessed ledges and pathways from floor to ceiling. Light beamed through the rocks overhead like rays cutting through clouds, giving the grotto a peaceful aura. Titans were perched all around the room, sitting with patience and staring down at the spectacle like wise old owls. In the center of the hollow upon a slight knoll, was a small group of four titans, three of which were gathered around a laboring Clymene._

_Titus stalled, remaining in the shadows of the entrance – keeping out of the limelight as he continued to observe. Clymene lay on her side, belly rising and falling as she inhaled and exhaled in a shaky pattern, body infected with pain. Two elder titans watched her closely, eyes calculating and vigilant – ready to aid if need be. Clymene's mate, a large lipless fifteen-meter titan called Thorn, who was a dedicated and skillful fighter known by nearly every member of the pack, sat upright before his partner – watching his pups being brought into the world with both pride and apprehension. Clymene breathed, looking exhausted as she and her mate stared down at her abdomen where three tiny pups lay nestled against the warmth of her flesh. Each looked identical to their parents, sharing their lipless maws and dark brown hair. If measured from head to toe the pups would be a mere two and a half meters. Compared to fully grown adults, they lacked muscles but rather possessed a layer of fat along their bodies – giving them a signature chubby appearance that would mature in future years. Their tapered ears were big, nearly the full length of their heads as with all Hunter Titan pups and pressed flat to their skulls as they lay curled as tight as physically possible. Like with most offspring, their eyes were large with lids shut tight in fatigue and they had small noses. Each had their own imperfections just like their parents, two with long arms and one with a long torso, but being from two esteemed members of the pack – they held everyone's extreme interest._

_The birthing of new titan pups in the pack was always the event that had to be attended. Mentors looking for their next pupils to train made it their duty to size up which pups would show the most promise in making Advancers. Every three years, when new pups were born, Mentors would make their early observations and when the pups reached three years of age – Mentors would choose their next pupils to take under their wing to train them for three more years to be Advancers, the pups being full grown at age five. Those that were not chosen were made Gatherers and those that were selected to be Advancers were later pitted against the other pupils to pick another Mentor after their three years of training. Titus himself was nearly ready to take on another pupil to train, and when he first heard that Clymene and Thorn were expecting pups, he immediately held them with extreme importance. Being some of the strongest members of the pack, their pups held promise. With he himself being the highest ranked Mentor, just below the Elders, Titus would have first selection when the time came for choosing._

_His golden eyes watched as a contraction rippled across Clymene's slightly swollen girth, making the titan drone weakly and stretch in the slightest – back legs lengthening out and going stiff along with her muscular and lean arms. Clymene panted, puffs of steam leaving her mouth with her nostrils flaring with each ragged breath. Her teal eyes were shut tight in agony as she rode through the nasty force of the contraction, her mate looking at her in a mixture of unease and worry. Thorn leaned forward and gifted her with a gentle lick across her damp brow in a loving act of encouragement – the female's skin wet from her steam. Clymene suddenly let out a screech through her clenched jaw as the contraction peaked, making Thorn and the other two titan's brows crease in concern._

_"_ _**THIS ONE…IS TAKING A WHILE."** _ _Titus overheard from one of the Elders above looking to their white leader beside them who only remained silent as he watched._

_"_ _**MUSST BEE STTUBBORN."** _ _Spoke a lipless Elder who leaned further over his perch._

_Titus remained quiet as he looked on. Another contraction crippled Clymene's abdomen, suddenly rolling sickly and forcing the mother to sit up in the slightest and hunch over. She then began heaving, shoulders shaking violently and putting the pack on edge. Thorn quickly lifted his hands, ready catch the coming little one. Compared to most species on earth, titans gave birth in as much of a different way as they did when mating. Mammals were birthed live and titans did something vaguely similar. However, instead of being brought forth through their loins, titans delivered their pups by vomiting them just like passing their pellets that contained their last meal. Compared to humans, the Hunter Titans gave birth to litters of three to five at a time. Mindless Titans birthed their abominations in the same way. However, they unfortunately had the ability to impregnate themselves every few years – no matter the sex. Instead of the Hunter Titans' fairly modest and small litters – Mindless Titans usually gave birth to ten pups on average. Fifteen at the most. Unlike the Mindless Titans, the Hunters actually nurtured and raised their offspring as opposed to letting their young fend for themselves._

_"_ _**IT IS LATE… BUT COMING."** _ _A voice said from overhead. "_ _**IT IS TIME."** _

_Clymene's heaves became full-fledged gags, provoking the others to get on edge. Titus watched Thorn prepare himself and the two watchful Elders get ready. The laboring female coughed, a sudden gush of fluid spilling from her throat as the amniotic membranes ruptured. Clymene coughed, then began heaving yet again with her mate completely focused upon her mouth – not even paying any heed to the fluids that now coated his hands. Titus remained stoic as Clymene's jaw suddenly unhinged itself and the female seemingly went into a trance. Her throat swelled up grotesquely as a lump forced its way through from her stomach. Clymene emitted only a few muffled grunts as a mixture of translucent liquid, mucus, and blood leaked from her maw. With another heave, a bundle began to crown from her esophagus. The other titans looked on, moving in their seats to get a closer look at the miracle that was taking place below them. Then, with a final lurch, a pup fell from the mother's maw and into the father's awaiting embrace._

_The tiny titan announced its arrival into the world with a loud but primal cry. Looking at the newborn pup's flat chest, it was clear that it was a little male. Its hair was as deep brown as subterranean earth and full with the length of his locks just touching his shoulders. Sputtering and whimpering, the titan pup opened his wet eyes to reveal irises that were utterly captivating. They were a bright green, emerald and glowed like the canopy in summertime. They were perhaps the most beautiful eyes that Titus had ever seen in his lifetime._

_However, the thing that really made the pack stand in shock or gasp in surprise was the pup's body. Titus could only look on in awe at it for it was absolutely perfect. The little male was proportionate in every way shape and form. The Mentors leaned forward and looked on in wonder and in slight greed – each automatically wanting to take the titan as a pupil in the future. Titus found himself smiling at the newborn, the baby was a complete marvel. The Hunters' albino leader raised his brows and let his lipless maw curl into a slight grin at the mother and father's product. The flawless titan that the pack had hoped for had finally arrived._

_"_ _**HE IS… PERFECT!"** _

_**"THAT… IS A GOOD… PUP!"** _

_Thorn produced a deep rumble in his chest in liking, the father completely elated at his seamless child. Clymene lifted her head and looked at the newborn in exhaustion before leaning forward to give the pup a few gentle licks with the intention to clean. The mother edged closer, inhaling the tiny titan's scent. Suddenly, the mother froze, halting her act of examining her newborn. Titus looked on in befuddlement as Clymene lifted her head away in the slightest – her face suddenly morphing into one of disgust. As if to double check, the female lowered her snout to inhale the aroma of her newborn before snorting in dislike. In question of his mate's repulsion, Thorn lowered his nose to sniff the crying pup – face transforming into one of repugnance as well. Upon seeing the pair's reactions, one of the watchful Elders approached the baby and opened its lipless maw with its fingers – face turning into one of both disappointment and disapproval as well. The father then began to speak in their native tongue to the two others while Clymene looked on at the tiny pup in her mate's hands in seething anger. With the pack completely silent, Clymene suddenly released a sharp snarl and rose and open palm – slapping the pup from her mate's hands to send the newborn flying through the air and in Titus's direction._

_The grotto was deathly quiet as each set of eyes watched the infant sail through the air like a rock. Time seemed to stand absolutely still while the silence continued to hang in the atmosphere. Titus watched in horror as the tiny pup made impact on the high wall above his head – the tiny creature's spine instantly snapping with the force of the blow. The baby screamed then, letting out a hollow and pained wail that echoed throughout the grotto. It was a cry that Titus had never heard anything remotely close to. It was so sad, so rejected, and so full of agony that it pulled an emotional cord within him. The pup then began to fall into the dark abyss that Titus lay hidden within, urging a protective instinct deep in the celebrated seventeen-meter to be brought forth. Before he could even take a single breath, Titus reached out desperately and caught the tiny titan just before it could bust its head open on the unforgiving cave floor. The titan could only stand and stare at the sobbing pup, eyes wide with alarm and breath hitched as he looked upon the baby in shock._

_It was exceedingly rare that a mother titan rejected their young._

_Their leader, the white titan known as Azeroron, stood slowly from his perch and looked down upon the displeased parents. He wore an impassive gaze and only glanced in Titus's direction for a brief moment before returning to the mated pair._

_"_ _**WHHY?"** _ _The pale behemoth questioned, voice surprisingly level and the deepness of it carrying across the grotto. Titus lifted his head at the leader's words to see one of the Elders that oversaw the birth stand from his kneeling position, glancing at the two disappointed parents before shifting his gaze back to the white titan._

_"_ _**THE PUP… HAS A DELAY IN… BRAIN. IT IS SIMPLE."** _ _The titan announced with Titus and many of the pack's faces falling into a frown. "_ _**IT – THIS PUP… IT WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO… LEARN LIKE A NORMAL TITAN. IF… AT ALL."** _ _The Elder exhaled tiredly. "_ _**NOT ONLY THAT… BUT THE PUP… IS MUTE."** _ _The Elder pressed on with a rustle of murmurs sweeping throughout the grotto once again – some of the others shaking their heads in shame. "_ _**HIS CORDS… ARE ONLY HALF FORMED. HE WILL NEVER… BE ABLE TO SPEAK. EVEN… IF HE COULD… BEING SIMPLE… THE PUP MAY… NEVER LEARN HOW… OR EVEN A SINGLE WORD."** _ _The titan's shoulders sank, the mother and father nodding in agreement. "_ _**THE PUP… IS FLAWED.** _ _**MAY BE... PERFECT ON OUTSIDE… BUT NOT ON THE INSIDE. IT MAY… NOT SURVIVE."** _

_Thorn heaved a harsh breath, looking down at his three 'perfect' pups nestled against his mate before bowing his head in the slightest in the white titan's direction. "_ _**EII ANN SSORRRY. THEE PPUUP ISS A… FAAILLURRE."** _ _He apologized, the word making Titus's heart seize. Never before had a father called his own offspring a mistake in the history of the pack._

_Azeroron blinked slowly, in deep thought as he shifted in his seat. The leader let out a breath in defeat. "_ _**ETT CANNOTT BEEE ELLPPEED. ETT IISS… SUUCCHH AHH SHAAMEE."** _

_Titus remained still at the leader's decree, spellbound by everything that just transpired before him. Hearing a small sputtering cough, he was then reminded of the little titan in his hands. Titus swallowed as he looked upon the helpless little one. His fingers could feel the titan's spine realigning and healing slowly, the baby whimpering at the amount of discomfort. In the shadows, Titus continued to stare at the minuscule three-meter male. It was simple and mute, a damning combination that would plague the pup with problems. Due to the defect, the pup had little chance in the cruel world. Still, strangely enough, he still held hope for it. There was just something about it that made him grow soft and have a different opinion than the rest of the pack. Instinct began to grip on his reins, gaining an urge to cover and nurture that he couldn't quite explain. Before he knew what he was doing, he lifted the little titan to cradle him against the warmth of his chest, cupping the pup's bare bottom and the back of his wet little head. Slowly, he began to retreat backwards from the grotto, getting only a glance from their leader, before disappearing from anyone's line of sight completely._

* * *

_The titan continued to walk through the caverns, seemingly in a daze as he headed for his private den. Even though the pup had been dubbed to be mute – the little guy had quite the set of pipes on him. The baby had begun to wail and cry yet again, flailing his little limbs weakly as Titus moved along. Titan young were known to weep upon their birth and in their infancy for various reasons, but this pup was making sure that he could be heard by seemingly the whole world. Titus winced at this, eardrums begging for mercy but he still carried the infant through the vacant caverns. The titan pup was probably trying to tell him something, but he had to get to the safety of his den in order to figure out what. Maybe the small specimen was just pleading for his mother and father, emitting cries of desperation that would never be answered._

_Rounding another corner, the tunnel opened up into another spacious and rocky hollow illuminated by the cracks overhead. With the other titans still at the grotto most likely fawning and congratulating the new parents and examining their pups, the area was quiet. It was a rather unique chamber, walls covered in intersecting roots and vines abundant upon nearly every surface – having grown down from the gaps in the cave's ceiling. Small creatures had also made their homes in the cavern. Bats roosted high overhead, nursing their own newborns with milk while lizards scurried among the green and shallow pool below. It was a peaceful part of the cave – he was the only titan having made his nest among the wide crevices._

_Hearing the pup shriek desperately upon their entry, the bats hurriedly vacated the premises and back into the fading sun. Titus gripped the baby firmly and began his accent up a heightened pathway that was carved on the western side of the cavern. Within no time, he came to the opening of a catacomb covered by thick vines. Looking once behind him to see if any other titans followed, Titus then passed through the leafy curtain into his nesting quarters. It was a rather spacious little area, a cozy cave within a cave that was plain and ordinary. Like the rest of the cavern, the walls were wrapped in roots and vines. Like every other quarter of a Hunter Titan, there was a source of light from a high hole in the wall to his right and there was a pile of dried pine needles, oak leaves, and grass that served as his nesting area._

_Weak in his knees and his mind in a flurry, Titus motioned over to the beam of light and gently placed the crying pup upon a smooth stone – hoping that the last rays of sunlight could calm the infant down. Titus lowered himself to kneel upon his knees with golden eyes taking in the little pup in full. The pint sized beast stretched his proportionate limbs, fingers and toes sprawling and reaching up to nothing. The baby titan's face was scrunched up as he continued to sputter and sob, his vocals sounding like a mix of calls of a bear cub and a human infant. Titus swallowed. What was he doing? What was compelling him to help a pup that had little chance of surviving? What provoked him to be the first to whisk the little creature away from the cruelty? Then again, the better question was WHY was he the ONLY one that stepped in? Did all of the Hunter Titans believe that this poor pup was the failure that his mother and father believed? Titus's ears wilted in the slightest, lifting a hand to curl around the baby's head. Still, something deep inside him was telling him otherwise, a small whisper at the back of his head. There was just something about this titan pup that made him disagree with the others._

_The little one continued to plead and whimper, his little throat going hoarse, the pup coughing and reaching out urgently yet again. Titus bit his lip. In the years that he had been alive, he had never mated with another titan to produce young – not even before he became a Mentor. Having a pup in his custody now was surreal and he wasn't a hundred percent sure of what to do. When male titans impregnate a female, they let their parental instincts take hold. Males are very protective of their mates and nurture the mother throughout her pregnancy, bringing her meat and protecting her from Mindless Titans – the hostile creatures able to sense the female's venerable condition. When the pups are born, the male embraces his role as a father and helps the female raise their offspring until they become independent and strong enough to survive on their own. Titus wasn't having the same instinctual awakening – only a mere part of it, just the need to protect. He had no idea that his decision would be one that would greatly change his life._

_Titus continued to stare at the pup, suddenly realizing the reason as to why the infant was crying and pitying himself for being too lost in thought to realize it. The tiny titan was still covered in birthing fluids, strings of mucus and splotches of blood were still donning the baby's body and hair – his parents never even bothering to clean the little titan at all before rejecting him. Titus knew that such a thing was dangerous to a newborn pup, the mucus likely to cause suffocating and choking. Even though it was impossible for a titan to die of strangulation – it was incredibly painful and could cause a slew of issues. There was only one way of course that the pup could be cleaned – and Titus had to be the one to do it._

_Apprehensive but willing, the seventeen-meter picked up the tiny pup from the stone and made his way into his nest. Titus then settled upon his rump, cradling the infant securely with his hairy little head in his palms. The behemoth swallowed, trying to get over the repulsive idea before letting his long pointed tongue slip from his maw – an adaptation that their specific breed developed to utilize in the caring of young and both a tool to quickly clean themselves. His long appendage glided over the pup's face, wincing a bit at the less than pleasant taste but successfully clearing any remaining mucus from the small beast's nostrils. The pup calmed in the slightest, the little male's wails quieting into soft whimpers. Knowing that the pup had to be completely clean of the biological material from his birth, Titus continued. The titan prolonged to lap at the pup's hair and soft skin with utmost attentiveness, making sure that the fluids were gone. The baby felt like a fuzzy peach like all other Hunter pups, having millions upon millions of short translucent hairs that covered his body – an adaptation native only to their breed for they birthed in dens instead of in the light of the sun. The fuzz or 'pup fuzz' as the Hunters called it, helped babies keep much warmer next to their mothers in the shade of the caves – the fuzz shedding once the pups were old enough to venture outside. The pup whines then began to die down into soft squeaks – sounds that meant that the titan was no longer experiencing any discomfort but was rather expressing a sense of happiness. Another vocal from the infant made Titus pause in his work, inciting him to lift his head in surprise._

_The pup was purring, cooing in delight. Golden eyes looked upon the tiny titan, seeing the petite male's shadowed lids peel away to reveal his captivating greens. The pup blinked several times before looking up at the great titan. Titus felt himself weaken. The newborn was entranced, emerald hues simply staring up at his own in nothing but adoration. Like nearly all babies that he had seen from the forest's wildlife and the other pups, the titan's eyes had a 'floaty' and sleepy appearance, soft and warm. There was something else in the pup's eyes that he had not expected to see, a level of understanding – a realization that Titus was now his guardian and savior. His entire world. Titus felt a smile pulling at his lips, mustache elevating a bit. Yes, there was certainly something about this little pup that was making him melt._

_Unfortunately, Titus's smile dissipated as his thoughts about what had occurred came back to him. The little pup, for the duration of his life, was most likely going to endure a cruel reality. Life was going to be harsh. The pack believed him to be worthless, a failure and the little titan was likely going to be constantly reminded of his indifference. He was going to be seen a nuisance. Titus knew this wholeheartedly. It made his heart sink down to his stomach seeing the pup staring up at him, the tiny giant completely innocent. The little male didn't deserve such harsh treatment. He deserved a chance at least. In the luminous green pools, Titus saw hope and a sense of astuteness that couldn't quite be described. The pup cooed and let out a variety of squeaks and baby noises. Gradually, the skin at the corners of the newborn's lipless maw pulled up into a smile, elfish ears fluttering in glee as the tip of his tiny tongue stuck out from from between his line of incisors. The pup let out a content gurgle and waved his arms. As tough as the Mentor was, he found himself thawing at the sight. Yes. He could care for the pint sized behemoth until he saw fit. Taking him on as a pupil was not likely, but he wanted the pup to at least get his chance at life – what was considered as the most precious thing in the world._

_Titus sat back and cradled the spirited newborn to his chest not unlike a mother ape. The smile returned back to his tired face, watching as the pup began to grow sleepy – exhausted from his rough arrival. He was aware that he needed to gift the baby with a name. There was one in particular that he thought of that sounded perfect. A traveler that settled into The Village once told him about a far away land that fell before the Mindless nearly devoured the entire planet's human population. The civilization of that land considered titans, perhaps some like them, as great beings that were more powerful than even the gods. One of these titans was burdened with holding the world upon his shoulders – the celestial heavens. The pup would be cursed with a similar encumbrance as well. Therefore, the name suited him._

_Titus rumbled softly._ _**"I… THINK I'LL CALL YOU… ATLAS."** _

_The pup let out a soft trill at his naming. Atlas then yawned, little jaw opening as wide as possible with his tongue curling and a teeny squeak escaping him. Titus observed the pup's eyes flutter, sleep creeping upon him. With the sunlight vanishing from the cave, it signified that night had fallen upon the heart of the forest. Knowing well just how mothers slept with their pups, Titus slowly lowered himself to his side and placed the newborn into the pile of dried grass near his abdomen. Golden eyes took in the sight of Atlas, watching him squirm in the leaves to press himself further against the much larger titan. Titus nearly huffed as the pup curled into the tightest ball possible – feet nearly up by his head and hands cupped beneath his jaw. It wasn't long before the pup fell fast asleep._

_Titus sighed, lowering his head to rest upon his arms as he watched Atlas's back rise and fall with his steady breath. He himself yawned, exhausted both physically and emotionally from the day's events. It wasn't long before he too, fell into a deep state of repose._

_He swore that just before he closed his eyes, the little titan smiled once again._

* * *

_The forest began to lighten with the rising sun, making the landscape light and airy. Everything seemed to be coated in a pale yellow light and a thin fog was hanging over the forest floor. Life was beginning to awaken from its temporary slumber, deer venturing out into the fields for an early morning feeding and birds pecking the ground for worms. Within the den, the fresh morning rays poured in through the natural sky light, warming the seventeen-meter's flesh. Feeling his frame naturally awaken from the solar energy, Titus gradually lifted his shadowed lids to view the edge of his arm and the dried leaves of his nest that needed replacing. Slowly, he lifted his head to yawn, reaching up to satisfy an itch upon his scalp before recalling what had occurred the day before._

_Quickly, he turned to stare down at the tiny pup that still lay curled up against his side. Ah yes, Atlas – the pup that he had graciously taken in. The baby titan was still asleep and would likely be for the next several hours. Newborn titans were a hundred percent dependent upon their parents. They were rather weak and could not stand upon their own two feet. They spent most of their time sleeping and soaking in their parent's body heat and sunlight from up above. Pups usually stayed in their mother's nest until they were where weeks old where they would venture outside for the first time. At three weeks, the little titan would have an energy spike and be rather playful. It was then that parents would teach their young how to walk upright. Titus tilted his head, watching Atlas's ears twitch in his sleep. He was in for quite a responsibility. The only knowledge he had about rearing a pup was from what he had seen before. Of course, this titan's disabilities could make that knowledge completely useless._

_Slowly, Titus sat up fully, leaving Atlas to lay only in a mixture of leaves. He needed to go hunting and bring back some meat. Feeding the pup always increased their health. Being rejected the way he was, Atlas needed the extra nourishment. Stress was never good for a pup. It could cause long term trauma and the titan would have a skittish nature. He did not want that. The pup was going to have a hard enough life. He wanted Atlas to be a happy titan._

_Of course, there was another matter. He knew that the pack would not necessarily approve of Atlas's continuing existence. Many of them would perhaps not even want the pup around and wish for exile. He was sure that no one had seen him carry the pup from the grotto besides their leader – and even so he wasn't sure if he was really looking at him. Perhaps it would be best to keep the pup a secret until it was old enough to venture outside. The idea of a Mentor such as himself taking in such a pup may not even sit well with the other Mentors who had wanted to immediately take on the titan as a pupil before knowing Atlas's disabilities. They could even come to the conclusion that he knew something that they did not. A large disagreement between them was entirely possible if such occurred. Titus sighed. He wasn't a hundred percent sure if that was how he should go about the situation, but it was what he was to stick with until he knew further._

_The seventeen-meter then stood and turned back to peer out of the hole, he was later than usual in awakening, some of the other titans had probably already went out on patrol. If he was discreet enough, he could grab a small kill and haul it up back to his den to feed the pup. Luckily, yesterday was the day that he was to hunt and provide for the pack. Advancers and Mentors always rotated out with the hunting duties. The fact that he didn't have to do so for the day was a blessing. Nodding to himself at his plan, Titus carefully got to his feet and made his way to the other side of his den and gathered a few rocks, setting them next to his nest before standing again to retrieve more. Once he had a considerable amount, Titus then kneeled next to his pile of dried greenery and began to place the rocks around the perimeter of his bed. It would serve as a small safety barrier and pen to contain the little pup in case he tried to crawl out of his den. Such an instance was unlikely, but he couldn't rule out the possibility._

_The titan admired his work for a moment, watching as Atlas uncurled himself in his sleep and clumsily rolled into a ball yet again in the opposite direction. To ensure that the baby behemoth would be warm enough in his short absence, Titus carefully raked a thin layer of leaves over the minuscule beast's body. Once he was sure that everything was secure and that Atlas was still fast asleep, Titus quietly snuck his way out of his den and began to make his way through the cavern, hoping that once he reached the outside that no one would be raising suspicion. He wanted the pup to be safe._

* * *

_The morning light began to mature into the clearer rays as time passed and the day became well underway. The weather was just as it was the day before, nothing but sunshine and clear skies. For the Hunters, a sunny day was a blessing. Their bodies soaked in a large amount of solar energy and such good weather brought out many of the Mindless for them to kill. For man, it was both a blessing and a curse. It was good for their health and their crops, but with the Mindless fully active they had more of a chance in being attacked. For the wisest of the Hunters, they saw it as partially a curse as well. With the Mindless always going after the residents of The Village, they could only hope that Hunters were there. If they were late or nowhere to be found, it would be a massacre._

_Exiting from the cave and back into the world, Titus looked out at the glade surrounded by the towering forest and rocky walls. The early hunting had been done and the titans already brought back their kills. In the center of the glade was a pile Mindless bodies, all with their heads severed and limbs torn off to render them immobile for the pack to dine on fresh meat until their bellies were full – ripping out the napes when they were finished._

_Trying not to bring attention to himself, Titus motioned for the pile of fresh kill and began to sift through in search of a perfect portion to take back and feed the pup. Golden eyes would stray away every few seconds, looking around the titans that graced the area – hoping that he wouldn't see two in particular. The titans were likely to approach him after what occurred the evening before. Oh how he dreaded the impending conversation and encounter. Around him were the feasting Elders and nearly every other member of the pack from each role. Advancers soaked in the spoils of their kills, licking the blood from their flesh before digging in even more – still living off the high of their hunt. Mentors were eating as well although in groups or alone, those in a party talking to one another about the upcoming duels in the coming months and who to pick as their next pupils and who to demote to a Gatherer. The Gatherers themselves were eating just as calmly as the Mentors and in their own groups – often sitting near the high ranking titans to learn a thing or two in order to impress them so they could be promoted to a higher rank. The heavily pregnant females were eating their meals generously, consuming every piece their mate handed to them and often demanding more. One would think that a gravid female couldn't eat when carrying, but in truth Mindless meat was a great benefit to the developing pups. Even though the unborn babies fed off the sunlight absorbed by their mother, carrion also helped them grow even stronger just as the reason why adults ate the meat despite not needing to. Sure, the pups developed in the female's stomach rather than a womb, but the fluids in the organ caused meat to dissolve – making the pups able to absorb it. Those males whose mates had just given birth, were fishing though the pile just as he was to bring back a meal for their new family._

_Titus then returned to his sorting, looking through the pile of steaming flesh. He needed a fairly small titan so it would be quick to carry up to his den. Atlas wouldn't need much of it. Finally, after a few more minutes of looking, he stumbled upon the body of a five meter Mindless. Unlike the Hunter Titans that ranged from twelve to seventeen-meters in size, the Mindless Titans varied in size greatly from three-meters to fifteen – the smallest ones even being fully grown adults. The five meter before him was perfect for Atlas to gain some extra nutrition and ease the stress._

_"_ _**TTIITUUS?"** _

_Upon hearing the familiar address, Titus looked up to see the one titan that he was dreading to see, Thorn. The fifteen-meter looked very similar to his son except for that his hair was much shorter than Atlas's shoulder length locks. The new father was obviously getting meat for his mate and had every intention to suck up to the Mentor. Although the male was very level-headed and strong willed, Thorn had spurts of arrogance and selfishness. Titus knew very well since Thorn had once been his pupil many years ago. As a student, he was great at combat, but his attitude sometimes made Titus indifferent about him. He had trained hard and won his duel, but stayed an Advancer for he didn't want the responsibility of a Mentor. Still, Titus forced a smile and rumble in greeting even though he resented the the titan greatly._

_"_ _**HI THORN."** _ _He greeted, hesitating in the slightest_ _**. "HOW… ARE YOUR PUPS?"** _

_Much to his surprise, Thorn only smiled and replied without hesitation. "_ _**THHE THREE ARRR GGOOD."** _ _The titan informed as he began to look through the pile of meat, searching for a smaller titan as well._

_Titus found himself slightly spellbound at the father's lack of concern over his other pup. However, he decided to try and provoke the dad to say something through small talk. "_ _**GOOD. THAT IS… GOOD. HOW – IS CLYMENE?"** _

_**"DOOINGG WELLL."** _

_Titus nodded. "_ _**AH. SORRY ABOUT YOUR FOURTH PUP… BUT MAYBE THERE IS HOPE… FOR HIM."** _ _He continued, watching as Thorn didn't seem to even flinch._

_"_ _**EII – DOUBT IT."** _ _Thorn replied quickly, making Titus feel a lump form in his throat at the lack of compassion in the father's tone. "_ _**THEE PPUP WAAS… DEEFECTIVE. NNOTT MUCCH… HOOPE FOORR ITT… ETT WWOOULLD NNOTT SURVIVE."** _ _Thorn snorted in slight repulsion. "_ _**SOO… DOOO YOU SEEE ANYY…PPUUP OOFF NNINNE THHAT YOOU WOOULD LIKKE ASSS A PUUPIL?"** _

_Titus felt his stomach nearly turn over at Thorn's crude response. He showed no remorse at all. The titan didn't even care if his other offspring even survived or not. The father didn't even ask where his other son even was. "_ _**MMMM… TELL ME. FEMALE? MALE?** _ _" He continued, trying not to show his distress._

_"_ _**TWOO FEEEMALES. ONNN NAALLE. DDA FFEEMALES HAVVE LONGG ARNNS. NNALLE HASS LONNG TOORSOO."** _ _Thorn informed, ignoring the other male completely once again, his tone not even sounding sorry._

_For a moment, Titus found himself unable to answer, blown away by his formal pupil's attitude. Trying to keep his stunned silence hidden, he reached up to scratch through his beard, pulling a leaf from it and trying look as if he was in serious consideration – hoping that Thorn would buy the act. "_ _**HARD TO SAY AT THIS…POINT. THEY ALL… LOOK PROMISING. I WILL… KEEP AN EYE ON THEM."** _ _Titus finished with a false grin, picking up his selected kill and throwing it over his shoulder to give Thorn the impression that he had things to do._

_Thorn nodded at his response, gathering a seven-meter from the pile and quickly tearing its head from its shoulders. "_ _**WELLL… ETT WWOUULD BEE AAN ONNOR FOOOR OUU TOO BEEE AH NNENNTOOR… TOOO ONN OFFF NNYY PPUUPS."** _ _Thorn grinned after looking up from disabling his kill further. "_ _**SEEE YYOOU… LAATERR TTIITUUS!"** _ _Thorn casually bowed his head before turning away to converse with another Advancer._

_Making sure that Thorn had his attention fully elsewhere, Titus turned and retreated back into the cave, shamed that the fifteen-meter was even one of his previous students._

* * *

_Titus avoided anyone that he could as he passed through the caverns and tunnels, evading the area that Clymene and Thorn resided in at all costs. He was sickened at the father's lack of compassion for a disabled son. He had seen humans in The Village before with children bound to wheeled chairs and those that were simple just like Atlas. No matter how hard it was or what difficulty awaited them in rearing such a child – humans toughed things out and raised the child just like any other. Among their pack, that wasn't the case. They were more like animals it seemed, abandoning offspring that was weak and was different compared to the others. It was one instance that made him wish that the Hunter Titans were more like humans._

_He wished that nature was a bit fairer and more forgiving._

_Suddenly he heard it. The unmistakable sound of a wailing pup – the very one that he was looking after. Upon hearing the cry of desperation, Titus kicked himself into high gear and raced for his den. Of all things, he didn't want the pup to awake when he was absent. He was foolish to think that the infant wouldn't. The pup had probably aroused and saw that he wasn't there and was panicking. He had to hurry and calm the baby down. He didn't want to attract unwanted attention. Not only was it not necessarily safe, but he didn't want to stress out the delicate pup further._

_Hastily, he entered the vine covered cavern and began to make his way up the path to his den. Hopefully he would be able to calm Atlas. Since he didn't have the full blown parental instincts of a new dad at all, he didn't know for certain if his absence was truly the reason why the pup was wailing. It could be another reason entirely. Maybe even one that he could do nothing to ease._

_Reaching the entrance, Titus peeled back the tangle of vines to find something that he didn't expect. Over his nesting area stood Azeroron, the white titan wearing a neutral yet difficult to read expression as he stared down at the tiny titan in the pile of leaves – the little beast laying on his back kicking and screaming with his petite face wet with tears. Titus felt his shoulders tense up in the slightest. It was no secret that he and Azeroron were good allies, longtime friends. The albino was far wiser though and at least four hundred years older. His looks were signature, pale white skin and reddish eyes. His frame wasn't as bulky as some but he still possessed a good amount of muscle. The titan's face was nearly skeletal, his cheekbones and chin more prominent than most. Silver hair fell to his shoulders and a small tuft grew into a point upon his chin. Titus trusted and abided by anything that Azeroron said. Of course, the leader's previous comments made him a bit uneasy. What could Azeroron be thinking about? What were his intentions on coming into his den?_

_"_ _**AZERORON?"** _ _Titus queried as he slowly approached the pale creature, the titan lifting his head to acknowledge him before turning back to the crying pup._

_"_ _**HELLOO TTIITTUSS. EIII WASS… EXPPECTINGG YOUU. WEE NEED… TOOO TAALK."** _ _The titan began, brushing a strand of shoulder length hair from his face._ _**"BUUTT FIIRRSTT,"** _ _Azeroron paused as he pointed to Atlas. "_ _**HE WIIILL NEEDD CCAALLMINGG."** _

_Nodding in return, Titus quickly dropped the five-meter titan's body with Azeroron voluntarily placing a foot on the small of the thing's back to hold the monster in place as it regenerated. With utter care, the seventeen-meter bent over and retrieved the whining pup. In full view of the pack leader, Titus cradled the pint sized titan to his chest. Atlas squirmed in the slightest, stretching his arms before peeling open his shadowed lids. The pup blinked, looking up at him and quieting instantly. Atlas formed a smile with his malformed mouth, letting out a little squeal before turning and burying his face into Titus's chest. The baby continued to trill, little ears wiggling as he snuggled further into the larger titan's flesh. The corner of his mouth turned into a smile. He was the reason why Atlas was howling. The pup just wanted to be held by him._

_"_ _**EII CCANNE HEERRE BECAUSSSE EII NOTICCED… YOOUU TTOOKK TTHEE PUPP LASST NNIGHTT. EII CAMMME TOO SEEE IIFF YOUU DELLT WIITH HIMM LIKKE HIIS PARRENTS ORRIIGINALLY…WISHEED ORR IFFF YOUU WEENNT ABOUT IIT AHH DIFFEREENT WAYY."** _ _Azeroron paused, salivating his mouth to speak further with a slight show of pity written upon his face. "_ _**HEE HASS TAKKEN AH LLIKIING TOOO YOUU."** _

_"_ _**I THINK... HE HAS."** _ _Titus stood, feeling slightly more comfortable with the calmness of the leader's tone._

_"_ _**MMMM… EEII SSUPPOSEE… YOOU PLAANN TOO CARRE FOR THHE PUPP?"** _

_Titus nodded, eyes watching as Atlas trilled and took one of his fingers into his maw, holding the digit with his little hands as he began to lick and suckle, familiarizing himself._

_**"YES. I PLAN TO – AT LEAST TILL HE'S AT A… POINT OF INDEPENCE."** _ _Titus replied truthfully, watching as the pup let go of his finger and struggled to put his own foot into his mouth, finally able to do so after several tries. Atlas's tongue went between his toes, the teeny titan suddenly interested in himself._

_Azeroron exhaled. "_ _**TTITTUS… THISS PUPP… ITT IS NOOT LIIKE THHEE OTHERRS. EIII KNNOWW THATT… YOOU HHEARRD TTHHHAT THHISS PUUP ISS SIIMPPLE. TIIITTUSS… KNNOWWINNG TTHAAT ANND KNOWWING THAAT ITT HASS LITTLE CHHANCE OFFF LIVVING – WHHY TTAAKEE ITT IINN?"** _

_Titus hesitated. "_ _**I… THINK HE HAS A… CHANCE. EVEN IF IT IS SMALL… I THINK HE NEEDS ONE."** _ _He replied. As if agreeing, Atlas let out a squeal and snuggled once again into his chest – little fist in his mouth._

_The white titan remained quiet, watching the pup for a moment before swallowing once again in preparation to speak. "_ _**TITTUS… YOUU MAYY KNOOW TTHAAT HEE WWILL LIVVE AHH TRROUBLEDD LIIFFFE… NOO MATTERR HOOWW SHORRT. TTHHEE PAACCK… WILLL NNOTT TAAKEE IIDEEAA SOO WWELL."** _ _Azeroron pressed, watching as Atlas grabbed both of his feet and raised them – letting out gurgles that could pass as laughter._

_Titus swallowed. "_ _**PLEASE AZERORON. DON'T EXILE HIM. HE… WILL DIE IF YOU DO."** _ _He muttered, tone barely above a titan's whisper._

_Azeroron remained still, eyes descending upon the pup in the titan's arms. For a long moment, it was quiet between them, only Atlas making vocals as he continued to discover himself. Finally, the albino titan softened._ _**"IT ISS CLEARRR THATT… YOOU SEEE SOMETTHING INN HIMM. ALTHOUGHH YOUUU DON'TT KNOWW WHATT ITT ISS. FINNE. TTHHISSS PUUP CAN STAAY."** _ _Azeroron informed, making a wave of relief wash over Titus. "_ _**HHOOWWEVVERR, BEEE WARRNNEDD ATT THHE CHALLENGESS THEE TWOO OF YOOU FACCE."** _ _The leader continued, raising his hand to wave a finger over the pup's field of vision, the little titan letting out a boisterous squeal as he tried to make a grab for the white titan's fingers. "_ _**WEEE ARRE ONNLY A SNNALL RRACE OFF TITTAN. PUUPPS ARR OUURR FFUTTURR. ALLTHOGGH HEE ISS NNOTT ABBLE TOOO FIGGHT… HE'LLL HAVVE AHH PURRPOSSE IINN OOURR PPACCK."** _

_Titus felt himself relax completely. The pup would be in his company. He wouldn't be thrown out to fend for himself. Azeroron then picked up the five meter who had regenerated completely during their time of talking. The leader quickly decapitated the beast again and handed it to Titus who took it in his free hand._

_"_ _**THANK YOU."** _

_Azeroron nodded. "_ _**TOOO GETT HIMMM STARRTED… JUSST FEEDD HIMMM BLOOOD. EII ESSIERR ONN PUUPSS' STTOMMACHS. HEE CANTT DIGESST MEATT YETT."** _

_Titus nodded and went to sit in the comfort of his nest. He placed Atlas into his lap and plunged his hand into the five meter, coating his hand in blood. The titan then raised his index finger to the pup's maw, watching as Atlas immediately took interest – edging closer to smell before letting his little tongue lap at his fingertips. The baby purred, ears and arms fluttering at the delectable taste. He couldn't believe he had forgotten. Mindless titan blood was easier on the tummy of a young titan. Recalling now, giving a pup meat straight up was a lot harder for them to regurgitate. Blood was much easier. If anything it would just be a small amount of spit up afterwards. Titan meat and blood not only gave a pup a good strong start or eased stress, it also strengthened their stomach muscles and made it easier for them to regurgitate future meals. The little titan licked his palm, his tongue trailing off to lick himself before going back to Titus's fingers._

_"_ _**NOTT TOO ARROUSSE SUSSPICIONS, I WILL NOTT SAYY THATT ITT ISS YOUUU WHOO ISS CARRING FORR HIMM. ASSS YOUUU KNNOWW, MEENTORRS CANN BEEE – RATTHERR PUSHHY. KEEEP HIMM… RATTHERR UNDERR RAAPPS."** _ _The white titan concluded as he turned and began to make his way from the den. Azeroron then halted, head looking up thoughtfully as he remained with his back turned to the pair. "_ _**WHHAAT… IISS THEE PUPP'SS NAANNE?"** _

_Titus watched as the baby belched in the slightest and began to settle, the pup's tummy rounded out in the slightest from his meal. "_ _**ATLAS. I CALL HIM… ATLAS."** _

_**"AH… ETT ISSS AH GOOOD NANEE. SSUITS HIM."** _

* * *

_In the great grotto, many of the titans had gathered to watch the next spectacle. Some Mentors lined the outer wall and others watched just for the entertainment. Titus sat upon a high ledge, secluded from the rest of the higher ranking titans as he peered down at the adorable show before him. Three weeks had passed and all of the pups in the pack had been born. It was now the time where all of the babies learned the art of walking upright to survive. Titus watched the few groups of new parents and their offspring below them, giving in to a bit of humor as many of the little pups played with one another. Until they are able to walk on their own two feet, pups moved about on all fours – looking both odd but clumsy as they ran and hopped around on their hands and feet. Many of the pups roughhoused with their siblings, chasing one another, tackling them to the ground, and playfully nipping at their ears while others sat and observed or stuck close to their parents – bugging them a bit to get in on the action._

_In the time that passed, Atlas had acquired this playful nature as well – if not he was even more spirited than the other pups. He was high energy and scampered all around his den – pouncing after lizards and attempting to chase after fluttering moths. To Titus, Atlas seemed just like any ordinary pup. High energy and high maintenance. The little titan woke him up every morning by pulling his hair and biting his ears, chirping loudly as he tried to get Titus to spend time with him and join in on his roughhousing. The pup also seemed to play with just about anything, even having a strange fascination with feathers. In fact, Titus had to almost constantly put his nest back together due to Atlas rolling in the leaves and stringing pine needles all across the rocky floor. Still, he enjoyed the pup's company._

_However, in the weeks that he had raised the pup, Titus hadn't noticed anything that gave away the pup's disability at all. Atlas seemed to be completely normal and just like any other growing infant. It made Titus wonder if the others had been wrong._

_Titus's eyes fell upon Thorn and Clymene who had initiated their teaching session. Titus wasn't paying too much attention to the success the pups would have necessarily, but he was really looking at just how Thorn and Clymene went about teaching their little ones. True, he had seen parents teach their pups how to walk many times over, but this was the first time he was going to have to educate a pup himself. He wanted to go about things just right. If he was really teaching a mentally disabled titan as the others claimed the baby to be, he wanted to know the best way possible or formulate how to do it._

_The three pups of Thorn and Clymene continued to pick on one another until Clymene gathered them together, placing them before her as Thorn took his place in front of them. Just as the three tried to turn and play once again, the fifteen-meter made a sharp grunt so foreboding that the pups stopped instantly and stared up at their father in question – eyes wide and innocent, waiting to see what their dad did next. Atlas's two sisters shared their mother's teal irises and longer hair. The two looked mostly identical except one's length of their nose. Titus had learned that they were called Zeal and Tesame. The male inherited his father's intense yellow eyes and shorter hair. His mother and Father called the pup Mitus, a play on another mythological titan's name called Menoetius – a titan that was ironically Atlas's brother in the story. The coincidence made Titus consider Thorn as Zeus at points – the one who had condemned Atlas to carry the weight of the world._

_He began to take note as Thorn grunted sharply and began to pace slowly back and forth. The beast's yellow eyes were hooked onto his offspring as he did so, taking in the sight of them watching his every movement. Titus knew that pups learned things from observing their parents. Walking was one of them. Thorn then stopped and knelt down before his pups, putting as much of an encouraging look upon his face as he could muster with their eyes showing a degree of weariness and shyness. Clymene then cupped a hand beneath the rump of Mitus, pushing him upward onto his own two feet with the pup giving a squeak in surprise. The mother held the baby up for a moment, the little male teetering for a few seconds before he turned his attention to his awaiting father. Without the pup knowing, Clymene gradually removed her hand – with the pup standing on his own. As he realized what had happened, Mitus grasped that he wasn't in the safety of his mother's embrace. The male squeaked in alarm and began to wobble, but he still managed to hold himself upwards. His yellow eyes were lit with fear, the pup looking to his dad for aid. Thorn grunted again, urging his offspring to take his first step. Then, with the pack watching, Mitus lifted a chubby leg and took his first big step forward, teetering once again until he planted his foot upon the earth. The pup let out a chirrup at his success before letting his face twist into a look of pure determination. Mitus then took another step without fault. With a big smile pulling at his face, the titan pup toddled forward and right into his father's folded knees. Mitus purred, looking up at Thorn's proud face before turning and padding over to the embrace of his mother who licked his brow in congratulation. Mitus concluded his act with a triumphant little 'roar' to the top of the grotto, trying to bellow victoriously just like he had seen his parents doing._

_Seeing Thorn and Clymene treating their pups with such attentiveness with no thought of their other son whatsoever really made it feel as if he had a boulder in his stomach._

_Just like their brother, Zeal and Tesame were urged to walk upright like their sibling. Zeal walked just as easily as her brother whereas Tesame stumbled and fell onto her knees once before urging herself to keep going. Titus forced himself to watch the three little pups beginning to chase one another around their parents on their own two feet and soon scampering off to play with the other pups of the pack. In the end, when it came to choosing the next pupil for him to train, it was all about the wellbeing of the young titans. Not their parents. He wasn't training them. He was training their pups._

_Seeing as much of the educating process as he possibly could, Titus discreetly stood and began to make his way back to his den. Hopefully training Atlas with the same method would prove successful._

* * *

_If it was one thing that had become clear during the last few weeks that the pup was in his care, it was certainly true that Atlas was quite the little rogue. Titus only stood in the opening of his den, reminded of the fact while looking at the disaster that was his living quarters. His nest wasn't even a nest anymore. The leaves and pine needles were strung about the dirt floor in all directions. Some pebbles were misplaced and various vines had been ripped from the walls. Atlas himself was in the corner of the den, sitting on his rump with a vine in his fleshless jaws. The pup made a loud and cheerful cheer through his clenched jaw, wiggling his ears in greeting before turning back to pull on the vine, growling as fiercely as he could which in truth sounded rather pitiful compared to the snarl of a fully grown titan. The little creature paused in his pulling – staring back at Titus once again, purring with a pleased look on his face, proud of what he had done and was making sure that the larger titan witnessed his display of strength._

_"_ _**ATLAS."** _ _Titus heaved a breath, exhausted from the many times he had come back to his den to happen upon such a scene. The baby only chirruped at his name and dropped what he was currently doing and scampered into Titus's direction. Like all little pups, Atlas moved around on all fours – only that he did it with more elation. The pup practically hopped like a rabbit at points. The tiny titan then placed himself at Titus's feet, sitting on his foot and hugging his shin, burying his face into his toasty skin with a loud squeal – the pup's way of greeting him upon return. If it was one thing that brought his hopes up about the pup's mental capabilities, it was that Atlas caught on to his name rather quickly just like other pups. He had his hopes up that walking would come easy as well._

_Looking over the disaster that was his den, Titus pushed any ounce of frustration aside and grunted in greeting. He then bent over and picked up Atlas, the pup melting in pleasure as he was placed against the larger beast's chest. The baby continued to coo, looking up at Titus with his green pools illuminating brightly. The pup was certainly attached to him, but Titus wasn't completely sure if that was a good thing or not. Sure, babies were incredibly close to their parents in their first year of life, but how would Atlas be if he was truly mentally deficient? In five years' time, when titan pups were fully grown, he couldn't have an adult titan following him around twenty-four seven wanting to snuggle against him. Titus shook his head, putting away the thought as he decided to focus on teaching Atlas._

_With a rumble in encouragement, Titus walked over to the center of the den and placed Atlas onto the floor like Clymene had with Atlas's brother and sisters. The little titan looked up at him with a questioning gaze before letting out a trill and bouncing towards him again, seeing the act as play. At this, Titus grunted roughly, telling the pup 'no' without a word as he seated him once again. He frowned inwardly at this. Atlas's brothers and sisters sat upon the command of their parents. Gurgling, Atlas attempted to approach him yet again, but was quickly sat back down by his hands. So far, Atlas wasn't exactly following that pattern. This made a wad of worry swell up inside Titus._

_Then again, the pup could just be playful._

_Titus gave Atlas a stern gaze, keeping a hand on the little titan's head for several long seconds before moving away to stand. To his luck, the pup sat still, simply looking up at the bigger titan with eyes filled with wonder. Titus grunted again, using the same tone as Thorn as he began to slowly pace back and forth across his den with the little beast turning his head this way and that to follow him. Titus then paused and returned to Atlas to urge him up, but before he could put a hand onto his back, the small behemoth darted beneath his legs and began to roll in the leaves once again. Titus felt his heart drop upon the reaction. Atlas wasn't listening, nor was he even showing the desire to learn. He could feel his heart start to sink. Maybe this was the delay that the others spoke of._

_"_ _**ATLAS."** _ _He began sternly as he made a grab for the baby, but the pup had other ideas. Atlas slipped away at the last second and began to run around on all fours in his den – daring the larger titan to come after him. Titus however was an expert at swiping small prey, so with a quick scoop, he snatched the pup up from the floor. The pup continued to warble in his arms, chirruping as he reached for Titus's beard with the intent to pull. The seventeen meter grunted sharply, sounding much more firm and strict. Atlas looked at him, square in the eyes as he stuck his own tiny hand into his mouth while Titus sat the pup before him once again. Gently, his held Atlas up on his own two feet, the little titan squealing. "_ _**STAND UP ATLAS."** _ _Titus ordered kindly as he slowly let go of the baby. For a few gratifying seconds, Atlas stood upright until he dropped to his rump, letting out a squeak in surprise. Titus frowned, but it was a start._

_**"LET US… TRY AGAIN."** _ _The titan pulled the little one to his feet. Titus carefully held Atlas's little wrists between his thumbs and index fingers and gently pulled the titan to him. The pup let out a confused and fearful vocal, not moving his legs whatsoever as Titus continued to pull. Leaning steeply, Atlas finally tumbled over onto his hands. The result made Titus grimace again. The titan pup's disability was beginning to shine through. He couldn't give up though. He had to keep up his attempts. If Atlas wasn't walking by sunset, he would then know that training the little creature to walk was impossible._

_Again, Titus tried the same pulling technique, with little Atlas making sounds of distress and squeezing his fingers as he held on for dear life as if he was about to fall into the center of the earth. Green eyes looked up at the titan, showing absolute fear, tears swelling up in the pup's ducts. It was then that Titus realized he was going about teaching Atlas the wrong way. He was educating with an iron fist, being far too strict for the sensitive baby. He was making walking upright scary for Atlas, something that the pup would refuse to do if the process was something he was terrified of. Titus sat the pup down and rubbed his chin. Atlas had a playful personality, he needed to make the lesson fun. Perhaps then Atlas would get the concept._

_"_ _**WANT TO… WALK ATLAS?"** _ _Titus smiled at the young titan, the baby looking up and blinking away a few tears. Atlas then reached for titan, telling the adult without words that he wished to be held. Complying, Titus scooped up Atlas and swaddled him in to his arms, letting the pup calm to a point where he began to purr before standing up and lowering the pup so his tiny feet were upon his own as he held the little titan's hands over his head. Confused, Atlas tilted his head backwards to peer up at Titus in serious question, but the larger creature only rumbled in encouragement, making sure to keep his smile. Titus took a few steps in advance, the little titan's feet lifting and going in sync with his own. Atlas let out another squeak in surprise at first, but then began to smile and gurgle in pleasure. Titus beamed to himself, so far so good._

_For nearly an hour, he kept walking with the little titan on his feet, hands now cupped beneath the pup's armpits for Atlas's arms not to tire. It was nearly midday and Titus then decided that it would be best to stop and see if his technique had worked. Without warning the spirited pup, Titus halted and took his arms away from the baby. For a moment, all was still as golden eyes observed the pup stand upright, looking a bit confused and puzzled. The seventeen-meter's heart sank, perhaps he was wrong._

_However, before he could could think of other possible ways to make the pup walk, Atlas strolled forward on his own two feet, briskly and with the grace of any young titan or creature – clunky and a little uncoordinated but perfect. Atlas then rotated his neck, turning to look upon Titus whose face was lit in shock. The pup then squealed and moved as quickly as his legs could carry him into Titus's waiting embrace. Atlas trilled, burying his face into the crook of Titus's neck, nuzzling in what he could classify as utmost thanks and affection before scaling down and practically running around the den, daring the older giant to a chase. He found himself staring for several gratified seconds before letting out a playful bellow and heeding to the pup's desire to play._

_Even though he had just learned to walk, Atlas was quite quick for a pup, even on all fours, the baby had proved to be rather fast. Titus knew that it was due to Atlas's good proportions and it was a sign that the pup's muscles would really fill out as he aged and be rather significant. Of course, the teaching session also proved that Atlas did indeed have a mental deficiency. He could not learn the same way as the other pups. In fact, Titus felt as if he had to force Atlas to walk and he hadn't taught him at all. The pup squealed as he suddenly turned and blazed towards Titus, grabbing the order's leg in an attempt to tackle the much larger beast to the ground. He only smiled and picked up the pup to cradle against him. Atlas did seem to have some capability to learn, but it was much too early in his development to make any solid conclusions. The baby could very well have a good amount of knowledge but had a slower learning rate or really was simple compared to the other titans of the pack. Titus gulped. So far, the baby wasn't showing many signs leading to the conclusion that he hoped for._

_Atlas purred and trilled shrilly, burying his face into Titus's chest, showing his love by gifting him with several licks from his tiny tongue. The seventeen-meter gave in to a subtle smile. As mischievous as the pup was along with his playful ways of destruction and his overall imperfections, Titus was beginning to not see the baby as a chore. He was growing fond of him. He didn't want to give up on him. He couldn't be an Advancer, but he still held promise._

_**(POV SWAP)** _

_Emerald pools lit up with utmost fascination and curiosity as they focused on the new arrival within the den – what the larger titan, as he called themselves, said that the covered world was called that they lived in. His ears fluttered as they absorbed the sounds it made, listening for anything new. Since his birth just a few weeks prior, he found the big space around him to be wondrous until the time being. It was full of the pointy and thin things that he liked to string about on the rough surface he constantly walked on. There were these tiny and shiny things that he liked to chase which scurried around the floor and in the cracks. The top of the den thing that he and the other titan lived in was a bright thing that shone in through a hole that made the area vivid and warmed him – gifting him with energy. The other being always put him into it at points and wanted him to go in it whenever he felt like it. He often wondered what it was, but perhaps it was another space like the den, a big space maybe. A bright world – something that he couldn't go see just yet._

_In his time living, he also learned after some time that the other titan called him 'Atlas' whereas the other called himself 'Titus'. If it was one thing he knew, it was that he liked Titus lot. He was big and had softness growing on his face. His body was warm and he always cradled him against his chest and placed him against his belly when the brightness faded. Titus brought him the yummy red stuff that came from the dead and different smelling beings to lick and suckle upon until his belly was full and rounded from it. Granted, he always spits the stuff up later, but he didn't mind. Titus was wonderful. However, Titus left the den world quite often for a long time. Perhaps he had gone to the bright world. He didn't like it when Titus left. He whined and cried for him to come back, wanting him to hold him and run with him. Titus never returned when Atlas wanted though, but he always came back and gave him what he wanted plus more._

_Still, he desired to go with him when he left._

_The pup's pupils grew bigger as he observed the new thing in the den while sitting atop a large stone not unlike a cat as he studied with incredible attentiveness. Unlike the shiny and smooth things, this one was fuzzy like the top of his head. Its eyes were almost like Titus's, outlined in black. It walked on all fours like he used to and there was something bushy and long sticking out of its end. It was so strange and so INTERESTING. So NEW. It continued to dig and sift through the pointed things and thin things, sticking its nose into them and smelling. The little titan lifted on his haunches in the slightest, ears erect and hips wiggling. He could hear everything about the visitor: its steps, the sound of its tongue smacking against its jaws, and the thumping inside it. To the pup, this thing was a potential friend, something to keep him entertained until his Titus came back._

_Atlas lowered himself, belly nearly upon the hard surface as he locked himself onto the tiny target. He tensed his developing muscles as he prepared to strike. Then, when the thing had its back turned to him, the pup let out a shrill and happy squeal as he leaped down from his perch. The sound startled the thing as the now nearly three-meter titan landed upon the ground, making it tremble in the slightest and causing the creature to lift in the air for several brief seconds before bolting for its life. Atlas let out a cheerful trill and began to chase it on his own two feet – discovering that the two legged way was much faster than the four legged one that he was used to. The fuzzy thing was faster than the smaller shiny things that he chased previously, so the little titan pushed himself further, gurgling in pleasure. Suddenly, the visitor veered and began to swiftly climb the wall of the den – soon going out of Atlas's reach and back into the bright world. The pup's heart plummeted. The thing had left him, making loneliness grip him again. With sadness overwhelming him, Atlas began to cry, the pup wailing. He hated being alone! He wanted Titus!_

_With the wet clear stuff filling his eyes and racing down his cheeks, the little titan clumsily walked to the entrance of the den, stopping where Titus had placed several hard things before it to keep him in the covered world, and plopped down onto his rump. Throwing back his head, Atlas continued to call and call for his Titus, but the big titan wasn't coming. He was alone. Alone in the covered world and with nothing willing to become his friend. Everything felt too big and he felt too small. It was scary. He wanted to be held! How was that going to happen? How was he going to be loved? Was Titus gone for good? What would happen to him? Would he ever return?_

_Atlas sputtered and coughed, tiny body shivering as he tried to blink away the tears. Gloomy greens peered at the wall that the other made, simply staring at it in hatred and sheer dislike. If only the obstruction was gone and out of his way could he –_

_Then an idea formed in his head, one that instantly made Atlas adapt an expression of curiosity. The little pup tilted his head back with a tiny squeak – his mouth forming into a smile. He could go and find his Titus! He climbed the hard things sitting around the den and the barrier that the Mentor had made wasn't much taller. He could certainly climb it. If he made it over to search for Titus, then perhaps they could go and find the other titan that he first saw when his shadowed lids initially opened._

_With his small features twisting up and reflecting a look of pure determination, Atlas then approached the rocky wall that was at least five meters in height. Using the same method he used when climbing the cavern's boulders, the pup tensed his legs before jumping up onto the barrier. Atlas grunted, surprised by the steepness as he held on to the top of the wall. Growling with fortitude, the pup attempted to bring his leg up to meet his hand – but the attempt proved futile as he lost his grip and slid back to the floor. Atlas whined at his failure, but he wasn't bound to give up. Again, he tried to scale the wall using the same process. This time, he was able to get his right leg where he wanted with no tumble. However, his body was far too stretched for him to firmly brace his weight onto his other foot and push himself up. The pup simply remained in his awkward position for several brief seconds before he could hold himself no longer and let his body drop back to the ground of the den world. Still, he wasn't just going to accept his fate of loneliness and retreat to sulk in the corner. He was going to get over the hard wall and go see his Titus!_

_Again and again, Atlas jumped up to the top of the barrier, but he couldn't get a good enough grip to pull himself up and over it so his only accomplishments were tumbling back to the floor. His plump arms pushed himself up again, green eyes staring heatedly at the one thing that blocked his goal of getting free. The little titan made the most vicious snarl he could make. He had been at the same thing for what seemed like forever. He wanted up! He wanted out! Why couldn't he climb out! Angry, the little beast began to throw a tantrum of sorts. Atlas, screeched and projected his rage for only the lizards to hear, beating his little fists onto the floor and stomping around in a tight circle. He spun around, stamping the earth on all fours until he took out his frustrations on his right foot – grapping it forcefully and causing himself to clumsily roll onto the floor. For a few more seconds, Atlas wrestled with his own feet before he stood yet again to face the wall. He didn't understand! Why couldn't he figure out how to climb that thing! How could he possibly get over it without falling? The titan pup continued to glare at the stones before him, suddenly seeing something that he completely overlooked. The stones were not stacked on top of one another but piled. Recalling how the fuzzy thing had scaled up the wall of the den world, the thing hopped on several rocks before going straight to the one at the top. In order to climb the barrier, he would have to do the same!_

_With newfound confidence, Atlas approached the stones blocking his exit again and scaled onto the first and lowest stone. The miniscule beast stood upright for a moment and looked for the next safe perch. Spotting his next step, Atlas smoothly transitioned onto another stone that was closer to the top. Standing at the peak, the little titan squealed in elation at his accomplishment and ungracefully hauled himself onto the wall only to tumble over the other side – landing roughly on his belly and face with a squeak in surprise. Grunting back any amount of agony, Atlas sat himself up and looked before him only to enter a state of awe. He wasn't in the bright world, but he had rather ventured into an even bigger den world. The pup gradually stood, eyes wide and jaw slacked as he surveyed his new surroundings. The top of the world was so high and the bottom was so low. The stringy green things climbed all over the walls of this world as well. The pup's head rotated in awe, he was standing upon a high ledge with a path down to the bottom of the cavern. The bright world from up above shone through many of the gaps, highlighting every nook and cranny and the pool of dark liquid upon the floor. Atlas's ears twitched, hearing the hundreds of high chatters and squeaks over his head. Turning his gaze to the sky of the den world, he spied many tiny black things that left him perplexed. They looked like the very little fuzzy things that he sometimes found in the nest that he and Titus shared, but they were hanging from the wrong way up! Atlas tilted his head as he continued to speculate. These things… what were they? A flash of movement caught his attention, seeing another thing about the den world dwellers that severely confused him. They had wide and flat things that stuck out from their bodies, things that they fluttered back and forth like how he moved his ears. The flapping fuzzy things continued to squeak and make a chorus of noises. A smile spread across the little titan's odd face. Perhaps these things would play with him until his Titus returned!_

_The pup instantly swiveled his head for more rocks to climb, but seeing none that would suit him, Atlas resorted to his second option. The little titan took a deep breath and produced the loudest squeal that his lungs could make. The sound echoed in the hollow cavern, bouncing off the walls and traveling among every surface. Green hues watched as the fluttering things stirred and began to scatter. To his amazement, the things glided through the air! They didn't touch the ground or walls! They were practically floating! The creatures seemed to move in a metamorphic mass, moving as one organism as they dived and swooped. The titan gurgled in pleasure even as the things raced toward him. The creatures swarmed around him, mere insects to the pint sized behemoth – the titan seeing their assault as mere play, the pup twirling in circles as he tried to ensnare the things between his fingers. Atlas squealed, enjoying himself in his newfound activity – until his foot slipped on the rocky edge. The titan let out a sharp gasp in surprise as his body began to tip, no ground beneath him. The ceiling of the den world began to grow farther away, making Atlas realize that he was falling – having slipped from the edge of the rocky path. Fear coursed through his body. No! No! NO! He was helpless! There was nothing to grab onto! No one to help him! He was falling into the depths below!_

_He screamed. He couldn't do anything else. He just screamed._

_Suddenly, his body was jolted, a force wrapping around his leg. The world was still and no longer passing by him. Slowly, Atlas peeled open his eyes to see his savior, relief and excitement flooding through him. Above, Titus held him by his ankle. The larger titan's face bore both shock and relief, open mouth forming an uneasy smile as he hauled him up with Atlas giving into another loud squeal of happiness. He was so happy! Titus was back!_

_The larger behemoth pulled the pup into his arms, cradling him tightly as he turned back toward the smaller den world. Titus's golden eyes shifted to the rocky barrier that Atlas scaled before turning his attention to the pup once again. He let out a breath of steam._

_"_ _**ATLAS… YOU ARE A NAUGHTY… LITTLE THING."** _

_Not really knowing what the large titan meant, the pup just trilled and buried his face into Titus's warmth, the big beast letting out a rumble that the baby knew was good. Titus then carried him into the den and sat in what was left of the nest. Atlas purred, cooing in delight – knowing exactly what was coming next. He watched as Titus carefully ripped off a piece of food and held it to him. Routinely, the pup edged forward and bit down, suckling the tasty red liquid from within his meal. Atlas trilled as he continued to indulge, hands and feet kneading in pleasure as he stared up at Titus with extreme thanks and fondness. His guardian gave in to a small grin, shoulders relaxing._

_"_ _**YOU ARE IN A HURRY… AREN'T YOU ATLAS? AFTER THE DARK COMES AND… THE LIGHT RETURNS… I AM GOING TO TAKE YOU OUTSIDE."** _ _The titan pointed to the hole that bore the bright world. Atlas followed the digit, green eyes glowing in excitement. He didn't understand much, but he knew that Titus was talking about the bright world._

_At the mere mentioning, Atlas continued to melt in happiness as he prolonged to nurse on the red nectar until his belly was full._

_**(POV SWAP)** _

_Today was the day, the moment where the pup would get his first taste of sunlight and the world outside his den. Titus bore a smile as he walked through the cavern with Atlas walking and weaving in and out of his legs – making the journey slower but Titus didn't mind. The day before had frightened him enough. He never imagined that the titan pup's curiosity would literally lead the little creature over the edge and into danger. He was thankful that he had returned when he did. Atlas wouldn't have died from the fall, but it certainly would have hurt him. Titus did curse himself at the time, feeling far too ignorant to not take Atlas's great curiosity into account. The baby would have climbed over his makeshift wall sooner or later. He was asking for it._

_However, today was the day that all the titan pups were brought out of the nest for the first time. It was a big step in a young titan's life and the start of something new. For Atlas, Titus predicted that it would be a sensory overload and a complete adventure. The pup was obviously eager to get out, the previous day's events proved that. As they walked through the cavern, Atlas's eyes were 'as big as grapefruits' as the humans commonly said in their native tongue. The little titan was already looking around the cavern, his head swiveling in all directions as he beheld every rock formation and anything that wouldn't be considered a wonder. Titus grinned in the slightest. He had never seen a pup more excited. Hunter Titan pups were usually nervous when first entering the outside world, slightly skittish, backward, and having to be reassured by their parents. Atlas of course, was different. The world just seemed to amaze him like everything else. Titus had been looking forward to taking the little titan out for the first time at four weeks of age. The pup's activity levels were often like a pain in his side. Atlas was constantly into everything and not to mention tough to keep an eye on. Bringing the pup outside gave him a chance to interact with other pups and perhaps make a friend or two. Such a thing helped young titans become more independent from their parents – which was what Titus wanted. He wanted Atlas to live the life of a normal titan or as close to normal as possible. Still, he was a little worried, but he remained optimistic._

_Atlas trilled and grunted as he weaved around Titus's ankle, nearly making the older creature trip. Titus peered below to see green eyes staring at him in absolute elation and delight. The pup squealed and practically hopped ahead with the desire for Titus to get ahead of him once again. If it was one thing that Titus had noticed as soon as the pup began walking, it was that Atlas had great control and was doing things that normal pups couldn't achieve until they were at least a month old such as climbing. Atlas was strong as well, the pup able to move smaller rocks like some that he had placed around his nest to keep Atlas from stringing the leaves everywhere in the den. He could even pick them up and throw them down in play. It was a sign that Atlas would grow to be a rather large and incredibly strong titan. His proportionate body only added to that. Deep down, Titus almost resented the fact. The pup's disabilities were most likely going to make such gifts go to waste._

_He didn't want to believe that though._

_The pair then rounded another bend, light pouring in to illuminate the cave with light, the entrance to the outside just before them. Titus stalled on the mossy rocks to look down at Atlas. The little pup had stilled, jaw slightly agape and pupils blown wide, entranced until the change of light began to irritate his eyes and ushering the baby to blink. Titus let out a humorous rumble and gazed forward. Most of the other parents had long since taken their pups into the light. The last pup was just ahead of them. It was a mother and a tiny female. The little pup was crouched and hunkering down at the edge of the cave, staying just a few inches away from the light. The pup was trembling, big ears shaking as the female looked to her mother pleadingly whose other pups had successfully went outside. The mother wore the kindest look that she could with her lipless maw, inviting her baby into the open with a few soft grunts. Finally, the pup edged forward into the sunlight, stopping to look about in awe before joining its siblings with their mother and father in a nearby patch of high grass. Titus huffed. Yes, that was the normal reaction for nearly all Hunter Titan young. Wondering how Atlas would fair, the Mentor returned his attention downward only to find that Atlas was no longer at his feet. Instead, the little beast had paraded forward, climbing as quickly as he could manage over the many rocks as opposed to going up the smooth gravel. Quickly, Titus went into action and halted the pup's advance with a hand embracing Atlas's chest. The pup made a confused little squeak and peered up at Titus, the older beast only returning an easy smile. He wanted to be close to Atlas if anything foul rose. The night before during the time that he was feeding the pup, Titus succumbed to his own thoughts. His outlook on the situation had slightly changed. Being secretive about the pup, just made him look ashamed of the little titan. He honestly didn't truly care if the other titans caught him with Atlas anymore. He would defend the pup if the time arose. After all, he had gotten the blessing from Azeroron himself that Atlas was to stay under his care and live with the pack. There was no harm in that since Atlas was handicapped. To the others, it would just be that the pup was rewarded to the most capable titan to care for him._

_Of course, despite all the odds stacked against the pup, Titus really wanted to make the facts fiction. He really wanted Atlas to prove the others wrong. He wished for that more than anything. After all, it was still unclear the extent of Atlas's disabilities. But he still held great hope._

_Titus then purred and removed his hand from the baby, giving the pup permission to proceed. Atlas trilled at the act and advanced forward. The pup was excitedly scaling the rocks with the larger titan urging him up the path when he needed aid. Normally, he would have just moved Atlas onto the fine little stones so he could walk and travel at a faster pace, but he just let the pup enjoy his own passage of discovery. Atlas produced many squeaks and other vocals as he continued, the baby overflowing with excitement. Suddenly, the titan pup stalled, stilling and becoming silent. Atlas was completely unmoving, not even looking like he had taken a single breath. This instantly puzzled Titus. Could the natural fear of going outside for the first time have finally overtaken him? At the little pup's action, he bent down again to offer encouragement, but no grunts or words escaping him as Atlas surprisingly surged forward at the highest rate of speed his little body could exert. The pup squealed, calling and expressing his arrival of sorts. Titus simply stood in shock, he had seen the pup get excited numerous times, but this occasion was different. Atlas was practically screeching in elation as he came to the mouth of the cave. Titus's brows knitted together as he watched the pup's arms reach out as if he sought to grab something._

_"_ _**ATLAS?"** _

_However, the pup completely ignored his query and kept moving. Atlas gurgled and chirruped as the light from the outside drew nearer and nearer with each of his steps. Titus was floored. The little titan showed no sign of slowing down. Then, Atlas took his first steps into the sunlight, the day illuminating every detail upon his frame. However, the pup didn't stop. There was no pause. Atlas didn't even stop to stare in wonderment at the new world around him – this was unlike the pup. Titus's heart began to hammer. Something was wrong. With his hairs standing and spine quivering, Titus quickly began to trail the baby that was still running._

_But then he stopped, his eyes growing wide at what he spied before him. He instantly felt his body go numb. What he would see next – would forever be a haunting memory._

_Walking just before Atlas was Clymene guiding her pups into the center of the pack's grounds to feed. The pup continued to squeak and squeal as he toddled up to his real mother. Atlas then did the unthinkable and pounced – latching onto Clymene's back leg and burying his face into her calf, the little beast purring elatedly and in utter happiness. Titus's blood ran cold as Clymene abruptly turned and looked down at her new passenger. Her face was unreadable, emotionless as she stared down into green pools that peered up at her in adoration – Atlas looking up at the female Hunter Titan in the only gaze a baby could give to its loving mother._

_Titus found himself unable to move, feeling as though time had stopped around him. He was silently cursing himself yet again, angry that he had forgotten. Upon seeing their parents at birth, titan pups remember their mother and father's appearance and scent – never forgetting it. Titus gulped. Even though it had only been mere seconds when Atlas's eyes opened the first time – the pup had seen his parents. Thus, their identity was permanently branded into his mind. As Clymene continued to stare at the snuggling baby, Titus sunk into a great level of fear._

_Finally, after what seemed like minutes, the mother's face changed from her blank expression. Clymene's brows knotted together, eyes narrowing and pupils turning into thin and threatening slits. Her skin formed into a snarl and a deep growl began to resonate from within her throat. Still, this didn't phase Atlas as the pup continued his nuzzling against the taller titan's leg. Seeing her own son not reacting to her mild threat, Clymene hissed loudly, gathering the rest of the pack's attention as she shook her leg and knocked Atlas into the ground – the little pup tumbling roughly before he sat up and looked back to his mother as she started to walk off once again to guide her confused pups away from the scene. To the Mentor's horror, Atlas only smiled and cheerfully padded along after her. With all eyes now watching the spectacle, Atlas reached out to Clymene again. The moment the tiny titan's nails grazed her flesh, the female turned around and snarled another warning before proceeding forward once again._

_Still, Atlas didn't get the message and went after his mother again – squealing and pleading for her love – love that she would never bestow upon him. Again, Clymene hissed threateningly, ears pressed against her skull and eyes turning feral. This time she stood her ground, her other pups crouching close behind her as they grew terrified of their mother's reaction. Atlas still bore his smile though and wiggled his ears, holding his arms out before him for his mother to embrace him in a hug and for her to cradle him to her chest. The pup then scampered to grasp hold of his mother again, but before his chubby hands could grip onto her warmth, Clymene bent over and harshly grabbed the pup by the waist – and then tossing him roughly into the dirt much to Titus's horror. Atlas struggled to sit up, slightly dazed from the impact. As he tried to get his footing, emerald greens met his mother's furious teals once again._

_Despite the terrifying action and cruel gesture, Atlas was still grinning warmly – completely unaware about the curse that his mother and father had placed upon him. Finally, seeing a horrifying outcome, Titus willed himself to move again._

_But he was too slow._

_Atlas went for his mother again with open arms, limping in the slightest from an injury, as he was hungry for her affection. Clymene, without a shred of remorse present in her frame, swung an open palm and slammed Atlas to the ground. The pup let out a shrill cry of surprise, lifting his head just in time to see his own mother unhinging her jaw and roaring an earthshattering threat at full volume into her stunned pup's face. Breaths were held as the bellow died down into a wrathful growl and finally into a series of harsh inhales and exhales. Titus swallowed, having stopped in his charge to peer at the little titan's face._

_What he saw nearly snapped his heart in two._

_Atlas's smile was nowhere to be found, having vanished into some other realm. The three-meter's eyes were wide and his naturally tan skin had paled, the warmth draining completely from it. The pup's jaw slowly drifted agape as his back hunched and his body began to tremble in utmost fear. Atlas's ears lowered with his green pools beginning to succumb to cascading tears – the droplets of water began to fall down his cheeks with the baby looking at his mother in the deepest sense of terror that Titus had ever seen. His heart had since plummeted to his stomach at the event. He never thought that Atlas would be so publically rejected again. Grief fell over Titus; it was his fault that he let Atlas slip away so easily from him. He felt so utterly stupid. He couldn't even move to help! He was so stupid!_

_Guilt was soon replaced with anger. And if there was no severe punishment, he would have considered knocking some sense into Atlas's cruel parents._

_"_ _**WHAT IS… GOING ON?"** _

_**"ISSS THATT? THEEE ITTTLE GRRREEN EYYEDD PUUP CLYMENNEE REJJECCTEEDD?"** _ _A titan whispered to another._

_"_ _**EETT IISS… ALIVVE?"** _

_"_ _**TTHATT THHE PUUPP THHATTS SINNPLLE?"** _

_**"WHY… IS IT STILL AROUND?"** _

_Atlas only continued to shake and tremble, crouching low and cowering as if he expected another hit. The other titans had since gathered around, looking at the pup with mixed expressions, with a few even observing in sympathy. Atlas began to whine and slowly began to back away from his mother. Titus had enough, but just as he took a step forward, Atlas suddenly broke out into a fit of full on sobbing – the titan's cries hollow and alone, the very same cries he had made when he had been brought into the cruel world and cast aside like a piece of filth. The pup then stood and bolted to his right, away from Titus and the crowd, heading for the rocks and the edge of the forest._

_"_ _**THE GREEN EYED PUP… HOW IS HE STILL ALIVE?"** _

_**"GOOD… IT LEFT. THE PACK DOES NOT NEED MISTAKES."** _

_**"EII FEELL SOORRRY FOOR THHORNN ANNND CLYMENNE – DEEYY BIRTHEED AHH DEEFECCT."** _

_Titus winced, barely able to listen to the pack's words of cruelty. Clymene snorted and began to move away from the scene, making the Mentor's gut twist in anguish as she gently guided her three pups away with an easy smile – the grin soon fading as she started through the crowd. It was then that she was bombarded by a question from a titan that actually showed concern._

_"_ _**CLYMENE? THAT PUP… IT IS YOURS ISN'T IT…NOT?"** _

_The female titan paused at this, turning to face the other Hunter Titan with her eyes veering behind her in the direction that Atlas disappeared before looking back to the others around her. "_ _**EEEIII DOO NOOT CONNSIDDERR THEEE GREEENN EYYED TIITANN ASSS NYY PUUP. ETTT ISS… SIINNPLE. NOT ABLLE TOO ACOMMPLISSH ANNYYTIINNG GGRREEAAT. IITT ISS, ASSS WASS SAAIDD, AHH NISSTAKKE."** _ _Clymene concluded, her answer foul and nearly making Titus sick to his stomach._

_"_ _**IFF ITT ISS A DEFFECTT… THENN WHHY HASS ITT NOTT BEEN EXILEDD?"** _

_**"WHHERRE ISS AZZERRORRON? WHAATT DOEES HEE HAVVE TOO SAYY ABBOUUT DIIS?"** _

_**"IT IS… UNFORTUNATE. THAT PUP IS MINDLESS BAIT."** _

_Feeling his blood boil, Titus opened his mouth to step in. A roar then sliced through the air, but it was not his own. The commanding howl was rickety and deep – the most recognizable of the pack and one that's tone was among the most terrifying. Titus felt himself calm in the slightest. The bellow belonged to none other than Azeroron._

_At the roar, all of the titans instantly quieted, watching as the white titan pushed his way through the crowd to take stance in the center. His reddish eyes flatly glanced at Clymene, the others, Titus, and in the direction that Atlas had gone. Azeroron then snorted, looking impassive just as an elder spoke up._

_"_ _**AZERORON? THAT PUP… HAVE YOU MADE PLANS FOR IT? IS IT TO BE… EXILED?"** _

_Azeroron blinked, face reflecting a level of irritation. "_ _**NOOO. THHE PUUP ISS NOT TOOO BEE EXXILED."** _ _He began with a wisp of muttering running though the crowd. "_ _**YESS. THHEE PUUP ISS SINNPLE. HOWEVVERR, ASSS THE PUUP GROWWS HEE WILL FINND A PLACCE TOO WORRK INN OUR PAKK. EII HAVVE PLLACCED THHE PUUP IN THEE CARRE OFF THE NOOSTT CAPPABLLE TIITTAN TOO RAIISEE HINN FORR DEEE TINNE BEEINGG."** _ _Azeroron finished, roaring once again to end his decree. The albino took one glance at Titus from the corner of his eye before leaving the crowd in silence. At their leader's departure, most of the other titans began to return to what they were doing beforehand, but not without whispering about what had transpired. With the tension fading, Titus then spun and began his search for Atlas, dreading what he was most likely to find._

_Titus gulped as he headed into the area that Atlas retreated to, a small and compact expanse right on the edge of the tree line. It was secluded, littered with boulders, small trees, and moss. It was a tight area, barely big enough for Titus to comfortably walk through. Due to the size, not many of the Hunters ever passed through it, but it was the perfect place for a pup to hide. Titus stilled, listening to the heart wrenching sounds of a crying titan pup. He didn't have to look hard to find Atlas. The Mentor simply bent over and peered underneath the ledge of an overhanging rock, finding the baby curled up against the stone. Atlas shivered violently, hugging his legs and his face soiled in tears. Titus couldn't help but feel even more numb. Atlas had run up to his mother expecting her adoration and embrace, but her rejection probably had him wondering if he had done anything wrong to deserve such treatment. Not only that, but the little one was completely traumatized._

_Titus swallowed. "_ _**ATLAS?"** _ _He asked softly, hoping that the pup wasn't too scared to move. "_ _**ATLAS?"** _

_Slowly, the pup turned to look at him, making a knot swell in Titus's throat. Atlas's eyes were puffy and red – irises filled with a mixture of trepidation, despondency, and bewilderment. His little teeth were almost chattering and his tapered ears were shaking at the tips. Atlas whined, cringing before suddenly crawling forward and nearly launching into Titus's lap. The seventeen-meter gasped at Atlas's act, the baby trying to wrap his small arms around Titus's torso as best as he could, burring his face into the flesh of his belly. The older titan, although stunned, reached down and gently cradled his hand against Atlas's hairy head._

_Oh how he hated it. Of all things he didn't want Atlas's first time outside to be like it was. He wanted it to be full of adventure and wonder. He wanted Atlas to have fun and behold the wondrous world around them. He wanted the memory to last forever, but the experience would produce no good memory from it. Atlas looked up at him briefly, green eyes seeking solace before he buried his face into him again. Titus only sighed and rubbed the pup's back – taking part in a human gesture of comfort that he had seen man do to their hurt or upset children. Azeroron was right. Atlas was going to live a harsh life, but Titus was stubborn. He wanted to change that. Witnessing what had just transpired, he was more determined than ever to prove to the others that Atlas was just as great as every other titan, and maybe even greater._

* * *

_Titus kept still, watching the pup toddle along at a safe distance from behind a line of tall trees. After the incident with his mother, Atlas remained skittish and fearful for nearly a week after the unfortunate event. At the time, Titus greatly feared that Atlas would never want to get around the others or go outside for that matter. However, with much coaxing, he was able to get the little titan to go outside again with the pup in awe of the world like he had previously theorized. Atlas was quite the explorer as Titus had come to learn. The pup would go to every inch of any place he was allowed to go and would get into anything and everything. When the pack and Titus returned to the cave for the evening, Atlas always seemed to bring things back with him from rocks, saplings, and small bunnies that he somehow managed to catch. The young titan also seemed to be getting over the fear of the other titans in the pack. He would walk among them, but quick and alert. Not to mention he stayed clear from his parents. The other titans' behavior towards Atlas was divided. There were those that did feel sympathy for the pup, offering small but leery smiles and grunts in greeting, but ultimately ignoring Atlas altogether. Others were not so kind. Some would leer at the innocent titan or hiss at him when Atlas tried to interact. All of them though, would converse with one another when Atlas passed by them – saying the common statements of feeling sorry for the pup or that the kindest thing would be to exile. Atlas had also earned a new nickname during the time, the simple title of 'Green Eyes' which was what most of the pack came to know the pup as. Only a mere few knew Atlas's real name. In addition, most of the titans had no idea that Titus himself had been put in charge of the pup. Only a few of them had but were either at peace with the idea or were silent at the fact. Titus still hoped that their behavior would change._

_Two months had passed since the pup was birthed. Besides his advances from the event, his relationship with the other titans, and curious state of the outdoors – Titus had been trying to educate Atlas in the meantime. At nine weeks of age, titan pups are taught how to communicate using the basic tongue of man. Parents teach their offspring their names, very simple words used to convey meaning, and words used to describe objects such as rock and tree. Knowing the important milestone, Titus had proceeded to try and teach the curriculum to Atlas. Unfortunately, this attempt yielded another look into Atlas's disabilities. The fact that he was mute was very true. Titus tried hard to get Atlas to say his own name, but all that left his mouth were bizarre sounds that couldn't even pass as human young tongue. When trying to teach Atlas what things were, it was clear that the pup wasn't learning well and not as fast as the others. Atlas either was too energetic and playful to learn at the time, couldn't fully grasp a concept, or got many things mixed up with others. The results put quite a dent into Titus's hopes, but he trusted that a bit of sacrificed time would help._

_At the moment, he was going to try and make another milestone with Atlas, getting the baby to make some friends his age. Since mothers had begun to let their pups stray further from them but still remained at a safe distance, it was the perfect chance to get Atlas to play with other pups without being in the presence of judgmental parents. If it was one thing, it was that young titans didn't bat too much of an eye. At least that was what his level of parenting told him._

_As gently as he could, he had urged Atlas to run off to explore which was relatively easy after some pointing and guiding since the pup was of the curious sort. Although he knew that there were other mothers close by, Titus remained his distance – able to watch the pup or look for a future Advancer to train while he was perched upon a high hill. He felt that his way of going about the minor task was safe. The Mindless steered clear from the area for they didn't possess the skills to scale rocks, thus it was a common area where parents let their offspring run free. The landscape was composed of a rocky basin full of high grasses, moss, and a variety of flowers – perfect for pups to play with one another in without bothering the daily labors of the pack. In a clearing were several different pups and litters from different parents, each playing like all little Hunter Titan pups did by roughhousing, chasing things, and challenging one another. Titus yawned in the slightest and relaxed against a tree, ready to watch and see the results - hoping that Atlas would make a friend within the hour. The pup needed someone to be with besides himself for Titus couldn't always keep the pup company._

_**(POV SWAP)** _

_The greens above fluttered in the wind that carried through the forest in a gentle breeze. It was wondrous and peaceful, a fine day and a constant feast for the eyes of the young titan. The trees were flourishing along with every ounce of organic life that was even more abundant after a recent rain. Of course, Atlas was too absorbed in the environment around him as well as being too young to recognize that fact. Sure, the den that he and Titus shared was cozy, warm, and possessed a safe atmosphere but to the young pup it was boring. Only a place to curl up and fall asleep. The place that his Titus had called the 'outside' was much more of a sight to behold and a much more fun one. It was full of things that grasped his undivided attention. There was softness between his feet that tickled his toes and covered the earth as far as he could see. Some parts were taller than others and were bursting with intricate things that smelled sweet. The things that he overheard his Titus call 'rocks' were much bigger and more imposing than any that was in the den. The objects that amazed him most were the towering things that stretched high over his head with tops of green. Their surfaces were rough as opposed to his smooth skin that had lost its own softness that was like that he found on the top of his head. Their arms branched out with the brightness coming through in the holes to light the lushness below. There were also things that moved about in the outside world that were smaller and much different than him and the other titans. Some were soft, had long ears, sticks on their heads, and some even looked and felt like tiny rocks. Atlas loved the company of the smaller creatures. They usually stayed near him when he approached them, the little titan quickly finding them to be great companions. He had even tried to bring them back with him into the den – the creatures only escaping quickly to return to the outside. Atlas gurgled as he toddled along, walking not unlike a human toddler. Today was a very different day for the pup. A step out of routine. Usually, when he and his Titus ventured into the outside with the large titan, the giant was always hanging over him and not letting him stray out of his sight. This time, Titus had literally held and guided him in the right direction – performing his act of pointing over and over before the little titan understood that Titus was giving him the permission to roam with the titan sitting from a watchful position of course. Atlas was thrilled at the chance to venture._

_Granted, as incredible as Atlas found the outside world beyond the den, there were also things that he learned to avoid and be leery of and such things he questioned. His first time in the outside world was purely terrifying and full of confusion. Titus was his. Titus kept him warm, fed him, and watched him. Atlas understood that Titus was his everything. However, when he went outside – mother was there along with his littermates. There was her smell and her face – the very that he remembered in the fog of his arrival. However, when he went to embrace her, she was angry. She roared, snarled, and hit him. Mother had made it clear that he should stay far from her. Atlas didn't understand. Why did she do what was done? Why? What had he done? He had been so fearful after that. He didn't want to leave the den for what seemed like eons until Titus brought him out into the outside again. Even as he walked among the other titans, most of them ignored him or looked away. His own father, as their eyes met from afar, did not look upon him too kindly. Only a few would exchange friendly grunts and flutter their ears. But ultimately they didn't interact with him like Titus did. The pale one just watched him in silence. This confused the pup. Why was he with Titus? Why did his mother and father not want him? Had he done something?_

_The titan pup huffed to himself, his mind quickly trailing off once again to his surroundings – curiosity ignited by a small and brightly colored fluttering thing that danced around his head. The things that moved off the ground and high above the overhanging green amazed him so. Doing such was a wonder, but from his first experience on traveling out of the den he had learned that titans could do no such thing. He was meant to move along the earth. Atlas gurgled, the sound becoming a soft squeal as he tried to gently cup the flapping insect in his hands. The little beast's odd mouth drew into a wider smile as a natural instinct pertaining to play flooded through him. The pup huffed and squeaked as he began to bounce and bound in every direction that the creature went. With pupils blown wide, Atlas watched the fluttering thing hover over his head and just out of his reach. It was composed of so many hues! It was as buttery as sweet smelling blooms, deep crimson as the nectar he drank, and blue as what lay beyond the overhanging green. Atlas often found himself marveling at such, after all – titans were only the colors of dirt and sand. Of course, the pup nor the other titans seemed to mind this fact. A garbled sound escaped from his lipless maw as the butterfly began to ascend upwards. Not willing to let his playmate leave, Atlas carried himself forward as quickly as he could, bracing his plump hands against the base of one of the tall things – his fingers gripping the rough surface as the little titan tried to call the creature back to him. Atlas's heart sank in the slightest as he watched it sail towards the green boundary. The pup whined, smile sinking before his somewhat chubby façade morphed into a look of determination. Atlas crouched upon the ground to where he sat on the balls of his feet, hips wiggling before he launched himself up as high as his developing muscles could. However, it wasn't enough. The little titan tumbled roughly back to the earth, rolling over comically before stopping to rest on his stomach._

_The pup snorted in irritation, emitting a rather pitiful growl to curse himself at his failure. Atlas quickly sat back upon his rump and turned his greens back to where the fluttering thing had been only to discover that it was nowhere to be seen. His tapered ears sank in sheer disappointment only to perk up again as he heard the rustling of organic blades. Almost like the creatures that hooted at night, Atlas swiveled his head quickly to see a hopping thing nibbling away at the forest's bounty. His ears twitched in excitement as he briskly got on all fours and crouched, bright greens watching and looking for the right moment. It was a game to the little titan. He always tried to catch the quick and nimble creatures in hopes that they would become companions. Other times, Atlas would just observe the hopping things that he was sure he heard his Titus call them 'rabbits' or 'bunnies' when he managed to catch one and bring it to the den – only for it to escape back into the outside. Atlas beamed, crouching further and preparing himself. Finally, the rabbit turned in the slightest and the pup launched himself forward with an excited squeal. Startled, the small creature turned to peer upon the Hunter Titan pup before bolting- powerful hind legs working to their full potential. The rabbit darted left and right with Atlas mirroring its movements, hopping much like he did before he began to move about primarily upon two legs. Compared to the rabbit, the young titan was clumsier, nearly rolling or toppling over every time the rabbit curved sharply around rocks and trees. Atlas chirruped, huffing as the animal darted down a steep hill that caught the pup by surprise – the sharp knoll causing Atlas to misjudge how fast he was going. The tiny titan's feet went over his planted hands to completely offset him, provoking him to flip forward. Atlas released a squeak in surprise as he somersaulted down the steep terrain, flipping over and over with Atlas igniting with panic. Then, a rough surface impacted his back and the spinning world around him stopped. Slowly, Atlas peeled open his eyes to see his feet and the above green – the pup sitting the wrong way up. Atlas let out a confused squeak as he maneuvered to sit correctly. The little beast blinked several times as he tried to gather himself. Recalling the rabbit that had been his target, Atlas hoisted himself to his feet and scanned the green to discover that the animal was nowhere to be found. A small whine sounded in the back of his throat. He was really hoping to take the rabbit back with him to show his Titus. Of course, determination settled within him again and Atlas rotated his ears and sniffed in an attempt to locate his potential friend again. He quickly found that the rabbit was long gone._

_However, a different scent and sound came to him – one that made the little titan forget about the rabbit instantly. It was no doubt the smell of the other titans, but it wasn't the other mothers and fathers. The sounds they made were like those he produced – excited squeaks and playful growls. Atlas's chest fluttered, something pounded in him. This had never happened before. The tiny titan looked around for a moment, making sure that none of the larger titans were around before hoisting his chubby frame over the log that he had hit. He had to take a look. He had to. Atlas smiled, grunting cheerfully as he clumsily made his way down the hill. He knew that he shouldn't get too excited, but he couldn't help it._

_Atlas's plump feet carried him through the rough landscape, the light beginning to take refuge behind the overhead green. The forest, as Titus had called the outside sometimes, had grown a bit more crowded and dense. The tall things were cuddled close together with strings of green like those in the den, tangling around them like a lover's adoring embrace. The ground was very steep and the young titan had been forced to take his time scaling down it – planting his feet on narrow ledges, climbing over sleeping stones, and felled tall things that had seemingly lost their balance and collapsed to meet the earth. The pup grunted as he hoisted himself onto the top of a small stone, crouching to examine from his new perch. The scents were very close now, Atlas determined – closing his eyes and sniffing to reassure himself that he was right. The little titan leaned forward, ears erect and eyes narrowing as he peered through the dense drapery of leaves. The pounding in his chest quickened. He could see the color of flesh, it was them. Those who he always wanted to meet._

_Atlas then left his perch with a quiet rumble and softly threaded across the ground. The knoll then leveled and the pup quickened his gate to duck behind the shelter of a stone. His ears listened and twitched with the yipping, squeaking, and playful growls. Gradually, Atlas rounded the rock and stood. Afore him was a clearing surrounded by the tall things and high rocky walls like that of the den. Light spilled down from the green, highlighting the area in speckled light. Leaping, pouncing, and tackling one another in the clearing were the other titan pups of the pack. Atlas quivered in the slightest, lifting his hands up to interlace his fingers beneath his chin. The pup's breath hitched as he continued to watch the others play, vocalizing and nipping at one another's ears. He was nervous. He had never been around the other titans his age. Never. The closest he had ever been to them was when he was introduced to the outside world for the first time with his littermates just a few feet from him behind his furious mother. It was since that day that he didn't stray too far from Titus when walking among the pack. He knew well that the other mothers seemed incredibly watchful of their pups. With some of the titans leery of him, he didn't venture close to the other pups in case their mothers were not fond of him either. Now here he was, in the company of the other young titans without the watching eyes of their parents present._

_Atlas fretfully rubbed his own hands over one another – the tips of his ears trembling. Would these pups not like him either? The young titan swallowed. He wanted them to. Oh how he wanted them to like him! He really wanted another friend! Titus was wonderful, but sometimes the much larger behemoth seemed too tired to roughhouse – often refusing to give in to his ear pulling when the light peeked into the den when the darkness left. Atlas blinked, watching the other pups growl as threatening as they could as they reared and pounced on one another – rolling around in the earth's softness. It was then that any ounce of fretfulness left the pup, the feeling replaced by the lust for merriment. A need to play – an infant titan's weakness. Atlas let a squeal part from him as he propelled himself into the glade. The little beast quickly dropped down to motion forward on all fours – his mouth formed into a broad smile knowing that he was in for quite some fun. Atlas kicked, his plump body sailing into the air and landing upon the pile of tangling pups._

_At his impact there were several surprised squeaks. They shifted beneath him, scattering in different directions before spinning around and going after the first titan they lay their eyes upon. Atlas stood to follow suit, his vibrant greens spotting a small female and two males running around one another in a tight circle. Atlas's ears fluttered as his heart pounded with adrenaline. The pup then sprinted as fast as he could to meet them, tripping once to tumble onto his face before getting up again to make his way for the group. Atlas then dropped to his hands and feet once again to match the stance of the others. Almost seamlessly, he positioned himself to run in their small circle. Atlas kept his eyes onto the female that was leading, trailing close behind her as she charged into another group of pups. Atlas trilled loudly, hopping into the fray yet again. The cluster of six babies swarmed like honeybees, trying their best to topple one another over. Soon the group merged with the other with hands and teeth grabbing ears and strands of hair. Elated greens scanned the moving pups for a particular victim to tackle, the little beast selecting the closest target near him which happened to be the same female pup that he had followed before. As nimble as he was, Atlas spun in her direction and pounced, his flesh meeting hers and the two tiny behemoths tumbling and rolling in the green. He let out the most fearsome growl and nipped at his opponent's locks, playfully pulling them as her teeth pulled upon the tip of his tapered ear, the two chirping and squealing until they came to rest in a puddle of dappled light, Atlas beneath her own chubby form. The baby titan released a shrill trill and merrily pawed at her as she attempted to pin him down through his kicks and soft swipes. Suddenly however, the female paused in her attempts, her body simply standing over his own until she let out a startled squeak and lifted herself free from him. Atlas sat up in slight confusion, but keeping his odd maw in a smile as he observed._

_The rather rowdy pups had gone silent, stopping their pretend quarrels to look upon him with what he determined as shock as well. Stunned. Atlas cooed, rocking a bit. They must have noticed him! A few of the small titans looked at one another and some edged a bit closer, weary movements falling under Atlas's detection. The female tilted her head, ears erect as she looked at him. Since the pups were calm, Atlas could easily look upon her face as well as the others'. Each one looked similar to him with the exception of a few of them having their mouths shielded by flesh. The female lacked the covering like he did but the softness upon her head was a bit curlier – eyes being the color of what lay beyond the green overhead. Atlas kept quiet, his skin still pulled into a smile as the other small titan leaned forward and began to sniff him, her nose twitching much like a rabbit's. Atlas did the same, little nostrils flaring as he inhaled her scent until he concluded his examination with a purr. His ears fluttered with anticipation, watching as the female tilted her head a bit before her own toothy maw shaped itself into a smile._

" _ **NAANE?"**_ _The pup squeaked out, voice significantly higher than the tone of Titus's. Atlas only kept his grin upon his face, much too caught up with the fact that he was finally being noticed. "_ _ **NAANE?"**_ _The titan spoke again, her smile fading in the slightest._

_Atlas blinked, perplexed at her faltering smile. Was she disappointed in something? Could she be sad? Maybe she just wanted to play more? Deciding that was the latter, Atlas released a trill and rolled onto his side, reaching up to paw at her again. However, she didn't give in to his invitation, her grin only falling further until the pup perked up yet again._

" _ **NNAANNEE?"**_ _She asked again, holding up her hand and placing it on her chest. "_ _ **KAANAA."**_ _She beamed. "_ _ **KAANNAA."**_ _The young titan pressed on, speaking much slower and then pointing to him once again. "_ _ **NANNE?"**_

_At a sudden realization, Atlas stalled in his attempts of beckoning her to play. Green eyes widened even further. Was she asking for his name? The thing that Titus called him by as he did to him? He had come to learn after many long hours spent listening to Titus and the other titans perform the thing called 'speaking' Atlas knew that names were things that each titan owned and called one another by. Atlas. Atlas was his name. This pup, Kana, she wanted to know his name!_

_To reply, Atlas opened his maw and let out a variety of sounds – his vocals nothing but a mixture of breaths, grunts, and other noises that were as close as he could get to his name with the others simply staring. The pup paused, his somewhat pudgy face screwing up in fortitude with a touch of irritation before he parted his teeth to try again – his throat begging him to quit. It was one thing that he didn't understand. He couldn't speak like the others. He didn't get why he couldn't do this wondrous thing like they could. His mouth was indeed lipless like many of the titans in the pack, but it couldn't seem to form any word at all. Just sounds that were agonizing to the ear as well as his delicate tissues. Feeling his throat give, Atlas stopped his attempts and smiled at Kana and the others in hopes that they still understood him._

_The female pup's brows pinched together in confusion, ears flat against her head before she glanced at the others who shared her perplexity. The young titan tilted her head comically. "_ _**NO… TTAALK?"** _ _Kana squeaked, shifting closer to him and looking upon him with great interest._

_Atlas kept his warm smile, wanting nothing more than to just continue playing. With the idea in mind to urge them on, the pup let out another squeal and dropped down again to roll upon his back, holding out his hands to further tempt the others. Wiggling his ears, he waited with the other small titans still watching him. Finally, another pup hopped excitedly, big smile upon his face with him own finger directed at him._

" _ **GEEN EYES!"**_ _The pup spoke with the others looking on in realization, ears perking up and all confusion vanishing from their faces. Many of the pups stepped forward to smell him with others letting out shrieks of glee and branching away to take part in another form of play. Still, Atlas kept his grin as they continued to take in his scent as he did with them. Green Eyes. This was another name that he seemed to have. He didn't really know of any other titans with two names. He had often heard the other titans call him Green Eyes in passing. He didn't like the name as much as he liked the name Atlas and it seemed that Titus didn't favor it much either. Atlas recalled his Titus correct others on occasion when it was needed, but overall the other titans seemed to only call him by his second title. The only other titan that called him Atlas was the pale titan with a name that was so complex that he didn't even try to reiterate it. He had quickly learned and understood that the pale titan was the pack's leader and he was not to be opposed. Although the leader was stoic he seemed to favor him, Atlas still kept clear. Indeed, he was a bit disappointed that he wasn't faultless enough that the pups understood what he was trying to say. He supposed that it was better than nothing at all though._

_He just wanted to play with friends. That was all he wanted._

_Atlas observed as one by one, the sniffing titans dispersed, the little titan trying to follow their sudden movements – his head tilting back and spinning with the little beast losing his balance and tipping in the slightest. Kana brushed past him to join the group of pups that were engaging in a new activity. Atlas blinked at the sight afore him. Cutting through part of the clearing was ditch dusted with dirt. A few rocks were nestled against the edges where the green met the slope of the earth. The small titans had lined themselves up behind one another – an act that Atlas found strange. He remained silent as he watched a pup stand at the edge of one of the stony slabs. The pup's face was formed into a look of fortitude as it bent its knees to get into a squat. Atlas felt a sense of confusion nipping him. Several times he had seen the larger titans get into such a position to get the red things out of their mouths. The sight made his spine quiver. He had seen his Titus perform such an act before and to Atlas it seemed painful. Was the pup in front of him doing what he thought he was doing?_

_However, to Atlas's relief, the pup did nothing of the sort. The young titan jumped as far as he could possibly go, sailing over the powdered earth before touching down on the other side, imperfect but successfully landing. The infant squealed in triumph with the other pups letting out trills at the other's conquering. He continued to watch as another pup repeated the process followed by another. Atlas chuffed, rolling over to stand up once again. His head tilted curiously as he gradually made his way toward the group of pups. However, his lively greens adverted to the dirt filled ditch – the soft earth suddenly very appetizing and gathering his full attention. Atlas trilled happily and toddled towards his new destination, hopping into the dirt pit and rolling about with a squeal. It felt so good between his fingers and toes! Turning about in the soft earth was fun! Sure, it was quite dusty, but he could always cleanse himself afterwards and Titus would make sure his hair was clean. Atlas squealed and huffed further as his plump hands gripped handfuls of dirt and tossed them with a chirp. Atlas beamed broadly as he plopped down upon his rump and dipped his hands in the dirt, moving them around and watching the sediment shift in great interest beneath his digits. Atlas bit his tongue in concentration as he shifted the soft earth into a small pile, ears fluttering in glee as he marveled at his work – unaware that the other titans were silently looking on at him with slight senses of concern and adjudication. Atlas trilled yet again as he stood only to stamp his foot down into the pile._

" _ **GEEN… EYES?"**_

_Upon hearing his second name, Atlas paused in his play to turn and look upon Kana, the male who had spoken, as well as the other little pups who were staring at him. Atlas squeaked, big smile on his odd face as the tiny male and female left the line and made their way into the dirt filled ditch. The little titan squealed elatedly. Were his new friends coming to join him? Atlas practically trembled as the two came to stand next to him and placed their hands upon his shoulders. Naturally, he tried to invite them with a garbled mess of vocals to join him. However, the two only pushed him forward towards the direction of the other pups. His smile faded and his ears stopped wiggling. What were they doing? Why were they taking him away? Why were they not joining him? Feeling uneasy, Atlas let out a whine and dug his heels into the ground – making the two titans stop to look upon him again. Nervous, he tried to pull away but the two motioned to hold his hands, smiling at him and pointing to the rock that the pups were jumping from, grunting and gesturing to try and get their point across. Atlas blinked, ears lowered and cringing as Kana and the pup moved him further._

_But he was having none of it._

_With all his strength, he broke free from their grasps and bounced back to seat himself once again in the dirt happily. Atlas squealed to himself as he pushed the dirt around again, not catching the others' intense staring. The young behemoth then began to scoop the earth into a pile again, but stopping as soon as he felt a familiar hand. Startled, Atlas swiveled his head around to see Kana beaming down at him. Frozen, he watched as she pointed to the other pup that was now standing upon the rock._

" _ **TAANNO!**_ _" Kana informed, giving him the male's name. "_ _ **JJJUNNP!"**_

_Atlas blinked, eyes observing as Tano bent his legs and launched himself from the stone, sailing through the air for a slight moment before landing awkwardly on the other side – having not built the energy needed to get his entire body upon it – his rear comically hanging over the ditch. Atlas watched the titan scramble to his feet and look down at him while hopping enthusiastically._

" _ **JUMP!"**_

_Kana chirruped. "_ _**GEEN EYES… JUNNP!"** _

_Atlas finally let out a breath and looked from the rocky perches to the two young titans. After several back and forth glances did he finally get what Tano and Kana wanted. The pup gurgled in glee. They wanted him to join in on their jumping game! Knowing such, Atlas scrambled to his feet and climbed from the ditch to make his way to the opposite side where there was no line of pups. The small giant positioned himself on the overhanging stone and began to prepare himself, tightening his developing muscles and focusing on his goal – tuning out several shrill and opposing shrieks. Before he could thrust himself forward however, the same sets of hands grasped his shoulders and spun him around. Kana and Tano gave disapproving grunts and raised their fingers to the other side to indicate what they wished of him. His brows furrowed and ears folded backward while he disagreed with a miniscule growl. As he attempted to resume his act, Tano gently gripped his shoulders again and furthered his attempts in turning him. Stubborn and growing irritated, Atlas parted his maw to release a defiant screech as he pulled back and flailed in the slightest. He didn't understand! Why were they trying to make him go the other way! This particular perch that he had his eye on was much better to jump from! Atlas let out another screech and pulled as hard as he could in the opposite direction, bending down so his bottom nearly grazed the grass. At his rebellion, Kana and Tano released him with still and stunned looks upon their own chubby faces. For several long moments, the other pups simply stared at him, watching as he got up with a rough grunt before smiling again as he approached the edge of overhanging slab. His ears wiggled excitedly as the line of titans stepped back a few feet from his target. They were silent as he prepared, hesitant to make a single squeak or move as he focused on his mark. Atlas stepped back, twice for good measure, and hunkered down with one foot forward and the other behind him, posed like an athlete. Then, after a deep breath, he charged forward and leaped off the hard stone with a triumphant cry. He sailed, feeling like he was practically floating as if the earth couldn't catch him. Finally, he touched down before the other pups – landing perfectly on his own two feet, something that the others had not accomplished. Atlas's smile grew bigger. He had made it! Animated, Atlas released a squeaky roar to the overhanging green and blue beyond. His eyes looked upon his peers and was met with overwhelming praise – the titan pups becoming vocal as they bounced. Tano and Kana soon joined them, the two titans purring and dipping their heads rub against him in congratulation. Atlas purred and brushed against them in return, expressing his thanks. He felt so good! The other pups were wonderful!_

_Then, the sound of a snapping twig instantly silenced the celebrating titans. All ears rotated forward and eyes adverted to the other side of the glade, the pups still as they beheld the new visitor. Atlas's heart pounded as his curiosity spiked. The creature was one of the fuzzy beasts, but unlike any that he had ever seen. It certainly wasn't a rabbit. It had horns, but not upon its head like the prancing deer but rather coming out of its mouth. The animal was low slum, belly rounded and its features were small and beady. The softness upon it didn't look smooth to the touch but rather coarse. Atlas grew more interested. He had never seen a creature such as the one in front of him before. It sported and grunted much like many of the titans did. It rooted its nose in the ground – it was peculiar. For the young titan, the animal was absolutely intriguing._

_It was then that an instinct ignited within the pups, one that was deeply seeded within the species. One that pertained to make chase, to practice the art of the hunt. The creature then lifted its head with its black eyes flashing in their direction, an event that made the pups abandon their current activity and spring forward into a sprint. Atlas let out a high pitch roar like many of the others as they charged into battle. The vibration of the earth crafted by the footfalls of the tiny titans instantaneously provoked the animal to bolt. The panicked squeals of the beast only fueled the pups' urges even more. Atlas moved with the group, a mini pack all on their own. His ears were back against his skull, chubby legs pumping strongly. The animal was all he was focused on, irises blown wide. Soon, he pushed his way up through the group to be with those leading the assault. His prey swerved, weaving into a collection of rocks. Atlas, along with many other members of the small pack, leaped upon the stone to plunge their arms into the gaps to swipe at the furred beast as it attempted to find cover. He huffed, bending over awkwardly with his rump in the air as he tried to snag the animal that had managed to brush his fingers. Atlas let out a high pitched growl, trying to resituate in his strange position to get closer to the thing that was currently captivating the pups, eyes following it as it dipped beneath an overhanging ledge. Atlas quickly got back up and tried to push through the others who were now huddled against each other as they tried to snag their prize. He let out another series of tiny growls, trying his hardest to get through. He really wanted to catch the snorting thing! He wanted it badly! So very badly! He wanted to win this too! He wanted more praise, the affection shown to him by his new found friends._

_Then, a pup's hand managed to push the creature from its shelter, making it bolt back into the open glade. Atlas swiftly turned and released another cry as he leapt from the rocks and initiated his hunt again. The other young behemoths soon followed, but ultimately falling behind as he pushed himself. His nostrils flared, heart pounding as he remained focused on his victim. Every impulse and instinct of the hunt was flowing through him. For a moment, it seemed nothing else existed in the outside world. The animal curved left then right with Atlas mirroring it. Finally, the furred creature slowed, sides heaving as it begged for air. He chirruped excitedly. He could do it. He could get it and show it to the others now! Then the creature slowed to nearly a halt, moving in a weak gallop. Seeing his opening, Atlas lunged forward, palm and fingers wrapping around his noisy prize. The juvenile titan rolled in the green, still keeping his firm grip on the thing in his hand until the canopy and earth stopped trading places._

_Atlas blinked, reality coming back to him as the frantic squealing swarmed around within his ears. Looking over, he saw the animal thrashing fruitlessly in his grip. His heart lifted into his chest, the pounding in his breast quicker. He had done it! The small pup then scrambled to his feet as the other tiny titans approached him, their ears fluttering in excitement at his catch._

" _ **GEEN EYYES!"**_ _A pup pointed. "_ _ **PIIGG!"**_

_He let out a sound of understanding. So this thing was what was called a pig? Atlas beamed at his discovery. Absolutely elated with his success at obtaining the animal, Atlas squealed and shook his arms – joisting the pig as he spun around in a circle and stamped his feet into the earth. After several more rotations, Atlas stopped to smile at the dizzy pig in his hand with the others looking on in amusement at his sheer and unique display of excitement. Wishing to show the others his catch again, Atlas motioned closer to the group with his hand stiffly outstretched to give the mini pack as well as Tano and Kana a better look._

_However, a new scent made him stop in his tracks. His ears lifted, swiveling around as his nostrils opened wider as he scrutinized further. He knew this scent. It was a very familiar one. One that he wouldn't soon forget. Hearing the new arrivals in the clearing, Atlas turned around to see none other than his three littermates emerge from the thick green. They stopped upon seeing him - faces stunned, pupils wide, and brows raised in the slightest. It had been a while since Atlas had seen them this close. He didn't know their names, but it was clear that he had a brother and two sisters. The two females were very similar, sharing the same hair length as his but with their eyes matching in hue – a strange mix of green and the color of the sky. The male looked more like his father, yellow eyes the color bright amber and his hair was shorter than his._

" _ **MITUS!"**_ _Tano announced._

" _ **ZEAL!"**_

" _ **TESSMEE!"**_

_He let out a small gasp. So those were their names? The names of his littermates? Atlas felt the longing feeling inside his chest again before it occurred to him. Mother was nowhere to be seen. Father too. His tapered ears fluttered quickly and eager squeaks left his maw. This was his chance! He could finally play with his littermates! He could be with Mitus, Zeal, and Tesame! Atlas perked up even further, perhaps they would like to see the pig he had caught too!_

_With the idea in mind, Atlas quickly bounced over to where his brothers and sisters stood. His sisters only stilled even further and his brother's face remained almost puzzled as he came before them. Atlas shuttered in their presence as he tried to mutter their names with no success. He then held the pig to his brother, watching as the larger pup's head cocked back with his chin resting on his chest as he looked at Atlas and the pig with a look of repugnance. For a moment, Atlas was confused with Mitus, but perhaps the pup had never seen a pig either. Again, Atlas offered his raucous catch, grunting to ensure that it was fine to look at. The forest was still and quiet as Mitus continued his stare._

_He didn't see it coming._

_Mitus's face suddenly changed, nose wrinkling and brows narrowing with a dangerous glint filling the little beast's yellow eyes. His brother abruptly lifted his hand and swatted at Atlas's hand, hard enough to send the pig flying out of his grip. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, he found himself being shoved hard to the ground. Many alarmed squeaks met his ears. He slowly lifted his head to see Mitus standing over him with his mouth pulled into a sneer and his short hair ruffling upon his head as he growled – angry. Atlas could only look at his littermate in fear. Why? Why was Mitus not liking him either?_

_Kana looked at him worriedly, too frightened to move. "_ _**GEEEN EYYES?"** _ _She began only to be cut off as Mitus turned to peer upon her and pointed at him._

" _ **BAADD!"**_ _He harshly educated. "_ _ **GREEN EEYESS… BAAD!"**_

_Atlas held his breath. Bad. No! he wasn't bad! He was just trying to share with his brother! Why was Mitus doing this! The shaken pup gradually tried to get back up, but before he could get to his feet, he was forced into the dirt yet again. Now completely panicked and frightened, Atlas's greens returned to see Mitus ominously standing over him again._

" _ **BAAD!**_ _" Mitus stated yet again – suddenly tilting his head back to screech, the sound so piercing that it practically silenced the area and rattled his ears. Atlas whimpered, trying to get up again – the move only provoking Mitus to lunge. Atlas yelped as his brother collided with him, the two rolling in the dusty earth. Green eyes watched in horror as Mitus raised his petite fists and brought them down upon his chest, knocking the wind out of him. A hand slapped across his cheek, a stinging pain radiating through his jaw with the slight taste of blood seeping onto his tongue. Raring to free himself, Atlas managed to roll out from beneath his littermate and make his way towards the other pups, squeaking in desperation – wishing for their aid._

_They didn't move._

_They did nothing._

_They just stared._

_His heart didn't even have time to sink as Mitus tackled him into the ground yet again. Atlas was petrified. He didn't fight. He didn't even counter any of his brother's attacks. He simply remained still. He couldn't do anything. He didn't want to harm Mitus. He didn't –_

_Atlas's train of thought was cut short as the pup suddenly sank his teeth into his ear – the little titan screaming in agony. He felt the blood run down his neck, his brother's growling muffled by crimson. Why! Why was this happening to him! He had only wanted to play. Now all he wanted was someone to come same him._

* * *

_His heart thundered, his great hands pushing the towering trees from his wake as he charged through the wood. Titus was in shock. He had made another mistake again. At first, he had relished in his success. Atlas was getting along fairly well with the other young pups that the birthing season produced. He seemed to be getting close with the pups Kana and Tano – both energetic and very friendly clever pups born of a good bloodline. They had been the perfect match for Atlas to play with. They had grown fully aware of Atlas's disabilities upon meeting him, but embraced the special pup with open arms. He had been getting along well with the other titans as well. But the unthinkable had transpired – something that he did not anticipate. He damn sure wasn't counting on the rest of Atlas's littermates showing up. When they did, his heart had gone wild knowing very well what was to occur. Pups learned from their parents and often mirror everything that they do. It was definite that Mitus fully adapted his parent's beliefs about Atlas. Titus swallowed. Of all things he didn't want to happen. Damn he was doing a horrible job as a parental guardian._

_Titus silently cursed his form as he carried himself through the forest, wishing for anatomy that allowed him to carry his weight faster. The unmistakable sound of Atlas screaming met his ears and chilled his blood. He simply couldn't believe that Mitus had taken things to the extreme. From experience, Titus knew that on rare occasions Hunter Titans would show aggression towards one another if they didn't favor the other for any reason. They would bite and hit one another but never outright kill just to show who was boss. In his four-hundred years, he has seen very few pups get into fights – let alone with their own littermates. Mitus bullying Atlas was the one thing he never wanted._

_The thing however that startled him and broke his heart the most however was the fact that Atlas wasn't fighting back. The pup just let himself be beaten up. Atlas just seemed unwilling to fight his own brother. Deep down, Titus hoped that the pup under his care wasn't doing such a thing because he felt like he deserved it. Atlas didn't deserve any of the cruelty that he ever received. Another alarming fact was the visual that the other pups were not stepping in. It was either that they were scared stiff or Mitus had made his message clear._

_Oh how he didn't want this to happen!_

_Finally, after what seemed as if he had been running for miles, Titus scaled over the low rocky barrier and into the clearing. His heart nearly stopped at the now clear view of Atlas being pinned beneath a growling Mitus who had his teeth sunk into the other's shoulder with Atlas letting out a long and strained whine. The other pups looked to the larger titan, but only remained wide eyed as a spooked owl. Zeal and Tesame squeaked at their brother – the vocal meant to project Mitus to torture further. Seeing enough, Titus let out a rippling snarl and stamped his foot into the ground, hard enough that Mitus was tossed off of Atlas. The short haired pup looked up at the larger titan, eyes quickly adverting away to stare heatedly at a nearby rock. Titus growled, wordlessly telling the unruly pup to back up which Mitus did reluctantly, walking back over to join his sisters and sitting in a protective and watchful manner. Once he was sure that Mitus was stationary, Titus bent down to tend to Atlas._

_The sight practically broke him._

_Atlas was whimpering softly as he limped towards him, having been bitten on his leg. The little pup held his wounded shoulder and his head was hung low – ears wilted with one of them folded over as it was nearly bitten off. A slight bit of blood from the corner of his mouth, revealing that he had been hit across the face rather hard. Atlas trembled, completely horrified and frightened. Even beneath the pup's wild hair that cascaded over his face – it was evident that Atlas was crying, damp cheeks clearly present. Wisps of steam rose from the pup, the wounds slowly healing but doing nothing emotionally. Titus finally released a shaky breath. Not really knowing what to do, he lifted a hand towards the sniveling juvenile._

" _ **ATLAS?"**_

_The tiny titan stalled for a moment before quickening his pace and grabbing Titus's hand, burying his wet face into the warm flesh. The pup held him tightly, his tiny nails almost digging into his own skin. His chest tightened even further as he picked up the sounds of Atlas's muffled cries. He winced more as he felt his hand dampen. Finally, he willed his body to move a single muscle, choosing to do the only thing that he knew for certain how to do – raise his opposite hand to place on Atlas to rub in comfort._

_Before he could even ensure that he was alright, the situation grew even worse._

_Their scents met his nose and the sounds of their footprints met his ears. Knowing just who it was, Titus quickly brought himself upright to stand over Atlas just in time as Clymene and a few of the other concerned mothers came into the glade – obviously alerted by Mitus's screech. Internally, Titus was fearful – terrified about what could possibly transpire. Still, he kept his stoic face to not show Atlas his weakness let alone to any of the mothers. Of course, he was seething with anger and it was the perfect time to lecture Clymene. After all, he was a Mentor and close to being an Elder. He had more authority to enforce Azeroron's wishes. He was going to be there for Atlas this time._

_The clearing was tense, deathly silent as the other mothers quickly checked their pups to see if they were fine before looking around to search for a potential threat. A lump formed in Titus's throat as Clymene's sharp eyes peered down at her litter, examining them with a practiced eye – one that a mother Hunter Titan possessed. Her suspicions then fell on Mitus who was still staring heatedly at Atlas behind him, growling and making a small fuss. Clymene's brows narrowed, nostrils flaring as she inhaled the scent of her unwanted young. Much like he had seen hawks do, Clymene rotated her head quickly to view Atlas cowering behind his calf with Titus fearing to even look upon his face that was likely petrified. Then the mother's piercing teals flared with absolute distain, brows lowering and face forming into an ugly snarl as she released a piercing roar at the innocent pup. Even though it was a roar with the message to stay away, it still hit Titus's nerve. He then countered Clymene with a loud and guttural howl that commanded her as well as the other mothers' undivided attention. Titus kept his teeth bared and continued to growl while Clymene stood back up to meet his gaze. To his surprise, she simply kept her menacing glare upon him. By her body language, it was clear to Titus that she was holding back her tongue. She was currently reading him. He knew what she was thinking and what conclusion she had come to seeing Atlas with him. Even knowing this, Titus felt the need to project it aloud._

" _ **IT WAS… AZERORON'S WAY."**_ _He informed in a gruff tone. "_ _ **HE… ATLAS, WAS… PUT IN… MY CARE."**_ _Titus revealed, studying Clymene's body language and making note of the slight muscle twitch in her face._

_It was clear that she was essentially cornered by his powerful gaze alone, golden eyes practically burning beneath the canopy. She simply stared at him, jaw clenched and her muscles tight. There was a natural need present for her to chase away what she deemed as a nuisance, but above all else there was complete resentment for him. For Clymene, with him promoted to be Atlas's guardian, it was the one thing she and Thorn didn't want. After all, with his time getting closer to select another pupil - all they wanted him to do was select one of their three 'perfect' pups to train. Not spending his time caring for a pup that was practically unwanted by a large amount of the pack with very special needs. Deep down, Titus knew she was greatly upset with how Atlas was and knew he would never be an Advancer as Titus concluded as well. But she, her mate, and many of the others' behavior was still inhumane to a pup that wasn't causing any trouble or harming anyone._

_This was just simply not a good thing for Atlas. Not a good day at all._

_Clymene released a harsh breath, ears pinning back before she let out a rough snort. Titus watched, feeling a small amount of victory as she turned around in the opposite direction and grunted sharply for her pups to trail her. The other mothers followed suit, bending down to address their offspring and coax them to follow – Tano, Kana, and many of the other pups flat out refusing. Several of the pups pointed below him to Atlas and looked at their mothers with the simple question of why, only to receive the bluntest form of a denial and their mother's hand pushing them away. Titus sighed in great disappointment as he watched the greenery of the forest swallow up the females and pups, Kana and Tano looking back in worry before leaving them behind. It was for certain now that the other pups would have nothing to do with Atlas now. They were either influenced by their mothers or would be leery of what punishment could befall on them._

_He had hit another bump in the path._

_His muscles relaxed, ears and brow falling as he exhaled despondently. Recalling Atlas's state, Titus turned with the intention to comfort further only to see something else that he didn't want to see._

_Atlas was gone._

_Golden eyes widened in panic. No! Not this! He didn't need this! He didn't want Atlas to wander off and put himself at risk! Titus cursed himself. He should have held him! Knowing that there was no time to waste even though he was in the pack's territory, the concerned titan sniffed deeply, aggressive as he prepared his search. He was obviously provided with Atlas's scent instantly, but it took a slight moment to find the direction the pup had gone in – an area of the forest where more of the sky shone through the canopy. Titus kicked himself forward with all his senses up front. True, Atlas was a pup and couldn't have gone far, but the pup was more agile than the others and could get into places he couldn't. Atlas had certainly done what he did last time his mother threatened him, which was get a safe distance away to hide._

_Oh how this simple plan went horribly so quick._

_Titus continued to follow the scent that guided him around several moss blanketed boulders and long forgotten rotting trees. As a master of tracking, he bent down to the forest floor to briefly smell a patch of long ivy, following it to a nearby fallen branch before determining that he was still on the right track. Knowing another thing he needed to do, Titus produced several loud and frantic ape like grunts that resonated through the trees. Hunter Titans with pups produced the very noise when they suspected a Mindless near the area as a way to ward them off. It was one thing that the oblivious and unintelligent Mindless actually feared greatly. Upon hearing it, one of the only instincts the Mindless had activated, telling them to run or get slaughtered by an angry mother or father Hunter Titan. Not only did he make such a vocal for that reason, but he knew that Atlas would recognize him if he heard._

_Titus rounded another bend only to stop in his tracks. Seeing what was before him, he hung back to observe. Atlas was the only living thing in the quiet and softly lit clearing. The little beast was seated upon his rump, legs out loosely before him. The pup's head was down, eyes looking at his own reflection, the first time he had ever seen it, in a minuscule pond. Atlas's ears were low and forward, revealing that he was showing mild interest. The young titan seemed to be in thought, ears swiveling a bit. Atlas appeared to be fully healed except his eyes were still slightly irritated from his earlier crying. Titus proceeded to study Atlas, trying to figure out what the baby was doing. Perhaps Atlas was struggling to understand what had just transpired. It was a hard thing to call. He couldn't say for sure at points what was going on in Atlas's head. After all, he didn't truly know how extensive his intelligence was with the mental impairment. It was something that he truly hated that he didn't know. It was a difficult study within itself and he hoped that he could see things in time._

_Suddenly and unexpectedly, Atlas smiled and jumped up onto his hands and feet – the act confusing the older titan. The little pup grunted, squealed, and squeaked as he hopped happily in place. Atlas bounced back and forth, his attention still focused on the crystalline surface of the pond. The pup then paused for a split second, puffing himself up with his hair raising before leaping into the pond with a loud squeal. Titus felt his lips shape themselves into a smile. Atlas was playing with his reflection. The larger titan huffed as the pup proceeded to roll around in the water before scrambling to his feet again to bound around in a circle only to repeat the process._

_But then Titus's grin began to dissipate – a depressing thought coming to mind. Atlas had been reduced to playing with his own reflection. It was a pitiful way to cope with loneliness and he wondered if this was Atlas's way of compensating the fact that he was unlikely ever going to be able to play with the others. It ate away at Titus's insides. Why did the world have to be so cruel at points?_

_Then, as he continued his quiet study, he had an epiphany. He wasn't totally out of options with getting a friend for Atlas. Though the candidate that he had in mind wasn't exactly a pup and a little more mature – he was sure she would be perfect._

_After the particular failure he just endured. It was worth a shot._

* * *

_Titus ignored another roll in his gut, the queasy feeling settling into his system. He made his way up the natural stairs in the cavern to his den, trying to hurry because he knew he didn't have long. He was optimistic about the day. He was going to introduce Atlas to the next step a pup learned at the tender age of two months and three weeks. Not only that, but he was going to try and fix what had occurred with Atlas trying to make friends. This time he wouldn't have to worry about a judgmental parent watching the scene. It would just be him, Atlas, and his current pupil under his instruction. Titus was much more confident that this time he would do something correct and really help the young titan._

_Swallowing back a wad of saliva, Titus pushed the large boulder away from the entrance to the den, something he had to place over it every time he left to hunt so Atlas couldn't escape and harm himself. He was instantly greeted by Atlas's high pitched and thrilled chirps and squeals. The little titan ran as fast as he could towards him, ears wiggling and mouth in a wide smile. Titus grunted his greeting as he moved the boulder back over the entrance – the baby running around his feet and making the job difficult._

" _ **HELLO… ATLAS."**_ _Titus beamed as Atlas wrapped his arms around his calf and buried his face into his skin in a hug – the pup purring loudly. "_ _ **YOU HUNGRY?"**_ _The older titan asked in a friendly manner._

_Atlas squealed again, jumping up and down before proceeding to sprint around the den before diving to roll about in his nest that the pup had already rearranged all over his quarters. Titus sighed as he made his way to what was once his bed and bent down to try and get things in order. Atlas paused in his rolling to bound around Titus before bracing himself against the large titan's knee and peering up at him expectedly. The baby titan wiggled his ears again, gurgling and grunting in need. Titus smiled through his nausea. Ah yes. Atlas was definitely hungry – a feeling that most Hunter Titans experienced as pups and on incredibly rare occasions as adults._

_Knowing that Atlas would have to wait a little bit longer for his meal, Titus reached out to pat the pup's head with the young titan trilling in response. "_ _**HOLD… ON THEN."** _ _Titus breathed, feeling his muscles in his abdomen build up with pressure. "_ _**FOOD… COME SOON. IT... GOING TO BE… NEW AT –** _

_The titan was interrupted with the sharp squeeze of his stomach contracting, the behemoth's breath hitching and brows bunching together at the agony. Atlas's expression and mood changed into one of great concern as Titus naturally got into a new position to ride out the strong contraction – a burden that came with passing a pellet. His hand pressed against his girth as he breathed in preparation. Golden eyes watched as Atlas became even more startled and utterly confused, the pup having never seen an adult titan regurgitate their leftover meals that he knew of. When a titan ate, their body absorbed any nutrients from Mindless meat before ridding themselves of the unneeded. It was something that every kind of titan that the Hunter Titans knew of did. But their breed utilized the function for another very important purpose._

_Finally, an incredibly strong wave of nausea hit him and a mass was forced into his esophagus. Guided by instinct, Titus unhinged his jaw and opened his mouth as wide as possible and began to heave. Saliva and phylum leaked from his chops until a hard and forceful lurch expelled the red pellet from his body – falling to the den floor in a wet heap. Titus took the time to breathe before licking his lips and beard to cleanse. He then smiled warmly at a spooked Atlas and gestured to the fresh pellet and clacking his teeth to emphasize what was to be done. The other usage for a Hunter Titan's pellet was to give their offspring their first meal of solid food. Unlike he or the other mature titans, pups could not force down tough meat, skin, and bones not to mention they ate more often than adults. Thus, their mothers and fathers always engorged themselves on plenty of carrion to regurgitate for their litters. He knew this very well from watching other parents of pups. Sure, Titus wasn't exactly thrilled about eating much more than usual, but at least he only had one pup in his care instead of several – the parents of such litters usually eating so much to the point where their abdomen would bloat and round out until they passed the pellets for their young to eat. The trait was also a way to introduce and awaken a young pup's instincts on how to pass such pellets – a necessary survival skill they would need in their eternal lifetime. Titus kept his friendly façade as he continued to try an entice Atlas into giving the regurgitate solids a try. Patiently, he observed as the pup lowered himself to all fours and sulked to the compacted mound of damp meat. Atlas's nose twitched and his eyes squinted as he stretched his neck to sample the scent. It was a known fact among the Hunter Titans that pups were sometimes hesitant when trying their first true meals, but it normally didn't take long for instincts to awaken. He was proven right as Atlas suddenly lit up like a sunny day, the pup announcing his excitement with a shrill trill before eagerly diving in to the pellet. Titus smiled broadly as Atlas enjoyed his meal, ears wiggling quickly as his teeth gnashed at the saliva coated flesh – the pup peeping and gurgling happily. The tiny titan paused in his feast to look up at the older giant as if to give his thanks before going headfirst into the pellet again. Titus huffed in amusement as Atlas shuffled around the mound of meat as he ate, reminding him of bees circling flowers and young dogs of the human settlement rotating around their dishes as they ate. The fact that Atlas had taken eating solid food well was a great relief for Titus._

" _ **LIKE IT… ATLAS?"**_ _The behemoth questioned, the little beast snapping his head up at the query, grinning with his teeth, chin, and chest reddened from the blood and meaty juices. Atlas then dove into his meal again to steal a few more bites, his appetite bringing a huff out of the large titan. "_ _ **YOU… EAT A LOT."**_ _Titus observed the pup's belly expand to its capacity before Atlas burped and pushed himself back upright, revealing his plumper stomach. Not many babies ate every bit of their first solid food offering, then again Atlas wasn't like the other pups. Perhaps the pup had a higher metabolism. Of course, for unexplainable reasons, some titans in the pack actually binge ate – which was something that he assumed their bodies preferred. Atlas appeared like he was going to fall into that category which wasn't a bad thing but rather a good thing. Titans that binge eat consume a lot in one setting and absorb a vast number of nutrients at one time – making their endurance incredible. It was a relief to Titus that he would possibly not have to retrieve food twice a day but rather once a day. Still, he would have to eat a lot more. Way more._

_Atlas chirruped as he toddled over and clumsily rolled onto his rump. Almost comically, the pup began to rotate and arch his neck to clean himself – little tongue doing a less than perfect job as he tried to get to hard to reach places. This was the first time he had witnessed Atlas partake in self-grooming – the pup the right age to begin the instinctual need. Titus huffed again as Atlas transitioned to licking parts of him that were not even graced with a speck of dirt – the pup toppling over with a surprised squeak before trying to complete his task again. Knowing that he needed to aid Atlas with his cleansing and recalling how the mothers went about such a thing, Titus quickly scooped the roly-poly pup into his lap with Atlas letting out a joyous squeal. Next, he parted his jaws and began to tidy the baby up, licking away the blood and trying to rid any bit of sinew with Atlas cooing – a full tummy making the pup drowsy. Pausing his work, Titus looked over Atlas to make sure the pup's skin was clean before deciding that the task was done._

_Titus sighed as he watched the small titan try to curl up into a little ball between the dip of his thigh. Atlas then began to doze off, but Titus had things planned for the pup and a schedule to keep. Still not wanting to wake the pup up however, Titus carefully maneuvered Atlas into his arms, cupping his rump and cradling the young titan's head as Atlas's chubby cheek rested upon his shoulder. The megalith smiled tenderly to himself as he began to venture out of the den. Hopefully he would succeed on his mission._

* * *

_The light of midday bathed the land in a lovely shade, making all around them bright and crisp. Titus walked along through a stretch of the forest that was full of flowering vegetation, following a natural path that guided the titan to his destination. Atlas had since awoken and was now running around his feet and hopping about in the grass, obviously in a good mood. Titus smiled down at the pup, watching as he paused to look upon a group of deer. Atlas cooed at the creatures, little face showing his excitement. The pup knelt down to sit upon his rump, suddenly rolling upon his side and squealing – a bid to play that the herd of deer didn't understand, the creatures spooked and abruptly bounding away. As he would assume, Atlas tried to go after them in a bid to win them back, but the older titan gave a sharp grunt in warning that made the young titan stop and turn back to him- practically trotting and beaming broadly._

" _ **I AM… TO GET YOU A… FRIEND TODAY."**_ _Titus iterated warmly to Atlas who looked up at him in wonder and eagerness. "_ _ **I… THINK YOU TWO… WILL LIKE… EACH OTHER."**_ _He continued hopefully as Atlas merrily padded ahead, not truly listening to his speech. Deep down, Titus hoped that he was right. He really wanted to make more progress to prove others wrong. He wanted Atlas to be as great as possible just to show the other titans that the pup wasn't a waste of space._

_The pair continued to navigate through the private section of forest, Titus feeling comfortable knowing that no other Hunter Titan besides he, his pupil, or Atlas would be around. Each Mentor had their own territory that they used to train and most never invaded another's space. He was thankful for this fact. No one would be around to judge or intervene with Atlas's chance. Titus looked down to watch the pup again, seeing him look and touch various rocks and other objects while emitting a variety of vocals that could be considered the titan version of the human speak that they called 'baby talk.' At this, Titus decided to take advantage of the situation and try to educate Atlas until they reached their destination. The pup was currently stroking his hands across the rough and bumpy bark of a tree, looking at it with newfound interest. Titus placed himself over the pup, his shadow making Atlas turn around in question. Noticing that Atlas had gone slightly stiff as a reflex, Titus let out a rumbling purr and pointed to the massive evergreen._

" _ **TREE**_ _." He spoke clearly. "_ _ **TREE."**_ _He continued, watching as the pup followed his finger to the spruce – ears pricking forward in interest. Titus felt a spark of excitement at the pup's reaction. He had tried his outdoor educating before with Atlas, but at the time the little pup just seemed unwilling to learn and just got things mixed up. The little titan looked back to him and let out a small squeak before Titus pointed to a neighboring pine. "_ _ **TREE."**_ _He repeated, with Atlas looking on in wonder, making the adult grow more exultant. "_ _ **THESE… ARE TREES."**_ _Titus further implied with Atlas smiling up at him with the older titan deciding to test the pup. "_ _ **WHAT IS… TREE ATLAS?"**_ _Titus questioned, not pointing at any of the greenery and keenly watching Atlas. The pup could understand the gist of a question, but he hoped the infant could answer. The pup let out a joyful hum and toddled to a bush, slapping it a bit with his hand before looking back at Titus expectedly. He could feel his chest harden at Atlas's mistake. There had been points where Titus just wanted to throw a rock in frustration or fell a tree, but this was what he had to deal with when it came to teaching a handicapped titan. He was absolutely sure tough, that when Atlas succeeded in remembering or recognizing something, the victory would be much sweeter. "_ _ **NO ATLAS."**_ _Titus replied softly, watching the pup's face fall in the slightest. "_ _ **NOT TREE. THAT IS BUSH. WHAT… IS TREE?"**_ _Titus attempted for the second time with Atlas staring at him owlishly. Suddenly, the pup excitedly chirruped and nearly skipped to the spruce to plant his hands upon its surface. Atlas rotated his head to look upon him with a lopsided grin and an odd sound coming from between his teeth. Titus nearly jumped in triumph. "_ _ **YES! TREE!"**_

_At the correct answer, Atlas's smile grew impossibly bigger and his ears fluttered about. The little beast stomped around in one of his circular motions before holding his head high– the tiny titan looking completely proud of himself. The Mentor let his lips drift into a subtle grin and lowered his hand to pat Atlas's head – the only way he really knew how to praise the pup. For a moment, the young titan relished in the touch before hopping forward. He couldn't help feeling the way he was currently. More than half of the time he was at a loss when it came to being a parent. So whenever he learned how to do something correctly or made any headway with Atlas, he felt absolutely triumphant._

_They continued to walk through the wood, Titus taking every opportunity to show Atlas everything he could possibly use to teach the pup. The little titan had gotten many of his queries right, but as he expected Atlas did mix up many of the things that he pointed out such as birds, butterflies, sticks, and flowers. Still, Atlas was producing better results. He was indeed learning what things were – just not at the same pace as others. It was progress. Titus then turned his attention down to the small pup only to find something that made him pause upon the trail. Atlas was walking much slower with no pep in his step. His plump face looked almost pale and strained – small brows bunched together. Atlas's hands held his stomach, the pup letting out a distressed whine. Titus was then hit with sympathy knowing very well what was happening. Atlas was getting ready to pass his first pellet, and judging by how much Atlas ate, it was going to be a large one. From observation, most pups were terrified at the sensation and often needed coaxing from their parents. Knowing this, Titus bent down to Atlas's level in preparation to aid just as the pup stopped and got into a squat. The little titan coughed, crying a bit as he gagged in the slightest. Titus lifted a tentative hand and began to stroke the pup's back just as Atlas began to whine in pain. Teary greens looked at him briefly before the infant gagged, heaving up mucus and saliva before coughing again. Titus bit his lip, stroking more feverously as Atlas continued to wrench and thrust. To make sure that the pup's body was functioning properly, Titus paused his stroking and felt the sides of Atlas's tummy to ensure that his stomach was contracting correctly. Seeing that it was, the Mentor returned to his gentle stroking just as Atlas's jaw unhinged. The pup's eyes bulged in the slightest as he wheezed and belched more saliva. Then, with a hard lurch, a decent sized red mass fell from the pup's maw into the grass. As sort of a congratulation, Titus patted the pup's back with Atlas pausing in his breathing to smile weakly at him. The pint sized beast cooed and looked back to his pellet in what Titus could determine as a sense of amazement. The pup squeaked, looking up at Titus as if to ensure that the older titan had watched his accomplishment._

" _ **GOOD JOB."**_ _Titus huffed with Atlas wiggling his ears – the color already coming back to his face._

_Suddenly, Atlas trilled loudly and went straight for his pellet, jaws open wide and ready to do one thing – an action that Titus completely forgot about but quickly adverted by throwing his hand between Atlas and the pup's steaming pellet. The little titan continued trying to run forward, making no distance behind Titus's hand with the older of the two sighing in relief as he scooped up the pup with Atlas making a sound that could be equivalent to a giggle. He had foolishly forgotten the fact that upon passing their first pellets, some titan pups would mistake them as an extra opportunity for food which was a revolting thought within of itself. Thus, the parents sometimes had to pick them up and throw them away. Titus looked down at Atlas who was swaddled in his arm – the little pup making reaching notions towards his pellet. Titus swallowed, ears sinking at the thought of what he was going to have to do with Atlas huffing in the meantime._

_The joys of parenting indeed._

_With the pup beginning to make a fuss, Titus held his breath and quickly picked up the pup's pellet and threw it as far as he possibly could into the forest with Atlas huffing in great amusement yet again. To ensure that the pup wouldn't even try to go find his regurgitated meal, Titus insisted on holding him as he started off again to his destination with Atlas completely enjoying himself._

_Soon enough, the strong scent of daffodils swept through his nostrils – ensuring him that he was close. The pup seemed to have taken heed to the new aroma as well, Atlas's nose twitching like a hare's. Minutes passed, and Titus finally met the rocky wall that led up to the plateau just beyond. The natural ladder of sorts was steep, stones looking as if they slept on top of one another and blanketed themselves in moss and fungi. With the fact that he had to tackle the obstacle in mind, Titus sat down a cooing Atlas with the little pup plopping onto his rear and looking up with utter fascination. Due to his odd proportions, Titus needed both hands free to make the climb. Hopefully Atlas would follow easily. With an encouraging grunt that was an invitation to trail him, the large titan began to skillfully scale the embankment. As he met the halfway point, Titus angled his neck to check on Atlas, only to find the pup trying his upmost hardest to jump up onto the first rock – only to repeatedly fall back roughly to the grass. The sight made Titus instantly cringe at his ignorance yet again. Atlas was too small to climb the very rocks he was ascending. Watching as the pup's face lit up in horror as he looked back up to his guardian, Titus descended back to the earth with Atlas squeaking gladly at his return. Titus scratched his chest in thought of how to tackle his current predicament, fingers threading through dark and coarse hair. He then realized he would have to do something that mother and father titans often did. When crossing rough terrain that required every limb, said parents carried the pups in their mouths. The mother or father's teeth would lightly clamp around the back of the pup's neck similar to the way felines carried their offspring. Granted, Titus was uncomfortable with the idea of doing such a task. If he accidentally bit down too hard, he could potentially kill Atlas even though the skin of a Hunter Titan was much thicker than most titan species around the neck area. He didn't want to do so and favored a different route, but with the very obstacle the largest he had to do it. He couldn't keep his pupil waiting._

_As carefully as possible, Titus cupped Atlas in his hand to ensure that the pup wouldn't move about and brought him towards his face. Ever so gently, he then opened his maw and lightly clamped his teeth around the back of the pup's neck from the sides. Instinctively, Atlas stiffened, legs straight and joints locked while Titus ensured himself that he had a good but safe grip on the pup. Satisfied, the large titan then began to scale the rock face again, ears flickering at the sounds of Atlas grunting and trilling at the unusual experience. Just as the little pup had figured out how to reach his beard, Titus crested the wall and took Atlas from his mouth and back into his hands. He huffed as the pup instantly lost interest in trying to pull at his beard and looked out at the major change of scenery before them._

_The deep forest had peeled away to expose a wide open field that lay nestled in the center of the wood. It was covered in buttery daffodils and was home to many of the small creatures that loved to frolic about and feast on the small vegetation – a food source for deer and rabbits that fed both man and other small predators. It was a great area for the Mentor to train his pupils in for it was wide enough to practice more duels and sessions of sprints. Trees surrounded the field in an embrace, making the meadow private even from a roaming Mindless. Seated patiently in the center of the field was his pupil, a she-titan named Jade. She was three years old – the equivalent of a teenager. Her eyes were a shade of cerulean, hair a deep earthy color and falling messily just past her chin, looking more like the cut of a young male. Like Atlas and many of the Hunter Titans, Jade had a lipless maw. Her build was rather lanky as it was for every young titan her age, the true curvy and feminine build of a female titan not having blossomed quite yet – hips not quite as wide and bust not as developed. She was nine meters tall. Personality wise, Titus labeled her a common human term – tomboy. Jade was spunky, daring, and played rough. She was incredibly friendly though with a carefree characteristic. Titus chose Jade as his pupil for her athleticism. She was nimble and proficient with quick jabs. When sparing with a titan using brute strength, she made up for it with speed. His gut was telling him that Jade would be a good fit for Atlas. They had things in common, abet nosey and adventurous. Jade was his last chance at finding a companion for Atlas._

_The female titan got to her feet as she acknowledged his arrival, a purr already resonating in her chest and already prepared to give Titus the proper greeting – a bow of the head where his brow would meet hers. However, Jade's pleased look changed into one of confusion as she spied Atlas sitting up in his arms and trilling – the pup wiggling his ears in greeting with a broad smile upon his face. Jade tilted her head as she approached him, brows drawn together in confusion. Titus knew good and well that he had some explaining to do and he wasn't quite sure how to begin._

_Jade abandoned her greeting to warily approach the pup in his arms, the young female proceeding to then sniff the baby titan with Atlas leaning as much as he was able to smell Jade as well._

" _ **TIITTUS… THHATT ISSS… GREEEN EYYES!"**_ _Jade grunted in question. "_ _ **WHHATT –**_

_Titus quickly snorted and rumbled to interrupt, gesturing for her to take a seat – an order that she quickly followed. He then joined her as she got settled, holding Atlas in front of him with the little pup squeaking excitedly and reaching for Jade – the female looking almost nervous. The beast then exhaled. "_ _**JADE, THIS IS – ATLAS."** _ _The older titan beamed slightly. "_ _**ATLAS,"** _ _He pointed, green pools following his finger to his pupil. "_ _**THAT IS… JADE."** _ _He pressed onward, the pup looking at the young behemoth with Atlas looking up into Jade's face with his gasglow grin as broad as ever. "_ _**JADE. THIS… IS JADE."** _ _Titus continued as he lowered Atlas to the ground and released the pup. He observed his pupil's face, still looking quite confused as Atlas padded over to her and clumsily climbed into her lap – Jade almost looking too startled to move. She seemed tentative to put a hand on him as Atlas let out a squeal and began rolling about between her legs before trying to climb up to attempt to initiate a session of play – the pup growling comically as he tried to get up to Jade's ears._

" _ **SOO… DIISS ISS ATTLLASS?"**_ _Jade questioned as she lifted Atlas off to place him on the ground again – the little titan then proceeding to play with her toes. Titus grunted._

" _ **YES. AZERORON – PUT ATLAS… IN MY CARE."**_ _Titus began, trying to figure a way to explain things. Jade's brows rose, head tilting._

" _ **SOO… YUU AREE THHE ONE ATCCHING HIMM?"**_ _She queried with Titus giving a grunt to confirm with Atlas still trying to play with Jade's toes – the female purposely moving them to stimulate the pup – something that Titus took as a positive sign._

" _ **YES – I TOOK HIM… JUST AFTER BIRTH."**_

_For a moment it was quiet between the Mentor and his pupil, the two watching as Atlas retired from playing with Jade's toes to trying to catch a small butterfly that was fluttering around them. It seemed like eons before his student cleared her throat to speak once again._

" _ **SOO… UNNN,"**_ _Jade began, obviously trying to ask a difficult query. "_ _ **ISS… ATTLASS… THEREE"**_ _She gestured to her head – the notion instantly making Titus's chest tighten. "_ _ **THHEEYY SAAAY… HEEE… ISS NOOT. THHEYY SAIID… HE ISS DDEFECT."**_

_Titus exhaled, his golden eyes drifting to Atlas who's eyes comically crossed to look upon the flying insect that had just landed upon his nose – the baby squealing. "_ _**I – DON'T … KNOW YET. RIGHT NOW… I THINK – ATLAS IS PARCIALLY THERE."** _ _Titus scratched his chin. "_ _**HE CAN LEARN… BUT IT IS – SLOW. ATLAS… IS BEHIND… COMPARED TO… OTHER PUPS. GETS THINGS… MIXED UP A LOT. HE… CAN'T SPEAK. MAKES… IT HARDER."** _ _Titus paused for a second time, trying to figure out what to inform Jade of next. "_ _**ATLAS… DOES NOT LISTEN WELL. VERY... FULL OF – ENERGY. I… AM… TRYING THOUGH. ATLAS IS… GROWING ON ME."** _ _The titan beamed in the slightest before getting serious yet again. "_ _**I GUESS… HE COULD BE… A GATHERER. AZERORON… I THINK HAS… SAME IDEA. I… WANT BETTER THOUGH. ATLAS… DESERVE MORE."** _ _He sighed yet again. Jade noticeably bit her tongue as she nodded in understanding._

" _ **OOKAAY. CANNN… YUU… TELLL AHHT – HE THINKKS?"**_ _Jade asked quietly, still watching the bouncy pup. Titus nervously scratched his scalp._

" _ **I'M… TRYING TO LEARN. I AM… TRYING TO… DO… WHAT A FATHER… DOES. NOT… GOOD AT IT… YET."**_ _Titus admitted._ _ **"I AM… WATCHING OTHERS."**_ _Titus concluded, watching as Atlas cheerfully waddled to him – placing his little plump hands onto his leg and squealing up at him just to make sure Titus was aware of him before diving in the grass to roll about. Showing off._

_The older pairs of eyes continued to watch the baby, seeing him swipe at grass to provoke aphids to vacate their perches. Titus smiled. Looking at Atlas currently, it was hard to believe that the pup was mentally impaired. He looked and behaved just like any normal infant. Knowing Jade was bound to send another query his way, the Mentor looked back at his pupil who was still observing the pup with an impassive face. Characteristically, her ears twitched in thought before turning to him._

" _ **SOOO… ISS ATTLAS – CONNING TOO TRAININNNG?"**_ _Jade continued, her eyes never moving from the lively pup before finally shifting to his expectant gaze._

" _ **YES. ATLAS WILL…BE WITH US."**_ _Titus dithered._ _ **"I CAN NOT…LEAVE HIM… ALONE – JUST YET."**_ _He quickly corrected himself._ _ **"ATLAS… HE LIKES… HE CAN WONDER. VERY CURIOUS… HIGH ENERGY."**_ _The large titan continued. "_ _ **I DON'T THINK… HE WILL BE… ANY TROUBLE."**_ _Jade nodded, obviously trying her best to take the flush of information._

" _ **UNNN… WHAAT YUUUU PLLANN… TOO DOO… WITT ATTLASS?"**_ _She asked – the query innocent enough but only making Titus feel fretful. It was such a simple question, but the answer seemed complex – even so it seemed more like a guess._

" _ **I… WANT HIS LIFE… TO BE NORMAL."**_ _He spoke slowly. "_ _ **I… WANT.. TO RAISE HIM – I HOPE HE CAN BE… INDPENDENT. ATLAS… I WANT HIM… TO HAVE A… PLACE IN THE PACK. I WANT… HIM TO – FIND A MATE AND… HAVE PUPS. I… JUST – WANT HIM TO BE GREAT."**_

_The female titan absorbed each and every one of his words, nodding to herself, her blue eyes glancing at the bouncy pup before turning her attention back to Titus. Just when he thought she was to be as skeptical and fretful as the others, Jade smiled and let out a rumbling purr, her spine straightening in confidence and ears fluttering._

" _ **SUURRE! WEEE… BEEE FRRIENNDS! EEI… CANN PLAAEE AFTRR… TRRAININNG."**_ _Jade beamed. "_ _ **EIII… CCANN, ELLP YUUU…**_

_Before the young titan could speak further, a loud and piercing squeal instantly grasped the pupil and Mentor's attention. He nearly huffed. Next to Jade, Atlas was spinning around in a circle, stomping his feet into the daffodils with his eyes shut tightly in glee. The pup proceeded to squeal and grunt before plopping down roughly on his rump – completely amused at making himself dizzy. Atlas huffed repeatedly – the equivalent of giggling as he rolled onto his back and kicked his tubby legs. Jade couldn't help but to let out a hoot._

" _ **HEE… ISS CUTTE."**_

_Titus simply nodded in agreement, watching as the pup got to his feet and toddled over to a nearby pond and began to play in the shallow waters. "_ _**INDEED."** _ _He replied, still keeping his smile as he watched the tiny titan under his care play – ensuring that things were sound before slowly standing upright._ _**"NOW… LET US… START."** _

_**(POV SWAP)** _

_A resonating tweet left his lipless maw as he moved his hands about in the wetness, watching the swirling movements before looking back up at his Titus and the new titan that favored him as well. Titus had stated that her name was – Jad? Jude? He knew it was something of the sort. He was happy that she had shown him kindness and she had said the word 'play' which he knew very well what it meant._

_However, he was very confused. He didn't understand what he was looking at. Titus had forced his new playmate to do a different activity besides frolicking with him. Atlas didn't get what the two were doing. At first, they were stretching odd ways before getting into a tight stance – both of their fists held up. They wore determined looks, but what perplexed him so was the fact that they were throwing their coiled hands forward – similar to the way that his littermate had hit him. However, their punches never made contact. Currently, the two were moving their arms and legs in foreign ways, the younger following Titus's moves. The pup found himself tilting his head for the umpteenth time at their display. What was it for? Why were they doing such a thing? It was so very strange to him. Why did his new playmate have to take part in such things? Why couldn't she or Titus come over to keep up their play!_

_Then again, his new friend seemed very willing to participate in what his Titus wanted her to do. It had to contribute to something important that he didn't get quite yet. It seemed like a type of play that only bigger titans could take part in. As much as he wanted to try it – his attention was more focused on watching the small silver things moving about in the wetness. He hadn't seen anything of the sort yet and they held his full interest. Atlas swirled his hands in the water again, watching the strange creatures lose their grace in his wake – turning over and flopping about. His lively greens then caught sight of himself – a rippling reflection that instantly made him squeal. Eager to play, Atlas slapped the wetness before rolling about in the water with another squeal. He would have fun with himself until Titus and his new friend invited him to engage in play that was better suited for his small stature._

_Atlas gurgled, pausing in his rolling about to shake his head to rid it from the unneeded water, purring to himself as his locks fluffed and ruffled like the feathers of a bird. The little titan leaned down again, ready to toy with his other self once more – but something stopped him._

_It was something that he had never smelt before._

_His ears flickered questioningly, a small squeak escaping from between his teeth. What was it? Wondering if Titus had smelled the same, Atlas rotated his head only to see the large titan still playing the same game with the female. The pup tilted his head before looking back in the direction where the strange scent was coming from. Tiny nostrils flared wildly as he inhaled again, his lungs expanding and his eyes shutting as he focused. It didn't smell like a titan or any other animal. So what was it? Slowly, Atlas stood from the pond, ears fluttering in thought. He had to find out what the smell was! No matter what! He had to! Completely compelled by his new need, Atlas wholly forgot that Titus didn't seem to like him wandering as he discreetly crept from the pond and began to enter the forest yet again – a broad smile upon his face at the thought of discovery._

_The little titan stalked through the brambles and lush green, guided by his nose. Atlas hopped cheerfully, his head tilting back to admire the canopy. He smiled a bit bigger, a pleased growl slipping from his throat. Titus had said that the tall things that sheltered all the life in the forest were things they called trees. To him, their name made them more incredible than they were before. They were so tall and he wondered what made them grow so big. Could a titan ever grow to be taller than the trees he wondered. In a way, he hoped not. Being under them was so much more comforting. Unbeknownst to him, Atlas had stopped in his path to admire the timbers, the pup quickly recalling his quest and starting back forward with a trill._

_Atlas bounced along, trying not to get distracted by crawling insects and hopping rabbits, only following the bizarre scent. As quick as he could, the pup climbed over rocks, logs, and pushed his way through tangling roots and low branches. His ears fidgeted as he sniffed, nose twitching. The smell was getting stronger which he knew meant that he wasn't far from the source. He then began to scale another stone, seating himself upon his rump to survey. Atlas sniffed, ears rotating forward only to catch a sound that was all too familiar to him._

_Although it was faint, he could clearly hear speech._

_His ears twitched, befuddled by the sudden and quite unexpected find. Although they were muffled by the surrounding vegetation, he could clearly make out what sounded like words. Granted, he couldn't really find a meaning to most of them, but he understood enough from hearing his Titus repeat them. Atlas continued to listen to them even as he carefully scaled down the mossy boulder. The vocals were slightly different than those that the titans spoke. Titus's voice was deep, and like most he had to pause every few words. His new friend without lips did the same except her voice was strung out with tone much harsher – and if he had the gift of speech he imaged that was what he himself would sound like. The voices that he heard just ahead were so much higher in pitch and they spoke quickly. It also seemed that they said many words at once. Atlas grunted to himself, he had never heard titans speak so skillfully before and in such a strange manner._

_More curious than ever, Atlas prolonged to push forward. He continued to carry himself quietly as he went even further away from the meadow. The pup tried not to squeal or project his excitement fearing that the titans ahead or what he assumed they were, wouldn't be fond of him. Atlas only smiled. Perhaps he would make another friend today. Soon, the timbers thinned in the slightest and the vegetation reduced. Even though he felt more exposed, he was very close to the vocals and scents. Suddenly, Atlas slowed his gate, changing direction in the slightest to take refuge behind a thick tree and bushes. Peering through the low branches, Atlas spied the source to what had gained his attention. He had never been hit with confusion so hard._

_Afore him were a couple of very small titans, smaller than even himself or any other pup he had seen for that matter. They weren't as chubby as he was and their bodies didn't seem to be bare – they were covered by a strange thing that didn't even seem like fur. Atlas leaned forward – ears fully erect as he continued to scrutinize the strange little titans. There was only a few of them, a large male, a large female, and a very small male. The female was sitting upon a thing that looked to have been made from the very trees in the forest that had bizarre round feet. In the front of the thing were creatures that were much bigger than the deer but lacked the horns. For a moment, Atlas found himself transfixed on the animals with long manes and tails before putting his attention back on the odd titans. The two males were reaching into the low trees and picking the round things that were a shade of blood, placing them into their arms before returning to the big wooden contraption and putting them into something that almost looked like a wood nest. The female seemed to be examining the fruits, wiping their surfaces off to clean them. Atlas smiled. They were so interesting! These strange titans were doing things that he had never seen the big titans in his pack do. Sure, they gathered leaves and the greens of the forest – but never any of the sweet smelling bounty. They spoke to one another so quickly too. Granted, he wasn't sure if the small titans were pups like he was or if they were two parents with a pup. They were so wonderfully bizarre._

_Either way, he wanted to play with them._

_Then, the small male suddenly began to walk in his direction, obviously looking to pick the fruits from the tree that he was taking refuge behind. Instinctively, Atlas grew nervous and crouched down – trying to remain unseen as his bright greens watched the small titan stop just a few feet from him and reach into the branches. Atlas watched as the small male selected certain fruits, looking at each with a practiced eye before plucking them from their perches. Now that the small titan was close to him, Atlas could see him in greater detail. The miniscule being's body was frail and looked almost delicate compared to his own and the stuff that covered his body wasn't fur at all but rather something that seemed like it was woven. The strange titan had lips like some of the others in his pack but his hair wasn't the shaggiest in the slightest. The young male hummed to himself, surprising Atlas with how many times it changed pitch before rotating his head to look upon the larger male._

" _Father? How many apples do we need?"_

_Atlas blinked at the query, recognizing a single word. Father. So this was two parents and their pup!_

" _Well, we are bringing them back to sell in the village so we will need plenty my son." The father smiled back before returning to his own harvesting._

_Atlas nearly purred in amusement, put kept his excitement caged as he watched the other pup finish his picking, having so many red fruits in his arms that he was nearly dropping them as he turned to head back towards the wooden object. With both curiosity and the desire to play coursing through him once again, Atlas quietly walked out of the brambles – making sure to keep himself on all fours and as light as possible. As quickly as he could, Atlas got as close to the male as possible, his ears fluttering in elation. He kept low slum and stopped just behind the other pup as he placed the apples down and began to sort through them. Incredibly inquisitive, Atlas stepped forward – nose twitching as he sniffed. The other pup didn't even smell like the forest but rather held an assortment of scents that he never beheld before. After the first inhale, he couldn't help but give in more to his own questions and need to frolic. With no hint of nervousness whatsoever, Atlas pushed his nose gently into the other's back and sniffed aggressively – making the young male screech._

" _What!" The other pup spun around, dropping his harvest with his body going rigid in shock. As the pup's blue eyes blew wide, the female sitting atop the wooden contraption gasped while the father quickly joined his mate – his hand on something shiny hanging from his waist. Atlas practically ignored the parents' stunned, spooked, and somewhat confused looks as he squealed, hopping before the young male and hunkering down in a bid to play. The large male visibly relaxed, his wife following suit._

" _It's – a Hunter Titan pup." The older male spoke. "I've – never seen one this close." He paused, blinking in disbelief before looking at his own. "You can relax my son, he's not going to hurt you."_

_Upon seeing the boy calm at his father's reassuring, Atlas let out a happy trill and flopped down to roll upon his side – showing his submission. With a squeal, he rolled awkwardly onto his head before flopping down on his back –kicking his legs about before arching his legs over his head to look at the other pup from the wrong way up. Still, the small titan remained stiff and stunned at Atlas's invitation. Wiggling his ears again, he then scrambled to his feet to hop about once more all the while the family continued to look upon him._

" _This one is young." The father continued as Atlas paused in his hopping to sniff the boy again. "I'd say it's at least two months old. Definitely one of this season's pups."_

" _Is it a male or female?" His mate asked._

" _It's a little male." The being paused, Atlas deciding to playfully nip the bottom of the soft thing upon the smallest titan – the thing feeling odd between his teeth. Playfully, he pulled – the male letting out a gasp and falling onto his rear with Atlas squealing. "Strange, during the few times I've seen their pups, they are always following the mother or father. The parents don't allow their pups to even come near humans."_

_The female leaned forward, her eyes still looking at him seriously. "Could it be – lost?"_

_Atlas then proceeded to advert his attention to the wooden structure, running his hands upon the weathered surface, letting his tongue snake between his teeth to taste the strange object, stopping to gently nibble a corner of it with the large male and female watching his every move. "There is a slight chance that he could have strayed away from his mother. Then again, I've seen pups walking with their mothers before. They only look with interest but otherwise they shy away. Even when their mom lets them explore for a bit, they still don't go far from her and tend to only watch us humans rather than trying to make contact with us." Atlas listened to the man speak before deciding to hop around and roll again – stopping to play with his own feet on his way to make an attempt to frolic with the young male again._

" _Dear, do you think it is possible that this one could be an orphan of sorts?" The female prolonged as Atlas continued to grab his own plump feet. At her words the male seemed to stiffen._

" _You – have a point." He began as Atlas turned his attention away from his toes and began to walk toward the boy again, but his attention easily drifted to the maned creatures and the odd vine like things wrapped around them. The titan pup grunted cheerfully, leaning close to sample their scent with his ears wiggling at the new discovery. These small titans were so interesting! As he lifted a gentle hand to run his fingers through the long hair of the animal, Atlas missed the father's sudden look of concern. "I think you might be right. Looking at how it acts – I think something may be wrong with it."_

" _What? You think it could have some kind of defect?"_

" _I think that may be true. I know many kinds of animals will abandon their young if they aren't capable of surviving on their own. Looking at this one and how it acts – I think it indeed has something mentally off. He's – all over the place."_

_Atlas continued to ignore the male's speech, his eyes scanning the dark strips wrapped around the maned creatures. Deciding that he wanted to test the strange things, Atlas squealed and nipped at the black strips, his soft pulling making the creatures whinny and stir. The father stood in the slightest, waving his hands about._

" _Hey! Stop that!"_

_At the vocal, Atlas paused. Going by the being's tone, it seemed that the black strips were off limits. Although he really wanted to pull on them again – he didn't want to angry these small titans. Recalling what he was going to do before, Atlas turned back to the stiff little male and proceeded to push his head into him – squeaking before rolling about on his side once again, pawing the other as another bid for the boy to join him in play. A hearty laugh met his ears._

" _Maybe he's just incredibly playful. Maybe nothing is off at all."_

_The father hummed in thought. "I think the latter might be true. I've never seen a Hunter Titan behave quite like this one."_

" _Well," the female continued as Atlas watch a smile slowly shape out of the little male's lips at his antics. "Even if there is indeed something wrong and if he's truly alone, he is still quite cute. This pup's eyes are – beautiful. I've never seen such a vibrant green. It's like the forest at summertime."_

_The man sighed as Atlas tweeted, ears fluttering about as the small boy lay a hand on the tip of his nose. "Still – it's tragic. A damn shame really."_

" _Yeah – it is. Nature can be very cruel."_

_Still, even as the two other titans spoke with their faces plagued with pain as the truth settled in, Atlas ignored them. The other little pup before him had accepted his invitation as he continued to stroke his short nose. The little male made a sound that he couldn't place – one that was obviously cheery and sounded so lovely to his ears. He had never heard his own pack or Titus make a noise like it. When he himself or Titus found amusement in things, they huffed. This sound was absolutely pleasing. Wondering if he could create such a vocal, Atlas attempted the chortle – only sounding as if he was gurgling or choking on a meal. The sound hurt his throat, so Atlas decided that it was best to keep to his giddy huffs._

_He chirped and teasingly dropped down again, wiggling his tapered ears that the male seemed absolutely intrigued in. The boy grasped the cartilage in awe, running his hand along the structure. Wanting to provoke the other pup to play, Atlas quickly licked the other across the face with a loud purr – coating the other in a layer of saliva that left the male stunned._

" _Hey!"_

_Atlas huffed and licked the other again to further tease – spinning around in a tight circle before nuzzling into his new friend. This day was wonderful! His Titus had taught him what a tree was, introduced him to one friend, and he found this small friend. What a day!_

_Unexpectedly, Atlas felt a vibration beneath his feet, making his heart surge. His Titus! He must have come to see what he was doing! His smile grew bigger. He could show Titus his new friend that he made on his own!_

_However, the forest suddenly seemed so much darker – so much quieter. It was an unsettling feeling that Atlas never felt before. He didn't like it. Wondering if the other titans could feel the same, Atlas turned to look upon the parents and their pup. What he witnessed only puzzled him even more. The three titans looked terrified. Their eyes and mouths were open wide and his new friend was scrambling to climb onto the wooden contraption. The maned creatures were whinnying and producing panicked cries as the footsteps shook the area. Atlas only remained confused. Had these titans ever seen a bigger one of his kind?_

_Deep breathing met his ears and the thundering steps stopped. Eager to show Titus his new friend and the smaller humans that there was nothing to fear, Atlas got to his feet and turned around to greet his guardian with a squeal._

_Looking at the titan before him, it was abundantly clear that the beast was not his Titus._

_Atlas's smile faded as his excitement grew into fear. The titan didn't look like any other from the pack. It was frighteningly skinny with its ribs nearly overhanging it's famished looking stomach. Its face though was what made chills course all throughout his tiny body. The titan lacked the familiar pointed ears, but this fact was not what stood out to him. The behemoth's mouth was stretched in a menacing smile – teeth stained red. The eyes were lifeless – nearly completely dark with none of the other hues present. Slowly, it's strange mouth opened in the slightest to give out a low hiss that made Atlas shutter. The creature was so unnerving. It looked like something that should have been lifeless. It looked horrifying._

_Atlas knew. It was a monster._

_The titan's cold and dead eyes slowly descended upon him – the behemoth's face never changing in expression. It was eerily frozen. The pup's terrified emerald greens, watched as the monster reached in his direction – the world suddenly feeling as if it was in slow motion. Atlas found himself unable to move, pupils shrunken down into pinpricks. Finally finding himself, Atlas instinctively let out a desperate howl for help. Why! Why was everything happening to him!_

_He cried out again, hunkering down and scooting back harshly into the wooden creation crafted by the smaller titans. Atlas looked on at the monster's face – a thing of nightmares. He was so scared! Where was Titus! Where was he! Then, as it drew nearer still, Atlas's instincts came to meet him yet again, the little titan naturally letting loose a pitiful growl that was nowhere near threatening. Why was he doing such a thing? He was helpless against it. It was so much bigger than him! So much stronger currently in every way! Then it hit him. This titan looked like the things that he had seen his pack eat. This titan was the kind that the pack ate! Now, it looked set on eating him! Any streak of defiance was replaced at the fact – Atlas resorting to his frozen state of fear. The pup was much too scared to even call for help let alone move as the titan's hand became just a few feet from him._

_His life was over. He would never see his Titus or anyone else again. He was done for. A piece of meat. His own mother and father were going to get what they wanted._

_Then, the feeling of fight or flight came back to him, more or less a need to defend himself. Atlas narrowed his eyes, growling again with his back arching and hair ruffling. His nose wrinkled in a snarl. Why? Why was he feeling this urge again? Why did it feel so natural? Was it because he was cornered? What was it? As the dirty, blood stained hand drew nearer, Atlas felt the need to fend himself further. He opened his maw and let out the fiercest sound he could make – trying to roar like he had heard the other titans of his pack do – the sound only coming out as a rough squeak and not the deep and earth-shattering bellows that they were capable of. Still, the titan came at him, forcing Atlas to simply close his eyes and wait._

_This was it._

_However, before he fell victim to jaws much larger than his own, the forest around him shook, tree limbs clattering and pebbles bouncing. The wooden contraption jolted, rising a few inches off the earth before touching down again. A powerful resonating roar sliced through the area, one that was so loud that it shook even his own chest. Then, a shockwave ran through the glade – a massive fist making contact with the monster's face with the foul beast's skull instantly caving in and its body being knocked down into the earth. Atlas remained stunned, even as he was scooped into a pair of large hands and placed protectively onto warm flesh. He finally blinked._

_Titus. He had come to his rescue along with his female friend._

_Still, he remained silent and stupefied. His guardian's roars shook even the canopy, his hands grabbing the titan's leg and hoisting it into the air, swinging the monster in an arc before throwing it onto the unforgiving ground. Green eyes watched as Titus rose his foot and brought it down with tremendous force upon the titan's nape._

_Over and over again._

_Red. Crimson – blood painted the green and steam began to obscure. Atlas's ears filled with the sounds of the creature screeching in agony. His nostrils flared at the scent of flesh – an alluring odor. Then, the forest was silent. Not even a bird chirped a melody overhead. Even so, as the steam lifted, Atlas remained stagnant. His friend returned him to the grass – quickly checking on the small titans before getting up to scrutinize their surroundings. Hearing steady thumps – Atlas arched his neck to see Titus approaching him – his face impassive with his brow slightly creased. For a moment, the pup couldn't tell if his guardian was irritated or not until Titus exhaled and knelt down to seat himself upon his knees. The large titan's hand gently rubbed his scalp before hoisting him up to seat upon his lap. Oddly, the older behemoth remained silent – simply looking from the steaming carcass to the shaken little titans who were trying to recover their harvest._

" _ **ATLAS."**_ _Titus suddenly began, the pup looking up into the beast's almost forgiving golden hues. The titan sighed yet again before continuing. "_ _ **LOOK."**_ _Titus outstretched a finger to what was left of the steaming mass of carrion. "_ _ **THAT… IS A MINDLESS. A… MINDLESS TITAN."**_ _He gestured before pointing to the small beings. "_ _ **THOSE… ARE HUMANS. HUMANS. THEY… ARE NOT…TITANS."**_ _His guardian continued to explain, Atlas's maw opening in shock at the news. "_ _ **MINDLESS… EAT HUMANS. WE HUNTERS,"**_ _Titus lay a hand to his chest. "_ _ **PROTECT HUMANS. WE… EAT MINDLESS. HUNTERS… PROTECT MANKIND. REMEMBER THAT… ATLAS. REMEMBER THAT."**_

_The little green eyed titan rotated his head to gaze upon what was before him – his shadowed lids unblinking. It was true that he had trouble understanding words and their meanings, but those that Titus had just spoken – he could understand with absolute clarity._

 

_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Rogue's past!
> 
> I think I'll try to update every 2 to 3 months. If there is a delay, blame it on my work.
> 
> Next chapter: Chapter 26: Tiny but Tenacious: Rogue learns more of the pack's ways and finds inspiration while enduring the unwanted cruelty that constantly grips him.

**Author's Note:**

> So I hope you enjoyed the extra long first chapter of Rogue. I plan to go pretty far with this and I'm already working on chapter 2. The story will not always be cute. (It's SNK so of course it's going to be violent at times) I'll update whenever I can. Anyways, hope you enjoyed and until next time :)


End file.
